METROBUS SERVICE GUIDELINES
In the late 1990's when stabilization of bus service was accomplished between WMATA and the local jurisdictional bus systems, the need for service planning processes and procedures was determined. The Regional Mobility Panel recommended service criteria be developed to allow evaluation of regional bus service provided by WMATA. Regional routes are usually bus routes on major arterial roadways and generally cross jurisdictional lines and are subsidized by all compact jurisdictions. In consultation with the local jurisdictions the following service guidelines were developed and adopted by the WMATA Board of Directors in February, 2000.
The same set of guidelines is used for regional and non-regional service at WMATA. The basis for calculating the guidelines is the average of the two distinct services. The guidelines are recalculated annually based on the past year's performance.
BUS SERVICE CRITERIA
DAILY WEEKDAY PASSENGER BOARDINGS This measurement is to evaluate the overall ridership generated by each bus line. This measurement compares actual ridership on a line to the average for regional and non-regional service. If the ridership is less than 1/8th, the line does not meet the minimum guideline.
COST RECOVERY This measurement is one of two financial guidelines used to evaluate the cost/benefit of each line. This measurement compares the revenue generated on a line versus the cost of providing the service. If the line does not recover 1/2 of the average of the regional or non-regional average, it does not meet the minimum guideline.
AVERAGE SUBSIDY PER PASSENGER This is the second financial guideline use to evaluate the cost/benefit of each line. This measurement compares the level of subsidy provided for each passenger carried for each line. If the line requires a subsidy at twice the system average, it does not meet the guideline.
PASSENGERS PER REVENUE TRIP This is one of two guidelines used to evaluate the overall productivity of each line. This measurement compares the number of average weekday passengers that travel on a bus line divided by the number of weekday bus trips provided on that line. If the passengers per trip on the line are less than 1/3 of the average, the line does not meet the guideline.
PASSENGERS PER REVENUE MILE This is the second guideline use to evaluate the productivity of each line. This measurement compares the number of passengers that travel on a given line for each mile of operation in revenue service. If the line does not carry ridership at 1/3 the average of the system, the line does not meet the guideline.
These adopted criteria are considered along with other factors in the evaluation of service and assist WMATA and the jurisdictions in finalizing annual service requirements and financial commitments.
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METROBUS REGIONAL BUS SERVICES PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORT
January 2000
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SECTION I: LINE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REPORT
The Regional Mobility Panel recommended that WMATA, in consultation with the local jurisdictions, plan and operate a regional bus service. In 1998 the Board approved the creation of a regional bus network and a formula to determine how to pay for regional service. Staff was then directed to develop policy and procedures for implementing service changes on regional routes.
This document, which will be referred to as the Route Performance Assessment report, will be used as a tool to assess the performance of existing routes. The objective of the Route Performance Analysis report is to provide documentation for the systematic evaluation of the performance of all regional Metrobus routes.
The systematic route performance evaluation is a two step process as directed by the Board. The first step involves documenting the performance of existing service using pre-established performance indicators and measures. This is done by using the scheduling database and monthly GFI report database to produce the Route Performance Analysis report. The second step in the process applies a set of performance guidelines against each line to assess its’ performance to determine if service adjustments are initiated.
ROUTE PERFORMANCE
The Route Performance Assessment report uses a set of performance indicators and performance measures to document the level of performance for each line. They are used to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of each line and provide a comprehensive view of service performance.
Performance Indicators
The following performance indicators will be used:
! Platform Miles ! Total Passengers ! Platform Hours ! Passengers Per Trip ! Revenue Miles ! Revenue ! Revenue Hours ! Cost ! Number of Trips
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Definitions
The following are the definitions of the performance indicators that will be used to document each lines performance:
Revenue Service - Operating from terminal to terminal while boarding and alighting passengers.
Revenue Miles - Actual miles that are scheduled to be operated in revenue service.
Revenue Hours - Actual hours that are schedule to be operated in revenue service.
Platform Miles - Revenue miles operated, plus dead head miles for pull-in and pull-out and/or interlining.
Platform Hours - This indicator is determined by calculating the time the bus pulls-out of the garage until the time it pulls- in.
Number of Trips - The number of revenue trips scheduled to be operated
Passengers - Actual number of passengers on a particular line that are reported from the most recent monthly farebox report.
Passengers Per Trip - Calculated by dividing the number of passengers by the number of revenue trips operated on a specific line.
Revenue - The number of passengers on a line multiplied by the average fare ($.77) or $2.00 for express lines.
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Performance Measures
Performance measures are used to quantify the performance of every line. They are as follows:
! Cost Per Passenger ! Subsidy Per Passenger ! Cost Recovery ! Cost Recovery ! Passengers Per Revenue Hour ! Passengers Per Hour ! Passengers Per Revenue Mile ! Load Factor ! Load Factor ! Cost Per Mile
Definitions
The following are the definitions of the performance measures that will be used to document each lines performance:
Cost Effectiveness - measures the amount of service consumed relative to the resources required to provide service.
Cost Recovery - This is the most direct measure of financial return on operating investment. It is calculated by dividing revenue by the cost of providing the service. This produces a percentage and it measures how much of the cost to operate a line is recovered through passenger fares.
Cost Per Passenger - It is calculated by dividing the cost for providing the service by the number of passenger boardings. It measures the cost of providing service on a unit basis.
Service Effectiveness - measures the amount of service consumed relative to the amount of service provided.
Peak Hour Maximum Load Factor - It measures the number of passengers on the bus at the maximum load point (the point that historically has the most passengers aboard the bus at any one time). It is calculated using pointchecks to determine the number passengers at the maximum load point, divided by the number of seats that were available. The goal is to maintain an average number of passengers
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on each bus during the peak hour. Therefore, load factor is actually an average. Some trips will have more passengers and others less. A load factor of .90 means 90% of the available seats were occupied within a specified time period (15 or 30 minutes).
Passengers Per Revenue Hour - It is calculated by dividing the total number of passengers by the total number of revenue hours. It measures the consumption of service relative to the amount of service provided on a unit basis.
Passengers Per Mile - It is calculated by dividing the total number of passengers by the total number of revenue miles operated. It measures the consumption of service relative to the amount of service provided on a unit basis.
Service Efficiency - Measures the amount of service provided relative to the resources required to deliver that service.
Cost Per Mile - Measures the efficiency of the service provided by a specific unit. It is calculated by dividing total cost by the number of revenue miles operated. It allows you to analyze the line to determine which segments are the strongest performers.
Subsidy Per Passenger - This is a direct measure of the cost the jurisdictions are paying to provide one passenger trip. Subsidy Per Passenger is calculated by dividing actual revenue collected by the number of passenger boardings.
To develop a process that is more manageable and precise, the number of measures that will be used to determine if a service change is required was reduced.
To accurately measure a line’s performance it should be assessed based on service effectiveness and cost effectiveness. These quantitative classes measure the amount of service consumed by passengers relative to the amount of service provided and resources required.
Therefore, three performance measures are used to give an overall representative view of a line’s overall performance. They are:
! Cost Recovery ! Load Factor ! Passengers Per Revenue Hour
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LINE CLASSIFICATION
Line performance monitoring evaluates all bus service on a comparative or relative basis. This is done by using the above selected performance indicators and performance measures. However, to provide a better indication of how a line’s performance truly ranks against other lines, they must be grouped to provide a more accurate comparison.
Each line is classified as either being radial, crosstown, or express. Line classification is used because lines within certain classifications may have characteristics that lead to them performing at a different level than other classifications.
Radial lines are oriented toward downtown along major corridors. They typically have a higher number of boardings and lower level of alighting before they reach their downtown destination. Crosstown lines are characterized by heavy boarding and alighting activity in both directions. This makes crosstown lines more efficient because a seat is more likely to be sold more than once. Express lines typically operate in the peak flow direction only and deadhead to/from the garage, or to make an additional trip. This makes it less efficient because a large percentage of the miles are operated in non-revenue service. In general, there is no turnover of passengers because they have the same destination.
Once each line is grouped by its line classification, the average of that classification for each performance measure will be calculated. This will provide an indication of the range of performance within the line classification. We will also highlight lines which are 120% above the average and 60% below the average to identify what lines may need additional service or lines that may require a service reduction.
The Line Performance Assessment report will be produced bi-annually and submitted to the jurisdictions in January and July of each year.
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SECTION II: LINE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
The second step in the line performance evaluation process applies a set of performance guidelines against the performance of each line to assess it’s performance.
This is done to assess if additional service may be required, a reduction of service may be required, or if the line is operating within an acceptable level. Guidelines have been developed for the set of three performance measures that were identified in the first step as providing the best indication of a lines true performance, cost recovery, passengers per hour, and load factor.
JUSTIFICATION FOR SERVICE CHANGES
Guidelines will be used to set a minimum or maximum threshold that provides staff with the justification to add or reduce service to improve performance, and to assure adequacy of service to the riding public. By evaluating all services against guidelines, it is possible to identify areas where additional service will benefit passengers, as well as a reduction of service that will enhance economic return to WMATA. A service increase will only be considered after staff has determined that a no cost service alternative does not exist.
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Justification to Add Service
When a bus service problem is identified that may require additional service, staff will review existing data or collect additional data to identify the service requirement. To determine if additional service is required three guidelines have been identified. These guidelines were approved by the Board in May, 1999. They are:
Three guidelines
1. Load factor (radial, crosstown, and express) 2. Running time 3. Non-peak productivity standard
1. Load Factor
A service increase is warranted if the ratio of passengers to seats at the maximum load point during the peak half-hour or non-peak hour exceeds the load factor guideline. The load factor differential by line type is as follows:
Service Load Type Definition Factor
Radial Operates over major arterials and corridors ...... 1.2 and is oriented toward major urban centers.
Crosstown Provides service across corridors and ...... 1.1 generally does not serve urban centers.
Express Operates over major travel corridors and ...... 1.0 includes significant non-stop segments oriented toward major centers.
Off-peak (for all service types) ...... 1.0
2. Running Time Adjustments
Service may be added if running time is insufficient and more than 33% of the trips on a line within a 30 minute period during the peak, or a 60 minute period during the off-peak are not able to start their next cycle on-time.
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3. Non-peak Productivity
Service may be increased if ridership averages more than 30 passengers per revenue hour during non-peak hours (at the increased service level) and staff determines that an increase is warranted based on current performance trends.
Justification for Reducing Service
When it is determined that a no cost solution does not exist to improve a line that is not performing to its potential, a reduction of service may be warranted. Staff will review existing data or collect additional data to identify the cause of the problem. To determine if a reduction of service is required, two performance measures and guidelines have been identified. They are:
1. Load Factor
The goal is to maintain a minimum load factor for each line classification. This may require service to be reduced to achieve the minimum goal. The minimum load factor differential by route type is as follows:
Service Load Type Factor
Radial ...... 60 Crosstown ...... 55 Express ...... 50 Off-peak ...... 50
2. Non-peak Productivity
Service may be decreased if ridership averages less than 18 passengers per revenue hour during non-peak hours and staff determines that an decrease is warranted based on current performance trends. A reduction of service hours may result in improved performance.
February 3, 2000 Page 10 of 25 RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR METROBUS OPERATIONS
OCTOBER 1996 (Revised by Board resolution February 10, 2000)
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
600 Fifth Street, NW ! Washington, DC 20001 Page 11 of 25 RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR METROBUS OPERATIONS OCTOBER 1996
URPOSE P The rules and regulations set forth in this document have been established by action of the WMATA Board of Directors. They conform to recent changes in the WMATA Compact and amplify the Compact's language by defining the specific parameters governing the approval and implementation of fare and service changes.
CONTENTS OF THIS The contents of this document accomplish the following: DOCUMENT 1. They define the approval process for :
! Fare Increase ! Fare Decrease ! Promotion and Demonstration Fares ! Fare Reimbursement ! Major Service Decrease ! Major Service Increase ! Minor Service Decrease ! Minor Service Increase ! Emergency Service Change ! Experimental Service Increase
2. They define the limits of "Major" and "Minor" with respect to service increases and decreases.
3. They define the requirements of the public hearing process regarding:
! Pre-Hearing Notice, including time and posting locations ! Post-Hearing Record ! Notice of Service Change
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WMATA COMPACT The WMATA Compact contains the following language pertinent to fare and service change rules and regulations:
Section 62 (a): The board shall not raise any fare or rate, nor implement a major service reduction, except after holding a public hearing with respect thereto.
Section 62 (c): The board shall give at least fifteen days' notice for all public hearings. The notice shall be given by publication in a newspaper of daily circulation throughout the transit zone and such notice shall be published once a week for two consecutive weeks. The notice period shall start with the first day of publication. Notices of public hearings shall be posted in accordance with regulations promulgated by the board.
FARE CHANGES A change to any WMATA fare, parking rate or other fee shall be subject to the following public hearing and approval requirements:
General Public Manager's Board Hearing Fare Change Approval Approval Required
Fare Increase M M
Fare Decrease M
Promotion and M Demonstration Fares (reductions only)
Fare Reimbursement M
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SERVICE CHANGES A change to any Metrobus service shall be subject to the following public hearing and approval requirements:
General Public Manager's Board Hearing Service Change Approval Approval Required
Major Decrease M M
Major Increase M(b)
Minor Decrease M (a)
Minor Increase M (a)
Emergency (detour etc.) M (a)
Experimental Service Increase M(c)
(a) Board Informed and coordination with local jurisdiction if significant cost impact. (b) Public hearing only if requested by Board or local jurisdiction[s] affected. (c) Designated period not to exceed 18 months with the option to extend the period to 24 months at the Board’s discretion; Board action required to make permanent during experimental period.
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DEFINITIONS
Major Service Decrease
Revenue Miles: One or more reductions in a single year that represent a total reduction in that year of more than 20% of a line's scheduled revenue miles, or
Route Miles: One or more reductions in a single year that represent a total reduction in that year of more than 15% of a line's route miles, or
Span of Service: One or more reductions in a single year that represent a total reduction in that year of more than one hour in the hours of service on a line, or
Boardings: One or more eliminations of service in a year for more than 10% of a line's current riders.
Minor Service Decrease
Revenue Miles: All else not included in the definition of Major Decrease cited above.
Route Miles: All else not included in the definition of Major Decrease cited above.
Span of Service: All else not included in the definition of Major Decrease cited above.
Boardings: All else not included in the definition of Major Decrease cited above.
Note: All measurements of service impacts will be based on the service day of the change. As an example, the percentage reductions in a weekday decrease in Revenue Miles on a line will use the average weekday Revenue Miles on that line as a base; a Saturday change will use the average Saturday as the base, and the same for a Sunday.
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DEFINITIONS Minor Service Increase (continued) Rush Hour: Improve rush hour headways by less than ten minutes.
Non-Rush Hour: Improve non-rush hour headways by less than 15 minutes.
Major Service Increase
Rush Hour: All else not included in the definition of Minor Service Increase cited above.
Non-Rush Hour: All else not included in the definition of Minor Service Increase cited above.
PUBLIC HEARING When fare or service changes are being considered which require, as PROCESS directed above, that public hearings be conducted, the Authority shall be guided by the following parameters:
Pre-Hearing Notice
Fifteen days' notice, once a week for two successive weeks. Notice shall be posted in newspapers of daily local circulation, as well as in Authority offices, and on all revenue vehicles serving the public directly affected by the change. Notice shall be made by additional means as the Board may direct.
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PUBLIC Post-Hearing Record HEARING The Public Hearing Record shall remain open for five days after the hearing to receive further comments. PROCESS (continued)
Notice of Service Change
Notice shall be posted in Authority offices and on all revenue vehicles serving the public directly affected by the change. Notice shall be made by additional means as the Board may direct.
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SERVICE GUIDELINES FOR REGIONAL METROBUS SERVICES
February 3, 2000
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SECTION I: GUIDELINES FOR ADDING NEW LINES AND SERVICES
The regional mobility plan as adopted, identified WMATA as the lead agency to develop a plan for regional bus needs. As the transit needs change within the Washington D.C. region, a guideline is needed to determine when new regional service may be implemented. Through regional service, Metrobus must meet the needs of emerging markets that can support transit.
Identifying markets that can support transit and determining how to serve them is a task that WMATA staff will coordinate with the staff of the jurisdictions. Once a new market is identified, staff will use passenger demand as the performance measure for implementing new service. Passenger demand is determined by estimating the number of passengers that will utilize the service. Staff will recommend new service as needed as part of the fiscal year service plan during the budget process. Service will be developed in concert with local jurisdictions and presented to the board committees. The recommendation will include cost, subsidy, and performance goals for 6 months, 12 months, and, 18 months.
SERVICE GUIDELINES FOR INTRODUCING NEW LINES AND SERVICES
! Determine demand for new service ! Semi-annual performance goals will be established ! Evaluate new service recommendation to identify potential success ! New service will be reviewed every six months to track ridership
One Guideline
! Minimum load factor
Service will be recommended as an experimental line if it has the potential demand to achieve the minimum load factor for its line classification within an 18 month period.
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The load factor is calculated by determining the number of passengers that pass the maximum load point, the number of trips made during the period, and the number of seats available on a bus. This load factor differential by line type is as follows:
Line Classifications Minimum Load Factor
! Radial - operates over major arterials and corridors ...... 65 and is oriented toward major urban centers. ! Crosstown - provides service across corridors and ...... 55 generally does not serve urban centers. ! Express - operates over major travel corridors and ...... 50 includes significant non-stop segments oriented toward major centers. ! Off-peak (all service types) ...... 50
APPLICATION OF GUIDELINES
As part of the on-going planning process staff will analyze the performance of lines using the proposed guidelines.
! Specific data will be collected and analyzed with the jurisdictional staff. ! Performance goals will be set and service will be reviewed every six months
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SECTION II: GUIDELINES FOR ADDING SERVICE TO EXISTING LINES
INTRODUCTION
When a bus service overcrowding problem is identified, staff will review existing data or collect additional data to identify the cause of the problem. Then staff will investigate alternatives to determine if a no cost solution is possible. The following no cost alternatives are typically used by staff:
! integrate headways along a corridor ! adjust headways ! replace smaller buses with larger buses ! have a pull-out or pull-in trip make a revenue trip ! redistribute running time ! adjust recovery time ! short turn trips ! reroute to avoid congestion
Only after it is determined that a no cost alternative does not exist will additional service be recommended.
SERVICE GUIDELINES FOR ADDING SERVICE TO EXISTING LINES
! effectively measure service performance ! evaluate service adjustments as necessary to ensure application of guidelines for entire regional bus network. ! on a semi-annual basis service changes will be reviewed to track the impact of the changes on the budget and ridership.
Four Guidelines
1. load factor (radial, crosstown and express) 2. running time 3. non-peak productivity standard 4. regional equity optional at the Board’s discretion
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1. Load Factor
A service increase is warranted if the ratio of passengers to seats at the maximum load point during the peak half-hour or non-peak hour exceeds the load factor. The load factor is calculated by determining the number of passengers that pass the maximum load point, the number of trips made during the period, and the number of seats available on a bus (45). For example: 225 passengers divided by 5 trips, divided by 45 seats, yields a load factor of 1.0. This load factor differential by line type is as follows:
Line Classification Load Factors
! Radial - operates over major arterials and corridors ...... 1.2 and is oriented toward major urban centers. ! Crosstown - provides service across corridors and ...... 1.1 generally does not serve urban centers. ! Express - operates over major travel corridors and ...... 1.0 includes significant non-stop segments oriented toward major centers. ! Off-peak (all service types) ...... 1.0
2. Running Time Adjustments
Service will be added if running time is insufficient and more than 33% of the trips on a linee within a 30 minute period during the peak and 60 minute period during the off-peak are not able to start their next cycle on-time.
3. Non-peak Productivity
Service will be increased if ridership averages more than 30 passengers per revenue hour during non-peak hours (at the increased service level).
4. Regional Equity at The Board’s Discretion
New service, line extensions or other service enhancements to new areas will be considered as an option to ensure regional equity as determined by relative subsidy contributions. It is at the boards discretion to consider this option.
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APPLICATION OF GUIDELINES
As part of the on-going planning process staff will analyze the performance of lines using the proposed guidelines. Before staff recommends service improvements, they will first identify any no cost alternatives. If staff cannot identify any no cost alternatives then the guidelines will be applied.
! Specific data will be collected and analyzed with the jurisdictional staff. ! The specific changes will be proposed. ! The changes in service and the financial impact will be analyzed. ! The final service change recommendations will be brought to the Board Operations and Budget Committees only if there is a budget implication.
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SECTION III: GUIDELINES FOR REDUCING SERVICE ON EXISTING LINES
INTRODUCTION
When a bus service is identified as a candidate for reduction, staff will review existing data or collect additional data to identify the cause of the problem. Then staff will investigate alternatives to determine if a solution is possible. The following alternatives to reducing service are typically used by staff:
! Integrate headways along a corridor ! Adjust headways ! Adjust trips ! Replace larger buses with smaller buses ! Short turn trips ! Public information
Only after it is determined that an alternative to reducing service does not exist will a reduction of service be recommended.
SERVICE GUIDELINES FOR REDUCING SERVICE ON EXISTING LINES
! Effectively measure service performance ! Evaluate service adjustments as necessary to ensure application of guidelines for entire regional bus network. ! Service changes will be reviewed on a semi-annual basis to track the impact of the changes on the budget and ridership.
Two guidelines
1. Load factor (radial, crosstown , express and off-peak) 2. Non-peak productivity standard
1. Load Factor
A service decrease is warranted if the ratio of passengers to seats at the maximum load point during the peak half-hour or non-peak hour does not meet the minimum load factor. The load factor is calculated by determining the number of passengers that pass the maximum load point, the number of trips made during the period, and the number of seats available on a bus. The goal is to maintain a minimum load factor for each line classification. This may require service to be reduced to achieve the minimum goal. The minimum load factor differential by line type is as follows:
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Line Classification Load Factors
! Radial - operates over major arterials and corridors ...... 60 and is oriented toward major urban centers. ! Crosstown - provides service across corridors and ...... 55 generally does not serve urban centers. ! Express - operates over major travel corridors and ...... 50 includes significant non-stop segments oriented toward major centers.
2. Non-peak Productivity
Service may be decreased if ridership averages less than 18 passengers per revenue hour during non-peak hours and staff determines that a decrease in service is warranted based on current performance trends. A reduction of service hours may result in improved performance.
APPLICATION OF GUIDELINES
As part of the on-going planning process staff will analyze the performance of lines using the proposed guidelines. Before staff recommends a service reduction they will first identify any alternatives to reducing service. If staff cannot identify any alternatives, then the guidelines will be applied.
! Specific data will be collected and analyzed with the jurisdictional staff. ! The changes in service and the financial impact will be analyzed. ! The final service change recommendations will be brought to the board operations and budget committees only if there is a budget implication.
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