Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Contents
1. s needs and objectives e Measuring transit capacity speed and reliability and the factors that influence them these are important operational concepts that ultimately affect the cost of providing transit service and the demand to use the service e Sizing elements of transit stops and stations for example platform areas fare collection elements and passenger and vehicle circulation elements e Guidance on ways to positively influence all of the above including their potential effects on operations operating costs and existing ridership demand HOW TO USE THE MANUAL The TCQSM has a relatively broad scope and is written to satisfy the information needs of a variety of audiences As a result it contains a lot of information and its size may be intimidating to first time readers However once familiar with basic capacity and quality of service concepts most users will only need to use individual chapters or portions of chapters for any given application This section describes how the manual is organized and how to quickly find information Chapter 1 User s Guide Page 1 1 Introduction Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition Organization of the Manual The TCQSM 3rd Edition consists of twelve chapters divided into four main topic areas a introduction b concepts c methods and d reference material as illustrated in Exhibit 1 1 Introduction Chapter This introduction chapter Chapter 12. Operations Concepts is all about transit speed capacity and reliability and how various factors in and out of a transit agency s control influence them The chapter defines speed capacity and reliability describes how passenger Organization of Chapter 1 Exhibit 1 1 TCQSM Chapter Organization Fixed route transit service operates on a defined route according to a defined schedule Demand response transit has a flexible route schedule or both Introduction Page 1 2 Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition demand patterns dwell time operating environment right of way type and stop and station characteristics affect them and presents a series of graphs illustrating the relative impacts of various factors on transit capacity and speed Ideally readers will be familiar with this chapter s contents prior to using any of the methods presented in the mode and facility specific capacity chapters Chapters 6 10 e Chapter 4 Quality of Service Concepts describes the many roles transit plays within a community and the different perspectives that different stakeholders bring when considering the performance of transit service Quality of service focuses on the passenger perspective This chapter presents the important quality of service factors that have been identified by research introduces the quality of service framework that is the focus of Chapter 5 and describes the relati
3. 1 7 Introduction Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition TCQSM s definition of a particular term when applying TCQSM methods as it may differ from local usage Local Data The TCQSM has compiled data and methods from a variety of sources and produces estimates that reflect average conditions However the manual recommends that for the best results local data should be used whenever possible as every location will have its own unique characteristics that may not reflect North American averages When local data are not available the TCQSM s default values may be substituted In these cases it is recommended that the sensitivity of important results to changes in assumptions be tested The series of illustrative exhibits in Chapter 3 Operations Concepts that show the impacts of various factors on speed and capacity can be used to identify which assumptions may be particularly important to check Introduction Page 1 8 Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition 2 PURPOSE AND SCOPE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual TCQSM provides transportation practitioners with a consistent set of techniques for evaluating the quality of service and capacity of transit services facilities and systems The manual s objectives include providing the latest research results on estimating and assessing the capacity speed reliability and qualit
4. and modern streetcar services and an expansion in the number and size of light rail systems A new section has been added describing transit service patterns and their potential quality of service impacts Finally guidance has been added on transitioning demand response service types to ones providing more or less flexibility Chapter 3 Operations Concepts Chapter 3 incorporates the transit capacity and speed concepts material that previously appeared in Parts 4 6 Bus Rail and Ferry Capacity respectively in the 2nd Edition The presentation of these concepts in the 3rd Edition is intended to be mode neutral to the extent possible as several different modes are often capable of providing a desired capacity speed or both Many new figures appear in the chapter that illustrate the relative impact of specific factors on transit capacity and speed to help readers better understand which factors have the greatest influence Based on user feedback a new section has been added on passenger demand characteristics summarizing the latest research on the relative influence of demographics and transportation demand management TDM strategies on ridership In addition guidance on land use densities capable of supporting a given level and type of transit service has been updated and expanded Other new material includes a section on the influence of transit operating environment right of way on capacity speed and reliability Chapter 4 Quali
5. extensive discussion of the role of simulation in evaluating station pedestrian circulation and the computational examples include new examples of sizing transit centers and applying microsimulation software Other changes include expanded descriptions of the various transit station types A new section devoted to vehicle circulation and storage at stations includes new material on estimating the number of bus berths at off street bus stops typical amounts of automobile parking provided at transit stations and bicycle parking provisions Finally updated information on fare purchase and fare control is provided Chapter 11 Glossary and Symbols The glossary has been updated to reflect changes to definitions and new terms that have been added to the 3rd Edition The list of symbols has been updated to reflect their usage in the 3rd Edition Chapter 1 User s Guide Page 1 17 What s New in the Third Edition Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition 4 COMPANION DOCUMENTS This section describes important documents that cover topics outside the TCQSM s scope and which may need to be consulted when performing a TCQSM analysis HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL The Highway Capacity Manual 2010 HCM 2010 3 provides methods for estimating vehicle capacity on urban streets The volume to capacity ratio of the curb lane and possibly the adjacent lane is an input to the TCQSM s bus capacity method when buses operate in mixed t
6. primarily a synthesis document with the quality of service framework its main contribution the 2nd Edition 2 sought to fill gaps in knowledge This edition introduced material on ferry transit capacity expanded coverage of demand responsive transit DRT and Americans with Disabilities Act ADA issues and added information about transit preferential treatments and park and ride access to transit It also made changes to the quality of service framework based on user testing and additional research including adding pedestrian environment considerations to the assessment of transit service coverage and adding a new measure of transit reliability headway adherence The 2nd Edition published in late 2003 as TCRP Report 100 went on to become TCRP s best selling report This 3rd Edition of the TCQSM incorporates new research on transit capacity and quality of service topics published since the 2nd Edition was developed including original research conducted as part of the production contract for the manual This edition is also significantly reorganized in response to user feedback The What s New section of this chapter describes the major changes from the 2nd Edition The TCQSM is a reference work that provides current research based guidance on the following topics e Evaluating quality of service reflecting how passengers perceive the quality of the transit service offered and provided while also considering the transit provider
7. transit operations personnel design engineers management personnel teachers and university students To use the manual effectively and to apply its methodologies some technical background is desirable typically university level training or technical work in a public agency or consulting firm POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS The TCQSM has many potential applications and provides Applications sections within its methodological chapters that describe how the methods can be applied to address real world transit operations planning and design needs Example applications include e Training The manual s concepts chapters provide an introduction to transit modes operations and quality of service to readers new to the transit industry Potential users include new agency employees in their first job in the transit Chapter 1 User s Guide Page 1 9 Purpose and Scope Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition agency new transit agency board members consulting staff who have not previously worked on transit projects and university students and professors e Reference The manual is filled with useful information that can be looked up as needed Examples include service times associated with different fare collection methods areas taken up by persons carrying large objects ridership responses to changes in quality of service and a comprehensive transit glossary e Guidance The manual provides guidance on a number of t
8. 0 Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems Washington D C 2010 Page 1 19 References
9. OM Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition 5 REFERENCES Kittelson amp Associates Inc Texas Transportation Institute and Transport Consulting Ltd TCRP Web Only Document 6 Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 1st Edition Transportation Research Board National Research Council Washington D C January 1999 http onlinepubs trb org onlinepubs tcrp tcrp_webdoc_6 a pdf Kittelson amp Associates Inc KFH Group Inc Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade amp Douglass Inc and K Hunter Zaworski TCRP Report 100 Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 2nd Edition Transportation Research Board of the National Academies Washington D C 2003 http www trb org Main Blurbs 153590 aspx Highway Capacity Manual 2010 Transportation Research Board of the National Academies Washington D C 2010 Reilly J and H Levinson Public Transport Capacity Analysis Procedures for Developing Cities The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development The World Bank Washington D C 2011 http siteresources worldbank org INTTRANSPORT Resources 336291 1239112757744 5997693 1294344242332 Public Transport Capacity Analysis Procedures pdf U S Department of Transportation ADA Standards for Transportation Facilities http www access board gov ada aba ada standards dot cfm accessed January 22 2013 National Fire Protection Association NFPA 13
10. User s Guide Mode and Service Concepts Operations Concepts Quality of Service Concepts Quality of Service Methods Bus Transit Capacity Demand Responsive Transit Rail Transit Capacity Ferry Transit Capacity Station Capacity Glossary and Symbols Index Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition CHAPTER 1 USER S GUIDE CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION oo ee 1 1 How to Use the Man dlsenaoemnnronoriemiri naet rN N EENEG 1 1 How to Find Material Of INtereStnrcrnsssenonaan a EREET 1 5 Five Key Conce ptSkenarsennnn steer stencetevns tenets tees veeseutnnaedenienansi seer izadivoie vans sarnenecciaad sieaaen 1 6 2 PURPOSE AND SCOPE cicisnssosssssessssacnscsnscserseossssnsarsnsnesissenseucasnnascenrordesanseaansteesneseedinvoentaziecverons 1 9 PUEPOSE ANG OD SCHVCS scciscnascteacsunsndebenssinvcehsncshscandtlentsbsvietvastiechdtautlnuiieususuntetsvetsdeessppiudeteasacersiidy 1 9 BS APCs accuse aces snauscassasc a A O R AAN 1 9 Intended USETS acsnccsucieednmannenswiniasennunnracmenanannmninanamntiadnminre 1 9 Potential AppliGati Ons ranner a ORAU ETEEN 1 9 International USC nanne a RR 1 11 3 WHAT S NEW IN THE THIRD EDITION cssssssssssssssesssesessssssseesasanenenseesesssnseensseseeeeeaess 1 13 Onganizational CHAM BES iss cevasesscensacsvssnnsisestvanctnsiaascovadeosdspasvsacandbvenisesasGtoastbvsaddbees tbusdsnstdebeetabcnnivndtid 1 13 Content CHAT BOS iss cascssscceistssencnspnntan
11. ary units are presented first with metric units as supplemental units except in cases where the source material used metric units as the primary units in which case metric units are presented first Exhibit 1 2 provides common measurement unit abbreviations used in the TCQSM Exhibit 1 2 Measurement Type Measurement Unit Length width depth Abbreviations Used in distance the TCQSM Area Time Speed travel time rate Acceleration Capacity Space Chapter 1 User s Guide US Customary Units inches in feet ft miles mi acres acre seconds s minutes min hours h miles per hour mi h minutes per mile min mi feet per second squared ft s vehicles per hour veh h passengers per hour p h passengers per square foot p ft Page 1 11 Metric Units millimeters mm meters m kilometers km hectares ha seconds s minutes min hours h kilometers per hour km h minutes per kilometer min km meters per second squared m s vehicles per hour veh h passengers per hour p h passengers per square meter p m Purpose and Scope Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition When converting between measurement units an equivalent level of precision is used For example the range of subway platform lengths of 300 ft to more than 1 000 ft is presented as 90 m to more than 300 m i e rounded to a comparable level of precision The 40 ft standard bus is
12. asure can also be incorporated into an overall evaluation of the quality of service provided to all roadway users transit passengers pedestrians bicyclists and motorists The multimodal transit LOS measure also addresses another user concern with the TCQSM s LOS system specifically that interpreting and reporting six different LOS measures was difficult The fixed route quality of service framework has also changed in that the stop route and system elements of the framework have been removed Previously each quality of service measure was associated with either stop route or system evaluation Instead guidance is provided for each element of the framework on its application to stop route and system evaluation as appropriate In addition the demand responsive transit framework has been completely updated The final major change is that a new section on applications has been added demonstrating the potential usage of the TCQSM s quality of service measures in a variety of planning and operations analysis contexts A number of other smaller changes have also been made Additional information is provided on evaluating transit access at a stop level particularly bicycle access to transit Information about the space consumed by transit passengers and their items has been updated An additional measure of transit reliability excess wait time is introduced The basis of the transit auto travel time measure has changed from the abso
13. d how long it is provided and how it is provided These decisions in turn are often guided by the agency s goals and objectives Capacity Capacity reflects the maximum number of transit vehicles persons or both that can travel past a particular location in a given period of time under specified conditions There are several types of capacity discussed in the TCQSM e Maximum theoretical capacity reflects the greatest number of persons or transit vehicles that can be served under any circumstance Maximum capacity is an unstable and thus unreliable form of operation In the case of persons maximum capacity is achieved under crush loading conditions when as many people are squeezed onto a vehicle as is physically possible a condition that North American passengers will only accept under exceptional circumstances Consequently maximum capacity should not be used for typical planning and operations applications Introduction Page 1 6 Chapter 1 User s Guide Unless the TCQSM specifically states maximum capacity design capacity is meant Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition e Design achievable practical capacity reflects the number of persons or transit vehicles that can be served at a specified quality of service e g design loading level design reliability level The TCQSM estimates design capacity except when the term maximum capacity is specifically used Greater volumes of pers
14. does not need to perform specific calculations To help this group of users the 3rd Edition provides a clear separation between concepts and computational methods both through the presentation of chapters within the overall manual and through the presentation of material within individual chapters This approach provides non technical users with the information they need while lessening the perception that the TCQSM is solely an engineering reference At the same time the TCQSM still provides a full range of material for technical users and all of the information that might be used in a computation e g default values is now provided alongside the methods they are used in rather than being split between concepts and methods Calculation examples are still provided and the manual s computational spreadsheets have been updated Another significant change is that background material that ages rapidly e g ridership statistics has been removed from the TCQSM and replaced with references to sources for the latest information This was done in response to user feedback that the material made the TCQSM seem dated as time passed after its publication date even though the manual s core concepts and methods were still up to date Finally the outreach revealed that in the absence of other comprehensive reference works many users look to the TCQSM for information that lies outside the TCQSM s scope While the TCQSM cannot be everything to everyb
15. equations while producing the same results as before have been adjusted to a match the way percentages are entered elsewhere in the manual e g 0 75 instead of 75 and b clarify the units embedded in conversion factors Chapter 9 Ferry Transit Capacity Ferry transit material formerly found in Part 6 Ferry Transit Capacity in the 2nd Edition has moved to Chapter 9 in the 3rd Edition The basic methodology is the same as before but additional material has been added throughout the chapter particularly related to the flow of passengers through ferry terminals and impacts of security procedures on overall capacity What s New in the Third Edition Page 1 16 Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition Chapter 10 Station Capacity Material from Part 7 Stop Station and Terminal Capacity in the 2nd Edition now appears in Chapter 10 Information relating to ADA and fire code NFPA 130 requirements has been updated to reflect the standards in effect at the time of writing Although many of the procedures for sizing individual station elements are unchanged there have been some significant additions to the chapter These include a supplemental method for estimating stairway capacity based on the number of pedestrian lanes provided as opposed to the width based method and new sections on platform clearance analysis and alternative performance measures A new section on applications includes an
16. ere an impediment to adopting and using the manual s quality of service framework because the letters were too closely associated with school grades Eliminating the letters has also allowed the quality of service tables to show more or fewer service levels as appropriate rather than being forced to fit the levels to the six letters as before Furthermore the quality of service tables now include a column presenting the transit agency point of view alongside the passenger point of view to better illustrate the trade offs involved in moving from one service level to another In combination these changes are designed to make it easier for transit agencies to develop service standards that incorporate quality of service while balancing an agency s goals regarding service delivery with its budgetary constraints At the same time recognizing that other users primarily metropolitan planning organizations MPOs and roadway agencies use LOS to evaluate other modes and are generally comfortable with the LOS concept transit LOS has not been completely removed from the manual The multimodal transit LOS measure developed by NCHRP Project 3 70 Multimodal Level of Service Analysis for Urban Streets has been added to meet the needs of transportation planners and engineers This measure provides a single transit LOS letter as its output while incorporating most of the factors included in the manual s transit quality of service framework This me
17. ervice and capacity concepts and methods provided in the TCQSM The CD ROM also provides an executive summary of the manual in PDF format particularly designed to educate transit agency management and board members about how the manual can be used to help improve agency activities Website TRB s Committee on Transit Capacity and Quality of Service maintains the www tcqsm org website on a volunteer basis Ata minimum the website is anticipated to provide links to major new research relevant to the TCQSM that is released prior to the next major TCQSM update any errata or clarifications for the manual that the committee develops and links to the electronic version of the manual and supporting material Other features may also be provided on the website depending on committee member interest and time availability HOW TO FIND MATERIAL OF INTEREST There are a variety of ways to quickly find material of interest within the manual e Tables of Contents The manual s front matter provides a master table of contents and individual chapters provide a table of contents and list of exhibits tables and figures specific to that chapter Readers can browse the section heads to identify which sections are of interest to them e How to Use sections The preceding How to Use the Manual section provides an overview of the manual s organization Each chapter also provides an Introduction section that outlines the chapter s contents prov
18. given as 12 m in metric units A maximum train speed of 50 1 mi h i e presented with one decimal of precision would be shown as 80 6 km h in metric units Purpose and Scope Page 1 12 Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition 3 WHAT S NEW IN THE THIRD EDITION Each edition of the TCQSM builds on the foundation laid by the preceding edition while adapting the presentation to meet current user needs and incorporating the latest research findings The work of TCRP Project A 15C which developed this edition of the TCQSM included an extensive user outreach effort including focus groups in six locations in the U S and Canada and an online survey to obtain user feedback on the 2nd Edition This feedback helped shape the 3rd Edition s organization and content In addition TCRP Project A 15C reviewed new research performed since the development of the 2nd Edition to identify areas where existing content could be updated The results of this work can be seen in the changes to the manual s organization and content that are described in this section ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES The user outreach effort identified that the TCQSM has a variety of users who possess a range of backgrounds both technical and non technical The latter group of users wants to know about transit capacity and quality of service concepts and about the relative impacts of various factors on capacity and quality of service but
19. here are six methods chapters e Chapter 5 Quality of Service Methods provides methods applications and examples of evaluating fixed route and demand response transit availability comfort and convenience from the passenger perspective The chapter also presents a method for evaluating transit level of service as part of a multimodal evaluation e Chapter 6 Bus Transit Capacity presents factors specific to bus transit that impact bus capacity speed and reliability and describes the infrastructure treatments and operational measures that can improve bus performance in one or more of these areas Individual sections provide computational methods for evaluating bus capacity and speed while a section on bus reliability presents more general information on the causes of bus unreliability as research has not yet developed computational methods for forecasting reliability Chapter 1 User s Guide Page 1 3 Introduction Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition Chapter 7 Demand Responsive Transit describes the factors that influence DRT capacity presents four potential approaches for estimating the number of vehicles and vehicle service hours required to serve a given demand for DRT service and points readers to several sources for estimating DRT demand Chapter 8 Rail Transit Capacity begins with sections on rail specific capacity concepts and primers on train control and signaling and train operations Computationa
20. ice related questions e g from passengers board members or the media it can also be used by transit and planning agencies to identify issues to consider when contemplating introducing new transit modes or service types e Planning The manual s contents support both sketch planning applications providing quick approximate answers about the expected operational performance and quality of service of a particular mode or alternative via graphs and tables or more precise answers using the manual s computational methods Potential uses include transit development plans long range transportation plans and alternatives analyses e Design The TCQSM s computational methods can be used to support a variety of transit design activities including sizing transit centers e g number of bus bays to provide designing BRT service e g platform length needed to meet a given ridership demand using a particular type of vehicle while providing a specified quality of service and sizing passenger circulation elements of new and remodeled transit stations Purpose and Scope Page 1 10 Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition INTERNATIONAL USE Applications In producing the TCQSM with metric units TRB has taken a step toward making these methods and procedures more applicable to international work However the user of the manual is cautioned that the majority of the research base the defaul
21. ides a How to Use This Chapter section and points to related material in other chapters and on the CD ROM e Index The index Chapter 12 identifies where key material is discussed in different sections of the manual e PDF chapters The PDF versions of individual chapters can be searched for specific words or phrases The PDF file s bookmarks list all of the subsections within a given chapter not just the main subsections listed in the chapter table of contents All hyperlinks in the PDF files are active at the time of this printing and can be used to quickly get to supporting information e Reference library Links to all of the TCRP reports referenced by the TCQSM are included on the CD ROM These reports provide background about how TCQSM methods were originally developed and for topics tangential to the TCQSM s scope provide details not covered in the TCQSM Chapter 1 User s Guide Page 1 5 Introduction Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition e Hyperlinks A number of other documents referenced by the TCQSM were Hyperlinks like all available on the Internet at the time of writing Hyperlinks to these documents Internet content are are provided in each chapter s References section subject to change If a link no longer works try e Margin notes Margin notes like the one to the left about the changeable nature searching for the of hyperlinks are used to highlight key points of interest doc
22. index to the manual CD ROM The CD ROM that accompanies the manual provides supplemental material that supports the printed manual PDF chapter files The CD ROM provides PDF versions of each TCQSM chapter that can be copied to computers tablets and other devices for easier portability Users may also wish to print out the chapter s they use most often as an alternative to the larger book The PDF versions of the chapters also include hyperlinks that allow readers to jump directly to a cross reference or a document referenced by the manual Computational spreadsheets To assist TCQSM users in applying the methods presented in the bus rail and ferry capacity chapters the CD ROM provides Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that automate these modes computational methods Neither TRB nor the research team that developed the TCQSM provide support for these spreadsheets Other chapters methods are either readily performed by hand or are better suited for other types of software tools such as GIS software Introduction Page 1 4 Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition e Reference library The CD ROM provides links to PDF versions of all of the TCRP reports referenced in the manual e Training material To assist new users in applying TCQSM methods the CD ROM provides a series of narrated PowerPoint presentations ranging from a half hour to an hour in length that introduce the main quality of s
23. isnnsendsunaganisssacedereansnonstsnntaase REANO AAA 1 14 4 COMPANION DOCUMENT Sav ccccssscsseresecesscnarsusarerersreasastavonsssavescesenesesvensanateesascsuavenssneresuasends 1 18 Highway Capacity Man tial sissiscivsinsstsanannscensacensucnnanneainnvesteanneentuicueneuvrnariuisaenenar anions 1 18 Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Standards for Transportation Facilities 1 18 National Fire Prevention Association NFPA 130 Standard cssessesesseseseseesees 1 18 5 REFERENCES csscscssssesessssssssnenesssreceesesesnsnsasseeeeescsesnsnsusnsnsaeeeecoesueneneneasaseeoenesesasneneaeereueususnenes 1 19 Page 1 i Contents Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition LIST OF EXHIBITS Exhibit 1 1 TCQSM Chapter OrganizatiOninccamomnnnmammavnammnanmanronnnrarmnurccns 1 2 Exhibit 1 2 Measurement Unit Abbreviations Used in the TCQSM esses 1 11 Contents Page 1 ii Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition 1 INTRODUCTION The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual TCQSM 1 was initially published in 1999 as a comprehensive reference resource for public transit practitioners and policy makers It assembled for the first time in one place a set of methods for evaluating the capacity of bus and rail transit services and facilities and introduced a framework for evaluating the quality of transit service from the passenger point of view Whereas the 1st Edition was
24. l methods are provided for estimating the capacity of various modes and configurations of rail transit systems including guidance on measuring or estimating input values used by the methods Chapter 9 Ferry Transit Capacity starts with sections describing the aspects of ferry service facilities scheduling and service planning that are unique to the mode Computational methods are provided for estimating the number of ferry vessels per hour that a dock or berth can accommodate along with the number of passengers and autos that can be carried onboard vessels Chapter 10 Station Capacity begins by discussing three themes that appear throughout the chapter access for persons with disabilities emergency evacuation and security The chapter describes the range of transit stops and stations that exist and their typical features the variety of passenger circulation features found within stations and methods for evaluating and sizing those features The chapter also describes options for transit vehicle private vehicle and bicycle circulation and storage outside of stations Reference Chapters and Supporting Material Glossary and Index Two chapters at the end of the manual provide reference material supporting the rest of the manual Chapter 11 Glossary and Symbols provides a comprehensive transit glossary along with a list of the variables used in the TCQSM s computational methods Chapter 12 Index as its name suggests provides an
25. l world planning and design applications has been added Smaller changes to the chapter include a new table on bus performance characteristics updates to the table of passenger service times associated with different fare collection methods and introduction of a boarding lost time factor that accounts for the time required for boarding passengers to make their way to a bus at bus stops with more than one loading area Chapter 7 Demand Responsive Transit The DRT material previously found in Part 4 Bus Transit Capacity in the 2nd Edition has been moved into its own chapter in the 3rd Edition This material has been completely updated and includes a discussion of the factors that influence DRT capacity a discussion of available methods for estimating DRT capacity in different operating environments and a discussion of the importance of ridership demand in estimating DRT capacity Chapter 8 Rail Transit Capacity The majority of the material that previously appeared in Part 5 Rail Transit Capacity in the 2nd Edition now appears in Chapter 8 Significant new material has been added on the respective roles of simulation and sketch planning tools in evaluating rail capacity Other new material includes a discussion of the role of the vehicle platform interface in influencing capacity along with a discussion of platform screen doors The discussions of design capacity and on street rail preferential treatments have been updated The capacity
26. lute difference in travel times to a ratio of travel times to allow it to be applied more easily in different sized communities A section has been added on safety and security performance measures Finally the computational examples have been Chapter 1 User s Guide Page 1 15 What s New in the Third Edition Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition updated to reflect the changes to the quality of service framework and to add an example of evaluating multimodal transit LOS Chapter 6 Bus Transit Capacity Chapter 6 incorporates the majority of the fixed route bus material previously found in Part 4 of the 2nd Edition Bus Transit Capacity The section on transit preferential treatments has been split into two sections one on infrastructure treatments updated based on new research and one on operations strategies The bus capacity method previously separated into separate busway bus lane and mixed traffic methods is now presented as a unified method with a set of step by step instructions The bus speed method is now also presented step by step and the calculation of base bus speed has been updated to allow the speed to be calculated directly for any combination of bus stop spacing dwell time posted speed and bus acceleration characteristics Material on bus reliability has been moved into a new section in the chapter and updated based on the latest research Finally a new section on applying the bus methods to rea
27. ody this edition takes particular care to refer readers to references tangentially related to the TCQSM that may provide the information they are looking for Thus the TCQSM provides the framework for capacity and quality of service analysis and identifies the necessary inputs to computational methods but does not necessarily provide the tools for estimating every input to a method possibly relying instead on references to other specialty documents Chapter 1 User s Guide Page 1 13 What s New in the Third Edition Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition CONTENT CHANGES This section summarizes important content changes both concepts and methods by chapter All chapters have many other small changes mainly designed to improve the presentation of material or to update statistics and examples Chapter 2 Mode and Service Concepts This chapter incorporates much of the material from Part 2 Transit in North America in the 2nd Edition New trends that appeared in the first decade of the 2000s in transit vehicle types e g low floor vehicles different power sources and their resulting impacts on transit speed and capacity are discussed The demand response transit material has been updated with information about the impacts on technology on service provision and the latest ADA requirements The latest trends in North American fixed guideway transit are described such as the growing number of bus rapid transit BRT
28. ons or transit vehicles than the design capacity may be served on occasion but not on a regular basis e Vehicle bus train vessel capacity is measured in vehicles per hour and expresses how many transit vehicles can pass a point in an hour e Passenger capacity is measured in persons per vehicle and expresses how many persons a transit vehicle can carry at a design passenger loading level e Person capacity is measured in persons per hour and expresses how many persons can pass a point in an hour It is the product of vehicle and passenger capacity Speed and Reliability Because speed and reliability are not included in the TCQSM s title they can be easily overlooked amid all of the manual s other content Furthermore because capacity is not an issue for many transit agencies it can be easy to assume that the manual s capacity chapters have no application to small and mid sized transit agencies However that assumption would be a mistake Speed or more accurately travel time and reliability are important quality of service attributes to passengers and thus influence transit ridership At the same time speed and reliability directly influence the time scheduled for a transit vehicle on a route The scheduled travel time in turn determines the number of vehicles required to operate the route at a given service frequency and thus the route s operating and capital costs Ridership and the cost of providing service are iss
29. onship of changes in quality of service to both ridership and service costs Readers will ideally be familiar with this chapter prior to applying Chapter 5 s methods but a broader audience will be interested in the topic from the standpoint of why quality of service is important to customer satisfaction and ultimately ridership generation and retention Methods Chapters The focus of the methods chapters is on providing computational methods for evaluating quality of service a specific transit mode or facility s capacity and related performance measures Engineers and planners who wish to perform capacity and quality of service analyses will find step by step instructions within the Methodology sections of these chapters Worked problems illustrating the calculation process are provided within the chapters Calculation Examples sections Most chapters also provide supporting material that will be of interest to broader audiences The first few sections of most capacity focused chapters Chapters 6 10 provide mode specific concepts information that supplements the general concepts material in Chapter 3 Operations Concepts This information will be useful for staff consultants and students working with or learning about a specific transit mode or transit passenger facilities Most chapters also provide applications sections that show how a chapter s methods can be incorporated into common transit planning and operations activities T
30. opics within its scope including potential applications and effects of transit preferential treatments and operational tools for example transit signal priority curb extensions and stop consolidation the role of simulation in operations analysis and ways to design transit systems to accommodate future growth e Service Standards Development The TCQSM s quality of service material is presented in a manner that facilitates the development of passenger focused service standards Quality of service tables for different factors service frequency passenger loading etc describe both the passenger and transit operator perspectives associated with different service levels and the accompanying text describes the potential ridership and operating cost implications of changes in quality of service e Service Evaluation TCQSM methods can be used to diagnose and treat operational issues The manual also provides standard definitions of quality of service related performance measures that can be used for one time service evaluations incorporated into an agency performance measurement program or used as a part of a peer review process e What If Questions The manual s methods can be used to evaluate the transit operations and quality of service impacts of potential changes e g introducing a new fare collection system or developing a bus lane on a street The manual s concepts material can be used to support an agency s response to serv
31. provides a guide to the rest of the manual e Section 2 presents the manual s purpose scope and intended users e Section 3 describes the contents of each chapter e Section 4 highlights the changes made since the 2nd Edition e Section 5 describes companion documents to the TCQSM that may need to be consulted when performing certain types of analyses Chapter 1 Introduction Users Guide Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 C t Peepe Modes and Services Quality of Service Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Quality of Service Bus Transit Demand Response Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Rail Transit Ferry Transit Stops amp Stations Reference Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Glossary Index Concepts Chapters The three concepts chapters present concepts define important terms and provide illustrations of the extent to which various factors inside and outside a transit agency s control influence transit capacity speed reliability and quality of service Methods e Chapter 2 Mode and Service Concepts introduces the major transit modes addressed by the TCQSM bus transit DRT rail transit and ferry transit along with their submodes e g light rail heavy rail commuter rail and the types of vehicles used for service The chapter also describes route and network service patterns for fixed route and DRT services This chapter provides a useful introduction to public transit to those who have not worked in the area or studied it before e Chapter 3
32. raffic or in exclusive lanes The HCM s procedures for estimating bus speeds on urban streets can also be used as an alternative to the TCQSM s procedures when the specific signal timing used on the street is important to the analysis Finally the HCM provides methods for estimating multimodal bicycle pedestrian and automobile LOS on urban streets that complement the TCQSM s multimodal transit LOS method AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ADA STANDARDS FOR TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES The ADA Standards for Transportation Facilities 5 apply to the construction or alteration of transportation facilities covered by the ADA The standards may specify minimum dimensions for transit stop or station elements that are greater than the dimensions determined by Chapter 10 methods as the minimum needed to provide a desired passenger circulation capacity or quality of service NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION ASSOCIATION NFPA 130 STANDARD NFPA 130 6 provides standards for emergency evacuation that must be considered as part of station design When the minimum size for a station passenger circulation element specified by NFPA 130 is greater than the minimum size determined by TCQSM methods as being needed to provide a desired quality of service the larger size required for emergency evacuation should be used Companion Documents Page 1 18 Chapter 1 User s Guide Links to the TCRP reports listed here can also be found on the accompanying CD R
33. t values and the typical applications are from North America particularly the United States Although there is considerable value in the general methods presented their use outside of North America will likely require calibrating the inputs to TCQSM methods to local conditions particularly in regard to 4 e Differences in passenger sizes and tolerances for crowding which may lead to higher design loads than would be accepted in North America e Differences in transit vehicles from those used in North America including vehicle types sizes number of doors and interior layouts e Differences in the composition of traffic on streets used by transit vehicles particularly the amount of 2 and 3 wheeled vehicles on the road and the number of pedestrians crossing the road e Differences in driving cultures with respect to obeying the rules of the road e Differences in ability to convert roadway space to transit lanes and e Differences in labor costs compared to North America which may make transit service feasible under different conditions than in North America The World Bank has published a reference document 4 that highlights these differences and provides capacity procedures for developing cities that are modeled on TCQSM methods but which use inputs typical of the conditions found in those cities Measurement Units This edition of the TCQSM has been published in dual units U S customary and metric In general U S custom
34. ty of Service Concepts Concepts material that previously appeared in Part 3 Quality of Service in the 2nd Edition is presented in Chapter 4 in the 3rd Edition A new section has been added on passenger perceptions of value of time at different stages of their trip and under different conditions Information on average walking distances to transit has been updated based on new research and material on pedestrian bicycle and park and ride access to transit has been expanded A new section is provided on how passengers schedule their trips to compensate for unreliable service and the resulting impacts on overall passenger travel time In response to user feedback on the 2nd Edition additional information is provided on ridership responses to changes in quality of service based on new research Also a What s New in the Third Edition Page 1 14 Chapter 1 User s Guide Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 3 Edition new Section has been added that discusses the potential operating and capital cost implications of improving quality of service Chapter 5 Quality of Service Methods Chapter 5 incorporates the remainder of the material found in Part 3 Quality of Service in the 2nd Edition The biggest change in this section is the elimination of level of service LOS letters associated with the transit quality of service measures This was done in response to user feedback primarily from transit agencies that the LOS letters w
35. ues that affect all sizes of transit agencies The same factors that affect transit capacity also affect transit speed and reliability Therefore speed and reliability are addressed side by side with capacity in the manual s concepts and methods chapters Although determining transit capacity may not be the ultimate goal of an analysis calculating it allows other useful information such as speed and reliability to be determined Definitions The transit industry like many others has developed its own vocabulary over the years To someone new to public transit these terms may be unfamiliar To help these readers the TCQSM uses italics in the text to identify terms and phrases as they are defined for the first time The manual also includes a transit glossary Chapter 11 that compiles all of these terms plus many others used in transit planning and operations outside the areas of capacity and quality of service Complicating matters the use of terminology is not consistent across the industry Many transit systems have their own specific historically derived terminology a motorman and guard on one system can be an operator and conductor on another Modal definitions can be confusing What is clearly light rail by definition may be termed streetcar semi metro or rapid transit in a specific city It is recommended that in these cases local usage should prevail However it is important to be aware of the Chapter 1 User s Guide Page
36. ument name in an Internet search engine FIVE KEY CONCEPTS Five key concepts appear throughout the manual While these concepts are fleshed out in Chapters 3 and 4 they are introduced here because they are so fundamental to understanding and applying the manual Quality of Service Quality of service is the overall measured or perceived performance of transit service from the passenger s point of view While there are many valid perspectives for assessing transit performance the TCQSM focuses on the passenger or customer point of view while acknowledging that transit operators must strike a balance between the quality of service that passengers would ideally like and the quality of service that a transit agency a can afford to provide or b would reasonably provide given the demand for transit service The performance measures used to describe quality of service are different from the financial and output focused performance measures that have traditionally been used in the transit industry Quality of service focuses on two areas 1 Transit availability Is transit service an option for a given trip 2 Transit comfort and convenience If transit service is an option how attractive is it to potential passengers The quality of service provided depends on the operating decisions made by a transit agency within the constraints of its budget particularly decisions as to where transit service should be provided how often an
37. y of service transit services facilities and systems providing methods for performing these estimates and assessments and presenting computational examples illustrating the application of the manual s methods SCOPE The TCQSM is the primary source document incorporating research findings on transit capacity speed reliability and quality of service A companion document the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 3 presents methods for evaluating the quality of service of roadway pedestrian and bicycle facilities The TCQSM is not a standards document The methods contained within the TCQSM while representing the best available knowledge at the time of publication do not set policies regarding a desirable or appropriate quality of service or capacity of a transit service facility or system The TCQSM does not provide tools for directly estimating the ridership generated by a particular transit service or system although it does provide guidance on changes in ridership that might be expected to accompany changes in quality of service and also provides information on the relative contributions of land use demographic and transportation demand management TDM to ridership Readers are encouraged to refer to texts on travel demand modeling for more information on transit ridership estimation INTENDED USERS The TCQSM is intended for use by a range of practitioners including transit planners transportation planners traffic engineers
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search