R#

Real-Time Passenger Information#

abbrev. “RTPI”

A network of displays, screens, mobile applications, and other devices that enable passengers to directly access live information about their public transport services. It is an integrated system of hardware and software, and is most commonly facilitated by General Transit Feed Specification.

Recovery Time#

The time built into a Schedule in-between a Transit Unit’s arrival and destination time, to catch up on potential delays.

Layover Time can be considered as a specific type of recovery time.

Building in recovery time is an important element of scheduling to consider, especially when roadside conditions are known to be unpredictable and volatile.

Revenue Service#

A metric that captures the quantity of productive service a Transit Unit has provided, specifically from actively taking passengers during public operation. Time spent on charter or school bus services are generally not accounted for.

Metrics:

  • Revenue Service Hours (time in hours)

  • Revenue Service Miles (distance in miles)

  • Revenue Service Trips (discrete number)

Ridership#

a.k.a. “Passenger Volume”

The volume of passengers using a public transportation service. Generally counted as the number of unlinked Boardings (which excludes transfers), but can also be counted as every boarding action taken on a system.

Ridership is often counted using Automated Passenger Counters.

Metrics:

  • Discrete number i.e. number of Boardings

  • Discrete number adjusted i.e. “Unlinked Passenger Trips” as defined by the United States FTA.

  • Number per time (in months or years)

Right-of-Way#

abbrev. “ROW”

A legally exclusive and physically separated strip of land for use by public transport vehicles.

In the USA, ROWs are differentiated along three categories:

  • Category A: A fully controlled Right-of-Way, generally Grade Separation without crossings, such as a fully underground train line.

  • Category B: A physically defined and separated ROW, but with at-grade crossings such as street intersections.

  • Category C: A ROW integrated at surface street level, mixed in with other modes of transportation and pedestrians.

Rolling Stock#

The railway-based Transit Units that make up a Fleet. Rolling stock can be powered or unpowered.

In the USA, rolling stock can also refer to any public transport vehicle, ranging from buses to train carriages to auxiliary support vehicles.

Run#

The tasks assigned to operators during a day. Runs may consist of a partial, one whole, or more than one block (see Blocking).

This term is easily confused with Trip, which refers to the individual operation of a public transport service along a route, and is not operator specific.

Runcutting#

The iterative scheduling process used to develop Runs from a vehicle block assignment.

Where Blocking is used to optimise the number of vehicles needed in service, Runcutting is used to optimise the number of operators or drivers needed to provide service.