WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY 1986 AUTOMATIC PASSENGER COUNTER PROJECT ACCURACY EVALUATION

The purpose of the 1986 WMATA Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) Accuracy Evaluation was to complete WMATA's 1984-85 project experience with APC technology. The 1984-85 project demonstrated APC capability by analyzing 5 WMATA routes and preparing recommendations for route improvements based on APC collected data; it did not include a formal APC accuracy evaluation. This 1986 APC evaluation was performed to assist WMATA in determining the role of APC technology in their total data collection effort. The 1986 project produced approximately 18,000 observed boardings/deboardings and consisted of over 400 sample trips. This evaluation represents the largest, most thorough accuracy evaluation of APC technology ever performed. The Urban Transportation Associates (UTA) provided APC equipment and analytic services for this APC project, namely: 3 APC units, 8 DC signpost transmitters and 1 month lease period plus preparation of WMATA's analyses. During October 1986, 3 APC equipped WMATA buses were deployed on the Rhode Island bus line. Experienced checkers rode selected trips on the APC equipped buses and performed standard WMATA ride checks, noting time, boardings, deboardings, and passenger load at each bus stop. The APC system produced a corresponding listing, thus allowing a detailed analysis of manual/APC concurrence to be conducted. Conclusions state that UTA's APC system produced a total boarding count equal to 99.7 percent of total WMATA checker boarding counts, and 98.4 percent of total WMATA checker deboarding counts. UTA's APC system counted total boardings/deboardings as accurately as experienced WMATA checkers. The concurrence between APC and manual counts were consistent throughout the project.

• Corporate Authors:

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Urban Transportation Associates, Incorporated

  4480 Lake Forest Drive, Suite 302
  Cincinnati, OH  United States  45242
• Publication Date: 1986

Media Info

• Pagination: 47 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Bus transportation; Evaluation; Passenger counting
• Identifier Terms: Urban Mass Transportation Act; Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
• Uncontrolled Terms: Automated passenger counters
• Old TRIS Terms: Umta section 6
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Motor Carriers; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00465772
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-URT-20-86-1
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 29 1988 12:00AM