Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Connection Protection in Improving Successful Light Rail–to-Bus Transfers

The quantitative evaluation results of the nation’s first light rail–to-bus connection protection (CP) system implemented by the Utah Transit Authority are presented. The CP system was designed to improve the reliability of transfers from the higher-frequency light rail TRAX trains to the lower-frequency bus services. The CP system examines the estimated arrival time of TRAX trains for the next three stations and issues a “hold at {station name} until {time}” message to buses waiting at the connecting rail stations, via the buses’ onboard mobile data terminals, if the lateness of trains is within a predetermined threshold (e.g., 3 min). The evaluation consisted of a quantitative analysis of the successful rail-to-bus connections with an analysis of the rail and bus operations data and a qualitative assessment of the perspectives and opinions of users based on individual experience (both riders and bus operators). The focus was the quantitative analysis that employed an unmatched with-and-without experimental design. Overall, the analysis results showed that CP did significantly increase the percentage of successful train-to-bus connections. Train riders meeting a bus trip when CP was active and a “hold until” message was issued to the bus operator were between 3.1 and 3.9 times more likely to have had a successful connection than were train riders meeting the same bus trips when CP was inactive, depending on the wait time assumption for a successful connection to take place.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/1930-01
• 
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Evaluation+of+the+Effectiveness+of+Connection+Protection+in+Improving+Successful+Light+Rail%e2%ac%1cto-Bus+Transfers&author=J.+Jenq&author=B.+Pierce&author=A.+Pate&publication_year=2005
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Public/Blurbs/157349.aspx
• Authors:
  • Jenq, Jeffrey H
  • Pierce, Bennett
  • Pate, Alan
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 3-11
• Monograph Title: Transit: Intermodal Transfer Facilities, Rail, Commuter Rail, Light Rail, and Major Activity Center Circulation Systems
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
  • Issue Number: 1930
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transit; Evaluation and assessment; Light rail transit; Public opinion; Transfers; Transit vehicle operations
• Identifier Terms: Utah Transit Authority
• Uncontrolled Terms: Connection protection system (Transit)
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01020640
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309094046
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 23 2006 3:30PM