Development of Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) Data Based System to Improve Bus Service at New York City Transit

MTA Bus Time is an Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) system utilizing Global Positioning Systems (GPS) hardware and wireless communications technology to track real-time location of New York City buses. This paper describes the challenges and coordination required in developing a Bus Time data based analysis system to replace traffic surveyor-based manual data collection. This work was conducted by New York City Transit’s Operations Planning / System Data & Research (SDR) group. SDR developed an algorithm to integrate raw data delivered every 30 seconds with both existing and newly-developed data sources, and determined when each trip arrived at, and departed from, en-route timepoint locations. Incorporating external data sources allowed system designers to capture both trips that were not in service because of operator unavailability, vehicle breakdowns, or skipped stops, as well as missing trips due to hardware issues. In conjunction with operating departments, SDR developed novel ways to use Bus Time data for both performance reporting and investigation into operational issues, such as: identifying operator login error, bus bunching, and increased deadhead times due to road construction. Reports for these issues and overall bus operations are sent daily to both Depot Supervision and Road Operations personnel who use the information to improve operations. The experiences encountered at New York City Transit (NYCT) can serve as a model for agencies looking to successfully use existing automated AVL/GPS data sources, by learning how to overcome data inconsistencies and process and use information for operational efficiencies.