Conditions and Performance Chapter Listing

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Introduction

Summary

Highway Operational Performance

Transit Operational Performance

Transit system performance can be measured in a variety of ways. One approach is to use operating data from the National Transit Database (NTD). Two nationwide performance measures that can be calculated from the NTD are average operating speeds and vehicle utilization rates, which are used as inputs to the Performance Enhancement Module of the Transit Economic Requirements Model (TERM). Where operating speeds are especially low or vehicle utilization rates are especially high, TERM calls for new investment in those areas to improve nationwide performance. The TERM is discussed in greater detail in Appendix I.

Another approach is to use passenger survey data describing the characteristics of a particular trip. The data source for this approach is the 1995 Nationwide Passenger Transportation Survey (NPTS). Survey observations are for individual transit trips, and include data on travel times, waiting times, and seating conditions upon boarding. These performance measures can be calculated for transit trips by public policy function (See Chapter 2).