T3 Webinar:

5/14/2008 - How to Implement the TimeTable Publisher: An Open Source Application for Transit Agencies

May 14, 2008

Text version of Webinar presentation:

"How to Implement the TimeTable Publisher: An Open Source Application for Transit Agencies"

Description of image or images on a slide contained in brackets.

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Slide 1: Implementing TimeTablePublisher

T3 Webinar
May 14, 2006
David Sulllivan

Slide 2: What are Bus Timetables?

A timetable is the publicly available document outlining the bus services for a particular route.
The relevant operator is responsible for preparing, maintaining and distributing the timetable.

Slide 3: Key Timetable Components

Effective date
Schedule and timepoints
Map with timepoints and transfer locations
Transfer location and connecting route information
Holiday schedule
Fare information
Wheelchair and bike rack service availability
Information on different services provided
Contact information

Slide 4: Why Timetables?

To board a transit bus an individual needs to know:

which route to take
where the bus goes
where the bus stops
when the bus arrives
the travel time to the destination, and
how much it costs to travel.

Slide 5: Accessing Timetable .Information

Route maps and timetables – Printed material
System maps – Bird’s eye view of a transit system
Information on stops – Bus stop signs with bus routes with route information
Websites – Information on all the services and routes
Trip-planning systems – Point-to-point information for the public
Telephone service – Call customer service and ask for information on a bus route
Headsign at the front of the bus
Bus operators
Other passengers

Slide 6: LA Benefits of Timetables

Enhanced ridership
Increased awareness and usage
Better image
Improved rider satisfaction
Improvement in making transfer connections
Improvement in discovering alternative routes for trips
Improvement in identifying routes serving each stop
Reduced complaints
Increased and more frequent ridership
Increase in revenue

Slide 7: TPS Components

[Image of route map with a time point and transfer location, schedule and timepoints.]

Slide 8: Published HRT Bus Schedule

[Image of a published bus schedule. Displays weekend schedule, bus fares, and contact information.]

Slide 9: Raw Data to Prepare Timetable

[Image of a table with raw schedule for a selected route.]

Slide 10: Results from TimeTablePublisher

[Image of a schedule generated by TimeTable Publisher (TTPUB).]

Slide 11: Data Required for Timetable: Dynamic vs. Static

Dynamic Data

Scheduling information from systems such as Hastus or Trapeze
Mapping info (manual)
Transfer locations (manual)
Connecting route information from transfer points (manual)

Slide 12: Data Required for Timetable: Dynamic vs. Static

Static Data

Holiday information (manual)
Fare information (manual)
Service information (manual)
Contact information (manual)

Slide 13: Process Flow

[Image of process flow. In first box, HASTUS Report 1) Schedule. This feeds into Information and Scheduling, which includes Mapping Info (transfer locations, holiday info, connecting routes, wheel chair and bike rake availability, fare information, and contact information. This information is sent to Marketing for design (timetables created manually using Quark Express software). This newly created timetable is sent to Scheduling and Planning for proofreading.]

Slide 14: Design Process in Marketing

Timetable is currently created manually
Quark Express software is used
Very time-consuming and labor-intensive process
Can be prone to error
Marketing is considering outsourcing this process

Slide 15: Cost of Preparing Timetables

Labor hours - 29 to 39 hours per route

To prepare headway (schedule) – 8 hours per route
To prepare maps – 12 to 20 hours per map
To prepare timetable from headway report – 6 to 8 hours per route
Proofreading – 3 hours per route

Publishing Cost

To develop maps - $16K in 2007
To print and publish timetables for different routes - $45K in 2007

Slide 16: Cost of Preparing Timetables, cont’d

The cost also depends on other factors, such as

Number of routes - 54
How often board changes happen –
(2 major changes Fall & Spring)
Routes can change up to 6 times a year
Reprinting due to mistakes

Slide 17: TimeTablePublisher Tool

TimeTablePublisher:

is an open source application – available for free
enables a transit agency to examine, modify, and transform raw scheduling data into easy-to-read timetables
simplifies and accelerates the production of printed on-street and web schedules
results in more accurate, current, and consistent schedule information for the customer
produces timetables in a variety of formats
is designed to use data directly in the Google Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format
can be very easy to implement

Slide 18: Information Flow Using the TimeTablePublisher

[Flowchart showing the information flow using the TTPUB. Begins with Input Parameters that feed into the TTPUB, which then generate output (timetables)]

Slide 19: Data Requirements

Raw Data – In GTFS files:

Agency
Calendar
Calendar Dates
Fare Attributes
Fare Rules
Routes
Stops
Stop Times
Trips

Configuration Data – Saved in CSV files:

Effective Date
Pattern Notes
Route Names
Route Notes
Timepoints
Merge Timepoint Notes
Phantom Timepoint
Rename Timepoint
Trip Notes

Slide 20: Google Feed Specifications

agency.txt - Required. This file has information about the transit agency
stops.txt - Required. This file contains information about individual locations where vehicles pick up or drop off passengers.
routes.txt - Required. This file contains information about a transit organization's routes. A route is a sequence of two or more stops.
trips.txt - Required. This file contains information about scheduled service along a particular route. Trips consist of two or more stops that are made at regularly scheduled intervals.
stop_times.txt - Required. This file lists the times that a vehicle arrives at and departs from individual stops for each trip along a route.
calendar.txt - Required. This file defines service categories. Each category indicates the days that service starts and ends as well as the days that service is available.

Slide 21: Google Feed Specifications, .cont’d

calendar_dates.txt - Optional. This file lists exceptions for the service categories defined in the calendar.txt file. If calendar_dates.txt includes ALL dates of service, this file may be specified instead of calendar.txt.
fare_attributes.txt - Optional. This file defines fare information for a transit organization's routes.
fare_rules.txt - Optional. This file defines the rules for applying fare information for a transit organization's routes.
shapes.txt - Optional. This file defines the rules for drawing lines on a map to represent a transit organization's routes.
frequencies.txt - Optional. This file defines the headway (time between trips) for routes with variable frequency of service.

Slide 22: TTPUB Installation Process

Install Apache Tomcat (an open source application server which support Java Servlet)
Install binary files for Apache Ant (an open source software tool for automating software build processes)
Install JDK (Java Development Kit)
Deploy ttpub.war file to create website
Create folder for Google Transit Feed file
Modify configuration files for agency specific data
Test the application
Create timetables

Slide 23: Creating Timetables Using TTPUB

Generate Google Transit Feed files from Hastus (scheduling tool)
Copy these files into designated folder
Configure routes using TimeTablePublisher tool
View the route in HTML/PDF format
Proofread timetable
Publish timetable

Slide 24: Timetables Using TTPUB

[Images of screen shots that show the following steps:
Step 1: Copy Google feed to designated location on your PC
Step 2: Open the TimeTable Publisher tool
Step 3: Configure the route using the TimeTable Publisher
Step 4: View/Proof timetables in a different format]

Slide 25: Benefits of TimeTablePublisher Tool

Open source application (FREE)
Helps Marketing team to prepare public schedules and timetables in various formats
Easy to use
Information is dynamically generated
Minimal effort to implement
Acceptance of Google Transit Feed data makes the generation of raw data very simple and standardized
Timetable output can be produced in a variety of formats

Slide 26: Questions?

David Sullivan
Sr. V.P. Planning & Technology
Hampton Roads Transit
1500 Monticello Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23510
757-222-6121
dsullivan@hrtransit.org