NiTTS Advanced Paratransit Scheduling and Dispatch System
Description
Implement an advanced para-transit scheduling and dispatch system at NiTTS coordinated with WRTA.
Status
Planned
Timeframe
Short
Geographic Scope
Public Transportation
Service Scope
Costs - $750,000; Operational & Maintenance Costs (per year) $35,000.
Stakeholders
City of Warren Operations Department
Mahoning County Traffic Department
Niles-Trumbull Transit System (NiTTS)
Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA)
Inventory
City of Niles Maintenance Dispatch
City of Niles Traffic Signal System
City of Warren Maintenance Vehicles
City of Warren Traffic Signal System
Mahoning County Signal Control System
NiTTS Demand Response Dispatch
NiTTS Demand Response Vehicles
Trumbull County Maintenance Dispatch
Trumbull County Signal Control System
WRTA Special Service Transportation (SST) Dispatch
Services
APTS03-3 - Demand Response Transit Operations - NiTTS
APTS07-1 - Multi-modal Coordination - WRTA Fixed Route
APTS07-2 - Multi-modal Coordination - WRTA Demand Response
Functional Areas
On-board Paratransit Operations
- The transit vehicle shall manage data input to sensor(s) on-board a transit vehicle to determine the vehicle's availability for use in demand responsive and flexible-route transit services based on identity, type, and passenger capacity.
- The transit vehicle shall receive the status of demand responsive or flexible-route transit schedules and passenger loading from the transit vehicle operator.
- The transit vehicle shall provide the transit vehicle operator instructions about the demand responsive or flexible-route transit schedule that has been confirmed from the center.
- The transit vehicle shall provide the capability to log passenger boardings and alightings and make passenger use data available to the transit center.
Transit Center Multi-Modal Coordination
- The center shall coordinate schedules and services between transit agencies, traffic management, maintenance and construction operations, parking management, and other surface or air transportation modes.
- The center shall share transfer cluster and transfer point information with multimodal transportation service providers, other transit agencies, and traveler information service providers. A transfer cluster is a collection of stop points, stations, or terminals where transfers can be made conveniently.
- The center shall accept requests from traffic management to change routes and schedules as part of the implementation of demand management strategies.
- The center shall provide transit operations personnel with the capability to control and monitor transit service coordination activities.
Transit Center Paratransit Operations
- The center shall process trip requests for demand responsive transit services, i.e. paratransit. Sources of the requests may include traveler information service providers.
- The center shall monitor the operational status of the demand response vehicles including status of passenger pick-up and drop-off.
- The center shall generate demand response transit (including paratransit) routes and schedules based on such factors as parameters input by the system operator, what other demand responsive transit schedules have been planned, the availability and location of vehicles, the relevance of any fixed transit routes and schedules, road network information, and incident information.
- The center shall dispatch demand response (paratransit) transit vehicles.
- The center shall exchange information with Maintenance and Construction Operations concerning work zones, roadway conditions, asset restrictions, work plans, etc.
- The center shall disseminate up-to-date schedules and route information to other centers for demand responsive transit services (paratransit).
- The center shall collect the log of passenger boardings and alightings from the paratransit vehicles.
Transit Vehicle Operator Assignment
- The center shall maintain records of a transit vehicle operator's performance. This may be done utilizing standardized performance evaluation criteria set forth by governmental regulations and transit operating company policies, assessing the transit vehicle operator's driving history, and assessing comments from the transit vehicle operator's supervisor(s) as well as noting any moving violations or accidents, supervisor comments, government regulations, and company policies.
- The center shall assess the transit vehicle operator's availability based on previous work assignments, accumulated hours, plus health and vacation commitments.
- The center shall assign transit vehicle operators to transit schedules based on their eligibility, route preferences, seniority, and transit vehicle availability.
- The center shall provide an interface through which the transit vehicle operator information can be maintained - either from the transit vehicle operator, center personnel, or other functions.
- The center shall generate supplemental vehicle operator assignments as required due to change events that occur during the operating day.
Interfaces
Standards
| SDO | Document ID | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AASHTO/ITE/NEMA | View List | NTCIP Center-to-Center Standards Group | Group |
| IEEE | View List | Incident Management Standards Group | Group |
| SAE | View List | Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) General Use Standards Group | Group |
| AASHTO/ITE | ITE TMDD | Traffic Management Data Dictionary (TMDD) and Message Sets for External Traffic Management Center Communications (MS/ETMCC) | Message/Data |
| APTA | APTA TCIP-S-001 3.0.3 | Standard for Transit Communications Interface Profiles | Message/Data |
Operational Concepts
| Stakeholder | Roles and Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Western Reserve Transit Authority (WRTA) | |
| Coordinate services with NTTS. | |
| Niles-Trumbull Transit System (NiTTS) | |
| Coordinate services with WRTA. (future) | |
| Provide demand response services to Trumbull County. |