Citation

Botzow H. Transp. Res. Rec. 1974; 519: 73-84.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1974, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A system of evaluating service variables common to all public transport modes is proposed so that an existing system may be managed or improved and a new system may be built on the basis of its ability to fulfill a desired level of service. The variables discussed are those directly perceived by the user regardless of mode: overall trip speed and en route delay and comfort factors associated with the vehicle including density, acceleration, jerk, temperature, air flow, and noise. Improving one or more of these measurable variables bears an associated cost and design requirement. Since better service is desirable in certain situations while average service is sufficient in others, levels of service A through F are adopted for each variable. In the proposed system, level of service is determined by the use of a weighted average of rankings assigned to individual factors. Within tolerable limits, 40 percent of the overall ranking should be based on speed and delay and 60 percent on comfort factors. When an individual comfort variable becomes intolerable, the entire ride is at service level F. Application of the procedure results in reasonable comparisons of both systems and individual trips within a system.

Language: en