21–30 of 47 posts
Does London use pay as you board or proof of payment for buses? Here in Chicago, I think boarding delays significantly contribute to bus bunching (or at least make it worse).
London buses are cashless. Either you use an Oyster or contactless payment card, or buy a ticket or pass in advance.
The WBEZ article below alludes to the true dynamics problem, but doesn't explain it. The problem is that say you normally run in 10 minute intervals. For whatever reason, double parked car, helping a disabled person on the bus, etc, you get a minute behind schedule. Now suppose at the next stop typically 10 people are waiting. They arrive at the bus stop at one per minute all day. Since you're a minute late, there wi…
The only time I've personally experienced bus clumping, they were both late (for the bus 2 time). That doesn't suggest that bus 2 was being sped up relative to expectation.
The WBEZ article below alludes to the true dynamics problem, but doesn't explain it. The problem is that say you normally run in 10 minute intervals. For whatever reason, double parked car, helping a disabled person on the bus, etc, you get a minute behind schedule. Now suppose at the next stop typically 10 people are waiting. They arrive at the bus stop at one per minute all day. Since you're a minute late, there wi…
Well seems like he is aggregating data across many lines, stops and times per day. Not very surprising that the result looks random.
There are different kinds of randomness. The exponential distribution of the waiting time is a nice, mathematically pleasing result. Although not a very nice one to the commuter.
What the exponential distribution means is that bus arrivals are completely independent. The time since the last bus came doesn't affect the probability that a bus will come anytime soon.
This bus was on time, but there hadn't been a bus for over a 45 minutes; the schedule defined the interval as 1 bus / 7 minutes.
There were seven busses on the same route directly behind us.
The WBEZ article below alludes to the true dynamics problem, but doesn't explain it. The problem is that say you normally run in 10 minute intervals. For whatever reason, double parked car, helping a disabled person on the bus, etc, you get a minute behind schedule. Now suppose at the next stop typically 10 people are waiting. They arrive at the bus stop at one per minute all day. Since you're a minute late, there wi…
The first thing I'd want to know, to see whether this is true, is "when two buses clump, do they both arrive between the scheduled arrival time for bus 1 and bus 2, or do they both arrive on time for bus 2?" The only time I've personally experienced bus clumping, they were both late (for the bus 2 time). That doesn't suggest that bus 2 was being sped up relative to expectation.
Interesting. He should look at data from Japan, along with other countries. When I was in Tokyo the trains and buses were all spread out and things ran on-time; you can literally watch the train arrive as the est. time of arrival clicked down to zero. Buses were similarly on-time and never bunched up. Not once did I see this pattern while I travelled around Japan for 15 days. When I arrived back in Denver the first t…
Interesting. He should look at data from Japan, along with other countries. When I was in Tokyo the trains and buses were all spread out and things ran on-time; you can literally watch the train arrive as the est. time of arrival clicked down to zero. Buses were similarly on-time and never bunched up. Not once did I see this pattern while I travelled around Japan for 15 days. When I arrived back in Denver the first t…
My dad always causes a ~90 second delay for the Denver light rail, because the operator has to activate the wheelchair ramp for him. How do they handle that sort of thing in Tokyo? (Also, I often see multiple light-rail trains bunched up after sporting events.)
Interesting. He should look at data from Japan, along with other countries. When I was in Tokyo the trains and buses were all spread out and things ran on-time; you can literally watch the train arrive as the est. time of arrival clicked down to zero. Buses were similarly on-time and never bunched up. Not once did I see this pattern while I travelled around Japan for 15 days. When I arrived back in Denver the first t…
My dad always causes a ~90 second delay for the Denver light rail, because the operator has to activate the wheelchair ramp for him. How do they handle that sort of thing in Tokyo? (Also, I often see multiple light-rail trains bunched up after sporting events.)
A station attendant will They will ask about your destination and escort you from the ticketing area to the appropriate platform and set up the ramp (if necessary) ahead of time. When arriving at a station, there will be an attendant there with the ramp set up for you to disembark.
They also have wheelchair accessible escalators - an attendant will halt the escalator and merge several steps into one flat one, with a lip.
When the bus runs late (because stuff happens) and thereby completes it's route late and turns around, and is basically right up against the "next" bus... they send them both out BECAUSE the thought of paying a muni worker to wait for 10 minutes to create a sane space between busses is unthinkable in a penny wise, results foolish budgeting process.