Due to current economic stresses and fluctuating gas prices, many transit agencies around the U.S. are experiencing growing patronage, with some setting ridership records. So, despite continuing issues with funding availability, especially at the local level, transit agencies must continue to seek opportunities to grow existing services and add new ones, making transit route and service planning an important component of the ongoing responsibilities of agency staff. TOA started its transit practice by assisting smaller transit agencies with this type of planning, among other support functions. Whether it is examining the market characteristics of a specific area to determine its latent transit demand potential, developing a new route, determining the feasibility of an express service, or planning an entire system from scratch, TOA has the experience and expertise to support transit agency staff in such pursuits. As an example, TOA completed the operations plans that led directly to the development of the start-up transit services in both Collier (Collier Area Transit) and Lake (LakeXpress) Counties. TOA also worked recently with PSTA and LeeTran staffs to develop revamped future vision networks for their respective systems. Additionally, TOA assisted in the completion of a similar route re-visioning exercise for Greensboro (NC) Transit Authority.

To support the Transit Services team's route and service planning expertise, TOA also has staff knowledgeable and experienced in developing appropriate schedules and timetables for new and/or modified routes. In fact, these staff members have worked closely on numerous service design and analysis projects with the primary author of the new scheduling manual for the transit industry that was published in 2009 by the Transit Cooperative Research Board (TCRP, Report 135).

Following is a selection of TOA service planning projects:

• Pasco County Public Transportation Operations Plan (2002, 2005, 2008)
• Greensboro (NC) Transit Authority Transit Services Plan (w/Dan Boyle, 2008)\Lake County Bus Circulator Study (2006)
• Lake County Transit Operations Plan (2006)
• HART Assessment of Route 200X (2005)
• PSTA Assessment of Route 100X (2004)
• Hernando County Transit Operations Plan (1997, 2001, 2004)
• West Pasco County Route Realignment and Scheduling (2000)
• Collier County Public Transportation Operations Plan (2000)

Additional Information

TOA Florida Transit Experience (PDF)

TOA National Transit Experience (PDF)

Related Projects

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