Transit agencies can provide fixed-route bus transit services through direct operation, contracting out to a third party, or a combination of both. Contracting out can be done to another transit agency or a private firm, and may include specific modes, routes, or garages. The quality and cost efficiency of outsourced service depend on local, contractual, and managerial factors. TCRP Synthesis 171:...

Each transit agency must integrate into its public participation plan the strategies, procedures, and outcomes that will ensure participation of their entire communities, including people of color, people with disabilities, and low-income populations, among others, when dealing with its transportation planning issues. This requirement is established under federal laws and regulations. The TRB Tran...

High-quality bus rapid transit (BRT) is not only about designing bus stops and stations that make access easier and more efficient. It is also about pedestrian and bicyclist accommodations along the bus routes. In some places, BRT systems are safer than other bus services, but this is not always the case. Specific design elements to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety are almost always decided o...

Continuous dynamic optimization (CDO), as applied to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit services, is an automated process by which a scheduling and dispatching technology continuously or frequently considers additional trips just booked, changes to booked trips, cancellations, and day-of-service events to solve problems or to take advantage of opportunities. In view of those changes...

The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on historically marginalized communities—including Black, Latino, and low-income individuals, as well as older adults, and people with chronic health conditions or disabilities. As transit agencies build toward recovery and rethink or reimagine their operations, they might consider grounding their decision-making in equity principles.   ...

New technologies, especially automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems, provide much more real-time information on bus locations than had previously been available. Theoretically, availability of this information can be expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of on-street bus operations management. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 166: On-Street Bus Operati...

For transit agencies launching new on-demand services that are different from typical fixed route or demand-responsive routes, there can be issues in customer awareness of the service or comfort level with using it for travel. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 165: Customer Education and Awareness of On-Demand Mobility documents current practices in how on-demand servic...

Bus rapid transit (BRT) and BRT light continue to interest transit agencies in the United States, and these agencies continue to struggle with many facets that go into the implementation of BRT operations, infrastructure, and services. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 164: Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice documents the current practices and lessons learned ...

In recent years, many transit systems have been considering the benefits and challenges of moving to completely cashless fare payments and trying to find innovative solutions to help all their customers. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 163: Considering the Unbanked in Cashless Fare Payment at Point of Service for Bus/Demand-Response Services is designed to help inform...

The nexus of transit with affordable housing, in some ways, is fundamental to transit’s very existence. Public transit provides a lower-cost mobility option for those who cannot or do not have a personal automobile to access regional destinations, including jobs, schools, and essential services. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 162: Coordination of Public Transit Servi...

ADA paratransit demand continues to grow while resources are dwindling. Because of this, transit agencies continue to explore models to more effectively meet the demand. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 161: ADA Paratransit and Other Demand-Responsive Transportation Services in Small to Midsized Transit Agencies explores paratransit delivery models for small and midsiz...

Transit agencies in the United States are beginning to experiment with fare caps to ensure that passengers who pay for single rides do not pay more than multiple-ride passes included in their fare structure. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 160: Fare Capping: Balancing Revenue and Equity Impacts includes a review of the literature; a survey of 35 North American transit...

Numerous transit agencies, of all sizes, have undertaken bus network redesigns across the United States and Canada over the past decade. The importance of incorporating equity considerations in the planning process is an emerging topic that is rapidly evolving, especially since 2020. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 159: Assessing Equity and Identifying Impacts Associa...

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound effect on every infrastructure sector in North America, including transit systems, and on the information technology and operational technology systems that are embedded in their ongoing operations. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 158: Cybersecurity in Transit Systems identifies and documents emerging cybersecurity trends rel...

Risk management is the central element of the safety management system (SMS). Identifying, assessing, analyzing, mitigating, communicating, and documenting are all steps in an effective risk management program. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 157: Transit Safety Risk Assessment Methodologies is designed to help the transit industry better understand current and new in...

A high percentage of transit agencies believe social media is important for increasing ridership, improving customer satisfaction, and improving agency image. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 156: Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation updates 2012's TCRP Synthesis 99: Uses of Social Media in Public Transportation and again explores the use of social media among...

Intelligent transportation systems and, in particular, computer-aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL), have become quasi-universal in urban bus operations and support a variety of functions. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 155: Intelligent Transportation Systems in Headway-Based Bus Service synthesizes the current state of the practice of headway-bas...

Diverse small and mid-sized transit agencies are very interested in finding solutions for their transit planning challenges. They will benefit from seeing how similar agencies deal with their transit service issues. Large transit agencies could also apply what is learned to sub-areas in their transit service area that are comparable to the service area of a small or mid-sized transit agency. The T...

Today, transit agencies gather and manage more data than ever. However, data processing, exploration, the development of performance metrics, and communicating decisions are often fragmented and scattered across many departments. The TRB Transit Cooperative Research Program's TCRP Synthesis 153: The Transit Analyst Toolbox: Analysis and Approaches for Reporting, Communicating, and Examining Transi...

In the United States, many transit stops are not adequate: bus stops that are just a signpost on a busy road, bus stops with broken sidewalks and/or pathway obstructions, bus stops with a lack of seating, and bus stops clearly not accessible to people with disabilities. For many bus riders, the journey to access and the wait at the bus stop are experiences that may inhibit their ability or desire ...