Metro Transit reschedules transit routes every three months. The objective of this assignment is to walk you through the scheduling process for a single route. It is worth noting that this is a simplified and hypothetical project. Bottineau LRT is envisioned as an extension of the Blue line LRT, not a separate line. It ends at Brooklyn Park instead of Maple Grove. Metro Transit uses 15% of round trip running time as the minimum layover/recovery time. Layover/recovery needs to be scheduled at both ends for reliable service delivery. Midday headway is 10 minutes. Metro Transit uses cafeteria roster. Metro Transit does not use part-time drivers for LRT, but use them for peak-hour and weekend buses.
Assume that Bottineau LRT operates at the following frequencies for different hours:
Table 1: Service Frequency
Time period Hours Headway
Weekday
Early morning 4:00-7:00 am 30 minutes
Peak periods 7:00-9:00 am & 3:00-6:30 pm 7.5 minutes
Midday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm 15 minutes
Evening 6:30-10:00 pm 15 minutes
Late evening 10:00 pm – 2:00 am 30 minutes
Weekend
Early morning 4:00-7:00 am 30 minutes
Day and evening 7:00 am -10:00 pm 15 minutes
Late evening 10:00 pm – 2:00 am 30 minutes
Assumptions
- The average operating speed of the LRT is 18 miles per hour, the same as Hiawatha LRT. The length is about 12 miles.
- The minimum layover time per round trip is established at 10% of the round trip running time. The layover takes place evenly at both terminals.
- Each train has two cars.
- The first southbound train departs from Maple Grove Transit Center at 4:00 am and the first northbound train departs from Target Field station at 4:15 am. The last train leaves a terminal at 2:00 am or earlier, but not later than 2:00 am.
- Both pull-out and pull-in times are 10 minutes.
- Both report and turn in allowances are 10 minutes. Relief locations are at terminals. We do not consider the travel time between relief locations and terminals as working hours.
- Rail operator offers make-up time so that the total pay is 8 hours of the day. Overtime is half of all minutes in excess of 8 hours daily.
- The maximum platform time for a legal run is 9.5 hours. The maximum spread is 13 hours. Spread penalty is half of all minutes in excess of 12 hours daily.
- No trippers are used.
Questions: Show your work; no points for a single answer.
[Section 1]
a. What is the minimum cycle time? [10% of the grade]
b. What is the available layover time? [10%]
c. How many cars does rail operator need to buy? [10%]
d. Using the template, develop a master schedule for southbound and northbound and for weekday and weekend. Intermediate time points are not required. [10%]
e. Complete a blocking sheet for only one block, in which the train starts revenue service at 7:15 am on weekdays. Hint: The last revenue trip of a block has no layover time. [10%]
f. Complete the block summary recap. [10%]
[Section 2]
g. Cut Block 7811 into three straight runs and then complete the run guide associated with all blocks. [10%]
h. Develop a master list and calculate operators required and days off. [10%]
i. Develop a roster and compute paid hours. Days off should be two consecutive days. [10%]
j. Calculate pay hour / platform hour ratio. [10%]
[Section 3: not required]
k. If there is no daily guarantee, how can you adjust your roster to minimize weekly pay hours?
l. Develop another roster and compare it to the one in Question (i).
This project has two due dates (see the syllabus). Do not proceed to the next section until you receive the notice.
Each student in your group should work on your own and discuss your results in your group, and then merge all your individual work into one document.
Name your file as first name last name (of a group member)_scheduling
Sample Solution