Starting Point Transit

Scheduling is when stuff happens. It's where I got my start on the admin side, and it remains my premier specialty.

Example Projects

Examples below represent just a few of the Scheduling projects that I've been involved with. Each graphic + description gives a quick snapshot of an actual project that, in almost every case, generated countless other materials. Please contact me if you'd like to discuss a project in greater detail...

Picking Up The Pieces

Through major route changes, this agency desperately clung to the same old runs. I reassembled all blocks and generated a clean runcut, finally unleashing the efficiencies of the new routes.

Reporting for Duty

Outdated reports were hiding critical information. Using standard tools in the scheduling software, I built a set of modern reports. They made key details more accessible, leading to tighter operations.

"Pro"-Active Runcutting

The scheduling team had inconsistent guidelines for how many runs to create. Working with Operations, I coined a new metric – Pick-Ready Operators ("PRO") – to inform the scheduling process.

Filling Every Hole

This agency used a highly inefficient method to pick and assign runs. In partnership with the union, I implemented a "true" cafeteria runpick. It eliminated daily holes while increasing work quality – and retention.

Next Line In Line

Odd-length routes still need even headways. This mismatch often results in excessive layovers. To avoid waste, I introduced precision interlining. The same service could operate with 28 percent less non-revenue time.

Matter of Minutes

With increasing traffic congestion and growing ridership, "one-size-fits-all" running times were no longer viable. I developed careful time-of-day splits, which led to greater accuracy in the schedule – and better service on the road.

My Approach

Everyone knows that schedules are one part of transit service. If you appreciate the inner workings of transit, you know that the schedule, in fact, drives everything – costs, staffing levels, operating strategies, customer experience, vehicle counts, facility design... the list goes on and on.

The full schedule sits atop tens of thousands of fine-grain data points. We have digital tools to organize, optimize and analyze this data. I make extensive use of scheduling software.

Moreover, I take great interest in the fundamental processes. I am always ready to tweak running times, build trips, test interlining combos, string together blocks, cut runs and arrange rosters. I'll bust out graph paper and a sharp pencil to do it for fun.

I deeply value the schedule's central role in a transit operation. And, I am always looking upstream and downstream. Budgets, resource availability and service plans offer inputs to the schedule. Then, the schedule itself affects customers, operators and maintenance. All throughout, I endeavor to make the schedule practical and user-friendly for those who work with its outputs.