Detroit DOT

[Border City Transit]

1 hour ago, dtwtransit said:

Picking up the run number discussion from the People Mover topic.

So far, all I've picked up from DDOT's run numbers is that the first digit corresponds to the terminal and day of operation as follows:

1 - Gilbert weekday
2 - Gilbert saturday
3 - Gilbert sunday
4 - Shoemaker weekday
5 - Shoemaker saturday
6 - Shoemaker sunday

During the next run pick I plan to further study and decipher the numbers.

You pretty much got it.

Using a different "thousand set" for each schedule day ensures that a four-digit number refers only to ONE run. Contrast to, say, SMART... where the run number 803 means something completely different depending on if it's a Weekday, Saturday or Sunday schedule. The number only reveals that it's from Macomb ("8"). Nothing else.

In the case of DDOT... also pay attention to the second digit.

A zero or one indicates a straight, one-piece run.

A two indicates a two-piece run, most of which are splits.

Like, the run number visible here tells us this pic was taken on a weekday, the bus comes from Shoemaker and the operator is working a two-piece run.

 

[ns8401]

39 minutes ago, Border City Transit said:

You pretty much got it.

Using a different "thousand set" for each schedule day ensures that a four-digit number refers only to ONE run. Contrast to, say, SMART... where the run number 803 means something completely different depending on if it's a Weekday, Saturday or Sunday schedule. The number only reveals that it's from Macomb ("8"). Nothing else.

In the case of DDOT... also pay attention to the second digit.

A zero or one indicates a straight, one-piece run.

A two indicates a two-piece run, most of which are splits.

Like, the run number visible here tells us this pic was taken on a weekday, the bus comes from Shoemaker and the operator is working a two-piece run.

 

I've never really understood the point of this... is it for supervision or something?

[Border City Transit]

45 minutes ago, ns8401 said:

I've never really understood the point of this... is it for supervision or something?

It's for supervision, it's to avoid bunching, it's for operators to recognize their reliefs, it's for operators to pick their runs, it's for payroll, it's for service recovery, it's for yard preparation, it's for data analysis. The list goes on.

Run numbers don't mean much to customers -- nor do they need to. Customers can, of course, ignore these numbers completely. That's why they appear in such a "low emphasis" format.

When you get behind the scenes, run numbers are the lifeblood of the operation.

Most smaller systems (and some larger ones) don't outwardly display run numbers. Because there are relatively few routes, trips, blocks and runs, road supervisors instinctively know what they're looking at.

At a larger system, field staff is dealing with overlapping routes, tight headways, complex schedules, multiple operating facilities and hundreds of vehicles on the road. With so many more moving parts, it's helpful to discern critical info -immediately-. Seeing a run number on each vehicle makes it much, much easier to do so. It greatly cuts down on the time required to make a fast-paced, game-time decision.

Some systems show a BLOCK number rather than a run number (where, generally, block equates to what a bus does... and run matches what a driver does). As a tool for proactive service management, a visible block number offers the same practical benefits as a visible run number.

[ns8401]

19 minutes ago, Border City Transit said:

It's for supervision, it's to avoid bunching, it's for operators to recognize their reliefs, it's for operators to pick their runs, it's for payroll, it's for service recovery, it's for yard preparation, it's for data analysis. The list goes on.

Run numbers don't mean much to customers -- nor do they need to. Customers can, of course, ignore these numbers completely. That's why they appear in such a "low emphasis" format.

When you get behind the scenes, run numbers are the lifeblood of the operation.

Most smaller systems (and some larger ones) don't outwardly display run numbers. Because there are relatively few routes, trips, blocks and runs, road supervisors instinctively know what they're looking at.

At a larger system, field staff is dealing with overlapping routes, tight headways, complex schedules, multiple operating facilities and hundreds of vehicles on the road. With so many more moving parts, it's helpful to discern critical info -immediately-. Seeing a run number on each vehicle makes it much, much easier to do so. It greatly cuts down on the time required to make a fast-paced, game-time decision.

Some systems show a BLOCK number rather than a run number (where, generally, block equates to what a bus does... and run matches what a driver does). As a tool for proactive service management, a visible block number offers the same practical benefits as a visible run number.

Gotcha, that's what I figured. I grew up in Ann Arbor... no little signs at either place. Maybe everything is simple enough though bunching isn't exactly uncommon there.

[dtwtransit]

7 hours ago, Border City Transit said:

Using a different "thousand set" for each schedule day ensures that a four-digit number refers only to ONE run. Contrast to, say, SMART... where the run number 803 means something completely different depending on if it's a Weekday, Saturday or Sunday schedule. The number only reveals that it's from Macomb ("8"). Nothing else.

Over this past run pick, I've logged almost every run number in SMART's schedule and wasn't able to find any meaning to the numbers beyond terminal assignment (and the 9 for FAST). The only patterns I've found are that the lowest runs in each terminal series (e.g. 201-206) are usually found on main corridors, and higher-numbered runs generally start later in the day. And, that each FAST route does have a designated range on all days of the week: 901-929 for Michigan, 931-959 for Woodward, and 961-989 for Gratiot.

Interesting to learn of these patterns at DDOT- will help in figuring out theirs.

[Border City Transit]

16 hours ago, dtwtransit said:

higher-numbered runs generally start later in the day

That's the key to it right there -- at SMART, DDOT, and many other agencies.

Run numbers have no relation to route -- with the exception of FAST runs at SMART, as you described.

Runs are grouped by division ("terminal"), then simply sorted in order of first report time for the operator. The sorted list includes all runs serving all routes -- minus, in SMART's case, the FAST run number ranges (though at this point, it's unnecessary and inefficient to treat FAST separately -- not sure why they still do it.)

Other than that, Run 232 may appear on, say Route 405 during the January pick... then Run 232 comes nowhere near the 405 in the April pick. The only constant is that both "232s" come from Oakland.

Likewise -- and let's stick with the hypothetical April pick -- Run 232 may report at 5:16am and operate mostly on Route 740... then Run 233 reports at 5:19am and operates mostly on Route 495. Then Run 234, reporting at 5:20am, operates mostly on Route 790 for its morning piece and does a single trip of Route 851 for its afternoon piece. And who knows -- by the time Run 235 reports at 5:29am, you might hit Route 740 again. Just examples.

Note also that both SMART and DDOT do -some- degree of interlining. So if you see a bus on Run 167 on Route 140, for instance, that same bus -- on that same run -- may make its way to Route 250 an hour later.

One quirk at SMART: on weekdays, lower-numbered runs are designed 10-hour runs... where operators work 10 hour days, four days per week. Those are picked separately, so they're numbered in their own little chunk at the beginning of the range. Five-day Weekday runs usually begin at about "21" (i.e. 121, 221, 821).