Operations Planning’s Relationship

with MTA Bus Operations

Mark A. Holmes

MTA Bus, Chief Officer, Operations Planning

New York, NY

Andrew Grahl

MTA Bus, Acting Assistant Chief Officer, Schedules

New York, NY

Operations Planning

• Scheduling Unit

- Prepares bus schedules on a quarterly basis

• Support Planning Unit

- Handles routine issues impacting the bus travel way

and bus stops

- Coordinates requests with the NYC Dept. of

Transportation and other agencies.

• Service Design Unit

- Route planning

- Route structure

OP/Schedules

• Responsible for generating bus schedules for 655 Local

and 434 Express Buses providing nearly 11,000 weekday

revenue trips, using 1,703 Operators

• Creates Operator picks for all 8 depots (bases)

• Regularly receives input from Operations with regard to

proposed service changes in the areas of:

- Running times & frequency/crowding

- Route path changes

- Traffic conditions

• Requests for more time are addressed, where possible,

within budget constraints

• Scheduling Unit also responsible for

providing “Guide-a-Ride Posters”

Per Route, Per Depot

Updated quarterly in conjunction

with the corresponding pick

Real time bus tracking through

BusTime, customer information

system

QR-Code for bus arrival info

included on bottom left of posters.

Support Planning

• Regularly receives requests from Operations to address

issues on the road affecting bus service.

- Bus stop issues - safety

- Roadway issues - blockages

• Operations consulted/notified on temporary road issues

affecting service

- Roadway or building construction projects.

• Operation coordinates with NYCDOT or other entities

and agencies to negotiate requests and resolve

competing priorities

Opening of the Resort World - New York Casino

- Q37 Bus service extended to serve the Casino

- Additional late night service for Casino patrons

- Currently working with Road Ops and Casino

ownership on future expansion of our bus service.

Support Planning

Service Design/Support Planning

• MTA Bus route Q8

extended to service new

addition to Gateway Mall.

Gateway Mall expansion

– Increase service

– Increase running time

– Off-street terminal constructed

for Q8 and NYCT’s B13 and

B83 routes.

Service Design: Route Changes

• Road Operations’ “buy-in” is sought from an operating

perspective

- Road Ops is routinely involved in the route change

process

- Issues reviewed in the field

- OP tries to address Road Ops’ concerns

• Road Operations provides many of the recommendations

for service changes.

Road Operations (Road Ops)

• Six (6) divisions by geography.

- Manhattan, Bronx

- Brooklyn

- Queens North & South

- Staten Island

• Supervise service delivery

• Knowledgeable of the day-to-day realities of service

• Routinely provides input to service changes

- Recommend service changes

• Key stakeholder

• Road Ops’ route studies

Depot Operations Input

• Service Planning staff attend quarterly “Pick” meetings

with the depot staff and unions

• Input on service issues can be provided to Service

Planning staff at these meetings

- Missing bus stop signs

- Issues on a route (difficult turn)

- Recommend service changes

Chief Transportation Office (CTO)

• Set all Policy Instruction

• Manage and coordinate all Bus Operator and Dispatcher

Picks (or Bids)

- Run general/system picks and depot/line picks

- Set posting and picking dates

- Help settle pick-related disputes

Bus Operations Situation Room

• Situation Room

- Provides command and control during weather or

other unusual events

- Extra staff on hand from OP, Road Ops, and the Chief

Transportation Office to support regular operations

personnel

Snow Storms & Hurricanes

Extreme citywide events affecting service

- School bus strike; LIRR strike

• Ops Planning provides staff for the Situation Room to

assist in handling these events and provide a voice from

the point of view of passengers

Use of Bus Trek During Storms

Bus Trek is manned by OP/Schedules Staff

During Situation Room Activations

• Service deficiencies are noted and reported to

Road Ops

Hurricane Sandy

10/29/12 to 11/2/2012

State of emergency

declared in NYC

Transportation network

servicing 15 million

customers shutdown

Hurricane Sandy

• A “Bus Bridge” service from 3 locations in Downtown

Brooklyn with service to Manhattan.

Replaced critical subway service

At peak 330 buses supported this effort

Extra service provided to Lower Manhattan where there

was no power or subway service.

• Schedules written by HAND

by OP and Road Ops, as

systems were down.

OP & Operations vs Winter 2013-14

Winter 2013-14 snow and

extreme cold wreaked

havoc on Operations’ ability

to deliver service.

15% and 20% “Cut lists”

were placed into effect

based on the severity of the

storm.

Quality of service with “Cut

Lists” was sketchy at best

partly due to interlined

schedules.

OP & Operations vs Winter 2013-14

• At the request of operations, developed a “snow” schedule

15% service reduction; replaces “Cut list”

Based on MLK Day schedules, but without interlining

• Allows Operations to better manage and focus on the

remaining buses

• Reduces the impact of stuck

buses

• Elimination of interlining

allows Operations to make

reductions without

worrying about domino

effect on other routes.

Long Island Rail Road

Strike Contingency• Strike expected midnight July 20, 2014

109,000 weekday peak period

(6-10 AM) inbound LIRR riders

Expected demand of 13,500

400 buses procured from private

contractors

• Assisted in planning of alternate

contingency bus service in the event of a

strike

• Schedules for 409 buses were written

• Strike averted on July 18, 2014

Operations Planning’s Relationship

with MTA Bus Operations

Mark A. Holmes

MTA Bus, Chief Officer, Operations Planning

New York, NY

Andrew Grahl

MTA Bus, Acting Assistant Chief Officer, Schdules

New York, NY