Public Transport _Project1_Presentation .pdf

This is the PowerPoint presentation for Project 1 in Dr. Chow's Spring '25 Urban Public Transportation Systems course.

1. B69 Improvement Plan
TR-GY 7133
Lucy Ochieng
Korbin Vera
Matthew Wilken
Zuri Watts

2. Contents
❖Introduction
❖Data Collection & Visualization
❖System Performance Analysis
❖Service Recommendations
❖Findings & Conclusions
❖References

3. Introduction

4. Background

Over the past few decades, New York City has undergone significant
growth and change, yet its bus network has failed to adapt to the
changing demands of its riders. Meanwhile, bus ridership has
declined, buses have slowed down in ever-worsening traffic, and
reliability has declined.
B69
This route, running from 5:39 AM to 9:38 PM, serves as a prime connection
for commuters from residential areas in key neighborhoods, such as -
Kensington, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Downtown Brooklyn – to
transit hubs, serving just over 810,000 riders annually in 2023. It is also a key
connection to Brooklyn Navy Yard, historically known as a transit desert.
Given its contribution to the local transit network, the B69 Improvement Plan
seeks to analyze the current performance of the bus route in order to identify
service improvement opportunities.
Brooklyn Bus Network

5. Data Collection &
Visualization

6. GTFS Images
Above is the visualization of the MTA GTFS data for the Brooklyn Bus Network (left) and the B69 route (right), using
ArcGIS. The route visualization demonstrates stop spacing patterns, which can contribute to dwell times and overall travel
speed.
Brooklyn Bus Network & Route B69

7. Ridership Data
Morning Peak Hour is 7:00 to 8:00 AM
Evening Peak Hour is 3:00 to 4:00 PM

Hourly Volume 2020 - 2024
The ridership at the peak hour is:

❖Around 1800 people in the
morning
❖Around 1200 people in the
afternoon

8. Ride Check Survey

9. Load Profile
Passenger Load v. Cumulative Distance (mi)

10. System Performance
Analysis

11. System Metrics
Vehicle capacity = 85
Line capacity per hour = 935
Line length = 7.1 miles /11.5 km
Average estimated dwell time = 19.45 seconds
Cycle length = 51 mins observed (66.6 mins avg based on 7-8AM timetable)
Average frequency = 11 veh/hr
Average headway = 8.32 mins
Average planned passenger wait time assuming random arrivals = h/2 = 2.8 min
Number of stops = 45
Average stop spacing = 748 ft /0.2km

12. Time-Space Diagram
A scheduled time-space diagram for weekday trips with an overlay of real-time bus trajectories.

13. Real-Time Bus Trajectories
It can be seen from the observed time-space diagram from
7-8 AM that buses tend to bunch, usually in pairs.
Per our observations, a lot of this variability is due to
uneven dwell times, usually a result of large boarding
groups or wheelchair ramp needs.
This causes major crowding on the leading bus in a bunch,
slowing it down even further. Overall, the spacing reflects
operational dynamics and potential inefficiencies in the
bus service.

14. Standard deviation of the headway and excess wait time
The standard deviation of the headway is 1.15 minutes, meaning buses are not arriving
exactly on schedule.
As headway variability increases, on-time performance decreases (higher unpredictability
for passengers).

15. Service
Recommendations

16. Alternative Frequency (Method 2)
Busiest stops: Vanderbilt Ave/Fulton Street and Vanderbilt Ave/Greene Ave
Average hourly passenger load = 816
Desired occupancy = 76
Frequency = 10.7 veh/hr
Headway = 5.6 mins

17. Timetables
Previous Hour - 6-7 AM (Unchanged) Timetable
Improved 7-8 AM Timetable

18. Fleet Size (FIFO Rule)
Cycle length = 51 mins observed (66.6 mins avg based on timetable)
Minimum required fleet size for the hour = 16 Buses








Deadhead Time: 25 mins

19. Findings &
Conclusions

20. Key Takeaways
❖The current headways are too long for the demand of the bus route, leading to
overcrowded buses and delays.
➢This leads to bus bunching, with buses scheduled after another
occasionally passing the first en route.

❖The second half of the route (approx. 7 Ave/Union St. - Sands St./Jay St.) is
most crowded during the morning rush.
Headways
Uneven Crowding

21. Recommendations
❖Reduce Headway Variability -Implement better schedule adherence
measures (e.g., improved driver scheduling, monitoring delays in real-time).

❖As a Local route, stops should be spaced slightly further apart than
existing to speed up buses and improve reliability.
➢Consider adding a B69 LTD to compliment the local bus during rush
hours and reduce stress on the local bus

❖Consider a new bus route to complement the later half of the B69
where it is most crowded (approx. 7 Ave/Union St. - Sands St./Jay St.) during
weekdays or peak hours
➢Similar setup to the W and B Trains on weekdays

22. Thank you!

23. References
Flickr. (2018, February 23). Cover image. Retrieved [2025, February 23], from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18378305@N00/51895972153
Metropolitan Transportation Authority. (n.d.). GTFS data for developers. Retrieved [2025, February 21], from
https://www.mta.info/developers
MTA+Bus Images. Adobe Stock. (2024). https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=mta%2Bbus
New York State. (2025, February 24). MTA Bus Hourly Ridership (2020-2024). NY Open Data. Retrieved [2025, February
21], from https://data.ny.gov/Transportation/MTA-Bus-Hourly-Ridership-2020-2024/kv7t-n8in/about_data
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, February 27). New Flyer Xcelsior. Wikipedia. Retrieved [2025 March 3], from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Flyer_Xcelsior
MTA. (n.d.). Bus schedule guidelines. Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
https://www.mta.info/document/23161#:~:text=BUS%20SCHEDULE%20GUIDELINES&text=The%20grid%20rou
te%20schedule%20guidelines,buses%20during%20the%20peak%20periods.