Understand · Route performance

See how every route really performs

TDS Route Analysis brings ridership, revenue, load factor and on-time performance together for every route and departure, so you know which services to grow, fix or cut.

Route Analysis

What planners and managers get

Route scorecards

Revenue, riders, load factor and revenue per mile for every route, compared over time.

Departure detail

Find the trips that run full, the ones that run empty and the ones that run late.

Stop and city-pair demand

See where riders actually travel, including the connections they make.

Market comparison

Compare your schedules and fares with other carriers on the same corridors.

See where time is gained and lost

Every road segment and layover is compared with the timetable across all the trips that ran it. Segments that need more time than the timetable allows make buses late; segments with time to spare make them wait at stops, or leave early.

See what needs attention across your network, in Route Planning

  • Typical running time and the spread between trips, for every segment
  • Too-tight and too-generous segments across all routes, ranked
  • Layovers that absorb delay, and the ones that don't
Timetable realismRoute 340Sample

Time gained and lost along Route 340

Each road segment and layover, across 24 trips. Right of the line: the trip needed more time than the timetable allows. Left: time to spare.

Typical trip (median)Middle half of tripsLayover

  1. Union Station → University typical +1 min; middle half of trips −2 min to +4 min
  2. University → North Park typical +2 min; middle half of trips −1 min to +6 min
  3. North Park → Lakeside typical −2 min; middle half of trips −4 min to +1 min
  4. Lakeside → Hillcrest typical +10 min; middle half of trips +5 min to +16 min
  5. Hillcrest → Old Mill typical −3 min; middle half of trips −6 min to ±0 min
  6. Layover at Old Mill (10 min) typical −5 min; middle half of trips −8 min to ±0 min
  7. Old Mill → Riverside typical −5 min; middle half of trips −8 min to −2 min
  8. Riverside → Pine Ridge typical −6 min; middle half of trips −9 min to −3 min
  9. Pine Ridge → Westgate typical +3 min; middle half of trips ±0 min to +6 min
  10. Westgate → Harbor typical −11 min; middle half of trips −14 min to −7 min

TDS insightTime lost before Old Mill is made back after it. Moving 10 minutes from the second half of the route to the first would match how buses really run.

Segments without enough time

SegmentTimetableTypicalDifference
Airport → DowntownRoute 12035 min51 min+16 min
Lakeside → HillcrestRoute 34045 min55 min+10 min
Civic Center → UniversityRoute 50820 min29 min+9 min
Pine Ridge → WestgateRoute 34025 min28 min+3 min

Segments with more time than needed

SegmentTimetableTypicalDifference
Downtown → East HillsRoute 21560 min46 min−14 min
Westgate → HarborRoute 34050 min39 min−11 min
Fairview → Civic CenterRoute 21530 min21 min−9 min
Riverside → Pine RidgeRoute 34030 min24 min−6 min

Sample data: fictional routes and stops. Late means 3 min or more after the timetable.

Suggested timetablesAI-enhancedHow TDS uses AI

Timetables built from real trips

For every schedule, TDS suggests three timetables, each a starting point for your schedulers, with the share of departures projected to run on time. Schedules where retiming would help most are listed first.

  • Typical trip: every stop set to the time trips usually take
  • Most trips on time: set to the time 3 in 4 trips make
  • Only add time: fix lateness without moving any stop earlier
Timetable realismSuggested timetablesSample

Schedules to review

Where retiming would lift on-time performance the most, with the best suggested timetable for each.

ScheduleTrips On time nowWith best optionGain
Route 1201612%58% Most trips on time+46 pts
Route 3402434%71% Most trips on time+37 pts
Route 2151841%72% Typical trip+31 pts
Route 5081250%75% Only add time+25 pts

Suggested timetables for Route 340

Starting points for schedulers, built from 24 trips. Stops within 3 minutes keep their time, layover departures never move earlier, and times are rounded to 5 minutes. Currently 34% on time. Open an option to see it stop by stop.

Typical tripEach stop set from the median time trips took to reach it. Moves stops both ways.6 stops change−15 min trip length34% → 45% on time
StopNow SuggestedChange
Union Station7:30 AM7:30 AM–
University7:50 AM7:50 AM–
North Park8:15 AM8:20 AM+5 min
Lakeside8:45 AM8:45 AM–
Hillcrest9:30 AM9:40 AM+10 min
Old Mill · arrive10:05 AM10:15 AM+10 min
Old Mill · depart10:15 AM10:20 AM+5 min
Riverside10:55 AM10:55 AM–
Pine Ridge11:25 AM11:20 AM−5 min
Westgate11:50 AM11:45 AM−5 min
Harbor12:40 PM12:25 PM−15 min
Most trips on timeBest on-timeEach stop set from the time 3 in 4 trips made, so fewer buses run late; more will wait at stops.9 stops change+5 min trip length34% → 71% on time
StopNow SuggestedChange
Union Station7:30 AM7:30 AM–
University7:50 AM7:55 AM+5 min
North Park8:15 AM8:20 AM+5 min
Lakeside8:45 AM8:50 AM+5 min
Hillcrest9:30 AM9:50 AM+20 min
Old Mill · arrive10:05 AM10:25 AM+20 min
Old Mill · depart10:15 AM10:30 AM+15 min
Riverside10:55 AM11:05 AM+10 min
Pine Ridge11:25 AM11:35 AM+10 min
Westgate11:50 AM12:00 PM+10 min
Harbor12:40 PM12:45 PM+5 min
Only add timeLike the typical trip, but stops only ever move later: fixes lateness, keeps any spare time.3 stops changesame trip length34% → 52% on time
StopNow SuggestedChange
Union Station7:30 AM7:30 AM–
University7:50 AM7:50 AM–
North Park8:15 AM8:20 AM+5 min
Lakeside8:45 AM8:45 AM–
Hillcrest9:30 AM9:40 AM+10 min
Old Mill · arrive10:05 AM10:15 AM+10 min
Old Mill · depart10:15 AM10:20 AM+5 min
Riverside10:55 AM10:55 AM–
Pine Ridge11:25 AM11:25 AM–
Westgate11:50 AM11:50 AM–
Harbor12:40 PM12:40 PM–

TDS insight“Most trips on time” lifts Route 340 from 34% to 71% on time and makes the trip only 5 minutes longer.

Sample data: fictional routes and stops. Late means 3 min or more after the timetable.

Outcomes

What carriers get

  • Clear evidence for every schedule change
  • Less money spent on empty seats
  • Faster decisions on new routes
Works with

Related products

Route Planning

Network & schedules

Forecasting

Demand and ridership

Data & Analytics

Network intelligence

See TDS in action.

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