Overview of the
TCQSM
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Presentation Overview
What is the TCQSM?
Five key concepts used throughout the manual
What’s inside?
 Overview of all chapters
 Focus on Chapters 2 and 3, as these are not covered in other presentations
 Mode, service, and operations concepts
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Learning Objectives
Become familiar with the TCQSM’s scope, audiences, and organization
Learn five key concepts applied throughout the manual
Review mode, service, and operations concepts that are applied in the
manual’s methods chapters
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
What is the
TCQSM?
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Need for the TCQSM
 In the 1990s, the transit industry lacked a comprehensive document on
methods related to transit capacity
 A variety of research reports and papers existed on various topics
 However, no single, authoritative source of information that practitioners
could refer to
 Agency and FTA performance measurement focused on operator-oriented
measures
 For example, cost-oriented measures
 Passenger point-of-view considered only indirectly (e.g., ridership)
 In contrast, the automobile mode had a document with both highway
capacity methods and user-oriented performance measures
 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM)
 The lack of a counterpart transit manual was felt to put transit at a
disadvantage when competing for transportation funding
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
TCQSM Development
1st Edition (1999)
 Mainly synthesized previous research
 Introduced quality of service (QOS) framework
2nd Edition (2003)
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Tested QOS framework
Incorporated gap-filling research
Added ferry capacity chapter
TCRP’s best-selling report
3rd Edition (2013)
 Evaluated use of 2nd Edition
 Updated & reorganized manual
to respond to user needs
 Incorporated new research since
the 2nd Edition
 Incorporated gap-filling research
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
What is the TCQSM Today?
Fundamental reference document that compiles a wide variety of work in
the transit field that hadn’t been available previously in one place
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Defines transit service quality from the passenger point of view
Presents methods for evaluating transit speed, reliability, capacity, and more
Provides guidance on sizing elements of transit stops and stations
Identifies ways to positively influence all of the above
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
TCQSM Audiences
Transit planners
Transportation planners
Traffic engineers
Transit operations personnel
Design engineers
Management personnel
Researchers
University students
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Potential Applications
Training
 Staff new to the transit industry, university students
Reference
 Useful data for answering questions, transit glossary
Guidance
 Transit preferential treatments, role of simulation
Service standards development
 Incorporating passenger quality of service
Service evaluation
 Diagnose and treat operational issues
What-if questions
 Evaluate effects of changes being considered
Planning and design
 Sketch planning, alternatives analysis
 Bus/rail/ferry/demand-response service and facility design
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Five Key
Concepts
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Concept 1: Quality of Service
Quality of service (QOS) is the overall measured or perceived performance
of transit service from the passenger’s point of view
The TCQSM focuses on the passenger point of view
 A balance must be struck between the service passengers would ideally like
and the service operators can afford to provide or would reasonably provide,
given the demand for service
Quality of service has two main components
 Transit availability determines whether transit is even an option for a trip
 If transit is an option, comfort and convenience factors weigh into a person’s
decision to choose transit for a given trip
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Concept 2: Capacity
Capacity reflects the maximum number of transit vehicles, persons, or
both, that can travel past a particular location in a given period of time
under specified conditions
 Maximum (theoretical) capacity reflects the greatest number of persons or
transit vehicles that can be served under any circumstance
 Not normally used for planning and design
 Operating to maximum capacity results in unstable operations
 Design (achievable, practical) capacity reflects the number of persons or
transit vehicles that can be served at a design quality of service
 What TCQSM procedures calculate, unless specifically stated otherwise
 Vehicle (bus/line/vessel) capacity is measured in vehicles per hour and
expresses how many transit vehicles can pass a point in an hour
 Passenger capacity is measured in persons per vehicle and expresses how
many passengers a transit vehicle can carry at a design loading level
 Person capacity is the product of vehicle and passenger capacity, is measured
in persons per hour, and expresses how many persons can pass a point in an
hour
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Concept 3: Speed and Reliability
Easy to overlook among the TCQSM’s other content, because they’re not
mentioned in the manual’s title
The same factors that influence transit capacity also influence speed and
reliability
 Small and mid-sized transit agencies may not have to address capacity issues
very often, but speed and reliability are important considerations for all sizes
of transit agencies
Travel time and reliability influence passenger mode choice and
satisfaction with transit service
Speed and reliability influence the number of transit vehicles needed to
provide service on a route at a given headway, which directly affects the
route’s operating costs
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Concept 4: Definitions
Like many other industries, the transit industry has developed its own
vocabulary over the years
 Complicating matters, transit terminology varies between operators and may
be different from the TCQSM’s usage
 Local usage should prevail; however, readers should be familiar with TCQSM
definitions and terminology when applying TCQSM methods
 Terms are presented in italics at the first point they are defined in the text
The TCQSM provides a comprehensive transit glossary that includes many
terms used in transit operations and planning outside the areas of transit
capacity and quality of service
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Concept 5: Local Data
The TCQSM compiles data from a variety of sources and TCQSM methods
produce estimates that reflect average conditions
Each location has its own unique characteristics that may not reflect North
American averages
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Passenger characteristics and behaviors
Passenger demand patterns
Differences in equipment and technology
External factors (e.g., motorist compliance with bus lanes)
Whenever possible, use local values as inputs to TCQSM methods
 Default (average/typical) values may be used when local data are unavailable
 Consider checking the sensitivity of results to defaulted and assumed values
 Illustrative speed and capacity graphs in Chapter 3 can be used to identify the
values with the greatest potential impact on the results
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
What’s in the
TCQSM?
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
TCQSM 3rd Edition Chapter Structure
Introduction
Concepts
Chapter 1
User’s Guide
Chapter 2
Modes & Services
Chapter 3
Operations
Chapter 4
Quality of Service
Chapter 5
Quality of Service
Chapter 6
Bus Transit
Chapter 7
Demand Responsive
Chapter 8
Rail Transit
Chapter 9
Ferry Transit
Chapter 10
Stops & Stations
Chapter 11
Glossary
Chapter 12
Index
CD-ROM
Methods
Reference
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
TCQSM Organization
Chapter sequence moves from less technical to more technical
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Introduction
Concepts
Methods
Reference
Methods chapter content also progresses from non-technical to
technical topics
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Overview
Chapter-specific concepts and guidance
Computational methods
Applications
Calculation examples
Not intended that anyone will read the manual cover-to-cover
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Tools for Applying the TCQSM 3rd Edition
Text
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Chapter 1, User’s Guide
“How to Use This Chapter” sections in each chapter
Cross-references to related documents with more detail
Step-by-step presentation of calculation methods
Global and chapter-specific tables of contents
Index
PDF version
 All of the above, plus search capability and hyperlinks to many referenced
documents
Spreadsheets
 Assist with performing multimodal QOS and bus, rail, and ferry capacity
calculations
PowerPoint presentations
 Overviews for the each of the major chapters
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 1: User’s Guide
Road map to the rest of the TCQSM
 All users encouraged to read this chapter
Manual’s organization and content
Five key concepts recurring throughout the manual
Purpose, scope, and audiences
Guidance on international use
Changes from the 2nd Edition
Companion documents
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 2: Mode and Service Concepts
Introduction to the transit modes used in the U.S. and Canada and how
service using these modes can be provided
 Written for readers new to the transit industry
 Experienced professionals will also find value in summaries of industry trends
in vehicles, technology, and service types
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 2: Mode and Service Concepts (cont’d.)
Transit mode (and submode) definitions and descriptions
 Bus
 Bus, commuter bus, bus rapid transit, electric trolleybus
 Demand responsive
 General public, limited eligibility, ADA paratransit
 Vanpool
 Rail
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Heavy rail, commuter rail, diesel light rail (hybrid rail)
Light rail, modern streetcar, vintage trolley
Automated guideway transit, monorail
Funiculars, inclines, elevators, cable cars, aerial ropeways
 Ferry
Terminology is not used consistently in the industry
 Vehicle and service characteristics, rather than the mode’s
local name, should be considered when applying
TCQSM methods
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 2: Mode and Service Concepts (cont’d.)
Operating environments (rights-of-way)
 Mixed traffic
 Transit vehicles and general traffic share the lane
 Semi-exclusive
 Lane partially reserved for transit, but available to other users
at certain times or locations
 Exclusive
 Lane, portion of roadway, or right-of-way reserved for transit
at all times but still subject to some traffic interference
(traffic signals, grade crossings)
 Grade-separated
 Facility dedicated to transit without grade crossings
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 2: Mode and Service Concepts (cont’d.)
Service patterns
 Fixed route and demand responsive
 Route and system levels
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts
All about transit capacity, speed, and reliability and the factors that
influence them
 Definitions section useful for all readers
 Section 3 discusses the impact of external factors on ridership
 Remaining sections written for readers new to transit operations analysis
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Why is transit capacity important?
 The same factors that influence capacity also influence speed and reliability,
which impacts operating costs and passenger satisfaction
 Managing passenger loads
 Understanding the impact of operational changes (e.g., fare collection) that
impact dwell time and thus speed and capacity
 Planning for the future as part of alternatives analysis and facility design
 Analyzing the operation of streets used by buses, particularly large city
downtowns and around transit centers
 Special event service planning
 Transportation system management
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Person capacity defined
 “The maximum number of people that can be carried past a given location
during a given time period under specified operating conditions; without
unreasonable delay, hazard, or restriction; and with reasonable certainty.”
 A given location: Capacity reflects the number of people that can be transported
past a given location, typically the maximum load point/segment
 Under specified operating conditions: Capacity depends on the number of vehicles
operated (e.g., the number currently scheduled or the maximum that could be
scheduled) and the size of those vehicles
 Without unreasonable delay, hazard, or restriction: Capacity should reflect
conditions passengers will normally tolerate
 With reasonable certainty: Capacity should reflect the number of people that can
be carried on a sustained basis day after day, considering variations in passenger
demand, traffic congestion, and other factors not under the control of the transit
operator
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Factors influencing person capacity
 Factors in bold also influence speed, reliability, or both
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Vehicle capacity defined
 “The maximum number of transit vehicles (buses, trains, vessels, etc.) that can
pass a given location during a given time period at a specified level of
reliability.”
Has different names, depending on the mode and situation
 Bus capacity, line capacity [rail], vessel capacity [ferry], facility capacity
Desired level of reliability plays a significant role
 Vehicle capacity is maximized when a route or line is operated at the
minimum headway, so that the next transit vehicle is ready to arrive at a stop
or station when the vehicle ahead of it pulls out and is a safe distance down
the line
 An unstable form of operation: the moment one vehicle’s dwell time exceeds
the amount used in developing the minimum headway, all subsequent
vehicles will experience delay
 The number of vehicles that can be reliably served is less than the theoretical
maximum number of vehicles that could be served
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Design capacity
 The capacity that can be sustained day after day, accounting for small
irregularities in service and variations in passenger demand and arrival
patterns
Maximum capacity
 The capacity that could be achieved if service was 100% reliable, passenger
demand never varied, passengers filled every available space on every trip,
etc.
Unless stated specifically otherwise, the TCQSM estimates design
capacities
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Passenger traffic density
 Passenger miles per route mile
 Reflects relative ability of modes to serve passenger demands
 When measured for
the peak hour in the
maximum load
segment, it directly
reflects capacity
 When measured for
longer periods of time
and distances (as here,
using 2010 NTD data),
also reflects demand
and average loading
over the length of the
route
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Factors influencing transit speed
 *See earlier passenger capacity slide for all factors influencing dwell time
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Average 2010 US system speeds (revenue miles per revenue hour)
 Modern streetcar data are from 2012
 Bus rapid transit data are from 2008 and include Canadian systems
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Factors influencing
transit reliability
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Example time of day variations in transit demand
 Demand pattern impacts need for, and amount of, extra peak period service
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Example peak period variation in transit demand
 Designing for average peak hour loads may result in overcrowding during the
peak-of-the-peak
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Impacts of external factors on ridership demand
 Demographics
 Land use density
 Transportation demand management strategies
The TCQSM is not a ridership estimation manual, but nevertheless
presents general relationships, as capacity planning needs to have
a good understanding of possible future demand
Household Density
(HH/acre)
(HH/ha)
2.35
5.8
4.7
11.6
10.9
26.9
26.6
65.7
46.9
115.9
Multiplicative Change Relative to Base Condition
Households
Likelihood of Using Transit
Overall Transit Demand
1.0
1.0
1
2.0
2.0
4
4.7
5.9
28
11.7
15.9
186
20.0
24.0
480
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 3: Operations Concepts (cont’d.)
Impacts of dwell time on capacity and speed
Impacts of operating environment on capacity, speed, and reliability
Impacts of stop and station characteristics on capacity and speed
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 4: Quality of Service Concepts
Service aspects that influence passenger satisfaction
 Transit performance measurement
 Written for those new to the industry, agency decision-makers, and staff involved
with transit performance measurement
 QOS factors
 Background material on passenger satisfaction research, written for users wanting
a greater depth of understanding of QOS
 QOS framework
 Useful for readers intending to apply Chapter 5’s QOS methods
 Ridership and cost implications of making QOS changes
 Useful for readers intending to apply Chapter 5’s QOS methods
Chapter details are covered in the fixed route QOS presentation
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 5: Quality of Service Methods
How to measure quality of service
 Fixed route transit QOS
 QOS measures designed for use by transit agencies, particularly for service
standards development
 Multimodal transit level of service (LOS) measure designed for use by planning
agencies, particularly in a multimodal planning/evaluation context
 Demand responsive transit QOS
 Potential applications of QOS measurement to real-world situations
 Calculation examples
Chapter details are covered in the fixed route QOS and
demand responsive transit presentations
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 6: Bus Transit Capacity
How to evaluate bus capacity and forecast bus speeds
 Bus-specific concepts
 Sources of bus delay, factors determining bus capacity, planning-level values
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Transit preferential treatments and operating strategies
Bus capacity evaluation method
Bus speed forecasting method
Factors influencing bus reliability
Applications of the chapter’s method to real-world situations
Comprehensive calculation example
Dwell time data collection guidance
Impacts of bus bunching on capacity
Chapter details are covered in the bus transit capacity presentation
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 7: Demand Responsive Transit
Summarizes the state of knowledge on DRT capacity and ridership
estimation
 DRT capacity factors
 Overview of existing DRT capacity estimation methods
 Importance of ridership demand for estimating DRT capacity
Chapter details are covered in the DRT presentation
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 8: Rail Transit Capacity
Methods for estimating rail capacity and the factors involved
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Rail capacity fundamentals
Train control and signaling
Train operations
Capacity methods
 General method—used for most rail submodes, and the starting point for the
others
 Commuter rail
 Automated guideway transit
 Ropeway
 Applications of rail capacity methods to real-world situations
 Role of simulation in rail capacity analysis
 Calculation examples
Chapter details are covered in the rail transit capacity presentation
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 9: Ferry Transit Capacity
Methods for estimating ferry transit passenger and auto capacity
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Overview of ferry service and terminals
Ferry scheduling and service planning
Vessel capacity of docks and berths
Passenger and auto capacity
Calculation examples
Chapter details are covered in the ferry transit capacity presentation
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 10: Station Capacity
Methods for sizing the passenger circulation elements of transit stations
and selected external elements
 Station design considerations
 ADA requirements, emergency evacuation requirements, security
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Station types and configurations
Passenger circulation concepts
Vehicle circulation and storage
Station elements and their capacities
Applications of the methods to real-world situations
Role of simulation in station planning and design
Chapter details are covered in the station capacity presentation
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Chapter 11: Glossary and Symbols
Comprehensive transit glossary
List of symbols/variables used in TCQSM equations
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
More Information
TCRP Report 165: TCQSM
 Chapter 1, User’s Guide
 Chapter 2, Mode and Service Concepts
 Chapter 3, Operations Concepts
The TCQSM is available as:
 Free individual printed copies and PDF downloads through the TCRP
Dissemination Program
http://www.tcrponline.org
 Free PDF downloads directly from TCRP
http://www.trb.org/TCRP/Public/TCRP.aspx (Publications section)
or simply do an Internet search for the report number (e.g., TCRP Report 165)
 Individual or multiple copy purchases from the TRB Bookstore
http://books.trbbookstore.org/
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition
Acknowledgments and Permissions
Presentation author
 Paul Ryus (Kittelson & Associates, Inc.)
Photo credits
 Operating environments, bottom picture: Sound Transit
 All other photos: Paul Ryus
This presentation was developed through TCRP Project A-15C
 Research team: Kittelson & Associates; Parsons Brinkerhoff, Quade &
Douglass; KFH Group; Texas A&M Transportation Institute; and Arup
 This presentation and its contents may be freely distributed and used, with
appropriate credit to the presentation authors and photographers, and the
Transit Cooperative Research Program
Transit Capacity & Quality of Service Manual, 3rd Edition