By the end of Lesson 10, you should be able to:
Lesson 10 will take 1 week to complete. Please refer to Canvas for specific timeframes, submission instructions, and due dates.
To finish this lesson, you must complete the assignments listed below. The details for each assignment are provided in the referenced section and in Canvas.
Assignment No. | Assignment Description | Section | Grade Component / Points |
---|---|---|---|
10-1 | Complete some exercises using TBEST. | 10.1 | Lesson Topic / 20 |
10-2 | Evaluate a set of trip requests to determine their eligibility for ADA complementary paratransit services. | 10.1 | Lesson Topic / 15 |
10-3 | Explore the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and address some specific questions. | 10.2 | Transportation Organizations / 15 |
10-4 | Participate in a one-on-one video conference with a classmate (or myself) and submit a summary of the conversation. | 10.3 | Class Participation / 15 |
10-5 | Participate in this week’s webinar and submit a summary of what you learned. | 10.4 | Guest Webinar / 15 |
10-6 | Assess the course components. | 10.5 | Guest Webinar / 30 |
Last week, we spent some time learning about paratransit services. This week, we are going to look at fixed route services, the other primary service type transit agencies offer. Fixed route transit services can be defined as services which operate on predefined routes according to a set schedule. The services can be divided into a number of more specific modes including:
In this lesson, we will focus primarily on fixed route bus services.
Fixed route buses operate on designated routes according to a published schedule. One can think of routes as generalized paths buses follow. For example, Route 1 may be structured to provide service along Market Street. It may begin at a transit center where riders can transfer from one route to another or even to a different mode such as light rail or subway and travel along Market Street until it reaches some terminal point at which time it returns along Market Street to the transit center. The specific path each route traverses can depend on the time of the day, the day of the week, and even the time of year (e.g., summer service). Each distinct path associated with a route is called a pattern. As an example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 show two patterns for the same route. The route generally follows Pattern 1, but at times during the day when the YMCA is busiest, it follows a somewhat different pattern.
When one uses the term trip in regards to DRT, it generally refers to the transport of a rider from their point of origin to their desired destination. In fixed route, the term trip has a different meaning. Over the course of a day, service along a route will generally be offered a number of times. For example, service along Market Street, in the above example, may occur at a frequency of twice an hour from 9 am to 4:30 pm, with a bus leaving the transit center every 30 minutes. In the world of fixed route, a trip corresponds to a bus completely traversing the route one time. The period of time between each trip is called the headway. In this example then, there are 16 trips and the headway is 30 minutes. If it takes more than 30 minutes to complete a single trip, then it will take multiple buses to provide service along Market Street. Sometimes a bus will operate a single route the entire day, and sometimes a bus will service multiple routes. When a bus completes a trip on one route and then begins a trip on a second route, it is referred to as interlining. A bus's schedule for an entire day is called a block. For example, Bus 2a may operate on Route 1 from 9 am to 12:30 pm, at which time it is used on Route 2 from 1 pm to 5 pm. The block for Bus 2a would be the sequential set of trips it completes over the course of the day on Routes 1 and 2.
A stop is a designated location along a route where riders can get on or get off the bus. The bus is obligated to stop at certain stops known as time points. These are stops that appear on the bus schedule. Generally, a transit agency will have a policy that a bus should not depart a time point before the scheduled time. How well a transit provider adheres to its published schedule is referred to as its on-time performance. It is important for transit providers to adhere to their schedules since riders depend on transit to get to their destinations on time. There are also stops along a route which are not time points. The bus will only stop at these stops if a rider is waiting at the stop or if a rider wishes to alight the vehicle at the stop. In addition to defined stops, some providers accommodate flag stops. A flag stop is an arbitrary location along the route where a rider wishes to board or alight the bus. The rider needs to flag the bus down in order to board or alert the driver they wish to alight the bus at that location.
Sometimes a single driver will operate on the same bus and route all day long. At others times, the driver may operate on a number of buses and/or routes over the course of the day. The collection of trips a driver performs over the course of their shift is known as a run. Just as a block represents a bus' schedule for the day, a run represents the driver's schedule for the day. Matching drivers with the pieces of work a transit provider needs to staff is known as run cutting. Run cutting can be a complex process at least in part because drivers and other staff often belong to a union, and the labor agreements which have been negotiated can have many different rules which need to be followed.
Fixed route providers use a large number of technologies to manage operations and provide good customer service. The most significant of these technologies are described briefly below:
There are a variety of fare collection technologies which fixed route providers use to collect and securely store fares. Some fare boxes are able to assist the driver in verifying that cash paying riders provided the correct fare. Registering fare boxes are able to count coins and bills, but they cannot differentiate between different denominations of bills. For example, a registering fare box can’t tell the difference between a one dollar bill and a twenty dollar bill. Validating fare boxes can do everything a registering fare box can do and, in addition, can differentiate between different denominations of bills. Registering and validating fare boxes also generally allow the drivers to keep track of the types of passengers who are boarding (e.g., seniors, persons with disabilities, children, etc.). For providers who have relatively low ridership, it is difficult to justify the cost of registering or validating fare boxes. For these types of providers, a vault style fare box is often the most logical choice. A vault style fare box does not count cash payments. Instead, the upper compartment is generally transparent which allows the driver to confirm the correct fare was provided before it is dropped into the lower compartment. Many providers are moving toward providing more flexible payment options. Touch cards are a convenient type of fare media which are growing in popularity. Riders can generally add additional value to these cards using a ticketing machine or via the web.
Many transit organizations who operate a fixed route bus service use CAD/AVL. CAD/AVL systems consist of onboard hardware to track the buses, and software which helps the dispatchers to manage service as it occuring and resolve issues as they arise. CAD/AVL allows the dispatcher to see where all the agency's vehicles are on a map and to quickly determine which are on schedule and which are ahead of schedule or behind schedule.
APCs are simple devices which are mounted by each door and count the number of passengers boarding and alighting the bus. While there are different types of APCs on the market, the most common employ a series of infrared beams. Each time the beams are broken, the system counts it as either a boarding or alighting. During busy times, the devices can miss a passenger here and there. The devices can also have a hard time with children, especially if they are carried onto the bus. The data collected via APCs can be used to determine the current onboard passenger count, a piece of information that is sometimes made available to the riding public along with other real-time bus information. Transit agencies sometimes also use APC data to fulfill part of their reporting NTD requirements to the FTA but, in order to do so, they need to demonstrate that their APCs meet certain accuracy requirements. You'll learn about NTD reporting later in this lesson.
In order to comply with ADA requirements, fixed route vehicles are generally equipped with an AAS which provides both audible announcements and visual announcements about upcoming stops and points of interest. These systems are generally triggered based on the vehicle's position as it approaches a designated location. Most systems utilize geofences to determine when an onboard annoucement should be made.
Most fixed route vehicles are equipped with camera systems which record activities on the bus as well as outside the bus. It is common for a bus to have 6 separate audio and video streams with some of the larger articulated buses being equipped with 8 separate streams. The video from these buses is stored in onboard DVRs and can be streamed by dispatch if needed. The DVR capacities are generally sufficient to store a few weeks of video before overwriting. The systems are configured to automatically flag sections of video in the event the system senses any unusual forces due to a collision or abrupt deceleration or turn. The driver can also press a button to manually flag a section of video. When the system flags a section of video, it preserves a window of time which brackets the triggering event for later review. Flagged sections of video are often wirelessly downloaded when the bus returns to the depot. Vehicle surveillance systems are extremely useful for identifying undesirable driver behaviors and incidents onboard the bus, as well as helping to determine the cause of any bus related accidents. Local police are also sometimes interested in this video if they believe it may be of use in solving or prosecuting a case.
Real time passenger information systems have become extremely popular in recent years. These systems make real-time bus information available to riders via web applications, smart phone applications, and dynamic message boards which are sometimes located as transit centers or other high traffic stops. In Lessons 8 and 9, we looked at an example of one which CATA uses called MyStop.
Transit providers often offer rider alert systems to notify users about disruptions in services or to provide other types of notifications. Riders can typically sign up for alerts related to specific routes and/or system-wide alerts.
Developing and adjusting routes, patterns, stops, trips, and blocks can be challenging especially for larger transit providers. Scheduling software is designed to assist agencies in this regard. Scheduling software also often incorporates some functions to assist with run cutting as well.
Many buses come equipped with vehicle diagnostics that can transmit various vehicle health information back to the transit agency. This technology helps to ensure problems are taken care of before they lead to vehicle breakdown. Some vehicle health systems integrate with maintenance management systems and can automatically schedule vehicles for preventative maintenance.
Many fixed route providers offer trip planning services to their riders. These services are generally web-based and allow the rider to indicate their origin, destination, and desired date and time of departure or date and time of arrival. The trip planning service then presents options which define a combination of walking and fixed route options that best meet their needs. The options may involve one or more transfers between fixed route vehicles. The most popular fixed route trip planning service is Google Transit. The idea for what has become Google Transit was first spawned by TriMet, a transit agency which services Portland, Oregon. TriMet approached MapQuest, Yahoo, and Google to see if they would be interested in incorporating transit data into their map products, but only Google replied. The Google Transit Trip Planner launched on December 7, 2005. Google transit incorporates stops, routes, schedule, and fare information for a provider’s bus, subway, rail, and/or light rail service. The service is automatically available as a free service via Google Maps in any area where one or more local transit providers publish their data to Google.
For most of the first year, TriMet was the only operator available on Google Maps. In September 2006, five more cities got on board: Eugene, OR; Honolulu, HI; Pittsburgh, PA; Seattle, WA; and Tampa, FL. Today, Google Transit spans many hundreds of cities [1].
In order for transit providers to submit their fixed route information to Google in a consistent way, a data specification was required. The specification which was developed for this purpose is discussed in the next section. As mentioned above, Google Transit is a free service to transit agencies and to the public who can perform trip planning in Google Maps. However, if you wish to tie into the capabilities programmatically to incorporate the power of Google Transit (or more generally Google Maps) into your own software application, there are often associated fees you need to consider. A popular and robust alternative open source trip planning system is Open Trip Planner [2].
The specification which was developed to allow transit agencies to publish their fixed route data to Google Transit is known as GTFS. Originally it stood for the Google Transit Feed Specification, but in 2010, Google changed the name to the General Transit Feed Specification given its growing status as the default specification for transit data. GTFS is an open data standard which represents fixed-route schedule, route, and bus stop data in a series of 13 comma-delimited text files compressed into a ZIP file. Each of the 13 text files contains a series of fields or attributes about a component of the fixed route service. Some of the files and fields are optional (see Table 1).
Required | Optional |
---|---|
Agency.txt | Calendar_dates.txt |
Stops.txt | Fare_attributes.txt |
Routes.txt | Fare_rules.txt |
Trips.txt | Shapes.txt |
Stop_times.txt | Frequencies.txt |
Calendar.txt | Transfers.txt |
Feed_info.txt |
A description of each table along with the meaning of each field is provided here [3].
The primary use of GTFS data is to publish fixed route schedule data to Google Transit so that riders can perform trip planning. However, there are many other potential uses for GTFS data. For example, transit planning software systems such as TBEST commonly allow users to upload route, stop, and schedule data in GTFS format. In the past few years, Google has created a new specification based on GTFS which incorporates real-time information in addition to the static schedule data. The new specification is known as GTFS Real Time [4] and is starting to gain some traction among transit agencies, but is not yet widely used.
You’ll have a chance to work with GTFS data from a transit agency in Tampa, Florida in Assignments 10-1 and 10-2. In Assignment 10-1, you’ll use GTFS data to establish the fixed route network in TBEST, and in Assignment 10-2, you’ll use the route geometry contained in the shapes.txt component of the GTFS data to establish the zone for ADA complementary paratransit we discussed in Lesson 9.
In this assignment, you’ll get a chance to get some hands-on experience with TBEST as you explore some of its many features. As part of Assignment 9-6, you downloaded and installed TBEST and reviewed some tutorial videos which are available to help users learn how to use the features the system offers. In preparation for this week’s lesson, watch the tutorial videos on scenarios, network tools, TBEST reporting, and the attribute search tool. TBEST also has a comprensive users' guide [5]available from both the website and the help menu within TBEST. Complete the following activities and submit the required elements as part of an M.S. Word document to Assignment 10-1 in Canvas:
In Assignment 10-1, you downloaded the GTFS data for Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) in Tampa, Florida. In this assignment, you will use this GTFS data to evaluate a series of trip requests to determine which are eligible for ADA complementary paratransit service. You will include all of the requested elements in a M.S. Word document and upload it to Assignment 10-2 in Canvas. To complete this assignment, download the DRT Trips shapefile [9]and perform the following steps:
This week, you’ll take some time to get to know the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The FTA is the administration within the USDOT which focuses on providing financial and technical support to public transportation agencies across the United States. The FTA was created in 1970 by President Lyndon Johnson, although, back then, it was known as the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA).
This short video (12:45) summarizes some of FTA’s accomplishments over the past 8 years and provides examples of how it has directed federal funds.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Together a look back at the last 8 years. (Countdown begins:) 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008. With growing congestion...[TRAFFIC NOISES] and aging infrastructure [CREAKING BRIDGE]...with an economy in freefall [IMAGES OF NEWSPAPER HEADLINERS ON FINANCIAL CRISIS]
January 20, 2009. "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." [IMAGES OF FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA'S INAUGURATION}
BARACK OBAMA: For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but it lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Together we answered the call. To meet growing demand, to replace again infrastructure, to get our economy moving again, President Obama and Congress acted.
BARACK OBAMA: Building a world class transportation system is part of what made us an economic super power. There are private construction companies all across America just waiting to get to work. There's a bridge that needs repair between Ohio and Kentucky that's on one of the busiest trucking routes in North America. Public transit project in Houston that will help to clear up one of the worst areas of traffic in the country.
ON SCREEN TEXT: The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). Over the next four years USDOT awarded 1,072 ARRA grants totaling $8.8 billion, creating or saving 10,322 jobs. Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants: Also, in 2009, Congress passed legislation establishing the TIGER program. TIGER grants have provided $5.1 billion to 421 projects, helping build multi-modal, road, rail, transit, and port projects and rebuilding communities.
Dilworth Plaza, Philadelphia, PA. A $15 million TIGER grant transformed a deteriorated plaza at City Hall and helped create a new, accessible gateway for local and regional transit.
Kansas City, MO Streetcar. A $20 million TIGER grant helped generate $1 billion investment in KC's downtown. Kansas City Streetcar opening, May 2016.
East Liberty Transit Center, a $15 million TIGER grant renovated an aging bus station and consolidated unsafe loading points along Pittsburgh streets. East Liberty Transit Center, Pittsburgh, PA, October 2015.
Denver Union Station, a $388 million TIGER grant helped renovate a station that anchors a bustling downtown and spun off new development. Denver Union Station Renovation March 2014.
LYNX Lymmo BRT, a $13 million TIGER grant enabled this new line, which connect to other transit modes and revitalizes Orlando's urban core. LYNX Lymmo BRT Groundbreaking, Orlando May 2015.
In 2010, transit ridership reached 10 billion, its highest level since the 1950s.
Capital Investment Grants: new starts, small starts, core capacity. Since 2008, FTA has funded 37 Capital Investment Grant projects totaling $12.6 billion. Since 2008, CIG projects have resulted in 296 miles of rail & 158 miles of Bus Rapid Transit.
Other FTA grant programs. Since 2010, FTA has awarded close to $3 billion to 601 competitively funded bus projects. That funding led to the purchase of more than 53,000 buses since 2009. FTA has also funded the purchase of over 27,000 other transit vehicles, such as paratransit vans: GO Transit- Durham, NC, Capital Metro - Austin, TX, Niagara Frontier - Buffalo, NY, KCATA - Kansas City, MO, CATS - Charlotte, NC, Free Ride Transit - Breckenridge, CO.
Since 2009, FTA has awarded close to $286 million for tribal transit: Los Alamos, NM, Muscogee Creek Nation, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Since 2013, FTA has funded 44 Passenger Ferry grants totaling $119 million: Channel Cat - Quad Cities, Iowa, Staten Island Ferry, NYC DOT, Kind County Ferry - Sound Transit. But America requirements have contributed to a strong U.S. manufacturing sector and supported American jobs. Together we helped rebuild our economy, meet growing demand for transit, and begin to fix our aging infrastructure. Together we faced emerging challenges. Together we're making the transit, the safest form of transportation, safer. MAP-21 and the FAST Act gave FTA new and enhanced authority to help keep public transit safe and reliable. Since 2012, with your input, FTA has issued: 3 final safety rules, 3 proposed safety rules, 7 safety advisories, and is working to strengthen state safety oversight.
Natural Disasters and Climate Change. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast. Since 2013, FTA has awarded $10.2 billion in grants focused on Sandy recovery and resiliency. Extreme weather events highlight the dangers of climate change. Together, FTA and our transit partners are developing strategies to prepare for and adapt to climate change.
The transportation industry as a whole is a major contributor of carbon pollution, but public transportation can help. FTA's Low and No-Emission Program aims to improve air quality and reduce climate change through new bus technology. Since 2012, FTA has funded 37 Low - and No-Emission Grants totaling $132.5 million.
Declining Infrastructure. In 2013, the transit industry's deferred maintenance and replacement needs was estimated at $86 billion and it keeps growing. Transit Asset Management Final Rule July 2016. TAM provides a strategic approach to improve & maintain transit capital assets and requires providers to create plans to address their maintenance needs.
"When the rungs on the ladder of opportunity grow farther and farther apart, it undermines the very essence of America" - President Obama
"Transportation is about more than getting from on point to another, it's about getting from where you are to a better life." - Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx
As part of DOT's Ladders of Opportunity bus program, DOT awarded $26 million to Detroit. The city bought 50 buses easing overcrowding, reducing wait times, and providing more reliable service, particularly in lower income areas. Together we've built ladders of opportunity.
Since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, transit has become more accessible. Thanks to transit providers, 99.8% of buses are accessible. All rail stations built since 1990 are accessible. In addition, 671 of 680 key stations in our nation's oldest rail systems are accessible.
Since 2012, FTA has issued three civil rights Circulars helping the industry provide more equitable service.
Since 2013, FTA has funded 21 Transit-Oriented Development Grants totaling $19 million. Together, we're using well-planned TOD to create more desirable places to live, work, and visit.
FTA's Rides to Wellness initiative improves access and reduces healthcare costs through partnerships between health care and transit industries. New in 2016, Rides to Wellness Grants awarded $7.3 million to 19 projects.
Together we've helped communities across the country:
Together, we are embracing the future. The FAST Act was the first long-term infrastructure funding bill since 2005. While it provides certainty for transit systems, we still need a stable funding source for the future. Technological innovation is bringing us the chance to solve old problems in new ways. FTA's Mobility on Demand program will provide $8 million for innovative integrated multimodal solutions.
At FTA, we're proud of all that we've accomplished....Together:
Spend some time learning about the FTA by reviewing their website. Also, review the 2015 National Transit Summaries and Trends (NTST) Report [10]. Prepare a submittal in M.S. Word format which addresses the following items and upload it to Assignment 10-3 in Canvas:
This week, you’ll have a one-on-one chat with one of your classmates (or me) as per the schedule you were provided in Week 1. The discussion should be at least 30 minutes in length. If it’s the first time you’ve chatted with each other, spend the majority of time getting to know each other. Otherwise, focus on discussing the lesson content.
Submit a brief summary of the conversation (no more than 300 words) to Assignment 10-4 in Canvas. The summary you’ll submit is an individual assignment and is not intended to be a joint activity. If it’s the first time you’ve spoken with each other, your summary should primarily address what you learned about each other (e.g., what do you have in common?). Otherwise, your summary should focus on ideas and insights about the lesson content which came out of the conversation.
Criteria | Ratings | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Followed Instructions | Excellent: Student carefully followed all instructions for the assignment. 4.0 pts |
Satisfactory: Student's submission exhibited some minor deviations from the instructions for the assignment. 2.5 pts |
Poor: Student's submission exhibited major deviations from the instructions for the assignment. 1.0 pts |
4.0 pts |
Content Quality | Excellent: Student's submittal reflected a conversation which was highly thoughtful and productive and provided substantial benefit in getting to know each other better and/or exploring lesson topics. 7.0 pts |
Satisfactory: Student's submittal reflected a conversation which was somewhat thoughtful and productive and provided some limited benefit in getting to know each other better and/or exploring lesson topics. 5.0 pts |
Poor: Student's submittal reflected a conversation which had little value in getting to know each other better and/or exploring lesson topics. 1.0 pts |
7.0 pts |
Writing Quality | Excellent: Student’s writing was organized, clear, and concise and was free from spelling and grammatical errors. 4.0 pts |
Satisfactory: Student’s writing exhibited some deficiencies in the area of organization, clarity, and conciseness and/or contained a few spelling or grammatical errors. 2.5 pts |
Poor: Student’s writing exhibited major deficiencies in the area of organization, clarity, and conciseness and/or contained many spelling or grammatical errors. 1.0 pts |
4.0 pts |
Total Points: 15.0 |
This week’s speaker is Rodney Bunner. For details about Rodney’s current role and background, refer to the previous lesson.
After attending the webinar, prepare a brief write-up (300 – 500 words) summarizing the session and submit it in M.S. Word format to Assignment 10-5 in Canvas. In your summary, address the following:
Criteria | Ratings | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Followed Instructions | Excellent: Student carefully followed all instructions for the assignment. 4.0 pts |
Satisfactory: Student's submission exhibited some minor deviations from the instructions for the assignment. 2.5 pts |
Poor: Student's submission exhibited major deviations from the instructions for the assignment. 1.0 pts |
4.0 pts |
Content Quality | Excellent: The student's submittal demonstrated that the student paid close attention during the webinar and carefully reflected on the key topics which were covered. 7.0 pts |
Satisfactory: The student's submittal demonstrated that the student was somewhat attentive during the webinar and engaged in limited reflection on the key topics which were covered. 4.0 pts |
Poor: The student's submittal provided little or no evidence that the student paid careful attention during the webinar or reflected on the topics which were covered. 1.0 pts |
7.0 pts |
Writing Quality | Excellent: Student’s writing was organized, clear, and concise and was free from spelling and grammatical errors. 4.0 pts |
Satisfactory: Student’s writing exhibited some deficiencies in the area of organization, clarity, and conciseness and/or contained a few spelling or grammatical errors. 2.5 pts |
Poor: Student’s writing exhibited major deficiencies in the area of organization, clarity, and conciseness and/or contained many spelling or grammatical errors. 1.0 pts |
4.0 pts |
Total Points: 15.0 |
Respond to the following questions about the course elements and submit your responses in the form of an M.S. Word document to Assignment 10-6 in Canvas:
Webinars
Hands On Activities
Transportation Organizations
One-on-One Chats
In this lesson, we learned about fixed route transit services. In particular, we covered some of the basic concepts and terminology associated with providing these services. We also reviewed the variety of technologies fixed route providers utilize to manage their operations and provide good customer service.
We also explored the GTFS data specification which is used by transit agencies to publish their data to Google Transit and downloaded the latest GTFS data for a transit agency in Tampa, Florida.
You had the opportunity to utilize GTFS data to evaluate a series of travel requests to determine their eligibility for complementary paratransit in accordance with FTA’s fixed route requirements for ADA.
This week, you explored the FTA, the administration in the USDOT which supports US transit operations. In doing so, you also learned about the National Transit Database (NTD) and a recent FTA initiative called Rides to Wellness.
In our weekly webinar, you had the chance to interact with Mr. Rodney Bunner and learn how TBEST can be used to model and evaluate transit planning scenarios.
Finally, you had the opportunity to get to know one of your classmates a little better and share some of your ideas and questions about this week’s lesson materials.
If there is anything in the Lesson 10 materials about which you would like to ask a question or provide a comment, submit a posting to the Lesson 10 Questions and Comments discussion in Canvas. Also, review others’ postings to this discussion and respond if you have something to offer or if you are able to help.
Links
[1] https://maps.google.com/landing/transit/cities/index.html
[2] http://www.opentripplanner.org/
[3] https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference/
[4] https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs-realtime/
[5] http://tbest.org/download/TBESTUserGuide_44.pdf
[6] https://transitfeeds.com/p/hillsborough-area-regional-transit/228
[7] https://psu.instructure.com/files/81912169/download?download_frd=1
[8] https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines
[9] https://psu.instructure.com/files/81908655/download?download_frd=1
[10] https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/2015%20NTST.pdf