managing travel for planned special events - FHWA Operations ...

ordinate with the event planning team onservice details and station locations.The shuttle bus service planning processshould incorporate the considerations listedin Table 6-17. These considerations impactthe overall travel choice utility associatedwith the activity network supported by ashuttle bus service. Its design and operationon the day-of-event must satisfy a range ofuser needs, summarized in Table 6-18.These needs pertain to service and stationprovisions. Successful shuttle bus servicespositively influence the travel mode or destination(e.g., off-site) choice made by personstraveling to and from a planned specialevent. As illustrated by the event websitepromotion displayed in Figure 6-27, anevent public information campaign mayspotlight shuttle bus operations to promotealternate travel options, such as transit use orparking at a satellite parking area.Table 6-17Considerations in Shuttle Bus Operations (10)CONSIDERATION• Travel time• Directness• Avoidance of traffic problem areas• Separation of shuttle buses from event traffic• Boarding locations• Ability to load/unload passengers simultaneouslyon several buses• Pedestrian routing• Neighborhood impactsTable 6-18Shuttle Bus Service User Needs (11)NEED• Have less than a 5-minute wait time.• Have a short or moving embarking queue.• Have an on-time arrival.• Be free of confusion.• Be protected from weather conditions.• Have less than a quarter-mile walk to/from theshuttle station.Figure 6-27Shuttle Bus Service Promotion (Graphiccourtesy of The Ohio State University.)Service DesignThe end result in shuttle bus service designinvolves determining the required number ofbuses to meet expected ridership levels.Based on event category and associated operationscharacteristics, the number of shuttlebuses needed during event ingress andegress may vary. Discrete, recurring eventsat a permanent venue demand maximumservice at the end of the event.Primary service design inputs include eventpatron arrival and minimum service headway(e.g., time between bus arrivals). Toestimate the magnitude and rate of arrival,consult parking demand analysis and travelforecast results applicable to the mode transferpoint(s) (e.g., parking area or transit station)to be serviced by the shuttle bus. Utilizevehicle occupancy figures referenced inthe event feasibility study to convert vehicle-tripsto person-trips in order to developshuttle ridership estimates. The shuttle busservice will serve approximately the samenumber of persons during egress operationas it does during ingress operation. As previouslynoted, demand rates likely may vary.On the day-of-event, service operatorsshould utilize ingress passenger counts toreevaluate service needs before the plannedspecial event ends.Minimum service headway represents afunction of route service time. The followingequation defines route service time:Route service time = (Round-trip traveltime) + (Number of shuttle bus stations on6EVENT PROFILE POST-EVENT ACTIVITIES DAY-OF-EVENT ACTIVITIES ADVANCE PLANNINGOVERVIEW6-33