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Transit operators aim to provide high levels of reliability because reliable services not only are more attractive for their current and potential customers, but can also reduce operating costs by making more efficient use of resources. This work addresses the issue of service reliability in a context in which high-quality transit is the norm, not the exception. An ongoing study uses automatic vehicle location (AVL) data to estimate quantitative service reliability measures of a bus line in Zurich, Switzerland. In-vehicle observations during peak periods and aggregate operational data reports complement the AVL data. Four time profiles (morning and late afternoon peaks, between peaks, and late evening) were used to characterize transit service reliability at the route and stop level. A set of conventional operator-perspective measures (travel time, speed, punctuality, and regularity) was enhanced with a customer-oriented measure (passenger waiting time) to link service reliability to passenger waiting cost. Results indicate that the best service reliability for travel time, regularity, and passenger waiting time metrics is achieved during late night services. Services between peak hours perform better in punctuality metrics.

Performance evaluation is fundamental to transport analysis and operations. This paper describes a quality evaluation framework based on level of service (LOS) developed for urban public transport in Switzerland. The framework focuses on four key indicators: on-time performance, headway adherence, speed, and passenger loads. The framework allows users to assess service quality at different levels by measuring the indicators at the single element level and aggregating scores over larger sets of elements. Because the number of indicators is relatively small compared with other frameworks, application of the method is easier, but the method also provides less detailed results. An earlier paper presented a conceptual approach for the framework. This paper extends that work by describing the approach in more detail and focusing on calibration of the LOS framework and application of the framework to a real example in Zurich, Switzerland. The research is part of a larger effort designed to develop a consistent multimodal LOS evaluation system for Switzerland. This system would include nonmotorized traffic, public transport, and road-based transport.