Best practices in bus dispatch [summary].

Summary.PDFTech ReportBDK85 977-25Bus transportationBus travelBus transitBus linesBus routesBus driversDispatchingBus transit operationsIncident managementLaborLabor forceLabor relationsEquipmentBest practicesFloridaFlorida. Dept. of TransportationDeAnnuntis, ChristopherUniversity of South FloridaNTL-PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION-Bus TransportationNTL-PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION-Transit Planning and PolicyNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Transit Planning and PolicyNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-Management SystemsUS Transportation CollectionIn 2007, the National Center for Transit Researchsponsored a study of best practices in extraboardoperator management, finding that in most transitagencies, extraboard manpower is managed bydispatchers as one of their many functions. Thispointed to a need for a better understanding ofdispatchers\ue2\u20ac\u2122 roles and ranges of functions and toshare optimal practices among transit agencies.Dispatch functions fall into three broadcategories: incident, labor, and equipmentmanagement. Similarities of dispatch functionsacross transit agencies are well known, butdifferences in operating policies, procedures,and functions of dispatch have not been wellresearchedor documented. A literature reviewrevealed no previous studies of this subject. Thisstudy by researchers from the University of SouthFlorida begins to address the gaps in knowledgeabout dispatch practices. The researchersinvestigated best practices, standard operatingprocedures, and uses of technology in transitagencies of all sizes. In addition to their literaturereview, they employed a survey and case studiesof two public transit agencies