This Transit Opportunity Index Assessment was conducted on data provided by SamTrans, MTC, and field measurements.
1,377,134 Vehicle Location Data, 139,020 Passenger Load events and 15,995 Field Measurement were mapped onto spatial data from the week of 19 February 2024.
Transit Waste Index Score: Poor
We identified the biggest opportunities to improve performance on the SamTrans Fixed Route system as: 1) reducing the delay caused by red-lights (deceleration, idling, and acceleration at a signalized intersection) and 2) improving bus adherence to posted speed limits (when speed was not due to a safety issue).
Our data shows that eliminating these issues would result in saving a total of 43.2% of total route service hours.
For the ECR Route which runs between Palo Alto Transit Center and Daly City BART station, field measurements shows:
- Total observed waste Northbound was 36.9% and 38.6% Southbound
- Signal Delay contributes most to this total with 38.9 min. and 40.7 min., (31.8% and 28.3%) of total trip Service Hours
- Posted Speed non-adherence waste: 12.1% and 10.4% of total
- Delays observed at time stops are represented in the Stop Event and not classified as waste
Spatial data enables assessment at city block level as well as views per jurisdiction. The ECR primarily runs on El Camino Real, operated by Caltrans.
Analysis of the speed at each signalized intersection shows the speed at the intersections is highly unpredictable.
This causes SamTrans planning to have to deploy additional vehicles and introduce buffers (time stops) as identified in the opertunity Index.
Caltrans and each of the 22 cities and towns SamTrans operates routes have their own planning and design teams. These teams are supported by Engineering Firms and other consultants with very little coordination.
