Our team of experienced transit industry leaders has published extensively on key aspects of transportation, especially as it relates to data analytics, project planning, and operations improvements. Explore this page to read abstracts of some of our leadership's most cited publications, and contact us if you want more information about any of our publication.
Abstract:New York City Transit (NYCT) implemented an automated algorithm to estimate daily bus unlinked trips, infer passenger miles, and compute average trip lengths by route with the use of transaction data from an entry-only automated fare collection (AFC) system. Total onboard miles are inferred from symmetries in bus passengers’ daily activity patterns. NYCT’s algorithm uses […]
Abstract:New York City Transit (NYCT) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have integrated race and income equity considerations into their extensive public outreach processes for fare changes. Responding to FTA civil rights, Title VI, and environmental justice requirements, NYCT developed two quantitative and analytical approaches for fore-casting equity impacts of fare restructuring decisions, in place of […]
Abstract:Federal civil rights and environmental justice (EJ) mandates require transit agencies to provide service without racial or income discrimination and to ensure meaningful access by individuals with limited English proficiency. EJ research generally focuses on long-range planning and capital investment decision making. However, for operating agencies, equity in scheduling, service planning, and tactical service delivery […]
Abstract:Detailed comparative analyses of New York City subways and four Southeast Asian transit systems revealed that Hong Kong’s subways are profitable because of high asset productivity resulting from a strategic “prudent commercial” design for high utilization and traffic density. Hong Kong subways also have a land-grant financing framework, a relatively high degree of commercial freedom, […]
Authors: Alla Reddy, Alex Lu, Santosh Kumar, Victor Bashmakov, Svetlana Rudenko
Abstract:All U.S. transit agencies receiving FTA Urbanized Area Formula Program funding under Section 5307 (Section 15) report service consumption statistics (revenue passenger miles and unlinked trips) to the National Transit Database. Passenger miles is an incentive-based funding element that generates millions of dollars annually for New York City Transit (NYCT). Originally, Section 15 random sample […]
Authors: Anthony Cramer, John Cucarese, Minh Tran, Alex Lu, Alla Reddy
Abstract:For all organizations, public or private, it is essential to establish measurements to ensure that the services provided are being done well and, when they are not, that the organization can diagnose problems. The mission of New York City Transit (NYCT) is to provide timely and reliable mass transit to more than 7 million daily […]
Authors: Alex Lu, Steven Aievoli, Joseph Ackroyd, Chrissie Carlin, Alla Reddy
Abstract:The Passenger Environment Survey (PES) conducted by New York City Transit (NYCT) of the Metropolitan Transit Authority uses a quantitative and scientific approach to measure the perceptions of NYCT’s 7.3 million daily riders. With 6,485 subway cars, 4,576 buses, and 468 stations in a 321-mi² service area and a population of more than 8 million, […]
Authors: Alex Lu, Zhiqi Zhong, Thomas Barger, Michael Brotzman
Abstract:Classic asset management approaches begin by inventorying all infrastructure assets and then assigning maintenance tasks and resources. Our approach collects similar data, but by starting with current personnel assignment and describing their job responsibilities and work processes, staff resistance in a railroad infrastructure owner-operator environment is minimized. Resulting “manning model” quantitatively measures signal maintenance burden […]
Authors: Alex Lu, Aleksandr Lukatskiy, Zhiqi Zhong, John G. Allen
Abstract:Electric railways are fast, clean, and safe, but complex to operate and maintain. Electric traction infrastructure includes signal power and feeder lines that remain live during isolations and complicate maintenance processes. Stakeholders involved in power outage planning include contractors, linemen, groundmen, power directors, dispatchers, conductor-flag, and support personnel. Weekly planning processes for track time requires […]
Authors: Alex Lu, Janek Kozlowski, Sean Fahey, Shaun Whitman
Abstract:Outside the railroad industry, passenger trip times are often treated as a performance measure or yardstick of the industry’s health. However, many factors not known or well understood by casual observers affect trip times—indeed, some are recognized techniques utilized by infrastructure owners to deliver journey time reductions. Factors triggering running time modifications include: track (design, […]
