Linking Incidents to Customers (LINC): An Algorithm for Linking Incidents to Rail Customer Delays Inspired by Traffic Flow Theory. Issue 3 (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Eichler, Michael
• Is Part Of: Transportation research record. Volume 2676:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 598
• Page End: 607
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: planning and analysis -- effects of information and communication technologies (ICT) on travel choices -- big data -- transportation planning analysis and application -- planning data analysis -- public transportation -- rail transit systems -- subway; Transportation -- Periodicals; Roads; Transport -- Périodiques; Routes -- Périodiques; Routes -- Conception et construction -- Périodiques; Roads; Transportation; 388.05
• DOI: 10.1177/03611981211054831
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0361-1981

Abstract

Rail transit agencies have greatly advanced the ability to measure delays to rail system customers and have developed key performance indicators for rail systems based on customer travel time. The ability for operators to link these customer delay metrics to root causes would provide great benefit to agencies, from incident response improvement to capital program prioritization. This paper describes a method for linking late train arrivals to both late customers and incident tickets. Inspired by traffic flow theory, the method identifies impact zones in time and space that can then be linked to a potential root cause by way of incident tickets. This algorithm is currently under development by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Office of Planning, and its outputs are being integrated into a variety of operations- and capital-related business processes.