In mid-1989, the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD) implemented an innovative program designed to improve the performance of bus lines experiencing persistently poor service reliability. The Service Reliability Program (SRP) uses specially assigned road supervisors to intensively supervise problem lines and work closely with line operators and other District personnel to identify and resolve the underlying causes of the problems. A quasi-experimental test was conducted in spring 1991 to quantify the short-term impacts of the SRP. The results of this test support the conclusion that intensive road supervision, coupled with team-oriented approaches to problem identification and resolution, can have a positive effect on service quality. Without adding service, and despite a small seasonalincrease in ridership, improvements were found for various service reliability indicators on the target line (e.g. the number of bunched buses and pass-ups). The quantitative findings were generally corroborated by qualitative assessments made by both Line 26-51 customers and operators. Comparable service reliability improvements were not found on the control line. (A)
Abstract