Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Practices. Topic SA-68. System Reliability – Documenting Variations in On-Time Performance and Service Consistency Metrics
Preliminary Scope Background System reliability is a fundamental determinant of customer satisfaction and confidence in public transportation. Transit agencies routinely monitor and report measures such as on-time performance (OTP), schedule adherence, service consistency, and missed or canceled trips to assess operational performance and communicate service quality. Although reliability is a widely reported performance measure, transit agencies use varying definitions, thresholds, methodologies, and reporting practices. Differences in how agencies define and measure OTP, service reliability, and missed trips make it difficult to compare performance across systems, benchmark results, or communicate performance consistently to customers, policymakers, and funding partners. A synthesis is appropriate because most transit agencies collect and report reliability data, yet no comprehensive resource documents the range of current practices or identifies common approaches that could inform greater consistency across the industry. Objective The objective of this synthesis is to document current transit agency practices for defining, measuring, and reporting system reliability. This synthesis would provide the first comprehensive documentation of how U.S. transit agencies define, measure, and communicate system reliability, enabling agencies to benchmark their practices. Information to Be Gathered At a minimum, the synthesis should gather information on: Definitions of OTP, schedule adherence, service reliability, and service consistency, including threshold values used for different modes and service types. Metrics and definitions used to measure missed, canceled, dropped, or partially completed trips. Performance measures used to evaluate reliability, including customer-focused and operational metrics. Data sources, technologies, and analytical methods used to monitor and report reliability. Challenges associated with measuring, interpreting, and comparing reliability across different operating environments and service types. Tasks Information shall be gathered through: Literature review Survey of public transit agencies, with follow-up interviews as appropriate Case examples illustrating a range of agency practices
- Record URL:
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Supplemental Notes:
- Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Programmed
- Funding: $75,000.00
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Contract Numbers:
Project J-07, Topic SA-68
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Sponsor Organizations:
Federal Transit Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC United States 20590 -
Managing Organizations:
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Project Managers:
Griswold, Emily
- Start Date: 20260701
- Expected Completion Date: 20280229
- Actual Completion Date: 0
- USDOT Program: Transit Cooperative Research Program
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: On time performance; Performance measurement; Public transit; Reliability; Transit operating agencies
- Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 02001722
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
- Contract Numbers: Project J-07, Topic SA-68
- Files: TRB, RIP
- Created Date: Sep 2 2026 5:21PM