Swiftly Glossary

Assignment - Refers to the status of a vehicle within the Swiftly Dashboard to an active trip and/or block. Vehicles can be auto-assigned or manually assigned.

Base Service -  Refers to the number of vehicles that remain in service on a line for the entire day. This does not include vehicles that only operate during school and commute hour service. Base service is determined by the frequency of buses that must run from the beginning to the end of a line to adequately service riders during off-peak periods (mid-day and evenings).

Block -  Sometimes called a "schedule block", this refers to the daily assignment for an individual vehicle. One or more runs can work a block. A driver schedule is known as a “run" or a "job".

Block ID - Refers to the actual number (also known as the schedule number) that is typically displayed in the windshield by the front door on vehicles in service. On Headway Sheets, the same block number identifies all scheduled trips operated daily by a single bus. This is displayed in Column A when Dashboard data is exported.

Blocking Trips - Refers to how bus schedule work is put together to represent one trip. Creating a schedule operated by one bus must meet the union contract for layovers, and the planned requirements of the proposed schedule.

CAD/AVL - Refers to a computer aided dispatching and automatic vehicle location system (CAD/AVL) that uses global positioning satellite and state of the art radio communications technologies. This enhances bus operation by improving communication options, and allows dispatchers to actually see where a vehicle is located on a computer map display.

Deadhead Operation - Refers to non-revenue time when a bus is not carrying passengers, usually a trip from, to, or between lines or garages. Usually this refers to the trip between the home division garage to the point where the bus enters or leaves its route.

Dispatcher - Refers to an individual who combines bus operators, run assignments, and buses that provide transportation service to passengers.

Frequency - Refers to the quantity of service on a route, usually described in terms of the number of buses per hour or the elapsed time between consecutive buses. The latter measure is also called the headway. The term high frequency denotes many buses per hour, or small headways.

Headway - Refers to time intervals between vehicles moving in the same direction on a particular route. Headway can change on a line during the day as rider demand changes.

Headway Sheet - Refers to a list of all trips, produced with each sign-up, which summarizes all schedules for every block on each line. Headway sheets serve as the basis of the paddle that is distributed to each driver on a daily basis for a single line.

Layover Time - Refers to time built in to a schedule between arrival and departure for bus drivers to rest; minimum times are set by union contract. Layovers normally occur at each end of a route to allow for a driver’s break and schedule recovery, but they may be scheduled at other points to allow for timed transfer connections.

Layover Zone - Refers to a designated stopover point at or near the end of the line for bus drivers to rest between trips.

Loop - Refers to a portion of a bus line where the driver operates a segment in one direction only.Passengers may only board on one side of the loop. Loops are sometimes required due to lack of pavement accessibility, or when no off street turn-around is available.

Missed Trip - A schedule trip that did not operate for a variety of reasons including operator absence, vehicle failure, dispatch error, traffic, accident or other unforeseen reason.

Paddle - Refers to the schedule for each vehicle showing all trips in a day, including arrival and departure times. Operators use the paddle to help maintain their schedule.

Peak Service - Refers to weekday a.m.and p.m. service during commute hours to carry a maximum number of passengers. Commute or peak hours can defined as time between 6 and 9 a.m. in the morning, and between 4 and 7 p.m. at night.

Platform Hours - Refers to the total scheduled time a bus spends from pull-out to pull-in at the division.Platform hours are used as a benchmark to calculate the efficiency of service by comparing “pay to platform” hours.

Pull-in - Refers to the time a vehicle is scheduled to return to the garage.

Pull-out - Refers to the time a vehicle is scheduled to leave the garage.

Revenue Hours - Refers to all scheduled time a vehicle spends serving passengers, which can also be defined as platform hours minus deadhead and layover time.

Revenue Trip - Refers to any linked or unlinked trip that generates revenue by cash payment, use of a pass, and / or any other means of payment.

Round Trip - Refers to one in bound, plus one outbound trip (unless a loop route), equals one round trip or cycle.

Run - Refers to a driver’s daily work assignment. One or more runs can work a single block. Runs can also work on multiple blocks. A driver’s schedule is primarily determined foreach sign-up period through the run-cut process where bus schedules are integrated with driver assignments.

Running Time - Refers to time allowed between any two points, such as from stop to stops, timepoint to timepoint or from end-of-line to end-of -line.

Short Turn - Refers to a trip that doesn’t go to the furthest point of the line, due to passenger load and schedule adherence.

Spread Time - Refers to the total time from the start of a driver assignment to its end, whether a vehicle is inservice or not.

Time Point - Refers to a location on a route assigned a fixed scheduled time that is part of a larger line schedule.

Transfer Point - Refers to a point where bus lines intersect and passengers can transfer to another line.

Travel Time - Refers to paid time that allows a driver to travel from relief point to garage or from garage to relief point.

Trip ID - The number assigned to the one-way operation of a revenue vehicle between two terminal points on a route. Multiple trips can make up a single block. Trips are generally noted as inbound, outbound, eastbound, westbound, etc. to identify directionality when being discussed or printed. Trip ID is specified in Column B of exported Swiftly data.

Vehicle Type - Refers to the vehicle type of vehicle: high floor, low floor, bus, van, vans, or an articulated bus. Vehicle ID is specified in Column H of exported Swiftly data.