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Then, there's the Houston bus system ca. mid 2000's, where the bus might leave several minutes early or several minutes late. Imagine not making your connection

Then, there's the Houston bus system ca. mid 2000's, where the bus might leave several minutes early or several minutes late. Imagine not making your connection in 100+ degree Fahrenheit 90+ humidity while dressed for a job interview. Contrast this with the Minneapolis bus system, where you could time the busses at stops within 2 minutes in the central city, even while a foot of snow covered the ground. Both systems used essentially the same equipment -- same models and manufacturers.

seanmcdirmid 9y ago
There are many systems that just go with frequency rather than a schedule, which works more efficiently for routes with lots of trips. I’m surprised Japan uses a schedule, but maybe it’s just for inter city service and not say subways?
- JBlue42 9y ago
  Which is fine as long as that frequency is frequent enough that waiting people aren't suffering, right? There was a discussion on reddit recently talking about this issue in context of LA's buses. People don't mind if the bus is on time if there's one every 5-10 minutes but in non-rush hour times, having to wait 20+ min at a stop is too long.
- marak830 9y ago
  There are schedules for the subways, but also a very high frequency for trains. Off the top of my head, during busy hours for me going towards Tokyo there would be a train every 5-8 minutes. (And there are multiple lines, although I'm quite far out, so they condense as they get closer).
- khedoros1 9y ago
  If I'm remembering correctly, it's literally a schedule. They give you a minute-precision schedule on an electronic sign: http://images.freeimages.com/images/previews/c5b/jr-train-station-1513478.jpg http://images.freeimages.com/images/previews/c5b/jr-train-st... In normal situations, the arrival time doesn't change, and the train pulls in within seconds of the right time. It is startlingly precise (to someone used to American transit), even during high traffic times in the middle of Tokyo.
rayiner 9y ago
Then there is the Wilmington, DE, bus system, where the posted schedule is completely made up. You just go and stand at a stop for 20-40 minutes until a bus comes. (It may or may not, sometimes the drivers decide to just clock out their shift early.)
- alexasmyths 9y ago
  This might be rational, actually. Given the inherent randomness of traffic, it might just make more rational sense to have busses at 'intervals' instead of specific times. Might make for more throughput.
  - rayiner 9y ago
    That really only works if your intervals are relatively short, not where they’re 30-60 minutes, as in Wilmington.
  - johannes1234321 9y ago
    Traffic isn't fully random. Rush hour peaks happen about the same time etc. Handling that is an infrastructure and priority question. Given the political will one can build bus lanes and equip buses with a radio system which enables priority on traffic lights. In my hometown (Munich, Germany) this works quite well and most buses see mostly green lights.
2trill2spill 9y ago
> Contrast this with the Minneapolis bus system, where you could time the busses at stops within 2 minutes in the central city, even while a foot of snow covered the ground. Both systems used essentially the same equipment -- same models and manufacturers. Aghh, I hate the Minneapolis bus system, I remember two times in the winter when the bus just didn't come, real nice when it's -8F outside. Or buses being 15 minutes late. But worse of all are the bus drivers themselves. However the Blue Line and Green Line follow the schedule much better then the buses. If your in Minneapolis your best off either driving, biking, taking LRT or catching a Lyft or Uber.
- stcredzero 9y ago
  Well yes, the system didn't work nearly as well if you were going or travelling from farther out. That's yet another data point to indicate that it's as much about political will as it is about environment.
  - 2trill2spill 9y ago
    I wasn't far out, I was In Uptown a busy area of Minneapolis a couple miles south of downtown.
    - stcredzero 9y ago
      I was just 8 blocks north of the office I worked at.
      - 2trill2spill 9y ago
        Downtown? But do you live in Minneapolis or have you lived in Minneapolis because your profile says "Bay Area iOS Developer"?
        stcredzero 9y ago
        I commuted between Minneapolis and Houston in 2008. I had an apartment in both cities.
michel-slm 9y ago
Minnesota always struck me as very... Scandinavian. Must try and visit in summer when it's not so cold.
amatecha 9y ago
I mean, "the bus might leave several minutes early" describes the bus system in Vancouver, current day. I used to tweet them frequently because a bus I had arrived on time for was already long gone (evidenced by the complete lack of a line of people waiting, when normally it would be a long lineup).
megy 9y ago
> Then, there's the Houston bus system ca. mid 2000's, where the bus might leave several minutes early or several minutes late. Yes, only Houston has this problem, not almost every single bus system in the world.

seanmcdirmid 9y ago

There are many systems that just go with frequency rather than a schedule, which works more efficiently for routes with lots of trips. I’m surprised Japan uses a schedule, but maybe it’s just for inter city service and not say subways?

JBlue42 9y ago
Which is fine as long as that frequency is frequent enough that waiting people aren't suffering, right? There was a discussion on reddit recently talking about this issue in context of LA's buses. People don't mind if the bus is on time if there's one every 5-10 minutes but in non-rush hour times, having to wait 20+ min at a stop is too long.
marak830 9y ago
There are schedules for the subways, but also a very high frequency for trains. Off the top of my head, during busy hours for me going towards Tokyo there would be a train every 5-8 minutes. (And there are multiple lines, although I'm quite far out, so they condense as they get closer).
khedoros1 9y ago
If I'm remembering correctly, it's literally a schedule. They give you a minute-precision schedule on an electronic sign: http://images.freeimages.com/images/previews/c5b/jr-train-station-1513478.jpg http://images.freeimages.com/images/previews/c5b/jr-train-st... In normal situations, the arrival time doesn't change, and the train pulls in within seconds of the right time. It is startlingly precise (to someone used to American transit), even during high traffic times in the middle of Tokyo.

rayiner 9y ago

Then there is the Wilmington, DE, bus system, where the posted schedule is completely made up. You just go and stand at a stop for 20-40 minutes until a bus comes. (It may or may not, sometimes the drivers decide to just clock out their shift early.)

alexasmyths 9y ago
This might be rational, actually. Given the inherent randomness of traffic, it might just make more rational sense to have busses at 'intervals' instead of specific times. Might make for more throughput.
- rayiner 9y ago
  That really only works if your intervals are relatively short, not where they’re 30-60 minutes, as in Wilmington.
- johannes1234321 9y ago
  Traffic isn't fully random. Rush hour peaks happen about the same time etc. Handling that is an infrastructure and priority question. Given the political will one can build bus lanes and equip buses with a radio system which enables priority on traffic lights. In my hometown (Munich, Germany) this works quite well and most buses see mostly green lights.

2trill2spill 9y ago

> Contrast this with the Minneapolis bus system, where you could time the busses at stops within 2 minutes in the central city, even while a foot of snow covered the ground. Both systems used essentially the same equipment -- same models and manufacturers. Aghh, I hate the Minneapolis bus system, I remember two times in the winter when the bus just didn't come, real nice when it's -8F outside. Or buses being 15 minutes late. But worse of all are the bus drivers themselves. However the Blue Line and Green Line follow the schedule much better then the buses. If your in Minneapolis your best off either driving, biking, taking LRT or catching a Lyft or Uber.

stcredzero 9y ago
Well yes, the system didn't work nearly as well if you were going or travelling from farther out. That's yet another data point to indicate that it's as much about political will as it is about environment.
- 2trill2spill 9y ago
  I wasn't far out, I was In Uptown a busy area of Minneapolis a couple miles south of downtown.
  - stcredzero 9y ago
    I was just 8 blocks north of the office I worked at.
    - 2trill2spill 9y ago
      Downtown? But do you live in Minneapolis or have you lived in Minneapolis because your profile says "Bay Area iOS Developer"?
      - stcredzero 9y ago
        I commuted between Minneapolis and Houston in 2008. I had an apartment in both cities.

michel-slm 9y ago

Minnesota always struck me as very... Scandinavian. Must try and visit in summer when it's not so cold.

amatecha 9y ago

I mean, "the bus might leave several minutes early" describes the bus system in Vancouver, current day. I used to tweet them frequently because a bus I had arrived on time for was already long gone (evidenced by the complete lack of a line of people waiting, when normally it would be a long lineup).

megy 9y ago

> Then, there's the Houston bus system ca. mid 2000's, where the bus might leave several minutes early or several minutes late. Yes, only Houston has this problem, not almost every single bus system in the world.