Frequent Service Maps. See where you can go without a timetable

[miketoronto]

My friend and I are going to be working on building a frequent service transit map in GIS, for Toronto.
The following map I made on google, and it is just a overview. But I thought some of you might find it interesting.
Basically the map shows where high frequency transit service operates.

This map is being revised yet.

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=217137860701581068890.0004ba7ed8fabb719b741&msa=0

Here is the legend to what the different coloured lined represent. Please note that in the Toronto case it was a tad hard putting routes into categories, as a bus route may run every 10 minutes at all times, but then go to 11 minute service during late night hours. This would in turn push the route into the 15 minute or better category.

Overall most of the routes on this map operate very frequent service seven days a week during daytime hours, and the lower frequency of 10-15 minutes applies during evening hours.
So a purple route does not mean buses only come every 15 minutes. For example, buses may come every 6 minutes seven days a week during daytime hours, but only every 16-20 minute at 11 pm on a Sunday. This is why it would be in the purple category.


WIDE RED = Service every 10 minutes or less seven days a week from start of service until last service.

NARROW RED = Service every 10 minutes or less seven days a week from 8:00-22:00. Service less frequent (usually every 11-15 minutes) before 8:00 and after 22:00.

WIDE BLUE = Service every 15 minutes or less seven days a week from start of service until last service.

NARROW BLUE = Service every 15 minutes or less seven days a week from 8:00-22:00. Service less frequent (usually every 16-20 minutes) before 8:00 and after 22:00.

PURPLE = Service every 15 minutes or less during the day and during most times. Service less frequent (usually every 16-20 minutes) at certain times, either evenings on Sunday's, or during other times.

GREEN = Rapid Transit service, even 6 minutes or less seven days a week from start of service until last service.

[Beta_Magellan]

The narrow red and blue tends to get swamped out—I’d represent all ten-minute and rapid transit services with wide lines, and all fifteen-minute services with narrow ones. This would give us a better idea of what the main spines of transit in Toronto are.

I might shift the time intervals you base your map around, too—perhaps lines with a minimum of eight vehicles/hour get thick lines and four gets thin.

[J. Will]

The narrow red and blue tends to get swamped out

You need to zoom in.

[Beta_Magellan]

Doesn’t matter—the highest-daytime frequency lines should be most discernible at first glance. As is, the first thing you see are mix of rapid transit plus ten- and fifteen-minute lines. It doesn’t tell you as much about minimum frequency as it does about how close nighttime frequencies are to daytime.

Also, with respect to my second suggestion vehicles/hour isn’t the best way of putting it (since there can be a number of vehicles clustered at one point)—max. 7-8 minute frequencies vs. max. 15 would be better (though I’m not sure if Toronto has enough corridors with min 7-8 min. frequencies to make that a good idea).

[nito]

Surprised in the low frequencies across the network outside of the core Subway network. You would think with a growing population and a lot of high density construction, that the city is going to need additional heavy rail routes to avoid crippling the city.

I also suggest labelling the lines to make it easier to view (eg Bus Route #).

[miketoronto]

Surprised in the low frequencies across the network outside of the core Subway network. You would think with a growing population and a lot of high density construction, that the city is going to need additional heavy rail routes to avoid crippling the city.

I also suggest labelling the lines to make it easier to view (eg Bus Route #).

Keep the comments coming a we need to know what to do to improve.

Nito, the frequencies really are not low, and that is an issue with the map.
Almost all the lines you see on that map have buses about every 5-10 minutes or better during daytime hours seven days a week.
But come the evening or late evening, many dip to 10-15 minutes. And the purple ones generally also have very frequent service, but I could not list them as 15 min or better at all times, because during say Sunday late evenings (the last three hours of service) some dip to 20 minute service or say 16 minute frequency.
That was another issue. Many routes do run say every 10 minutes or better during most periods. But Sunday late night may go to every 11 minutes. So we can't say it is every 10 minutes or better, even though 11 minutes is not that big of a difference.
TTC is very exact with their schedules.

[Cirrus]

I've been working on one of these for DC too. I have the lines mapped, but haven't prettied it up into a readable format yet. Here's my current draft:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6598377973_fe0efe306f_z.jpg