An open-source program for spatial decomposition of bus transit networks

Abstract

Comparing transit operations and performance over time is often challenging due to changes in route identifiers and service patterns. It is particularly difficult if the analysis period spans a major network design change where bus routes are realigned and renamed. This paper presents a new open-source software package that simplifies longitudinal transit performance analysis by decomposing a bus network into block-length segments that remain stable over time. The package then matches transit networks across time periods using segment geometry rather than potentially unstable route or stop identifiers. This package provides an efficient method for transit planners, advocacy groups, policy makers and urban scientists to analyze changes in transit performance over time without any prior knowledge of network design changes.