Los Angeles Metro Bus Data Analysis Using GPS Trajectory and Schedule Data (Demo Paper)

TL;DR

This paper analyzes Los Angeles Metro bus GPS and schedule data to evaluate system performance metrics like reliability and punctuality, demonstrating visualization tools to aid in system improvements.

Contribution

It introduces data processing algorithms and an interactive system for analyzing public transit performance using GPS and schedule data.

Findings

Identified bus bunching and delays through data analysis.

Provided real-time performance metrics for LA Metro buses.

Developed visualization tools for transit system monitoring.

Abstract

With the widespread installation of location-enabled devices on public transportation, public vehicles are generating massive amounts of trajectory data in real time. However, using these trajectory data for meaningful analysis requires careful considerations in storing, managing, processing, and visualizing the data. Using the location data of the Los Angeles Metro bus system, along with publicly available bus schedule data, we conduct a data processing and analyses study to measure the performance of the public transportation system in Los Angeles utilizing a number of metrics including travel-time reliability, on-time performance, bus bunching, and travel-time estimation. We demonstrate the visualization of the data analysis results through an interactive web-based application. The developed algorithms and system provide powerful tools to detect issues and improve the efficiency of public transportation systems.