Comments on: The Enigma of Arrivals http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/01/14/the-enigma-of-arrivals/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:34:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jarrett http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/01/14/the-enigma-of-arrivals/#comment-5570 Jarrett Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:37:54 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=515#comment-5570 There is an urgent need to quantify these insights and begin building them into the computer models used to estimate ridership. Such models routinely put heavy penalties on waiting and transferring, based on real experience with situations where these things are really unpleasant. A generation of modelers has internalized these factors and can recite them with the same confidence that they have in real facts of mathematics. This is a crucial issue in transit development, because these models drive Federal funding decisions, and often also influence decisions at state and local levels. There is an urgent need to quantify these insights and begin building them into the computer models used to estimate ridership. Such models routinely put heavy penalties on waiting and transferring, based on real experience with situations where these things are really unpleasant. A generation of modelers has internalized these factors and can recite them with the same confidence that they have in real facts of mathematics.

This is a crucial issue in transit development, because these models drive Federal funding decisions, and often also influence decisions at state and local levels.

]]> By: Allen http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/01/14/the-enigma-of-arrivals/#comment-5569 Allen Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:12:43 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=515#comment-5569 Being a Portlander and heavy user of Tri-Met, I really like Transit Tracker. One of the unstated benefits is making the arrival vagaries of individual bus lines apparent. One line I ride frequently has the habit of getting stacked up with a number of buses coming within a short period of time followed by a significant wait for it to happen all over again. On the other hand, we had quite a snowstorm (for us) here a month ago and Transit Tracker totally failed (as did Tri-Met in my opinion). Being a Portlander and heavy user of Tri-Met, I really like Transit Tracker. One of the unstated benefits is making the arrival vagaries of individual bus lines apparent. One line I ride frequently has the habit of getting stacked up with a number of buses coming within a short period of time followed by a significant wait for it to happen all over again.

On the other hand, we had quite a snowstorm (for us) here a month ago and Transit Tracker totally failed (as did Tri-Met in my opinion).

]]> By: Jens http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/01/14/the-enigma-of-arrivals/#comment-5553 Jens Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:52:18 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=515#comment-5553 8 principles of waiting psychology (Maister, 1985) 1. Waits with unoccupied time seem longer (passivity is boring) 2. Pre-process waits are felt to be longer than active process time (when does it start?) 3. Arousal and anxiety makes waits seem longer 4. Uncertainty makes waits seem longer (when will we reach ..?) 5. Unexplained waits seem longer (why waiting?) 6. Unfair waits seem longer than fair waits (why others may go?) 7. Valuable service waits seem shorter 8. Solo waits seem longer than waiting in own group Maister, D. (1985). The psychology of waiting lines. In Czepiel, J.A., Solomon, M.R., Sureprenant, C.F. (eds): The service encounters: managing employees / customer interaction in service business. Lexington: Heath 8 principles of waiting psychology (Maister, 1985)

1. Waits with unoccupied time seem longer (passivity is boring)
2. Pre-process waits are felt to be longer than active process time (when does it start?)
3. Arousal and anxiety makes waits seem longer
4. Uncertainty makes waits seem longer (when will we reach ..?)
5. Unexplained waits seem longer (why waiting?)
6. Unfair waits seem longer than fair waits (why others may go?)
7. Valuable service waits seem shorter
8. Solo waits seem longer than waiting in own group

Maister, D. (1985). The psychology of waiting lines. In Czepiel, J.A., Solomon, M.R., Sureprenant, C.F. (eds): The service encounters: managing employees / customer interaction in service business. Lexington: Heath

]]> By: aaron http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/01/14/the-enigma-of-arrivals/#comment-5551 aaron Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:11:38 +0000 http://www.howwedrive.com/?p=515#comment-5551 Another key to Disney's magic is that you won't frequent enough to get used to the inflated queue times. Another key to Disney’s magic is that you won’t frequent enough to get used to the inflated queue times.

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