On the capacity of isolated, curbside bus stops

The maximum rates that buses can discharge passengers at bus stops are examined. Models were developed to estimate these capacities for curbside stops that are isolated from the effects of traffic signals. The estimates account for key features of the stops, including their target service levels assigned to them by a transit agency. Among other things, the models predict that adding bus berths to a stop can sometimes return disproportionally high gains in capacity. There is value in reducing service-time variations via the improved management of passenger boarding and unloading such as wider doors and off-board fare collection. In contrast to formulas in professional handbooks, the present models also account for the effects of the bus arrival process at a stop. Knowledge of these cause and effect relations can be useful when choosing the number of berths to be deployed at a curbside stop.