What's the purpose of interlining again?

[Acela Express]

I'm not sure if I get the whole idea of interlining certain runs. For example - at Flatbush, some runs on the B41 are interlined with the B46, and vice versa. I'll have, say, run 202 on the B46 doing 1-2 rounds on the B41, swing, then 2-3 rounds on the B46; then, at the same time 202 is doing the round on the 41, you'll have, say, run 90 on the B41 do 1-2 rounds on the B46, then switch over to the B41 after swing.

 

I'm a bit puzzled as to what does this accomplish?

It seems like all they're doing is swapping operators to do two lines, when it would be a lot easier to just leave 'em on the route/run that's coded on your paddle. If it's 202 on the 46, then leave it all 46; and if it's 90 on the 41, then leave it all 41.

 

The worse interlining they could've done, with the same scenarios above (swapping operators doing the same exact work, with more confusion on the paddle), is on the B2 and B31. I looked at the board, and there's 11 runs (001 - 011) on the B2, and 7 runs (101 - 107) on the B31, and they ALL are interlined with each other.

 

I remember in line training, I did a run where I started at Kings Plaza on the B2, get to the Kings Highway Station, switch to the B31 for one round, then deadhead back to the Plaza for the B2, and so on and so forth. It's too confusing to remember everything. You guys get it. lol

 

So, what's the logic in interlining again, please?

[Noflexdont]

They save money some how someway.

[B35 via Church]

To get drivers familiar with other routes?

 

Jokes aside...

More work for less manpower..... just like any other job/position out here.....

[Gotham Bus Co.]

It's too confusing to remember everything.

 

That's why it's printed for you on the "paddle" report. Bus operators are professionals who should be able to handle such things.

 

 

So, what's the logic in interlining again, please?

 

It saves money, not just in New York but across the entire transit industry.

[Acela Express]

That's why it's printed for you on the "paddle" report. Bus operators are professionals who should be able to handle such things.

I know what a "paddle" report is. That's not the point, at all. What I meant, it was "confusing", I was trying to remember what the run was from August when I was in line training, but too confusing of a paddle to remember that run from months ago.

More work for less manpower..... just like any other job/position out here.....

It saves money, not just in New York but across the entire transit industry.

And my question is, how? Read what I posted above about how they've set up interlining on certain lines. It makes no sense as it seems they're just swapping two operators to different lines -- one op does a round on the 46, and the other does it on the 41, then they both switch. What was the point? There's no "more" work, less manpower logic that I can see.

 

I suppose my fellow ops can chime in on this, if possible.

[B35 via Church]

Acela, you start off the OP by sayin you're not sure if you get the whole idea of interlining certain runs....

Then you end your post by asking what's the point in interlining - Which is a general question.....

 

My OP was in response to the general question, not addressing the specific instance/occurrence of interlining you described in your OP....

 

....and to clarify (in case of any confusion), when I say more work, I'm not talkin in the sense of an abundance of work that's available... I'm talkin in the sense of, the amount of work that has to be done by a singular b/o.... I'll sum it up like this man, interlining in other transit systems out there isn't simply "swapping operators to do two lines".... Judging the concept of interlining off that, I can see why someone would be unsure or w/e.... I can't force you to see the point of interlining, but there is a point to it......

 

As to how it saves money.... hell, ask any number cruncher in finance or operations planning & they'll break it down on how interlining (in general) saves money.....

[SoSpectacular]

It's getting more for less and hopefully better organization in the long run

[Acela Express]

Thanks, B35 via Church for your reply.

 

I asked the general question that's related to interlining with how MTA did things. I should've clarified that I understand interlining of what it's supposed to accomplish, which is save money by scheduling the operator to cover more ground with the same pay, in a sense.

 

I'm only sure of how interlining works at Flatbush, with the theory given in my original two posts about just "swapping" operators.

[Hawk Operator]

Interlining is not confusing after a couple of days working the same run. Most B/Os adjust pretty quickly to schedules. Years ago I worked a run that filled a gap space of four hours between the three AM runs and pm runs on one route, then went and relieved two other routes for their meals breaks. The company saved money by having the flexability to fill an off peak time in, then the B/Os on the two relieved lines had a better meal breaks because I would do one round trip on each route.

 

Smaller transit agencies use interlining pretty good to save money. The MTA though is using it to save "pennies," cut down on break time, and to keep a bus in constant motion. Unlike most folks who can take a few minutes at work when needed, interlining is being used to squeeze the employees. This type of interlining hurts morale and causes more stressful work place because the B/Os don't have has many minutes to ease up. Of course the MTA will say "using every dollar wisely," but it has pros and a lot more cons by the manner in which it is now being used by DOB schedulers.

[nostalgia]

I'm not a BO but I'm sure I can explain it. [i posted an interline example in the NICE forum.]

 

The abbreviated example I gave is

 

Monday-Saturday

Rt Lv Hicksville Arr Sunrise mall Lv Sunrise Mall Arr Hicksville

80 :15 :55 :37 :17

81 :45 :31 :00 :47

 

80 and 81 interline at Sunrise Mall. If there was NO interlining, the 80 bus would arrive Sunrise Mall at :55 and wait until :37 to leave. Here, there's a 5 minute layover because it leaves on the 81 schedule.

 

From reading timetables, schedulers try to maintain a pattern that's easy for customers to remember and to spread out service during the hour. But sometimes, the running time is too long to keep the bus on the same route, as above.

[checkmatechamp13]

I'm not a BO but I'm sure I can explain it. [i posted an interline example in the NICE forum.]

 

The abbreviated example I gave is

 

Monday-Saturday

Rt Lv Hicksville Arr Sunrise mall Lv Sunrise Mall Arr Hicksville

80 :15 :55 :37 :17

81 :45 :31 :00 :47

 

80 and 81 interline at Sunrise Mall. If there was NO interlining, the 80 bus would arrive Sunrise Mall at :55 and wait until :37 to leave. Here, there's a 5 minute layover because it leaves on the 81 schedule.

 

From reading timetables, schedulers try to maintain a pattern that's easy for customers to remember and to spread out service during the hour. But sometimes, the running time is too long to keep the bus on the same route, as above.

 

I think the idea behind interlining was pretty much explained earlier in the thread. We all know it's to get as much work out of the B/O as possible.

 

But the thing is that your example is comparing apples to oranges. The N80/81 are infrequent routes: You don't have the options that you have with more frequent routes. If both routes ran at B46-style headways, that :45 trip would likely be an N80 anyway. There wouldn't be a need to have the B/O alternate between routes.

 

In this particular instance, I guess I could see how it saves money, but it's really a miniscule amount of money. Maybe if Acela spent his entire day on the B46, he'd end up being a few minutes over 8 hours, and they'd have to pay him for the full hour (or they'd have to cancel his last run to avoid paying overtime). This way, they literally sqeeze every bit of work they can out of him. Obviously, it has its pros and cons. The pro is that it saves money, and the con is that it makes him more tired and stressed out.

[nostalgia]

I find it hard to believe that the primary reason for interlining is BO productivity and headway is of small consequence.

[checkmatechamp13]

I find it hard to believe that the primary reason for interlining is BO productivity and headway is of small consequence.

 

So if the primary reason isn't B/O productivity, what is it then?

[nostalgia]

I don't know if there will be an universal answer, but I say traffic density based on traffic checks. Turning a bus as soon as it arrives at a terminal doesn't make much sense to me.

[checkmatechamp13]

I don't know if there will be an universal answer, but I say traffic density based on traffic checks. Turning a bus as soon as it arrives at a terminal doesn't make much sense to me.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Nobody's suggesting that the bus turn around as soon as it comes into the terminal. That would just be stupid.

 

For the MTA, I remember something saying that they scheduled their routes so that the layover time was 10% of the runtime (or 3 minutes, whichever was greater). So a route with 40 minutes of runtime would get a 4 minute layover.

 

Obviously, if it's 40 minutes on a reliable route (like I imagine the N80/N81 to be), it's different than 40 minutes on an unreliable route. If the route gets hit with a lot of traffic, you have to add layover time accordingly.

 

And just to be clear, the layover time is different from the break time. Obviously, you can't expect the B/O to drive the bus for 8 hours straight.

[nostalgia]

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Nobody's suggesting that the bus turn around as soon as it comes into the terminal. That would just be stupid.

 

For the MTA, I remember something saying that they scheduled their routes so that the layover time was 10% of the runtime (or 3 minutes, whichever was greater). So a route with 40 minutes of runtime would get a 4 minute layover.

 

Obviously, if it's 40 minutes on a reliable route (like I imagine the N80/N81 to be), it's different than 40 minutes on an unreliable route. If the route gets hit with a lot of traffic, you have to add layover time accordingly.

 

And just to be clear, the layover time is different from the break time. Obviously, you can't expect the B/O to drive the bus for 8 hours straight.

 

My transit friend in Washington, DC told me the maximum seat time is 5:45. If 40 minutes on an unreliable route isn't enough, the running time should be adjusted. An examination of timetables shows faster running times over night and weekends compared to the weekday rush.