This article covers how Remix Scheduling generates and manages deadheads. Read on to learn more.
Background: Deadheads are a key element of the scheduling process. A deadhead is a trip that a bus makes:
From a garage to the start of the a trip on a route
From the end of one trip to the start of the next trip on the block when the trips do not have the same first/last stop
From the end of a trip on a route back to a garage
Updating deadheads can be difficult as it requires you to understand the routing and speeds of vehicles along that route to get good estimates of travel time. This can be a labor intensive process when testing out scenarios that introduce new deadheads that have never been calculated before. These new deadheads could be generated due to
a new garage location
wanting to test a unique trip connection
new route has been created and is going into service… etc
In Remix Scheduling we use the Distance Matrix API from Google to generate deadheads for users.
This allows us to pull accurate routing information (from the street network) in combination with vehicle speeds data. This works by sending the API the origin and destination location and the time of day that the request is being generated. We then use the "best guess" estimate from the API to find a routing and then calculate the runtime by reviewing historical vehicle speeds on that segment.
How to view and edit deadheads.
Furthermore, all deadheads in Remix are editable, allowing users to override the API estimates if necessary. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! Click here to inquire further