Abstract: A method of dynamic bus dispatching and labor assignments based on real time vehicle and passenger data. The method includes running a transportation services module on a computer of a dispatch command center. The method includes receiving, at the computer system, current location information for a plurality of buses. The transportation services module determines a route completion time period for the vehicles and then generates a dispatch schedule for each of the vehicles based on the determined route completions. The dispatch schedules are transmitted to the buses and displayed on a monitor to the bus driver, thereby allowing real time or dynamic updating of dispatching based on collected location information. The method also includes determining and reporting a set of labor assignments for drivers of the buses based on the current location information, the route completion time periods, and break and shift information associated with each of the drivers.

Abstract: A method for forecasting demand for transportation services. The method includes running a count-to-demand translation module with a processor on a computer system and, with the computer system, receiving a count data for passengers getting on and off a vehicle at each stop along a route. The method includes operating the translation module to determine a demand for pairs of the stops such as origin-destination pairs on the route based on the counts at each stop. The set of count data includes a geographical location associated with each stop as well as the time. The demand found by the translation module is attributed to predefined time periods. In the method, the demand of at least some of the OD pairs of the stops is proportional to the offcounts at the destination one of the stops in the pairs relative to the offcounts in the other destination stops.