Clockface and Synchronization
Clockface has a simple idea at its core: run all routes at a 60-minute duration, so that they will all meet up again at the same place, at the same time, all day long. This not only keeps bus routes synchronized (running so that they meet every hour,) but it helps customers remember when a particular route is due to be at a particular stop (at same time of the hour, same place, every hour.)
In the diagram below, there are two gears which each represent a 60-minute route. As the gears rotate, it represents a bus moving along its route. The blue square represents those two buses that meet every hour. At that time, passengers can be exchanged and the buses can continue on their way:
Here are two gears which represent routes of two different durations. The one on the left is a 70-minute route, and the one on the right is a 30-minute route. In this case, when passengers do not have a bus that is synchronized to the 60-minute schedule (running on clockface,) they will have to wait until the next connecting bus comes into the terminal, which could be up to an hour away!
The Timed Transfer plan's strategy is to put all routes on the same headway. In this way, all routes are guaranteed to meet with each other on a synchronized regular basis.
Here in Lee County, we can see how many more meetpoints and meet times there are on a system which is based on clockface as compared to the system as it is now:
Clockface was actually mandated by Lee County's 2020 Scope of Work document to LeeTran's consultant, Tindale-Oliver:
Tindale-Oliver was able to improve LeeTran's 44% clockface scheduling to 60%, but far less than the Timed Transfer System's 100% rate!
Next ---> The Benefits of Clockface
