Category: Bus Planning Lessons

  • Good Bus Planning – Stand Time

    Good Bus Planning – Stand Time

    Stand time rarely makes it into conversations about bus networks. It’s not flashy and doesn’t get funding headlines. But without it, reliable bus services start to fall apart.

    What is stand time?

    Stand time is the amount of time allowed for a bus to unload passengers and prepare for its next departure. It gives drivers breathing room, allows for unpredictable traffic conditions, and keeps services running to timetable.

    Depending on the type of operation, stand time could just be a couple of minutes, or up to 10–15 minutes. For intense, high-frequency services, or in times of disruption, stand times may become so short that services operate on a “load and go” to keep everything moving.

    Why stand time matters

    Done right, stand time smooths operations and supports reliability. Done wrong, it creates queues of buses circling the bus station, delayed disgruntled passengers, and safety issues on the highway or in bus stations.

    Too little stand time and buses bunch up behind each other. Too much and passengers are sitting idle, lengthening their journeys and reducing frequencies unless more space and resources are added.

    It’s a subtle balance between operational efficiency, physical space, and real passenger experience.

    Stand time in practice

    In busy operating environments such as Manchester or London, it’s impressive to watch tightly timed, high-frequency routes using double or even triple stands, usually with dedicated unloading stands or stops and barely a couple of minutes to turn around. Manchester’s 192 service is one such example.

    In Gothenburg, airport buses use longer stand times – around 10 minutes – to guarantee calm, prepared departures. As soon as one Flygbuss (literally fly bus) leaves, another takes its place. It’s orchestrated and predictable, and it works.

    The passenger perspective

    Most passengers don’t think about stand time, but they definitely feel its effects. A service with well planned and managed stand time tends to feel more reliable and punctual. And when something does goes wrong, as inevitably it will, a few extra minutes built in at the end of the route can mean the difference between recovery and failure.

    Things to consider as a planner

    Infrastructure

    Reversing stands, sawtooth bays, and on-street stops all require different timing.

    Operator behaviour

    With multiple operators, poor stand management can lead to chaos ( think of 1980s Manchester post-deregulation).

    Balance

    Too much stand time reduces efficiency; too little causes knock-on delays.

    The real art of stand time is balance.

    Enough to recover, not so much that it wastes resources. And like many things in bus planning it’s easy to overlook until it breaks.

    In a future post we’ll cover stand graphs to help plot a bus station or stand’s departures.

  • 3 Lessons That Changed How I Plan Bus Networks

    3 Lessons That Changed How I Plan Bus Networks

    The more time I spend in network planning, the more I realise how many assumptions I once held that no longer serve me. Planning a network that works on paper is one thing. Planning one that works in the real world? That takes a different mindset entirely.

    Here are three things I’ve changed my mind about:

    1. Vehicle Requirements Matter More Than I Thought
      I used to focus on the elegance of a timetable or the simplicity of a route structure. The truth is, it is just a dream if you can’t justify the number of vehicles needed to run it. Resource limits aren’t there to get in the way of our big ideas, they’re a strategic constraint and I’ve learned they need to be respected. You can’t flood a corridor with buses just because it “feels right.” These days, I start with the PVR and frequency in mind, not as an afterthought.
    2. People Will Change Buses
      I used to believe that asking passengers to change services mid-journey was a non-starter. Too risky. Too annoying. Too unreliable. But in a well-designed, high-frequency network with clear information and short waits, people will make that trade. They just need to feel confident they won’t be stranded. Now I see interchange not as a hindrance, but as a tool to make connections that are otherwise impossible.
    3. The Data Doesn’t Always Match What’s in Your Head
      There were times I felt sure a certain area would generate strong usage. The roads looked right. The housing looked dense. The routes made sense. But then the numbers told a different story. I’ve learned to listen to the data, even when it contradicts my instincts. And I’ve also learned that not all density is created equal; affluent areas with high housing density don’t always translate to strong ridership.

    There are more changes in approach I’ve had over the years, which I’ll cover in future posts, but these three stand out as the ones that reshaped how I approach most network discussions. Planning buses isn’t about drawing lines, it’s about aligning expectations with evidence, and finding a balance between a dream and reality.

    Have you had similar shifts in your thinking? Let us know. We’d love to hear them.