"Request Stops" proposal (continuous_stops)

[Aaron Antrim]

I would like to offer a very late response to Brian's proposal for representing "Flexible Transportation Services in GTFS" (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UTcpMJlANSoJ1ZEk5IrQh_plza1ZnvgwraMEBI_o2mw/edit?usp=sharing).

The proposal suggests indicating request stops (aka flag stops) by a new "continuous_stops" field in stop_times.txt. I'd like to request for the proposal to be amended to account for other attributes of request stop service, for example:

• Request stops that can only be requested from on-board the vehicle
• Request pickup that must be requested in advance (by phone)

To account for this, I suggest is to borrow from the existing pickup_type and dropoff_type fields. Here are two approach options:

1. Split continuous_stops into two fields: continuous_stops_drop_off and continuous_stops_pickup. Values of digits 0-3 would indicate the same meaning as for the existing drop_off_type and pickup_type fields (https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference#stop_times_fields).
2. Just add one field, continuous_stops, but define additional possible values. e.g. "32" indicates the passenger must request drop-off from the driver and that one must phone the agency for pickup. "31" indicates the passenger must coordinate with the driver for drop-off but that there is no pickup available.

Thoughts?

If we settle on a viable proposal, and if a GTFS-consuming application comes forward with interest, I will volunteer to publish and iterate on experimental GTFS data that describes request stop services. Is anyone interested?

Here are some examples of how flag stop policies are presented by agencies:

• RCT/Rural Community Transportation (in Vermont) -- phrasing is "ON-BOARD REQUEST: Passengers may request stop along the service route in low speed zones at safelocations, such as the Health Center in Plainfield." (http://www.riderct.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/US2-route.pdf)
  
• RCT/Redwood Coast Transit (Del Norte County, California) - "In addition to the stops shown on this schedule, RCTA will make flag stops on request at any safe location as determined by the driver. Passengers desiring flag stops are encouraged to call RCTA at (707) 464-6400 to determine the best place to wait." (http://www.redwoodcoasttransit.org/route20.html) 

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Aaron Antrim
Trillium Solutions, Inc.
www.trilliumtransit.com
Portland, Oregon

[Aaron Antrim]

GTFS flexible working group:

I am posting a message to bring up flag (request) stops again. We (Trillium) are working with an increasing number of agencies that offer hail-and-ride style service.

In order to move this along, I would like to propose changes to the "Flexible Transportation Services in GTFS Proposal". Does anyone have preferences for, or alternatives to the earlier ideas for fields to add to stop_times (below)?

• Split continuous_stops into two fields: continuous_stops_drop_off and continuous_stops_pickup. Values of digits 0-3 would indicate the same meaning as for the existing drop_off_type and pickup_type fields (https://developers.google.com/transit/gtfs/reference#stop_times_fields).
• Just add one field, continuous_stops, but define additional possible values. e.g. "32" indicates the passenger must request drop-off from the driver and that one must phone the agency for pickup. "31" indicates the passenger must coordinate with the driver for drop-off but that there is no pickup available.

[Ross Peterson]

I am +1 for Aaron's proposal... with the caveat that the entire proposal still needs to be tested and until that happens all of this is academic... but yes, what you are proposing makes sense.

[Aaron Antrim]

Juste a heads up that this discussion continued over on the main gtfs-changes list:

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/gtfs-changes/PlT5RSm5Cgs/f5xK4TwUACYJ

Mike Gilligan had another idea, that I prefer over the options that I proposed.

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