Glossary

A glossary of terms used in the Onebusaway-NYC System.

Block

• Refers to a vehicle schedule, the daily assignment for an individual bus. One or more runs can work a block. A driver schedule is known as a “run.”
• "Bus Block: A bus block describes the activities planned or actually executed by a given bus during a "day", which is defined by all activities between leaving and returning to a depot."

BHS - Bus Hardware (Sub)System

• On-bus hardware which provides location information and a handful of other information from the on-bus systems.

CallDistanceAlongRoute

• the distance the stop is from the beginning of the route, linearly referenced, in meters.

Dead Reckoning

• "Dead Reckoning: Dead reckoning (DR) is the process of estimating one's·current position based upon a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds, and course over elapsed time. A disadvantage of dead reckoning is that since new positions are calculated solely from previous positions, the errors of the process are cumulative, so the error in the position grows with time."

DistanceFromCall

• the distance that the bus is from the stop, linearly referenced along the route, in meters.

Driver ID - Bus Driver Identifier

• "Bus driver identifier --- a unique identifier that is specific to the bus operator (like an employee id). ‘"

DSC - Destination Sign Code

• This unique identifier defines the information displayed on the destination sign of the bus containing the following information: Bus route number, Direction/variation, Message displayed on destination sign

Destination Sign (a.k.a. "Headsign")

• A destination sign mounted on the front or side of a public transport vehicle, such as a bus that displays the vehicle's route number and destination.

Emergency Message

• In the case of an emergency on the bus, the operator presses a switch to make these lights blink and the text "EMERGENCY - CALL POLICE" will appear on the sign system.

Formal/Informal Inference

• Formal Inference is an indicator of confidence the system has in the location of a bus. In formal inference, there is high confidence and additional information and behavior are revealed to the user. For instance, wraparound and scheduled departure information is dependent on formal inference.

ODK - Operator Display Keyboard (headsign controller)

• "Onboard device used to input the destination (sign codes by the bus operator."

Route

Run

• Refers to a driver’s daily work assignment. One or more runs can work a single block. Runs can also work on multiple blocks.

Run Number

• "Bus run number: Run numbers are used to keep track of daily bus runs. Run numbers typically contain three pieces of information about that particular run. The first letter or number is the garage code for the bus' assigned garage. The remaining digits provide information about the route number and run type (Full-time, block run, or part-time)."

Pick

• The entire set of bus schedules for a division’s operations.

Trip

• A trip from origin to destination, where origin or destination may be a garage or terminal. Trips generally have a direction.

Vehicle identifier

• This unique identifier may be the actual bus number (visible on the outside of the bus), or it may be a fare reader identifier, which is associated with the bus on which it is installed, or both.