TBEST version 4.7 builds upon the advances in prior versions and adds new functionality to support advanced transit planning analysis and reporting. The following features highlight the improvements within the software:
Framework
- Compatible with ArcGIS versions 10.8.1, 10.7.1, 10.6.1, 10.5.1, 10.4.1, 10.3.1 and 10.2.2 (Basic license-level)
- TBEST now runs with SQL Server 2019 LocalDB
Socio-Economic Data Framework
The TBEST Socio-Economic Data framework has been updated to include the following:
- New Florida 2021 Socio-Economic Support Data available for download including 2019 ACS, updated 2020 statewide employment and parcels.
- Updated Socio-Economic Data Configuration guidance and templates are available on the TBEST website. Templates include support for 2019 ACS 5-Year data which are now automatically formatted in the socio-economic configuration process.
Florida Transit Systems
The Florida Transit Systems downloadable from within TBEST have been updated for Spring 2021 and now include the following:
- Transit Agency Logo
- Configured with the most recent Florida TBEST 2021 socio-economic and land use data
- Transit network generated from the latest available agency GTFS where data was available
- Configured with publicly available fares, per hour/per mile cost, transfer stations and general special generator/amenity information.
- Constructed a 100 Minute Network Accessibility Build for the AM Peak time period
- Completed ridership forecasting model run
Florida Statewide Transit System
In addition to individual transit systems, users can now download a complete statewide TBEST transit network that includes routes from all Florida transit agencies. This statewide transit network includes the routes imported from Spring 2021 GTFS files and the Florida 2021 socio-economic and land use data. With a statewide dataset, Florida TBEST users can investigate statewide and regional transit connectivity, demographics, costs, and service levels using the TBEST market analysis, query builder, network accessibility, ridership estimation, and mobility areas toolsets. Note: this dataset file is large and may take additional time to download and process.
Statewide Data Query for routes with headways ≤ 30 minutes
South Florida Regional Rail and Transit Accessibility from Ft. Lauderdale Stations
TBEST Bus Stop Balancing Add-In
In TBEST 4.7, FDOT has included the Bus Stop Balancing Add-In scripting source code and compiled Add-In. This tool identifies, evaluates and ranks bus stops for potential removal based on user defined weighting for multiple scoring categories including distance to neighboring stops, network connectivity, APC ridership and socio-economic impacts. Users can use the compiled Add-In or review the source code to make changes which better reflect local Bus Stop Balancing influences and sensitivities.
Network Accessibility Spatial Filter
To assist with network analysis that is constrained within jurisdictional boundaries or custom geography, the TBEST team added the ability to analyze transit network travel time within a mobility area. A mobility area spatial filter will show the results of the network accessibility within the input geography. This spatial filter allows users to isolated and summarize accessible markets for jurisdictional report and area studies. Application examples include the TBEST network accessibility spatial filter to compare transit travel time against drive sheds, constrained within certain TAZs or analysis areas.
TBEST Title VI Disparate Impact Analysis Updates
TBEST 4.7 now features improvements to the Title VI Disparate Impact Tool to help users more clearly determine whether there are minority and low income impacts to their service changes. On the analysis dashboard, the Weekday, Saturday and Sunday disparate percentages are replaced with annualized calculations for Minority and Low-Income categories. The threshold comparison is now more consistently applied to whether there is an increase or decrease in service across scenarios.
Release 4.7 adds a Route Detail button that launches the Route Report Options dialogue in order to build custom route-level disparate analysis reports. Users may now also easily generate route comparison maps based off a customized route selection.
The Route-Level Comparison Report includes a new Disparate Impact color-coded key in the report header assists the user in evaluating the how the percent disparate threshold can change based on whether an increase or decrease in Population People Trips/Low Income Household Trips has occurred. The Report also adds a Non-Minority and Non-Low Income column to the report to provide further explanatory data for user interpretation.
Mobility Areas
TBEST developers have steadily added more features and capabilities to the Mobility Areas tool in an effort to provide more flexibility for transit planners to incorporate both fixed route transit, and evaluation of new mobility modes. In addition to the Bike, Drive, Transit mobility areas and custom geography import, Mobility Area reporting in 4.7 adds the following improvements:
- Wheelchair Shed via the road/sidewalk network based on conditions that are conducive to wheelchair mobility.
- Improved Mobility Area Management including merging shapes, copy, renaming functions
- Improved Mobility Area Efficiency increased shape generation speed, report processing times and accuracy
TBEST Scripting and Add-Ins
TBEST 4.7 provides a scripting interface within Microsoft Visual Studio where users can leverage the TBEST API to create unique applications using additional data sources, methodologies and logic to solve outside of the box problems. The scripting is exposed on the TBEST interface within TBEST Explorer under the Workflow Support Tools->Scripting folder. A sample application is provided for users to investigate the API calls to load TBEST Transit Systems, Scenarios and Routes, export GTFS, and execute a model run. Scripts can be published into a TBEST Add-In which is made available in the TBEST UI under the Tools menu. Scripting requires installation of Microsoft Visual Studio Express and the ESRI Developer Kit – ArcObjects SDK for .NET Framework.
TBEST users and developers have used the scripting tools to create several applications that leverage the TBEST scripting tools and proprietary transit agency data. TBEST scripting examples include the Bus Stop Balancing Add-In included in TBEST 4.7, GTFS processing tools to compare feeds to facilitate bus stop signage changes and automated stop-level APC ridership processing to format for TBEST GTFS import.
Query Tool Updates
TBEST 4.7 adds a Results Panel lists the query results with all available variables for the queried transit feature type. 4.7 also adds several variables to the route, pattern and stop category including the ability to filter for first stop, last stop, stop spacing and ability to summarize for a typical service weekday. Users also have the option to select in-service routes only on the Query Tool interface in order to return data for routes that are only running during the specified time period. The updated Query Tool includes export capability to Microsoft Excel or GIS formats with observed ridership, socio-economic and service attributes attached to the exported file. The Stop, Routes and Segments panel toolbar now also feature a Query Tool button.
Other New TBEST 4.7 Features
- Circulator patterns can now have bidirectional patterns improving conversion between route types in the properties dialogue.
- Extensive GTFS import fixes and improvements to be more compatible with latest GTFS specifications and adaptations to support diverse agency data.
- Revised the TBEST model run to include calculating the non-double counted total population and employment variables for all routes in the scenario. The totaled demographic values will appear within the Totals line of the Scenario Summary Tool reports. In previous TBEST versions, the Totals line included double-counting of demographic values.
- Improved model run efficiency with generation of socioeconomic data
- Changes version to latest OpenRouteService API for improved call time, accuracy
- General bug fixes and performances improvements
- Added the ability to toggle the Revenue Service Hours, Revenue Service Miles and Route Cost between Annual and Daily values.