The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM or Manual) was initially published in 1999 as a comprehensive reference resource for public transit practitioners and policy makers. The TCQSM, 1^st Edition, was published as TCRP Research Results Digest (RRD) 35, accompanied by TCRP Web-Only Document 6. RRD 35 presented basic capacity and quality-of-service concepts and encouraged practitioners to use the detailed analytic procedures contained in the Web-Only Document.  The TCQSM, 1^st Edition, included quantitative techniques for calculating the capacity of bus and rail transit services, terminals, and platforms and a framework for measuring transit availability and quality-of- service from the passenger point of view.  The TCQSM was intended, in part, to complement the Highway Capacity Manual, which presents highway capacity and quality-of-service principles and practices. The TCQSM, 2^nd Edition, was published in 2003 as TCRP Report 100. Whereas the 1^st Edition was primarily a synthesis of previous transit capacity research, with the quality-of-service section being its primary new contribution, the 2^nd Edition focused on filling gaps in previous research, updating capacity and quality-of-service procedures, and incorporating feedback from users of the 1^st Edition. The TCQSM, 2^nd Edition, is widely used by transit service providers, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), state DOTs, and universities. In addition, the Manual is often used as a source of transit definitions and transit capacity and quality-of-service concepts.  During the past 7 years, important changes have occurred in public transit technologies, policies, practices, and procedures.  Consequently, the TCQSM, 2^nd Edition, needs to be updated.

The TCQSM presents a framework for evaluating and planning public transportation systems. The objective of this research was to develop a 3^rd Edition that: (1) identifies and fills gaps in the current Manual; (2) reflects the latest transit capacity and quality-of-service applications and research; and (3) improves the usefulness and relevance of the Manual for practitioners, policy makers, and other public transit stakeholders.

STATUS: The report was published as TCRP Report 165, Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, Third Edition.  The tools in Excel Spreadsheet format and the PowerPoint presentations are also available for download.