Automatic Passenger Counting (APC): A Guide

A strong public transportation system is crucial for achieving climate goals and improving urban mobility. Particularly in urban areas, a shift in thinking is necessary as streets become increasingly congested. In the U.S., the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is investing $1.94 million in its Enhancing Mobility Innovation Program to improve the rider experience. This funding is intended to support research by public transit agencies and advance technologies and strategies that make public transportation simpler and more accessible.

Additionally, the SMART Grants Program, established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), supports innovative projects aimed at improving mobility. The Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Program provides $100 million annually from 2022 to 2026, to enhance traffic efficiency and safety and contribute to the development of modern, intelligent transportation solutions. These investments aim to make the rail network safer, more reliable, resilient, sustainable, and equitable.

Mobility is a fundamental human need and a prerequisite for social participation. People primarily seek to reach their destinations quickly, safely, and comfortably. Therefore, good mobility offerings are needed that enable mere transportation from point A to point B and enhance the quality of life in urban areas.

Public transportation forms the backbone of urban transit and performs numerous critical functions. However, rapidly changing mobility needs also place high demands on public transit. It must strive to solidify its role in the mobility mix and encourage more people to switch from cars to commuter rail systems through attractive offerings. The integration of real-time data plays a crucial role in creating dynamic schedules that facilitate travel planning and reduce waiting times. Passengers must be able to rely on public transit at all times – not just in terms of punctuality but also in flexibility and comfort.

Improved Public Transit Planning Through Local Data
Seamless integration of multimodal mobility offerings and the advancement of public transit necessitate close coordination. A solid data foundation provides an excellent starting point for such strategic and planning efforts. In the U.S., this is supported by the National Transit Database (NTD) Reporting, which plays a central role in data collection and analysis.

Since demand and usage patterns can change for a variety of reasons, public transit planners face several challenges. They must consider both long-term changes due to new neighborhoods, infrastructure projects, newly established businesses, and employers, as well as short-term peaks due to rush hours, events, or accidents. Additionally, changing passenger preferences and new mobility services impact demand.

Mobility providers can only tackle these challenges by measuring and predicting the various long-term and short-term factors and adjusting their services accordingly. The best way to achieve this is through current and reliable mobility data on passenger movements across the entire transit network. NTD Reporting provides precise data on key metrics such as Vehicle Revenue Miles (VRM), Passenger Miles Traveled (PMT), and Unlinked Passenger Trips (UPT). This data forms the basis for informed decisions and improvements in the efficiency and reliability of public transit.

Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) systems are the most reliable source for passenger numbers and usage patterns. They capture the movement patterns of people in public spaces and when boarding public transit, which is visible as passenger flow from start to destination. Thanks to this data, transit planners in the U.S. can not only create NTD reports but also optimize service and route planning to better meet passengers' needs.

Automatic Passenger Counting is highly versatile and can be easily deployed across various types of public transportation, including buses, LRVs and streetcars, trains, subways, and even ferries. The specific characteristics of each mode of transport are taken into account, such as bus models that may not be suitable for every road. This flexibility allows for precise passenger counting regardless of the unique aspects of the transportation system.

Can automatic passenger counting help improve cities? Indeed, transformation is hardly imaginable without knowledge. By understanding how people move around the city, how many use public transit, and which modes of transport are preferred, we can gain valuable insights – and these insights are embedded in the data.

APC captures this data precisely. Detailed analysis of passenger flows then allows for informed decisions to make public transportation more attractive and be part of the transportation revolution.

Transit agencies can monitor developments in real-time and always have up-to-date and accurate passenger numbers. This data is not only used for documenting performance but also for proactive planning of services and personnel deployment. In the U.S., this data plays a central role in National Transit Database (NTD) Reporting. Accurate passenger counts enable transit agencies to provide precise data for the NTD, which in turn helps optimize funding allocation and supports long-term planning strategies.

Increasingly, public transit agencies are turning to data-driven transportation planning and digital networking to improve the quality of traffic management and passenger information. By integrating real-time data, dynamic schedules can be created that facilitate travel planning and reduce waiting times.

After the introduction of mandatory data reporting by Congress in 1974, the National Transit Database (NTD) was established by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to collect data on the financial, operational, and asset conditions of American transit systems. The NTD gathers this data to maintain an overview of the industry and to provide public information and statistics. It supports local, state, and regional planning efforts, and helps governments and other decision-makers conduct multi-year comparisons and trend analyses.

The NTD contains a wealth of information such as the funding sources of transit agencies, inventories of vehicles and maintenance facilities, reports on safety incidents, measurements of provided and utilized transit services, and data on transit employees. The FTA uses NTD data to allocate funding to urban and rural areas across the U.S. Transit agencies report data on a range of key metrics, including Vehicle Revenue Miles (VRM), Vehicle Revenue Hours (VRH), Passenger Miles Traveled (PMT), Unlinked Passenger Trips (UPT), and Operating Expenses (OE).

Recipients of FTA grants – those who receive funds from the Urbanized Area Formula Program or the Rural Formula Program – are required to submit data in standardized categories to the NTD. Nearly 3,000 transit providers report to the NTD via the internet-based system.

Automatic Passenger Counting presents an effective solution for the need for accurate passenger data in public transportation. A significant advantage of APC technology lies not only in counting boarding and alighting passengers but also in its ability to detect and count objects such as bicycles and wheelchairs. Additionally, the technology captures minute changes and fluctuations in passenger volume, which can be highly beneficial for transit planners.

Compared to other data collection methods like Wi-Fi or ticket data, the APC system offers an independent and precise solution. While Wi-Fi data requires the use of mobile phones and ticket data cannot capture the diversity of transportation modes, APC technology provides reliable data without the limitations of other systems.

Implementing an APC system in public and regional transportation involves installing counting sensors in the door areas of buses, trams, and subways that continuously record boardings and alightings. But how does the recorded data get from the sensors to the processing stage? This process occurs within the vehicle, specifically in the onboard computer or an APC central computer (known as the People Counting Unit [PCU]), where the collected counting data is already combined with a timestamp and the GPS location of the stop.

The PCU transmits this data in real-time to a land-based computer, typically a server belonging to the transit agency or operator responsible for collecting and processing mobility data. From there, the data is imported into specialized analysis software for analysis and report generation. These reports include not only passenger counts but also their transportation preferences and the frequency of use of certain routes or lines over time. Agencies use this data to evaluate passenger flows and other relevant parameters with the help of Business Intelligence, enabling informed decision-making. The system operates autonomously, continuously counting at each stop without the need for manual input by drivers.

Sensors of the latest generation achieve a counting accuracy of up to 98% and can also detect and count objects like bicycles and wheelchairs. Overall, this system is significantly more reliable and precise than alternative data sources in public transportation, such as Wi-Fi or ticketing data.

Passenger counting systems are a central element for collecting mobility data in public transit; however, they initially provide only raw data, which must be transformed into meaningful information through intelligent analysis. This is why DILAX has developed software early on that enables transit operators to use this data both operationally and strategically.

As a Business Intelligence tool, DILAX Citisense® offers mobility providers a comprehensive solution for evaluating passenger data from automatic passenger counting systems. With this software, transit agencies can conduct detailed analyses of passenger flow and gain important insights into passenger movements within their network. Besides analyzing passenger load and punctuality, DILAX Citisense® facilitates efficient personnel planning and includes a performance tracking feature essential for calculating passenger kilometers traveled.

The technology-based counting ensures an accuracy of 99%. It is possible to initially equip only part of the fleet with counting sensors and then gradually retrofit the rest. Once all vehicles are equipped with counting sensors, it allows for real-time determination of the number of passengers per vehicle across the entire network. Before the collected data is used for further analysis, a crucial step is taken: matching. This involves aligning the recorded data from the vehicles with the planned schedule data to ensure that the recorded passenger numbers correspond to the expected schedule conditions. Only after this alignment, further steps are carried out, such as estimating the total passenger count, especially if the fleet is only partially equipped with APC systems, using DILAX Samplics for sample planning.

As a software solution, DILAX Samplics is the appropriate tool here. It initially conducts correlation and plausibility checks to ensure high-quality data. In the event of failures or disruptions, data gaps can occur, which must be identified and compensated for through interpolation in conjunction with DILAX Citisense®. Minor counting errors are corrected using balance adjustment over the entire trip. These algorithms operate in the background, while users receive reports on the occupancy of lines, stops, and the entire network, visualized with Microsoft Power BI.

DILAX Citisense® supports fleet management by providing relevant metrics such as punctuality (delays, cancellations, overloading, disruptions) and occupancy (max/min/average). These analyses serve the scheduling of the vehicle fleet, timetable planning, capacity planning, and network operations. A new feature is the ability to make occupancy data available to passengers in the customer app, which requires comprehensive data collection across all vehicles in the network.

As a SaaS platform, DILAX Citisense® enables a holistic evaluation of mobility data in public transit. By matching raw data, already enriched with timestamps and geodata, with additional data such as schedules, stops, door openings, traffic congestion information, and other events from other sources like reservation system data, Wi-Fi data, and ticketing apps, the best can be extracted from APC data. The use of machine learning also enables the creation of detailed reports, forecasts, and simulations that support informed decision-making.

Fundamentally, DILAX Citisense® can generate not only snapshots and interactive daily and weekly reports but also comprehensive statistics, forecasts, and custom reports over long periods based on customer-specific KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) such as punctuality or occupancy. The software even enables simulations and predictions through machine learning by comparing historical data with real-time data.

The latest APC sensor, DILAX SLS-1000, utilizes Structured-Light technology, where a laser projector module generates a dot pattern. A camera captures the distortions of this pattern and creates a depth image, from which an extremely precise 3D profile of a person or object is produced.

The integrated artificial intelligence supports the high counting accuracy of the DILAX SLS-1000 by not only counting but also distinguishing between people and objects such as bicycles or wheelchairs in real-time. Depending on customer and market requirements, this AI-based algorithm can gradually learn additional object classes.

Moreover, DILAX offers DILAX Mercury, a remote access and maintenance tool that enables real-time monitoring of the entire sensor fleet and can update the functionality of the sensors remotely for new use cases.

The analysis of local passenger data is crucial for cities, transit authorities and agencies, transit planners, urban developers, and many others to gain valuable insights into travel habits and improve the quality of public transit. By using our APC software to analyze travel patterns, occupancy rates, and wait times, our customers can understand how passengers move through the network and where improvements can be made. This data is fundamental for efficient vehicle planning, optimizing routes and schedules, and providing backup vehicles when needed.

Data processing is a critical step in transforming raw data into valuable knowledge. APC systems accurately capture counting data, which is then fed into business intelligence software. This software integrates information from various sources, including schedules, stops, door openings, Wi-Fi data, and data from ticketing apps. From this, reliable statistics and insights into the performance of the transit system can be derived, enabling effective evaluations of fleet, routes, punctuality, schedules, personnel, and network plans.

The result of this complex process is a deep understanding of passenger flows and a well-informed insight into the use of public transit, contributing to targeted service enhancements and increased passenger comfort. For instance, real-time information on vehicle occupancy allows for rapid responses to peaks in passenger numbers and transparent communication with passengers.

The ability to perform real-time analysis is becoming increasingly important, providing significant added value for transit agencies. The adaptability of APC software allows real-time data to be tailored to specific requirements. However, ensuring the stability of the connection to the land side is essential for its effective use.

The DILAX Citisense® APC software offers flexible implementation options, including both on-premise and cloud-based solutions. It can be used on any computer, as well as on tablets and smartphones, without prior installation. This accessibility ensures that transit agency employees can easily access data and insights regardless of their location or device.

Using real-time data also positively impacts dispatching. Live occupancy tracking enables more accurate predictions of passenger turnover times and improves punctuality. Additionally, real-time occupancy information allows for quick responses to unforeseen situations and supports intelligent incident management.

Moreover, passengers can benefit from accessing real-time occupancy information, allowing them to adjust their travel decisions, such as choosing alternative departure times or routes. This helps to balance occupancy, improve the quality of seating availability, and enhance passenger satisfaction and comfort.

Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) has proven to be an indispensable tool for optimizing public transportation. In times of transportation transformation and increasing mobility demands, APC systems provide valuable insights into passenger behavior and enable precise planning and adjustment of services. APC technology delivers not only accurate passenger counts but also crucial information about transportation preferences, occupancy levels, and travel times.

By integrating APC into public transportation, transit agencies can make their services more efficient, increase customer satisfaction, and make public transport more attractive overall. The ability to analyze and access real-time information contributes to improving punctuality, reducing wait times, and optimizing occupancy.

Overall, it can be said that automatic passenger counting plays a key role in the future of public transportation by enabling data-driven, customer-oriented, and efficient planning and delivery of mobility services.