Measuring Sound Transit Link Light Rail Reliability About one quarter of a sample of light rail trips took three minutes or more longer than the schedule showed. The below field observations were made on a random sample of 23 trips on Link Light Rail from September 4 to October 9, 2009, between Westlake and either Tukwila or Rainier Beach, both directions. No trips taken by the observer were excluded from the sample. The scheduled travel time for these trips is 34 minutes in the case of Tukwila and 25 minutes for Rainier Beach. Results of the survey: The observed and measured trip time was no more than one minute slower than scheduled 35% of the time, 8 trips, indicated in the green rows below. 39% of the trips, the light rail travel time was one to two minutes longer than scheduled -- 9 trips, indicated in yellow rows. 13% of the trips, travel time was three to four minutes longer than scheduled -- 3 trips, shown in orange rows. And in another 13% of the trips, travel time was six to
23 minutes longer than scheduled -- 3 trips, shown in red below. |
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Date | Day of week | Departure time | Departure | Arrival | Actual trip time | Scheduled Time | Lateness | |
17-Sep | THU | 11:20 | AM | Rainier Beach | Westlake | 23:00 | 25:00 | Faster |
23-Sep | WED | 12:50 | PM | Tukwila | Westlake | 32:55 | 34:00 | Faster |
17-Sep | THU | 10:55 | AM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 25:00 | 25:00 | 0:00 |
9-Oct | FRI | 6:35 | AM | Westlake | Tukwila | 34:00 | 34:00 | 0:00 |
30-Sep | WED | 4:51 | PM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 25:15 | 25:00 | 0:15 |
4-Sep | FRI | 9:00 | PM | Tukwila | Westlake | 34:35 | 34:00 | 0:35 |
8-Oct | THU | 2:43 | PM | Rainier Beach | Westlake | 25:40 | 25:00 | 0:40 |
4-Sep | FRI | 8:14 | PM | Westlake | Tukwila | 34:45 | 34:00 | 0:45 |
9-Oct | FRI | 8:27 | AM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 26:20 | 25:00 | 1:20 |
23-Sep | WED | 12:06 | PM | Westlake | Tukwila | 35:25 | 34:00 | 1:25 |
30-Sep | WED | 4:21 | PM | Rainier Beach | Westlake | 26:30 | 25:00 | 1:30 |
2-Oct | FRI | 10:35 | AM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 26:30 | 25:00 | 1:30 |
14-Sep | MON | 3:30 | PM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 26:35 | 25:00 | 1:35 |
30-Sep | WED | 3:50 | PM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 26:40 | 25:00 | 1:40 |
8-Oct | THU | 3:49 | PM | Rainier Beach | Westlake | 26:45 | 25:00 | 1:45 |
14-Sep | MON | 4:40 | PM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 27:00 | 25:00 | 2:00 |
17-Sep | THU | 11:45 | AM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 27:00 | 25:00 | 2:00 |
8-Oct | THU | 2:15 | PM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 28:00 | 25:00 | 3:00 |
8-Oct | THU | 3:11 | PM | Westlake | Rainier Beach | 28:30 | 25:00 | 3:30 |
14-Sep | MON | 4:00 | PM | Rainier Beach | Westlake | 29:00 | 25:00 | 4:00 |
9-Oct | FRI | 8:54 | AM | Rainier Beach | Westlake | 31:05 | 25:00 | 6:05 |
9-Oct | FRI | 7:35 | AM | Tukwila | Westlake | 43:30 | 34:00 | 9:30 |
2-Oct | FRI | 11:09 | AM | Rainier Beach | Westlake | 48:00 | 25:00 | 23:00 |
Notes from the observer on the three longest delays in the red columns:
9-Oct 8:54 am: Everyone on my train forced to get off at Mt. Baker Station, because it went out of service. All passengers boarded a following train, and the arrival time is for this second substitute train.
9-Oct 7:35 am: The train ahead of this one broke down, and all those passengers had to board my train at Stadium station. Passengers on the broken down train experienced a longer delay than I reported for my train.
2-Oct 11:09 am: The train ahead of this one broke down, and all those passengers had to board my train at SODO station. Passengers on the broken train experienced a longer delay than occurred on mine.
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Last modified: February 07, 2011