MTO Public Transportation Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary federal agency responsible for overseeing public transportation funding in the United States?
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA) (Correct answer)
- Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Correct answer: Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is the U.S. DOT agency that provides grants and technical assistance to support public transportation systems nationwide.
Question 2: Which type of bus rapid transit (BRT) feature most significantly improves schedule reliability?
- Low-floor boarding
- Dedicated bus lanes (Correct answer)
- Real-time passenger information displays
- Off-board fare payment
Correct answer: Dedicated bus lanes
Dedicated bus lanes prevent buses from being delayed by general traffic, which is the most impactful feature for maintaining reliable schedules.
Question 3: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), public transit agencies must provide complementary paratransit service within how many miles of a fixed-route bus or rail line?
- 1 mile
- 3/4 mile (Correct answer)
- 1/2 mile
- 2 miles
Correct answer: 3/4 mile
ADA requires complementary paratransit within 3/4 of a mile of any fixed-route transit service for eligible individuals with disabilities.
Question 4: What does 'headway' refer to in public transportation scheduling?
- The distance between two consecutive stops
- The time between successive vehicles on a route (Correct answer)
- The maximum speed a vehicle can travel
- The number of passengers a vehicle can carry
Correct answer: The time between successive vehicles on a route
Headway is the time interval between consecutive transit vehicles traveling in the same direction on the same route.
Question 5: Which fare payment method is considered 'proof-of-payment' and relies on random fare inspection rather than a turnstile?
- Cash fare box
- Tap-and-go contactless cards
- Honor system / open-platform fare (Correct answer)
- Token-based entry
Correct answer: Honor system / open-platform fare
Open-platform honor-system fare collection allows passengers to board without a physical barrier, with inspectors randomly checking for valid proof of payment.
Question 6: What is 'deadheading' in public transit operations?
- Operating a vehicle without any passengers (Correct answer)
- Retiring an old transit vehicle from service
- Skipping stops to make up lost time
- Assigning a driver to multiple routes in one shift
Correct answer: Operating a vehicle without any passengers
Deadheading refers to moving a transit vehicle without carrying revenue passengers, typically to reposition it for the start of a route.
Question 7: Which federal program provides formula funding to urbanized areas with populations over 200,000 for public transportation?
- Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Program (Correct answer)
- Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility Program
- Section 5311 Rural Area Formula Program
- Section 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities Program
Correct answer: Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Program
The FTA's Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Program distributes funds to large urbanized areas for transit capital and operating expenses.
MTO Public Transportation Systems 2
What is the primary federal agency responsible for overseeing public transportation funding in the United States?