MTO Public Transportation Systems 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'intermodal' transportation?
- Using only one type of vehicle for an entire journey
- Travel that combines two or more modes of transportation in a single trip (Correct answer)
- A transit system that operates both above and below ground
- Routes that serve both urban and rural areas
Correct answer: Travel that combines two or more modes of transportation in a single trip
Intermodal transportation involves using more than one mode — such as bus, rail, and ferry — in a single coordinated journey.
Question 2: Which measure is used to evaluate transit system efficiency by comparing outputs to inputs?
- Farebox recovery ratio
- On-time performance rate
- Revenue miles per vehicle
- Cost per vehicle revenue hour (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cost per vehicle revenue hour
Cost per vehicle revenue hour is a standard transit efficiency metric that divides total operating cost by the hours vehicles spend carrying passengers.
Question 3: What is the 'farebox recovery ratio' in public transit?
- The percentage of a vehicle's fare boxes that are functioning
- The proportion of operating costs covered by passenger fare revenue (Correct answer)
- The rate at which lost fare cards are returned to the agency
- The ratio of peak to off-peak fares
Correct answer: The proportion of operating costs covered by passenger fare revenue
The farebox recovery ratio shows what percentage of operating expenses are offset by fare revenue, with the remainder typically subsidized by government funds.
Question 4: Which federal law mandated that transit agencies develop State of Good Repair standards and asset management plans?
- Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU)
- Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) (Correct answer)
- Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)
- Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21)
Correct answer: Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21)
MAP-21 (2012) introduced the first federal transit asset management requirements, requiring agencies to maintain transit assets in a state of good repair.
Question 5: What is a 'bus bridge' in transit operations?
- A dedicated elevated roadway exclusively for buses
- Temporary bus service replacing a rail segment that is closed for maintenance (Correct answer)
- A route connecting two separate bus networks across a river
- An articulated bus designed to carry more passengers
Correct answer: Temporary bus service replacing a rail segment that is closed for maintenance
A bus bridge is an emergency or planned substitution where buses carry rail passengers between stations when a train line is partially suspended.
Question 6: What does 'open-loop' fare payment mean in a transit context?
- Fare systems with no barriers or turnstiles
- Accepting standard bank-issued contactless credit or debit cards directly for payment (Correct answer)
- A monthly pass that can be used on any transit agency in a region
- Fare machines that remain unlocked during off-peak hours
Correct answer: Accepting standard bank-issued contactless credit or debit cards directly for payment
Open-loop fare payment allows riders to pay using any EMV-contactless bank card or mobile wallet, without needing a transit-specific card.
Question 7: Which transit planning principle prioritizes reallocating road space from private vehicles to buses, bikes, and pedestrians to improve system performance?
- Complete streets (Correct answer)
- Traffic demand management
- Transit signal priority
- Curb management
Correct answer: Complete streets
The Complete Streets framework designs and operates roads to safely and efficiently accommodate all users, including transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians.
MTO Public Transportation Systems 5
What is 'intermodal' transportation?