RTA Public Transport Policies & Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which funding model requires passengers to pay fares that cover the full operating cost of a public transit system?
- Farebox recovery ratio of 100% (Correct answer)
- Subsidized transit model
- Public-private partnership
- Tax increment financing
Correct answer: Farebox recovery ratio of 100%
A 100% farebox recovery ratio means fare revenues entirely cover operating costs with no public subsidy required.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a Transit Development Plan (TDP)?
- To schedule driver shifts
- To guide long-term service improvements and capital investments (Correct answer)
- To set parking rates near stations
- To manage vehicle maintenance schedules
Correct answer: To guide long-term service improvements and capital investments
A TDP is a strategic planning document that outlines service improvements, capital needs, and funding over a multi-year horizon.
Question 3: Under ADA requirements, paratransit service must be provided within how many miles of a fixed-route bus line?
- 1 mile
- ¾ mile (Correct answer)
- ½ mile
- 2 miles
Correct answer: ¾ mile
The ADA mandates complementary paratransit within ¾ mile of any fixed-route service for eligible individuals.
Question 4: Which transit management strategy uses real-time data to dynamically adjust bus routes and schedules?
- Fixed-route scheduling
- Demand-responsive transit (DRT) (Correct answer)
- Peak-hour supplemental service
- Deadhead management
Correct answer: Demand-responsive transit (DRT)
Demand-responsive transit adjusts routes or schedules in real time based on passenger requests rather than fixed timetables.
Question 5: A transit authority's 'level of service' policy typically measures which of the following?
- Driver overtime hours
- Frequency, reliability, and coverage of service (Correct answer)
- Number of transit authority employees
- Fuel cost per mile
Correct answer: Frequency, reliability, and coverage of service
Level of service in transit policy encompasses how often service runs, how punctual it is, and how many areas it reaches.
Question 6: What is the role of a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in public transport?
- Directly operating bus and rail services
- Coordinating transportation planning and allocating federal funds in urban areas (Correct answer)
- Setting vehicle emission standards
- Issuing commercial driver's licenses
Correct answer: Coordinating transportation planning and allocating federal funds in urban areas
MPOs coordinate multi-modal transportation planning and are responsible for programming federal transportation funds in urbanized areas.
Question 7: Which policy approach aims to integrate multiple transit modes so passengers can transfer seamlessly with a single fare?
- Mode-specific pricing
- Intermodal integration or seamless connectivity (Correct answer)
- Peak surcharge policy
- Zone-based fare isolation
Correct answer: Intermodal integration or seamless connectivity
Intermodal integration links bus, rail, ferry, and other modes under unified fares and coordinated schedules to reduce transfer friction.
RTA Public Transport Policies & Management 2
Which funding model requires passengers to pay fares that cover the full operating cost of a public transit system?