Author Description

Transit agencies can provide fixed-route bus transit services through direct operation, contracting out to a third party, or a combination of both. Contracting out can be done to another transit agency or a private firm, and may include specific modes, routes, or garages. The quality and cost efficiency of outsourced service depend on local, contractual, and managerial factors. TCRP Synthesis 171: Third-Party Contracts for Fixed-Route Bus Operations and Maintenance: Performance Metrics, from TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program, focuses on the performance metrics used in contracts for fixed-route bus operations and maintenance, extending the 2018 findings of TCRP Synthesis 136: Contracting Fixed-Route Bus Transit Service.