Overview
Chapel Hill Transit is the second largest transit system in the state of North Carolina. The agency operates 24 weekday bus routes, 9 weekend bus routes, and the Tar Heel Express shuttle for the University of North Carolina, supporting seven million passenger trips per year.
Joe McMiller, Deputy Operations Manager, says that with Optibus, Chapel Hill Transit has now entered “the space age of transportation.”
Challenge
The city of Chapel Hill is served by multiple transportation providers. Bus operator recruitment pitted Chapel Hill Transit against at least five other major transit agencies within the region.
To improve bus operator recruitment and retention, Chapel Hill turned its focus to:
- Creating higher quality crew schedules with shorter split times.
- Appealing to and supporting mid-tier and newer operators, who get the last pick in shift selections.
“It starts with your operators,” says Joe. “We’re in a period now where everybody wants work-life balance.”
Solution
To improve driver shifts, Chapel Hill used Optibus’ Crew Scheduling solution to:
- Run multiple shift configurations in minutes, rather than spending hours on manual planning.
- Compare the impact of each scenario on driver work-life balance, shift equity, and coverage.
- Minimize long split shifts by testing and selecting rosters that better fit drivers’ needs.
Results
With Optibus, Chapel Hill Transit achieved significant improvements in shift quality for bus operators, recruitment competitiveness, and day-to-day efficiency. Key results include:
- Shorter split shifts: Optibus reduced the duration of split shifts by 60%.
- Better crew schedules: The decrease in splits improved work-life balance for bus operators, enabling them to come in, do their work, and head home. Sometimes without even returning to the garage, “which they love,” notes Joe.
- Easier driver recruitment and retention: Rolling out more appealing shifts has made Chapel Hill Transit a more competitive, attractive employer for both new recruits and existing workforce. Annual driver turnover has dropped by 20%.
