TOC
CH1: Compass Basics
CH2: School Management
CH3: Student Management
CH4: Creating Stops
CH5: Vehicle Management
CH6: Generating Runs
Although there are exceptions, Stops are normally created for AM Runs because taking Students from home to School generally happens in the morning. However, once this is done, users will need to create reverse PM runs that buses follow to drive Students back to their residences. In other words, if Students are picked up at their residential Stop and dropped off at School in the morning, the will likely be picked up at School and dropped off at their residential Stops in the afternoon. This means that the corresponding Stops also need to be created.
A quick method to do this task in Compass, specially when multiple Stops are involved, is what we call Mirroring. This process turns Pick Up locations into Drop Off locations and vice-versa.
Finding and Selecting Stops
Before you can mirror any Stops, you have to find them and select them. You can either do this in the search results table or in the Map. Remember that, in the Map, you have the option to select the Stops by clicking on the icons or using the select tool as explained in the tutorial Creating Curb-To-Curb Stops.
Create Mirror
Once you have selected the Stops, click the Create Mirror button above the search results table. The Create Mirror window will appear. Then:
- Select Pick Up Time Window Type. If we assume that these Runs will go from School to the Student’s residence, Pick Up should be at School and its Window Type should be Hard because it depends on the Bell Time.
- Select Pick Up Curb Approach.
- Select Drop Off Time Window Type. Since Drop Off should regularly be at the Student’s residence, Window Type will normally be Soft.
- Select Drop Off Curb Approach. Notice that you can also add Pick Up and Drop Off Time Window limits if needed.
- Click OK. A window showing a Mirror Stops Created message is displayed.
Entering Pick Up and Drop Off Times: Bulk Update
Once you have mirrored the AM Stops to create PM Stops for the reverse Run, you can quickly input time information with the Bulk Update tool. To do so, select the Stops you want top update on the Map or in the search results list and then click Bulk Update above.
A new Stop Information Bulk Update window will appear. To add Pick Up and Drop Off times to the Stops, follow these steps:
- Select the School from #1 drop-down menu (#2 menu is for School Drop Off).
- On the right, select the corresponding PM Bell Time.
- The Pick Up Time Window at School should be displayed below. Select both Pick Up boxes (After and By).
- Select Pick Up Time Delay. Since bus Delay is not allowed, enter No Delays. Remember that departure from School is subject to Bell Time and little flexibility is allowed (hard window).
- Do the same for Drop Off Time Delay. Remember that certain Delays may be reasonable (soft window) at residential Drop Off Stops.
- Select Pick Up and Drop Off Curb Approach and select what is appropriate from the drop-down menus.
- Click OK. The information will be updated.
Checking Mirrored Stops
You can make sure the Stops have been mirrored by selecting Mirrored in the search filter section of the screen. The mirrored Stops will be displayed in the search result list.
If you have completed the process correctly, you should be able to see AM Stops with residential Pick Up and School Drop Off as well as PM Stops with reversed Pick Up and Drop Off locations.
