Staggered School Hours to Spread Peak Demand for Public Transport. Benefits and Costs

Abstract

The author uses a case study of student transportation by public bus in Linkoping, Sweden, to discuss the possibility of public transportation peak demand spread through staggered school hours. The study found that introducing a staggered morning start for Linkoping's high schools can substantially reduce extreme morning peak at only one departure point on Linkoping's many lines. It demonstrated that bus service cost savings from the leveling out of the extreme morning peak could be of the same magnitude as costs for students resulting from a change in school hours. Staggered school hours could introduce other changes that could benefit the bus transportation system while reducing student costs. Cooperation between the public transportation authority and the high school headmasters is the biggest challenge.