there are a few issues with this project that the machine hasn't quite picked up on ...
*occupancy rate* - you can't expect 100% occupancy. You don't even want that. 100% occupancy requires people to "reserve" their bus ticket ahead of time. Which means, no walk-up traffic. People are very unlikely to want a commuter pass that requires they take the 6:30AM bus and never the 7:00AM bus.
*bus utilization* - ⚔️ ( well, actually, it knows you need a spare bus) the economics mean that owning additional buses that aren't used is a very minimal cost. and, time for maintenance or "surge demand" is also necessary.
on the other hand, its awareness of "driver utilization" was less robust. you can't just pay a driver for one 3-hour shift.
*station location* - Stations, ideally, have some or all of these:
- ample parking
- public transit connections
- destinations within walking distance
- quick access to interstate highways
It didn't really have to pick locations here; the main 3 stops (Ames Intermodal Facility, Des Moines DART Central Station, and Osceola AMTRAK) were pre-determined.
*additional stops* - This is, more broadly, a common failure of public transit. Having every bus stop in Huxley and Ankeny on the way to Des Moines would be bad. Even the Ankeny stop might not make sense; how many people commute Ames <-> Ankeny?
An initial draft suggested possible stops at Drake University, Merle Hay Mall, and even North Grand Mall in Ames. Were these AND suggestions, or XOR suggestions? It doesn't matter; the scenario where they are proposed as XOR and implemented as AND happens too often to be ignored.
*electric buses* - ⚔️ ( well, actually, I didn't ask. it's response is fine.)
Total initial capital expenditure: $5,320,000-$10,590,000
This is roughly 3-3.5 times higher than the diesel bus CAPEX estimate ($1,620,000-$3,240,000).