Network Editing with Maris Geocode Certification Course 2

Network Editing with Maris Geocode Certification: Course 2

Agenda – Day 1 n n n n Autostreeter Working with Autostreeter Layers Schools – add/modify school data Upstu process/address matching students Editing the Mapseg Calibrating Your Map System Maintenance Sample Test

Agenda – Day 2 n n n Review of material Q&A Tests

Autostreeter

Autostreeter is a program used to create ‘overlays’ or ‘layers’ of your map. Each layer represents an image of your map. This may be the entire map or subsets of it, such as streets of a specific speed. In this sample overlay; All black lines represent streets (segments) with speeds set 1 -60. All red lines represent ‘no travel’ segments or segments with speeds set to – 0 -

Autostreeter n n n Autostreet layers are available in Edulog, Maris, Elplot and Ge. Bndplan. Autostreet layers are just a picture (of your map) taken at a point of time. After any geocode is added, moved or deleted, autostreeter layers must be updated (extract and build) to be able to view the changes.

Autostreeter Layers display on top of one another in the order they were created - the last layer created is displayed on top of (over) the layers preceding it. Practice Removing A few layers Select the last layer entry then click the Remove button. Continue pressing it to remove more layers.

Autostreeter To create the layers in a preferred order…. To begin, Click Add Type “Rail. Roads” Beside Name Select Type Street Enter Speeds

Autostreeter n n Continue entering the rest of the layers. Refer to your handout (TRG-NT 6) for layer names, types and speeds.

Autostreeter create the rest of our layers in this order: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Layer Name Type All Segments All Streets County Line Hazard No Travel One Way Private Road Rivers Rail. Roads Bridges Military Base Apartments Mobile Home Parks School Drive All Segments Street Segment Street Street Speed Segment Level All Segments All Streets 98 - 98 Hazard Direction > No Travel Direction > One Way 9 -9 97 – 97 99 – 99 Feature Class > BRG 96 – 96 Feature Class > APT Feature Class > MHP Feature Class > SCH

Autostreeter Typically, when finished adding the desired layers, select Extract and Build. BTW: In EMU you can create an AUTOSTREETER batch that does the same as Extract and Build! So, in our example choose…. Extract and Build

Autostreeter We’re done! Click OK and then click Exit

Autostreeter Returning to Edulog or Maris When you re-enter Edulog or maris, you will see this confirmation Message that lets you know that Autostreeter information has Changed. Select Yes at the prompt

Displaying Autostreeter Layers Edulog. nt Tools > Load Autostreet Layers Maris Tools > Load Autostreet Layers n n Displays the control window for our layers Once these layers are checked on, they come up automatically every time you enter Maris § Notice “labels” and collision detection!

Common Autostreeter mistakes n You created a layer but it doesn’t show up. n n n Another layer is covering it up (reorder your layers) The layer color is the same as another layer’s. The layer hasn’t been ‘checked on’ to display. Wrong speeds where entered or don’t match the segments in question. You’ve made geocode changes but the layer looks the same as before the changes. n n Extract and build in autostreeter. You selected ‘no’ to transferring the autostreeter data when entering maris or edulognt.

Schools

Schools n Schools are a major component of the transportation system in Edulog. The school codes are attached to student records as well as transportation records. Each school has bell times that are associated with all your transportation data.

Adding a New School n Before you start entering your new data in Edulog. nt, you will need to go into MARIS and draw the school segment in. Make sure you make a note of the node number where the school is located, you will need this in then next step.

Adding a New School n n Schools/ Tabular Key in School code then click ‘New’.

Adding a New School n n n Fill in School Name. Location – in this field you key in ‘#node number’ then press your tab key to locate the school. We will use ITRE Elementary School at #6863

Grades & Programs n n Grade List - This field displays a list of grades for this particular school. Program List – This field displays a list of eligible programs for this particular school. Example: ER (early release), SN (special needs), MID (mid-day)

To add Grades & Programs n Grades and Programs can be added by clicking on the ‘Grade/Prog’ button and following the prompts.

Bell Times n All grades and programs must have bell times. n n Bell Times specify transportation time per grade, program and or frequency. It is important that the regular bell time and program bell times for a single school are not identical.

Bell Times n On the Bell Times window there are three columns that must be filled in. Bell Times – this is the EXACT time the bell rings at the school for students to be in class or to be dismissed from class. n Bus Early – this time designates the earliest time a bus could arrive at the school in the AM (if they need to come in and drop off a load in order to go back out to pick up a second load). In the PM this time designates the earliest time a bus can leave the school. n Bus Late – this time designates the latest time a bus can arrive in the AM, to drop off students so they will be on time for school; this is the arrival time at school showing on your bus runs **This time CAN NOT be after the Bell Time * Bus Late does not mean the bus is late for school* In the PM this time designates the latest time a bus can leave the school to start a PM run. North Carolina does not normally use the Depart column; this column is used in Route Optimization n

Bell Times n n n To enter bell times, highlight all grades that share the same bell time, click the ‘Edit’ button and enter them all at once. Bell times can be different for different days of the week ~ The ‘Days’ button allows you to enter different day patterns to be specified. BE CAREFUL with the day patterns – contact your project leader if there any questions about different days of the week

Bell Times n After a school is added or relocated you should run these utilities from EMU. n n POSTRELOCATESCHOOL DUMPALL – Updates Report data

Shift Times n n Shift Times is used once the bell times have been set and need to be adjusted. Resetbelltransclient is a program you can use if you only need to change a bell time for a particular program or grade. Before using Shift Times make sure you have a backup of your data!

Shift Times n n Here we have taken the old times – 8: 00, 7: 50 and will be changing them to 7: 45, 7: 15 and 7: 35. There are 3 options on how you want the bell times reflected in your current data. n n n ‘Change time at stop only for runs outside new windows’. This option changes runs that are outside the new bell times. ‘Do not change time at stop for run’. This option will not change any current run times. It is important to note if you choose this option it will cause an informational error in the diagnose program. ‘Change time at stop for all runs based on new windows’. This option will change all stop times regardless of the previous bell windows. This is normally the option you would choose.

Reset. Bell. Trans. Client ¨ Reset. Bell. Trans. Client is a very powerful program that can affect a significant amount of your transportation data. Please contact your project leader to get assistance before running Reset. Bell. Trans. Client. n n Reset. Bell. Trans. Client is used if you have multiple times at a school due to programs. If you need to change the bell times for a specific grade in a particular program for example, you would use Reset. Bell. Trans. Client clears out the existing bell times so you can re-enter the correct ones at the School menu.

Reset. Bell. Trans. Client n n n Make sure you exit out of all Edulog programs. The batch file you will need is located in the EltExeClient folder. Make sure there is a resetbelltransclient. bat and a resetbelltransclient. exe file in place (you will open the bat file).

Reset. Bell. Trans. Client n Choose the School, Program, Frequency and Grade that you need to change.

Reset. Bell. Trans. Client n n Replace the existing times to 12: 00 AM, then click on ‘Add’. Do this for each School/Program/ Frequency and Grade you need to change. ‘Confirm’.

Reset. Bell. Trans. Client n Go into Edulog. NT to Schools ~ Tabular and key in the school you are working with; you will see that the bell times are cleared out and you can reenter the correct bell times.

Rename a School n n n Using the Schools/Tabular function; key in the school code that you need to change. Click on the Rename button; you will be asked if you have a current backup – respond appropriately. **If you do not have a current backup, STOP and make one!**

Rename a School n n Key in the new school code and confirm. This will change any records associated with the school code. n n n Stop Records Run Records Student Records

School Relocation n Sometimes, the school bus lot driveway will change To relocate it, first, make the change in Maris taking note of the new node number, run the Geocode maintenance Using Schools/Tabular Click on the Relocate tab

School Relocation n n Beside ‘New Location’ enter in the new node number of the school. The #XXXX format must be used You must run POSTRELOCATESCHOOL in EMU. You may need to create this batch

School Deletion n n Before a school can be deleted, there must not be any student, stop, run or route data associated with it. Students school codes can be changed via the upstu process. If you need to change student school codes before the data can be gathered from the NCWISE Data Manager, you can run the rollover process.

School Deletion n Student deassignment from stops; stop deassignment from runs and run deassignment from routes can be done easily using EMU. n n n DEASGN (use this to deassign students from stops) DEASSIGNSTOPSONRUNS DEASSIGNRUNSONROUTES DELETERUNSNOSTOPS DELETEROUTES KILSTP (this deletes stops not on runs, and with no students assigned)

School Deletion n You will need to have worklists made for: n Students in the school you want to deassign. *note: if students school codes are changed they will not have stops assigned to them anymore so you could skip this step n n Runs that are assigned to the school you are deleting Stops that will need to be deleted

School Deletion n n DEASGN – Students from Stops In EMU create the batch: DEASGN

School Deletion n Create the batch DEASSIGNSTOP SONRUNS *you can ‘include checkpoints’ here and not have to run a separate batch to do this.

School Deletion n Create the batch: DELETERUNSNOSTOP

School Deletion n If necessary you can delete routes using the DELETEROUTES batch. There is no input needed to create this batch; however if runs are assigned to routes, the route will not be deleted

School Deletion n Create the batch: KILSTP

School Deletion n Almost Done! At the Schools/ Tabular menu: DELETE

School Deletion n Once the school has been deleted, you must run DELINVALIDSCHSRV in EMU. You may need to create this batch. There is no input needed to create this batch.

Programs n n n Program types are associated with schools, allowing students to arrive or be dismissed from school at a different time other than the regular school bell time. These are commonly used with Special Education students. Since the school bell time and the program bell time are different – special care needs to be taken when creating stops or runs for the program. This is where careful attention to the stop services is important. We ask that you call your Project Leader to discuss the process first; changes will be made to your data that will require some extra work

Programs n n n Programs are created in Schools/Tabular Most stops generally only have 2 services assigned to them; 1 for AM and 1 for PM. These two services will have the schools regular bell times. When you need to create a stop for a program you will need to make sure an appropriate service has been made before assigning it to a run.

Programs n n You will need to define bell times for each program Once created, you will have the option to assign students to stops created specifically for a program

MAPSEG n n The MAPSEG file controls where buses can turn or turnaround. The MAPSEG file contains a record for every direction on every segment that a bus can travel.

MAPSEG n MAPSEG automatically allows buses to turnaround at the end of streets (dead ends), but other locations require a manual entry in mapseg.

MAPSEG n MAPSEG also allows you to restrict turns. For example: where no left turn is allowed by law or for safety reasons…also where medians prevent turns.

MAPSEG n Segments have no record in the MAPSEG when they have: n n n Speeds of zero A bus can not travel on these segments ! Direction setting of 3 Mapseg editing can be done in Edulog. NT or in MARIS. n Edulog. NT~tools~edit mapseg n MARIS~edit geocode~mapseg

MAPSEG EDITING n n Select a segment using the mouse or by entering the node pair manually. By clicking slightly to the left or right of the segment will determine the direction of travel.

MAPSEG EDITING n n n Any available Mapseg Adjacency will be listed in the top of this Mapseg Arc Edit window. Any other possible options will be listed in the bottom of the window. Remember to pay close attention to the direction of travel you have highlighted.

MAPSEG EDITING n If you receive this message “Error in retrieving arc from node pair” it simply means the segment you pointed to does not exist in the Mapseg files. (no travel or zero speed)

MAPSEG EDITING n n Suppose there was a dangerous left turn, and you do not want your buses to make this left turn. You can use MAPSEG to delete this adjacency.

MAPSEG EDITING n Now the only way the bus will be allowed to turn is to the right.

MAPSEG / Turnarounds n If you need a turnaround at the end of this segment, you need to add the appropriate adjacency to the MAPSEG file.

MAPSEG / Turnarounds n If turnaround is needed somewhere along a segment, the segment must be split so there is a node where the turnaround is needed Turnaround needed here

MAPSEG / Turnarounds n After you split the segment, you will need to run geocode maintenance, then reopen MARIS and add the appropriate adjacency to the MAPSEG file to make your turnaround active.

MAPSEG n n Remember, you are not deleting any segments in your Geocode. You are only “hiding” them in this special file by making the segment(s) unavailable for bus travel. Fine tuning segments allow your run direction files to create correct run path data that can be trusted by you and drivers to allow safe travel and timely arrival at school.

Calibrating Your Map n n We can not stress enough the importance of your geocode calibrated to reflect an accurate path and speed of travel in your district Accurate speed and travel paths determine the validity of your runs and routes

Calibrating Your Map Addressing n n Do you know if your addressing is correct? In some instances, the addressing is spread out along the segment and the actual house/bus stop will not be in the appropriate location This will affect your runs by adding additional time to the run – 3, 4 or 5 minutes between stops along the same segment It will also affect your driver directions AND student distance to school, a piece of the funding formula!

More on Addressing Address TIMS address - parsed 505 S Green Street Num Pr Street Name Type Suf S Green St What if 505 S Green St was really here? What would that do to run directions or student distance to stop or school? Green St Pine St Oak St Maple St S Willow St 505 N Green St

Analyze Your Runs n n Run a STATS report of your runs showing loaded miles, run time, and average speed Does the report raise any red flags compared to what your drivers say they are doing? – are times between stops different; begin/end times different? Could drivers be using a favored path of travel versus what the run directions generate from TIMS call for? Your map/geocode should accurately reflect the correct path; try not to make manual turns for direction purposes

Do you see any long times between stops? n n n If you have a very long amount of time between stops, your road speeds may not be correct To determine how much time is given to each segment, bring up that segment in Mapseg and look at the example of how much travel time is allotted for this segment This segment is coded 13 mph; the travel time is 163; or 2. 7 minutes to travel this segment

Calibrating the Map Segment Speed = 45 Travel time = 25 (or 41 seconds)

Calibrating the Map n n n Often, adjusting the segment speeds is enough to make a big difference in your run and stop times Using the speed and travel times attributes of a segment available in mapseg will allow you to accurately calibrate your map If the speed were change to 5 mph – see what happens

Calibrating the Map Segment Speed = 5 Travel time = 224 (or 3. 7 MINUTES) – just a bit long to travel this small segment? ?

Calibrating the Map – Bus Run Analysis n n n If a driver indicates the times are not correct; take a look at them Examine the segment speeds, travel times in mapseg Looking at the segment speeds showed the segments were 5 mph here, slowing the entire run down 7: 16 AM 187 CORNER STORE RD 302. 278 7: 17 AM CORNER STORE RD & JAY JENKINS LN 302. 207 7: 20 AM CHAPMAN LN & SIPE RD 302. 211 7: 22 AM 515 SIPE RD 302. 160 7: 27 AM CHURCH RD & OTT DYSON CT 302. 155 7: 34 AM 3619 US 64 90 W 302. 408 7: 36 AM ELLENDALE LN & RED OAK DR 302. 217

Calibrating the Map - Bus Run Analysis A portion of Run 302. 010 n The speeds were way too slow along a portion of the bus run; when a speed change was made, times were accurate according to what the driver/GPS stated. 7: 26 AM 187 CORNER STORE RD 302. 278 7: 27 AM CORNER STORE RD & JAY JENKINS LN 302. 207 7: 29 AM CHAPMAN LN & SIPE RD 302. 211 7: 31 AM 515 SIPE RD 302. 160 7: 36 AM CHURCH RD & OTT DYSON CT 302. 155 7: 38 AM 3619 US 64 90 W 302. 408 7: 40 AM ELLENDALE LN & RED OAK DR 302. 217 Show the 2 runs short/long

Calibrating the Map n n n You can detect discrepancies in travel times based on driver information or actual driving the run yourself If GPS is available, you can easily compare segment travel times Either way, an accurate, calibrated map will produce correct stop times; reflecting better service for your students

Calibrating the Map - Bus Run Analysis n Questions?

Upstu/address matching

Upstu/TIMS Data Inputs n n n Student data comes from NCWISE. TIMS uses the Geocode to verify student address information. Student Transportation Requests come from the schools or parents so the transportation department can design and optimize routes based on this ridership data.

Upstu Process -The Importance of Accurate TIMS Data n n n Without an accurate list of students who have requested transportation from each school TIMS Data Managers are unable to determine the number of buses needed to meet these demands nor are they able to estimate the driving time required to transport these students. We are only as good as the information we receive from: n Parents n Schools n Drivers Ridership should be analyzed at the school level to ensure enough buses are in place to provide service

Upstu Process - Students n n TIMS contains a record of all students in each LEA. These records are loaded into TIMS by a process called an UPSTU. A build from NCWISE is obtained and uploaded into TIMS. The accuracy of student addresses in NCWISE is vital to insure that students are ‘located’ correctly in the Geocode in TIMS.

Locating Students NCWISE address TIMS address 505 S Green Street Num Pr Street Name Type Suf Green St Pine St Oak St Maple St The system matched the NCWISE address to an address in the Geocode, therefore this student is ‘located’. S Willow St 505 S Green St N Green St

Locating Students NCWISE address TIMS address 505 S Greene Street Num Pr Street Name Type Suf Greene The geocode does not have a Greene St. ; so it doesn’t know where to ‘locate’ this student. S Green St St Oak St Maple St Pine St S Willow St 505 N Green St

Upstu process n n It is important that you fully understand the upstu process and able to resolve any addressing errors There are several error reports available to aid you in correcting addressing issues

Upstu Error Reports n n One of the most helpful reports is found under Reports/User Defined/All Students and Transportation Choose Unlocated Students for TIMS Data Managers; you may choose export the report to an Excel format

Upstu Error Reports n Once the student addresses are correct in NCWISE, they should easily match and you will not lose their stop assignment

Other Upstu Addressing Issues n n Sometimes, your district may have a street name where it is frequently mis-spelled or incorrectly parses out during the address matching maintenance Use the TRG 9 – (found on the NCBus. Safety website) “Using ADDUPD to correct incorrect address parsing” to see if this will aid you in correcting some of the addressing errors

Other Upstu Addressing Issues n n Some districts have street names that occur more than once with the same addresses Use the TRG 8 “Using MAPZONE for Overlapping Addressing” (found on the NCBus. Safety website) to aid you in correcting this common problem.

Edulog Maintenance Utility

EMU n n n EMU is used to run all maintenance associated with maintaining database integrity. Individual maintenance utilities are added to ‘batches’ which can be run manually or scheduled. Audit and error reports are generated that help operators manage their data.

EMU features…. n n n History of maintenance activity Access to audit and error files within the program. Saved configurations n Store responses required to run utilities

EMU features…. n Batches n n Utility queuing n n Run several utilities by starting one batch Initiate utilities while another is running Utility scheduling n Set basic utilities to run same time every night

Utilities and Batches What are Utilities and Batches? n n n Utility: Program that performs one or a set of closely related data maintenance functions. Batch: A named, saved selection of one or more utilities listed in the order in which they need to run. When we run batches, batches run utilities.

Your Batches n The TIMS project leaders have created and given you a set of ten (10) batches which cover most routine maintenance. n You may rarely need to create batches.

TIMS Batches n 01. Rebuild all keys - maintains data file integrity n 02. GEO – Map Maintenance - maintains the integrity of the Geocode and mapseg files and updates secondary files pertaining to routing, stop locations, and student assignments. It also deletes any unused streets leftover from geocode editing and rebuilds the autostreeter layer.

TIMS Batches n n 03. GEO Badstps & Schdst - This is a continuation to batch #02. It re-scans stop locations and creates error reports that aid in locating unmatched stops. n When this finishes running, review BADSTP. ERR and attempt to relocate any stops found in the report. Rerun this batch after fixing stop locations. 05. Dumpall - wipes out old report tables and transfers all data to new report tables

TIMS Batches n n 06. Upload student data – transfers students from NCWISE to TIMS (full or partial build) 07. Set Date-Delete flags – flags for deletion students not updated by 06.

TIMS Batches 08. Purge Flagged Students – removes student records flagged by 07. n 09. Address update – Addupd – used for correcting information in student location fields. Resolves street name parsing issues with streets named East, West, North, & South.

TIMS Batches n n 10. Address update - Pststu – used for adding a mapzone to the students location field to resolve problems with duplicate streets and addressing. 11. Student Address Match – Attempts to match the students location address to the geocode. Determines student eligibility and distance to stops.

When to Run the TIMS Batches n Batches fall into two groups in terms of frequency of use n n Those you run daily Those you run on special occasions.

These batches could be run daily n n n Daily maintenance… 01. 02. 03. 05. Rebuild all keys GEO - map maintenance GEO – Badstps & Schdst Dumpall – update reports

Maintenance pertaining to a Student Upload n n n 06. 07. 08. 09. 10. Upload student data Set deletion flags Student purge Address update - Addupd Address update - Poststu n n (if used in your district) 11. Student Addr Match

EMU Rules n n All users should be out of other edulog programs before you start maintenance. No one should be in any edulog programs while maintenance is running.

If a Batch Queues when run… n n n A batch will queue, rather than run immediately, when EMU thinks the data files the utility needs are in use. If this happens, use the Terminal Services Manager or Elterminator to determine who is has an edulog program open. Ask that user to exit the program.

Other Reasons a Batch may Queue n n n A user has exited edulog in a manner that did not allow programs to close properly. This can leave processes running and files in existence that make it appear to EMU that a program is in use. Fix: close processes and remove any lck or Taf files

Fixing Batches That Queue When No User Is Logged in Close Processes 1. • Open Task Manager • Choose “Processes” tab • End any eltransservice Processes 2. Delete Files • EltLIVEserverdyn*. lck • EltLIVEservergeo*. taf • Or if, installed, run the special utility “delete lck & taf”