How to Read a Timetable
How to Read a Timetable to Determine when your Bus will Come
Reading a bus schedule for the first time can be a little confusing. But with a little practice you can learn this new skill that will help you navigate your transit system with confidence and ease. The printed schedules display the information in a different format than the website does. This information is pertinent to reading a printed schedule.
A printed schedule consists of a route map and a “timetable”. It shows when and where Link buses go to different areas of our community. Each of these areas has been assigned a route number and for each route a timetable is provided. The map also shows the travel direction of the bus route and location of the bus stops, as well as key landmarks and major destinations.
“Timepoints” shown at the top of each timetable are also shown on route maps. For example, Columbia Station is a timepoint and shown as a White T with a red circle around it.
Timetables show the time the bus begins the route, travels past a certain location (timepoint) on the route, and the time the bus will arrive at the end of the route. In general, most routes operate once every half hour. There are separate timetables for weekday, Saturday and Sunday services.
The time the bus is scheduled to pass by each timepoint location is shown in the timetable. It is impossible to show the times the bus will stop by each bus stop on a route. Stop-specific information is available by using the mySTOP app.
If your stop is in between two timepoints, use the timepoint prior to your stop and be prepared to wait a few extra minutes. The bus may arrive early at the timepoint, but it will not depart until the published time.
