Route-map practice: choose a direction and test a transfer

Separate the network from the schedule

A route diagram answers a question about connections. A timetable answers a question about when a service runs. Treat them as two pieces of evidence. A line that looks short is not automatically a faster journey, and two lines meeting on a diagram do not tell you how long the connection takes.

The following network is entirely fictional. Each route serves the stops in the listed order, in both directions. Transfers are permitted at a shared stop. There are no unlisted stops, footpaths or cross-town services. The names are practice labels, not a map of any Canadian or U.S. city.

• Route 1: Harbour — Market — Central — Museum.
• Route 2: Airport — Library — Central — Hospital.
• Route 3: Market — Stadium — Hospital.

Example 1: travel from Library to Museum

Library appears on Route 2 and Museum on Route 1. Both routes serve Central, so take Route 2 toward Hospital, leave at Central, then take Route 1 toward Museum. The destination shown at the far end of the first route is Hospital even though you are not travelling all the way there.

Taking Route 2 toward Airport would move from Library away from Central. This is why finding the correct route number is only half the task. State the direction using the stop sequence rather than a guess about compass points; this diagram supplies no north arrow.

Example 2: compare Harbour to Hospital

Two paths use one transfer. You could take Route 1 to Market and Route 3 to Hospital. You could also stay on Route 1 to Central and change to Route 2. The first path passes through Stadium; the second does not. Both satisfy the network rules.

Which is faster? The information is insufficient. The number of drawn segments cannot establish travel time, transfer waiting or walking distance. If the question asks which path visits Stadium, there is enough evidence. If it asks for the earliest arrival, you need a schedule and any required transfer time.

Example 3: add a branch restriction

Now add this fictional notice: “After 20:00, Route 3 runs only between Market and Stadium.” At 20:15, the Route 3 path no longer reaches Hospital. The Route 1 and Route 2 path still connects the named stops under the exercise assumptions. No other service changes have been stated.

Notice what changed: one section of one route. Do not cancel the entire network in your reasoning. Equally, do not imagine a replacement bus unless the question provides one. When a notice overrides part of a map, annotate the affected segment and leave the rest intact.

Build your own question and answer key

Try Airport to Stadium. One valid answer is Route 2 toward Hospital to Hospital, then Route 3 toward Market to Stadium, before the stated restriction. Another valid path uses Central, Market and two transfers. If your question asks for the fewest transfers, make that condition explicit.

Write an answer key that includes the route, direction, transfer point and any time condition. Ask someone else to follow it using only the stop list. If they need a fact you never supplied, repair the question. This is more useful than memorizing the position of an answer in a multiple-choice list.

For real local information, use the city directory to reach agency sources. Continue with the worked connection timetable to see how timing can change a route decision.

Common questions

Original TransitPrep practice material. All example figures, networks, notices and procedures on this page are fictional. They do not reproduce an employer’s examination.