About Itinerary Generation Performed in Steps
Itinerary generation can be divided into steps that are performed only if necessary. This is particularly helpful in situations where a comprehensive search can take a long time to be completed.
The most common example is a fairly complex itinerary that involves many transfers. If the maximum number of transfers is set high (for example, 3) , most of the incoming requests can be covered. However, when looking for simple solutions—particularly involving an area with a dense transit network (typically, urban downtown areas)—then including solutions with up to three transfers may take a long time as the number of possible solutions increases exponentially. Call takers can adjust the number of transfers for a particular search, but it is not realistic to expect them to recognize the complexity of the solution in every case.
When the system performs itinerary generation, it looks first for simple solutions. If it finds none, then it searches for more complex solutions.
In the Itinerary Planning screen, solutions are implemented through the use of step parameters. By default, no steps are defined: the last parameter called “Step Set Name” in the parameter list has a value of “None.”
