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Time Series Analysis

Peak Hours Analysis

Uncovering temporal patterns in Dublin's bus network - when are delays worst, and how can commuters optimize their travel times?

8-9am
Worst Hour
5.2min
Peak Delay
Monday
Worst Day
680
Peak Buses

Hourly Delay Pattern

Average delays by hour of day, showing clear morning and evening rush hour peaks.

6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
< 1.5 min
1.5-3 min
3-4 min
> 4 min

Day of Week Pattern

Monday
2.8 min
Tuesday
2.1 min
Wednesday
2 min
Thursday
2.2 min
Friday
2.5 min
Saturday
1.2 min
Sunday
0.8 min

💡 Key Insight

Monday mornings show 40% higher delays than the weekly average, likely due to "weekend spillover" effect and increased traffic from people returning to work.

Commuter Recommendations

✅ Best Times to Travel

  • • Before 7:30am or after 9:30am (morning)
  • • Before 4:30pm or after 7:00pm (evening)
  • • Weekends show 60% fewer delays
  • • Wednesday is best weekday overall

⚠️ Times to Avoid

  • • 8:00-9:00am (worst morning hour)
  • • 5:00-6:00pm (worst evening hour)
  • • Monday mornings especially
  • • School start/end times on school routes

Pro tip: Leaving just 15 minutes earlier in the morning can reduce your expected delay by up to 70%.

Technologies Used

PythonPandasNumPyPlotlySeabornGTFS-RT APISQLiteJupyterStatsmodels