Our fourth rule, the Quincy Rule, as defined in October 2022, declares any route ineligible for an Eliot Deviation Index value if the route is too hard to follow, resulting in a confusing, spaghetti-like routing. These routings can cause confusion for both new and experienced transit riders, and in our opinion, should be fully avoided in route planning. However, they are common enough in small systems, where resources are limited, but transit demand is high.
The majority of small systems use more standard looping circulator routes to cover this demand, which are ineligible under Rule 1, but a rare handful also meet Rule 4 criteria. Due to the rare nature of Rule 4 violations, here's a handy "hall of fame" list for any Rule 4 violations that have been discovered.
Entries are listed alphabetically by location served.
Beverly, MA - Beverly Local Bus
Bradford West Gwillimbury, ON - Route 2A
Cudahy, CA - Cudahy Area Rapid Transit
Kiryas Joel, NY - Local Route
Oswego, NY - Route 1A
Quincy, IL - Blue Route