The event starts before the gates open
Special operations around Maracanã, for example, usually initiate parking closures and restrictions hours before the event. Teams monitor traffic, adjust traffic lights and advise alternative routes.
For buses, this could mean detours, temporarily disabled stops, increased travel times and concentration of passengers at train and subway stations.
What to look for in the data
The analysis window must begin before the closures and end after the public has dispersed. Comparing only the game time may miss the network reorganization.
- Diverted lines and sections without positions on the usual route.
- Reduced speed and increased cycle time.
- Clusters after blocks or holds.
- Reinforcements announced and additional vehicles noted.
- Normalization time after the event.
How to avoid making the wrong conclusion
A line outside the usual route may be following an authorized detour. Vehicles near the stadium may belong to special services or charters. The same drop in speed could result from the event, rain or an unrelated incident.
The publication must cite the COR special plan and indicate that the temporal relationship does not prove causality. When possible, use a comparison to the same day of the week without an event.