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DictionaryheadwayVehicle spacing
noun

headway

The time or distance between successive vehicles on the same route.

Buses maintain a ten-minute headway along this route during rush hour.

Etymology
headwayEnglishforward progress; space ahead

The transport measure uses the idea of space or progress ahead. It quantifies the gap between one vehicle and the next on the same route.

More examples

  • Adding more trains reduces the headway to four minutes.
  • The trucks maintain a headway of 200 feet along the highway.
  • Longer headways on Sundays mean longer waits at bus stops.

Forms

headway · headways

Similar words

interval
Usually measures elapsed time, not specifically separation between vehicles.
gap
Describes separation more generally, without requiring vehicles on one route.
spacing
Emphasizes how vehicles are distributed rather than one measured separation.