Let's denote the time of the bus ride as \( t \) (in minutes). According to the information given, Tran's total travel time consists of the bus ride time plus the time she walked:
- Time of the bus ride: \( t \)
- Time walking: 30 minutes
The total travel time can be expressed as:
\[ \text{Total travel time} = t + 30 \]
It is also stated that her total travel time was 4 times the length of the bus ride. This can be expressed as:
\[ \text{Total travel time} = 4t \]
Now, we can set up the equation by equating the two expressions for total travel time:
\[ t + 30 = 4t \]
This is the equation that models the situation.