Automatic system to optimize the travel time of BRT metro plus buses line 1 of the city of medellin

摘要

The city of Medellin has a BRT public transport system called METROPLUS whose Line 1 of operation interacts directly with 35 signalized intersections that represent an approximate increase of 30 minutes in the travel time. Although the BRT system has an exclusive use roadway, a large part of the route is shared with the other road users, which must be taken into account for the programming of the traffic lights at the intersections. Another important aspect has to do with the planning of the circulation of METROPLUS buses, which aims to optimize the fleet of buses available for the service. In order to support both activities, a transit system with priority signal (TSP) is implemented, with which it is possible to travel on line 1 of buses, in times very close to those planned by the Medellin Metro System, improving compliance indicators and perception of service quality. One of the aspects to be highlighted in the implementation of this system is the use of non-invasive technologies that allow to locate the bus in the vicinity of the signalized intersections and avoid investment in equipment. In order to carry out the corresponding action, a system was developed based on the GPS location of the buses under the concept of "Geo-Fence", which is taken directly from the equipment on the bus and uses a 3G/4G wireless communication system enabling the exchange of information between the bus management and control system in real time with the traffic control system, which allows the execution of the action in real time. The information collected is centrally stored in the Engineering and Traffic Light Center (CIOS) of the city and from there, based on decision-making algorithms, actions are carried out directly on the intersections where the buses request the priority pass, obtaining up to today a decrease of 23.63% in routes that were initially made in 110 minutes and currently achieve an average time of 86 minutes.