Optimization-Based Model for Designing and Evaluating Transit Fare Policies/Research Report

摘要

To support transit agencies in the design and evaluation of more efficient and more equitable fare structures, an optimization-based model system has been developed and implemented on a microcomputer. This system seeks distance-based fares in the form: FIXED CHARGE + (MILEAGE CHARGE) (trip distance) + (TRANSFER CHARGE) (number of transfers). It maximizes estimated revenues subject to a minimum ridership constraint and constraints on the attributes of the fare structure. The latter provides the user with considerable control over the structure of the optimal fare, such that distance-based, zone, and flat fare schemes can be designed and tested. This model can be used to search for fare schemes meeting user-specified requirements, to perform sensitivity studies of fare characteristics, and to test user-supplied price structures. The model is implemented on the IBM Personal Computer and is highly interactive. Associated software supports data coding, output plotting on a dot matrix printer, and user training.