Integration of Fixed and Flexible Route Public Transportation Systems, Phase I.

摘要

To provide efficient public transportation services in areas with high demand variability over time, it may be desirable to switch vehicles between conventional services (with fixed routes and schedules) during peak periods and flexible route service during low demand periods. We call this possibility a variable-type service. In this research project we compare conventional, flexible and variable-type service alternatives optimized for various conditions in order to explore when variable-type bus services might be preferable to pure ones. The optimization models used for purely conventional or flexible services are adapted from previous studies. These models are integrated into a new model for optimizing variable-type bus services. The results of sensitivity analyses show how the demand variability over time and other factors affect the relative effectiveness of conventional, flexible and variable-type bus services.