Linking Real Time and Location in Scheduling Demand-Responsive Transit

摘要

The current study builds on the experience of the study team with asessing theviability of the application of GPS to paratransit and fixed-route buses in a mid-sized city, Des Moines. That project provided the basis for the actual investment of Des Moines Metro in a GPS for its paratransit fleet. In this study the focus shifts to rural and small-town demand-responsive properties. The assumption is that these systems are not smaller versions of the urban system, but distinctive forms of transit with very different needs and operating parameters. The question is whether smart technologies that relate to systems operation are viable in this setting. In this cotext, viability is determined not so much in terms of technical feasibility but in terms of overall costs and benefits.