Schedule-free high-frequency transit operations
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2017
Subject Area
place - urban, mode - bus rapid transit, operations - coordination, technology - intelligent transport systems, planning - service quality, planning - methods
Keywords
High-frequency transit, Schedule-free, Real-time control
Abstract
High-frequency transit systems are essential for the socioeconomic and environmental well-being of large and dense cities. The planning and control of their operations are important determinants of service quality. Although headway and optimization-based control strategies generally outperform schedule-adherence strategies, high-frequency operations are mostly planned with schedules, in part because operators must observe resource constraints (neglected by most control strategies) while planning and delivering service. This research develops a schedule-free paradigm for high-frequency transit operations, in which trip sequences and departure times are optimized in real-time, employing stop-skipping strategies and utilizing real-time information to maximize service quality while satisfying operator resource constraints. Following a discussion of possible methodological approaches, a simple methodology is applied to operate a simulated transit service without schedules. Results demonstrate the feasibility of the new paradigm.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by SpringerLink, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Sánchez-Martínez, G.E., Wilson, N.H.M., & Koutsopoulos, H.N. (2017). Schedule-free high-frequency transit operations. Public Transport, Vol. 9, pp. 285-305.
