Optimal Configurations for Urban Transit: A Study on Bus and Express Network Design via Analytical Approaches and Mathematical Programming
Date
2024-04-24
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The Public Transit Network Design Problem (PTNDP), particularly the Public Bus Transit Network Design Problem (PBTNDP) and Express Transit Network Design Problem (ETNDP), is a key area in transportation research. Analytical approaches and mathematical programming are widely used methodologies in this field. Mathematical programming is particularly effective in handling complex problems and capturing real-world conditions. However, mathematical programming often acts as "black boxes" and offers limited insights into the problem. Conversely, analytical approaches provide deeper insights into the relationships between decision variables and problem parameters, though they sometimes necessitate simplifications that overlook certain real-world nuances. A comprehensive review of the applications of both analytical approaches and mathematical programming in the problems considered in this thesis is presented in Chapter 2. This thesis endeavors to explore three major problems related to the PTNDP by employing both analytical approaches and mathematical programming. In Chapter 3, the focus is on a single many-to-many public bus transit line and analytical approaches are used to model headway setting and vehicle sizing problems under varying demand and crowding conditions and in three different scenarios. In Chapter 4, the focus shifts to joint transit network design and headway setting problems for Public Bus Transit Systems (PBTSs) at the network level. Analyzing single-mode and bi-modal transit networks in a rectangular city, this chapter explores various routing schemes, including local buses and integrated local-express services. Chapter 5 delves into the ETNDP within a real-world urban framework, employing a hybrid approach of analytical methods and mathematical programming. A two-stage approach is suggested for the bi-modal surface ETNDP. The first stage employs analytical approaches to establish a methodology for identifying optimal station locations for different transit systems. In the second stage, first a mathematical programming is proposed to determine the optimal transit express routes and the transit technology of each transit route. Then, a metaheuristic algorithm based on the Genetic Algorithm is introduced to solve the proposed mathematical programming for real size transit networks. A case study of Calgary, Canada, demonstrates the applicability of the proposed methodologies in Chapter 6.
Description
Keywords
Public Transit, Express Transit Network Design, Analytical Appraoches, Mathematical Programming
Citation
Mahmoudi, R. (2024). Optimal configurations for urban transit: A study on bus and express network design via analytical approaches and mathematical programming (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.