The economics and engineering of bus stops: spacing, design and congestion

This paper re-considers the problem of choosing the number of bus stops along urban routes, first by estimating the probability of stopping in low demand markets, and second by analysing the interplay between bus stop size, bus running speed, spacing and congestion in high demand markets. A comprehensive review of the theory and practice on the location and spacing of bus stops is presented. Using empirical data from Sydney this report shows that the widely used Poisson model overestimates the probability of stopping in an on-call bus stopping regime, and consequently underestimates the optimal number of bus stops that should be designed. For fixed-stop services, it shows that bus running speed, frequency and dwell time are crucial to determining the relationship between bus stop spacing and demand, with bus stop congestion in the form of queuing delays playing a key role. In particular, it finds that bus stop spacing should be decreased if demand increases at a constant bus running speed; however, if both bus running speed and the speed of the passenger boarding process increase, then the distance between bus stops should be kept long even at high demand levels, a result that is consistent with the implementation of bus rapid transit systems that feature high bus running speeds and long distances between stops relative to conventional bus services.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.itls.usyd.edu.au/research/publications/working_papers
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Sydney. Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies

  University of Sydney, 144 Burren Street, Newtown, New South Wales, 2042, Australia
  Sydney, New South Wales   
• Authors:
  • Tirachini, A
• Publication Date: 2012-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 30p
• Serial:
  • Issue Number: ITLS-WP-12-09

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus stops; Location; Public transit; Queuing; Speed; Traffic queuing; Waiting time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Transportation routes
• Geographic Terms: Sydney (Australia)
• ATRI Terms: Bus stop; Location; Public transport; Queue; Speed; Transport line; Waiting time
• ITRD Terms: 1272: Bus; 632: Congestion (traffic); 1084: Stop (public transport)
• Subject Areas: Design; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01374121
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 27 2012 9:56AM