A Methodological Macro Level Tool to Restructure Intercity Bus Network: The Case of Albania

There is ample research on developing efficient intercity bus networks, especially in U.S. and other parts of the world without extensive railroads for long-distance passenger transportation. Although developed according to the same principles, most of the methods are case-based due to the specific network characteristics, where these are applied to. Also, they are applicable to cases of reorganizing unstructured intercity bus networks that do not provide adequate level of service. A practical macro-level methodology is developed to determine the optimal set of bus lines when restructuring an intercity bus network. It is based on applied methodologies, but capable to be adapted to local socioeconomic conditions. It combines the main principles of transportation planning, namely the 4-step model, as well as key criteria to alleviate deficiencies and address specific features of intercity bus services. The proposed intercity bus network consists of trunk lines, serving main poles of trip generation, and feeder lines connecting smaller cities through transfers to trunk lines. The methodology includes a comparative analysis before and after the implementation of any changes with the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPI), required for the evaluation and re-adjustment of the resulting bus services. The application to the Albanian bus network yielded a proposal for reducing the current 468 lines, into 88 trunk and 199 feeder services, ensuring, however, that all existing city-nodes remain served. The KPI analysis showed significant benefits, mostly in terms of number of daily passengers, vehicle-and passenger-kilometers, fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, operational costs and, hence, increased socioeconomic benefits.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP055 Rural Public and Intercity Bus Transportation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Tsamboulas, Dimitrios
  • Korpa, Arjan
  • Karousos, Iosif
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
• Date: 2015

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 20p
• Monograph Title: TRB 94th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Before and after studies; Bus transportation; Feeder services; Methodology; Network analysis (Planning); Routes and routing
• Geographic Terms: Albania
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01556525
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 15-5240
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 9 2015 7:53AM