SETTING FREQUENCIES ON BUS ROUTES: THEORY AND PRACTICE

Since most transit systems have relatively stable route structures and politically determined levels of subsidy, one of the main recurrent decisions the transit planner must make is the service frequencies to be provided on each route in the system. Current practical and theoretical approaches to this problem are reviewed and, in light of their seeming inadequacies, a new model for setting frequencies is developed. The model allocates the available buses between time periods and between routes so as to maximize net social benefit subject to constraints on total subsidy, fleet size, and levels of vehicle loading. An algorithm is developed to solve this nonlinear program that can be applied by using a small computer program or, simplified in some generally acceptable way, by using a pocket calculator. In a case study the model is shown to produce results quite different from the existing allocation, which suggests changes that are insensitive to the specific set of parameters and objectives. It is shown that the model can readily be applied to evaluate the impacts of an alternative vehicle capacity and to investigate the value of changing service policies. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1981/818/818-001.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=SETTING+FREQUENCIES+ON+BUS+ROUTES%3A+THEORY+AND+PRACTICE&author=P.+Furth&author=N.+Wilson&publication_year=1981
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Traveler Behavior and Values. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Furth, Peter G
  • Wilson, Nigel H M
• Conference:
  • 60th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1981-1-12 to 1981-1-16
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-7
• Monograph Title: Design of public transport services
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 818
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Algorithms; Bus transit; Frequency (Electromagnetism); Headways; Mathematical models; Nonlinear programming; Optimization; Routes; Scheduling
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus transportation (Intracity)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00345957
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309032598
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 27 1982 12:00AM