Using open source transit timetable databases in transport model development

Online repositories of publically available transit timetable data present transport planners with substantial opportunities to improve the accuracy of their transport models while reducing the amount of time they spend developing them. Such opportunities have been important in Wellington, (NZ), as several major public transit studies are underway and transport agencies required a more robust representation of transit services. The following paper discusses the use of the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), to enhance a regional travel demand model in Wellington. The GTFS represents a move initially facilitated by Google to bring together myriad of transit timetable databases maintained by authorities around the world into a single standardised format. The approach was to first refine the existing network so that all transit stops were represented as nodes on the network. Next, an application was developed in the programming language C# to match GTFS transit stops to model nodes, aggregate identical services, calculate their frequencies, determine stop to stop timetable times, and transform them into the required transport modelling software format. Finally, modelled service frequencies were checked against independent data from bus cordon intercept surveys and dependant data through a sample of routes from published timetables. The process managed to successfully match observations while providing opportunities to rapidly produce new input files as specifications evolved through the project. Overall the process was found to be accurate and flexible.

• Authors:
  • Wilson, A
  • Smith, D
  • Pell, J
• Conference:
  • Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management (AITPM) National Conference, 2012, Sydney, New South Wales
• Publication Date: 2012-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 15p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data analysis; Data collection; Mathematical models; Planning; Timetables; Transportation operations; Transportation planning; Travel demand
• Uncontrolled Terms: Policy and planning
• Geographic Terms: New Zealand; Wellington, New Zealand
• ATRI Terms: Data analysis; Modelling; Timetable; Transport network; Transport planning; Travel demand
• ITRD Terms: 285: Demand (econ); 1154: Network (transport); 744: Public transport
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01457791
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Report/Paper Numbers: Session 2A
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Dec 21 2012 11:48AM