Decision-Making Framework to Allocate Real-Time Passenger Information Signs at Bus Stops: Model Application in Athens, Greece

Abstract

The use of intelligent transport systems for the provision of real-time passenger information is an important incentive in efforts to strengthen the role of public transport and improve livability in large cities. Electronic signs installed at bus stops to disseminate information on bus arrivals are an important component of these systems with a significant capital cost. Nonetheless, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no systematic approach for the selection of location sites for deployment of dynamic message signs (DMS). Public transport authorities often follow ad hoc procedures that are based on various location criteria—namely, passenger boardings, availability of power, and number of routes served at bus stops—to derive a set of candidate location sites. This was the case with the methodology implemented by the Athens Urban Transport Organization in Athens, Greece. With data from Athens, this paper proposes a modeling framework for the decision-making process regarding DMS locations in bus networks. The framework is formulated as a linear programming model, and the results show that the proposed model constitutes a systematic and transferable approach to tackle the problem at hand.