Abstract
This paper deals with the scheduling of paratransit vehicles. The current scheduling method utilized by paratransit providers is to provide a door-to-door ride for those customers who have made reservations. Thus, the paratransit providers know in advance the pickup and drop-off locations of each customer. Using this information, they are able to determine a route for each vehicle to minimize the total operating costs. In the current scheduling method, vehicles are not allowed to pick up unscheduled customers. This practice often leads to low seat utilization. To address this shortcoming, this paper explores the idea of allowing vehicles to pick up unscheduled customers who are in close proximity to the prescheduled stops (referred to as the dynamic response area or DRA). To this end, this paper develops an agent-based simulation model to evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy. The model was tested using the Chicago network. The results of the simulation experiments indicate that (1) the proposed strategy is able to serve more customers using the same fleet size, and (2) the proposed strategy will not significantly affect the scheduled customers’ in-vehicle travel time.
Highlights
Paratransit plays an important role in public transportation accessibility for senior citizens and people with disabilities
It is crucial for paratransit providers to have an efficient method to schedule routes for their vehicles such that they maximize the number of customers served while minimizing the total operating cost
The performance of the proposed scheduling strategy is compared to the current strategy
Summary
Paratransit plays an important role in public transportation accessibility for senior citizens and people with disabilities. In the USA, this service is known as demand-responsive (DR). Those who are eligible to use this system are provided with door-to-door service at their requested time. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in 2012 reported that the average number of paratransit trips per month in Los Angeles and Chicago was 265,794 and 289,022, respectively. The number of trips over the five-year period from 2007 to 2012 showed a 15% and 23% increase in paratransit demand annually in Los Angeles and Chicago, respectively. This suggests that there is increasing demand for this mode of transportation. It is crucial for paratransit providers to have an efficient method to schedule routes for their vehicles such that they maximize the number of customers served while minimizing the total operating cost
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
