From Modeling to Optimizing Sustainable Public Transport: A New Methodological Approach

Abstract

This paper explores the potential for connected public-transport (PT) mobility as an alternative to motorized private transport (MPT) in medium-sized cities. Despite the high demand for MPT, it occupies a lot of space and contributes to conflicts and reduced livability. The more sustainable mobility solution of PT, however, is often considered slow, unreliable, and uncomfortable. To overcome these issues, the authors investigate the state-of-the-art research of connected PT mobility, including ways to quantify mobility behavior, micro- and macro-simulations of traffic flow, and the potential of not-yet-established modes of transport such as Mobility on Demand (MoD) for last-mile transportation. MoD could reduce the drawbacks of PT and provide sufficient and sustainable mobility to all citizens, including those in rural areas. To achieve this, precise information on individual traffic flows is needed, including origin–destination (OD) relations of all trips per day. The paper outlines a two-step approach involving the expansion of OD relations to include all modes of transport and diurnal variation, followed by microscopic traffic simulations and macroscopic optimization to determine potentials for on-demand offers within inner-city traffic. The paper concludes by calling for critical questioning of the approach to validate and verify its effectiveness.