Abstract
We present a new urban transit investment model, integrating transport economic theory regarding optimal investment with transport modeling, planning, and network design. The model expands on the theory of optimal transit network planning and investment, accounting for the effects of the investment on accessibility, level of service, and speed. The model seeks long-term optimal transit investment and optimal road pricing simultaneously in an integrated, unified model. To illustrate the advantages of our approach, we applied our empirical model to two case studies, Tel Aviv and Toronto, integrating our theoretical contribution into practice. Our results demonstrate the model’s ability to indicate the optimal transit mode and investment on a corridor level and the total investment required for the city transit network. The model results were compared to the actual and planned transit networks of Tel Aviv and Toronto and showed the model’s capability to produce a good balance of strategic design and network details. The research concludes that applying the right toll with the applicable transit investment is crucial for obtaining an efficient network and performance. This research can direct planners and policymakers in planning urban transport and provide a comprehensive set of guidelines for optimizing the simultaneous investment in mass transit and the congestion toll toward more sustainable cities and transportation systems.
Highlights
Mobility is essential and a major concern in cities all over the world
Our results demonstrate the model’s ability to indicate the optimal transit mode and investment on a corridor level and the total investment required for the city transit network
In many cities, growing traffic congestion on roads and highways has led to increased investments in car-oriented infrastructure, with only a limited number of cities investing in public transport systems
Summary
As population densities rise worldwide, urban mobility is increasingly becoming more complex to plan, regulate, and budget. Limited land and budget resources, growing traffic demand, and congestion make city transport planning crucial to enable accessibility, quality of life, and economic growth. This is a challenging task as do private vehicles have many negative externalities [1], but today’s planning and evaluation tools are biased toward investments in roads [2]. In many cities, growing traffic congestion on roads and highways has led to increased investments in car-oriented infrastructure, with only a limited number of cities investing in public transport systems. Sharav and Shiftan [4]
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