The Role of Approximate Analytic Models in the Planning of Specialized Transportation Systems.

Abstract

In the planning of specialized door-to-door transportation systems it is often necessary to identify and evaluate service alternatives. This chapter describes how a certain class of mathematical models, called approximate analytic models, can serve as a powerful tool for such a task. Approximate analytic models of door-to-door transportation systems should facilitate strategical planning of such systems. By strategical planning we mean the stage of a planning process during which it is necessary to identify general policies regarding the type of service to provide, the type and the size of the fleet to use as well as the routing strategies. Door-to-door transportation systems studied by approximate analytic models are demand-responsive, which means that every service request is accepted by the system without having to be made in advance. Present forms of approximate analytical models restrict their application to small service areas since the coverage of a large service area with a single swath produces nonacceptable travel times.