Bus Transfer Research Articles

Robust dynamic real-time control strategies for high-frequency bus service: a multi-agent reinforcement learning framework

This study addresses the multifaceted challenge of ensuring the regularity of bus services, minimizing bus bunching, and facilitating synchronized bus connections across routes. An enhanced multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithm, namely the Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MADDPG) algorithm, is proposed to implement real-time control strategies for addressing these issues simultaneously. The merit of the modified MADDPG algorithm lies in its ability to continuously learn while adeptly navigating the non-stationary operating nature of bus system networks. A case study of a bus corridor is used to train and test the algorithm. Four robust scenarios, each presenting varying degrees of travel time and dwell time variations, are designed to assess the algorithm’s robustness. Results indicate that the MADDPG algorithm can significantly increase the likelihood of synchronized bus transfers across multiple routes by two or three times while maintaining the service reliability on each route. Moreover, the flexibility of the MADDPG algorithm in training bus policies allows it to effectively adapt to up to 90% variations in bus travel times and demand changes, even amid disruptive events in real-world scenarios.

New approaches and performance analysis of on-demand delivery systems using buses

With the rapid growth of on-demand delivery, traditional third-party delivery services using electric bicycles face increasing challenges, including increased labor costs and safety issues. To address these issues, we propose two modes for on-demand delivery systems using buses. One is the “bus terminal + professional crowd shippers” (B&P) mode, which involves consolidating parcels from various origins at the bus transfer hub. From there, they are grouped and delivered by buses. The other is the “bus stop + crowdsourced passenger” (B&C) mode, which transports parcels directly from the origin to the destination by passengers without the need for consolidation and sorting at bus transfer hubs. Both modes fully utilize the surplus capacity of buses and employ resources from retail stores and third-party shippers. We evaluated these modes using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as labor costs, cost increases from en-route destination changes, and average delivery time per kilometer. This analysis was based on 18,349 delivery cases in downtown Ningbo, China. Through this evaluation, we identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with each mode. Our findings reveal that both the B&P and B&C modes effectively reduce delivery costs and external impacts while maintaining a user experience and efficiency level comparable to traditional third-party delivery services for mid-to-long-distance (3–10 km) deliveries. However, the use of public transportation may limit the flexibility of the delivery mode. Based on these insights, we provide strategic recommendations for the further development and implementation of B&P and B&C modes.

Stressors for bus commuters and ways of improving bus journeys

Based on the people-environment conceptual framework, this paper measures the level of transport stress experienced by bus commuters and examines its relationship with a wide range of environmental and personal stressors, as well as different stress responses. A total of 28 environmental stressors, 9 personal stressors, 4 time-related stressors and 6 stated stress responses are examined. The data were collected through a large-scale online questionnaire survey among bus commuters of a major franchised bus company in Hong Kong (n = 5,908). A factor analysis and a structural equation model (SEM) are conducted to unveil the interlinkages among bus-related environmental stressors, personal stressors, travel characteristics, perceived transport stress and stated stress responses. Results indicate that bus commuters reported an average stress level of 47.10 out of 100 (SD = 29.50). The average transport stress level is lower than money, work and family stress but higher than relationship stress. Spatially, there are great variations within the city, with notably higher stress levels for some new towns in Northwest New Territories and the central business district during evening commutes. Based on the SEM results, the number of bus transfers (β = 0.05) and travel time (β = 0.06) are strongly associated with transport stress. Poor bus stop environment (β = 0.14), crowding at bus stops and compartments (β = 0.13), hostile attitudes of passengers and drivers (β = 0.08), and unreliable waiting and travel time (β = 0.08) are important environmental stressors. Many of these factors have not been closely examined in previous studies. In relation to health, transport stress is positively associated with negative physical (β = 0.43) and emotional (β = 0.48) responses. Feeling exhausted, irritated and anxiety were the most commonly reported responses to transport stress. To enhance bus commutes, priorities should be given to improving the bus stop environment, reducing crowding throughout the bus journeys, and alleviating road congestion. Overall, the empirical findings from this large-scale study on transport stress can help governments to formulate targeted measures to enhance the quality of public transit services and to support sustainable urban transport.

Running Late: Student Commutes and High School Tardiness in Baltimore City

In this study, we use estimated public transit routes for high school students in Baltimore City to predict the number of days they are late during the school year. We find that after adjusting for individual and school characteristics, school preferences, and neighborhood fixed effects, total travel time and transit use are not predictive of tardiness, but requiring a bus transfer is. These estimates do not vary by student or school characteristics, indicating that this is a general phenomenon that has more to do with system-level reliability than individual motivation or school climate. These findings highlight the hidden costs imposed on some students who wish to leave their neighborhood and travel across town for better educational opportunities.

Pemeriksaan Serta Pemeliharaan Pada Rel 1 Bay Saketi

This research aims to find out about the main substation, good rails (busbars) in the substation system, and inspection and maintenance of the 1 bay Saketi rail. The place and time for industrial practice is carried out at PT. PLN Persero ULTG Rangkasbitung Jl. Rawasari, West Rangkasbitung, District. Rangkasbitung District. Lebak, Banten Province. The implementation time is from 28 November to 28 December 2022 with 5 working days. In this research it was found that rails (busbars) require protection if used in open areas. This avoids a short circuit if a metal object falls on the positive or negative busbar. At one substation there are several types of busbar configurations, including: (1) single bus; (2) double bus-double breaker; (3) main and transfer buses; (4) double bus-single breaker; (5) ring bus; and (6) break and a half.

Reduction Method of Transient Torques on Motors During Motor Bus Transfer

Reduction Method of Transient Torques on Motors During Motor Bus Transfer

A Novel Truncated Normal Tensor Completion Method for Multi-Source Fusion Data

Completing traffic data is a basic requirement for intelligent transportation systems. However, completing spatiotemporal traffic data poses a significant challenge, especially for high-dimensional data with complex missing mechanisms. Various completion methods targeting different missing mechanisms have showcased the superiority of tensor learning by effectively characterizing intricate spatiotemporal correlations. In this study, a novel tensor completion framework, known as the multi-source tensor completion method for data fusion, is proposed. This framework incorporates passenger transfer relationships between buses and subways into subway data completion, enhancing the data completion accuracy. Moreover, by combining bus transfer passenger flow data with other data dimensions, such as the different road sections, time intervals, and days, an innovative 4D low-rank tensor completion data framework was obtained. In addition, to boost the completion accuracy, a truncated l2,p norm optimization model was derived. This model enhances the non-convex performance of the objective function throughout the tensor completion process. The results highlight the superiority of the proposed completion method, leveraging fused subway/bus data over other completion methods that rely solely on subway data.

Research on Optimization of Traffic Management in Smart Tourism Cities for Sustainable Development

Abstract In order to accelerate the efficiency of urban traffic operation in tourism and maximize the efficiency of urban traffic operation. This paper conducts systematic research on urban traffic conditions and proposes the construction of an intelligent urban traffic management system. First of all, the system structure is designed from the whole, and the system is divided into the information collection stage, the information processing stage, and the information release stage to clarify the functions that the system needs to realize. The design of the system includes queries for road conditions, bus transfer, walking navigation, and background management of each functional module. By building a good system development environment, system functions can be realized in code. Visitor satisfaction was evaluated using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, and simulation experiments were carried out to evaluate the system’s optimization effect. The satisfaction of tourists in terms of convenience and comfort is improved compared with that before the use of the system. After the implementation of the intelligent traffic management system, the delay time of the intersection with the most complex road conditions in peak hour E is reduced by 19.8 s. The delay time in the peak hour is reduced by 4 s. It shows that the system improves the satisfaction of tourists in terms of convenience and comfort reduces the possibility of congestion for the tourists and the residents to travel, and improves the utilization rate of the road. The utilization rate of the road.

Villagers' travel burden and the built environment in rural China: Evidence from a national level survey

Travel burden on rural residents is an important theme in transport geography. However, the empirical evidence for this remains scarce. This paper aims to shed light on rural travel burden by examining the relationship between the rural built environment and villagers' travel burden, as measured by the time and money spent on essential and regional trips. A national survey of rural residents in 287 villages across China is analysed. The results show that residents living in rural areas are more likely to be faced with travel burden than are urban residents when accessing livelihood opportunities in local rural settlements and regional urban centres. The built environment attributes are significantly correlated with residents' travel burden. Specifically, the distance from the village to the destination has the strongest relationship with essential trips compared with other built environment variables. Villagers tend to incur higher time costs for an essential or regional trip when paved roads, bus stations and high-quality roads are less accessible. Bus transfer times from the village to the town centre, the population density, and the accessibility of local facilities also show significantly correlation with villagers' travel cost. Moreover, those residents who are elderly, low-income, or have a physical disability are more likely to suffer from high travel burden. The findings will enhance our understanding of the role of land use and transport policies in releasing villagers' travel burden to achieve sustainable transport development in rural contexts.

Analysis of links between dockless bikeshare and metro trips in Beijing

In this study, we examine the factors associated with the integrated use of dockless bikesharing (DBS) and metros. Special attention is paid to the nonlinear effects of these factors, using machine learning; in this case, a random forest model and accumulated local effects (ALE) plots. We measure the integrated use of DBS and metros based on DBS data and metro smart card data in Beijing. Explanatory variables include metro station characteristics, road infrastructure, public transportation services, land use, and urban density, as well as meteorological variables. We find that metro ridership and DBS density around service areas are the most crucial factors for promoting cycling access/ egress near metro stations. After reaching the thresholds of 6,000 trips for metro ridership and 200 bikes/ per km2 for DBS density, notable joint effects are evident between the two variables, which are negative in egress trips but positive in access trips. Bicycle parking and bus transfer distance and their connectivity to metro stations are important for integrated use. We find that buses will be less competitive when exceeding 25 lines per station. Population density has a nonlinear effect, with a positive association below 9,000 persons/ km2 and a decreasing effect above this level. The land-use mix index was also found to be negatively associated with integrated use, and bicycle lanes are not associated with integrated use. Our results demonstrate that public transit service planning should consider the constraints of resources and public space, and we provide recommendations for governments and stakeholders to reallocate DBS and other public transit services around metro stations.

Allowing for Psychological Comprehensive Perception Value in Transfer Decision of Public Transit

To explore traveler transfer decisions for different purposes, a transfer decision model allowing psychological comprehensive perception value is built based on cumulative prospect theory. Combined with the value function of the arrival time and time value model, the cost function of psychological comprehensive perception is established, and the reference point of psychological comprehensive perception is set. Travel cumulative prospect models of bus interchanges and bus transfers to subways chosen by commuters and noncommuters are established, and the two-dimensional (departure time and travel mode) optimal travel decisions of commuters and noncommuters are obtained based on the calculation results. The results show that traveler cumulative prospect value first increases and then decreases with the delay of departure time, and the peak value’s occurrence time of a bus transfer to a subway is later than that of a bus interchange. Cumulative prospect value decreases as the transfer time increases when travelers’ arrive at the destination at the same time. Commuters obtain higher gains when they choose late departure time and bus transfer to the subway with determined transfer time, while noncommuters obtain higher gains with the opposite choice. The results show that traveler comprehensive psychological perception not only depends on arrival time but also depends on departure time, travel time in different stages, and cost. Travelers have different risk preferences for different travel purposes, and commuters’ time value is high, which determines whether they tend to pursue risk. Noncommuters tend to avoid risk. This conclusion can provide a theoretical basis for transfer decisions to improve satisfaction with public transit.

Peer-to-Peer Electrical Energy Trading Considering Matching Distance and Available Capacity of Distribution Line

The concept of peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading leads to the flexible energy transaction of prosumers and consumers, for which the P2P business model is normally the main attention. It still requires system operators to address the challenges in trading and constraint problems. In this context, this work regards the congestion constraint in conjunction with energy trading. Firstly, a matching approach based on the cost path is proposed. It is consistent with the cost for the dispatch along each route, making a suitable matching in both distance and bids. In combination with the matching process, the available capacity has to be considered to avoid line congestion. Secondly, the bus transfer factor (BTF) and the partitioning zone approach are proposed to overcome the issue. BTF refers to a response of bus power to the congested line power. The partitioning zone, separated into the source and the load area, enables a simple management strategy. Thereby, the power adjustment in each area follows BTF. Moreover, compensation and opportunity cost are discussed. In comparison with the demand-side reprofiling approach, this work creates more trading chances for buyers and sellers by 24.70% and 30%, respectively. The reason is traders do not have to curtail their power unnecessarily for congestion management.

Using conjoint analysis to incorporate heterogeneous preferences into multimodal transit trip simulations

AbstractUrban transportation systems involve thousands of individuals making choices between routes with multiple modes and transfers. For transportation system simulations to produce realistic results, modelers need to incorporate these users and their choices. Choice‐based conjoint surveys provide an attractive solution for obtaining flexible utility models that can be used to predict choices for a wide variety of trips. In this study, we demonstrate an example using conjoint survey data of commuter mode choice in the Washington, D.C. metro area (N = 1651). We sample commuters who primarily drive and those that take transit. We examine preferences for different types of multimodal trips, including those with intramodal and intermodel transfers. We find that trips involving a bus transfer are the least preferred while both drivers and transit users both value metro similarly to driving. We also find that walking during transit trips is an important barrier, with the travel time penalty for walking being 60% higher than that of time in a vehicle. Our findings highlight the significance of accounting for differences in modal transfer types in transportation system simulations. Reducing arrival time uncertainty was not a significant factor in commuter mode choice, and commuters' value of time was similar across all vehicle types, suggesting that increasing the relative speed of transit modes may only have a marginal effect on commuter substitution away from personal vehicles.

A city in a bunker in a city: Demilitarizing art in South Korea

AbstractLocated mere feet from the busy Yeouido Bus Transfer Center, the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) Bunker is a former military bunker from 1970s authoritarian South Korea that now showcases changing art exhibits. Debuting in November 2019, Paju (by artist Kim Seung Rea) features a series of paintings and statues capturing life in the town of Paju in the Geyeonggi Province near the border of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea. As a critique of militarization, Paju not only offers a glimpse into the life that blossoms amidst the guard towers, bulwarks, and barbed wire, it challenges the power dynamic implicit in the space of the bunker. Cold War ideologies overlap in SeMA Bunker, for while the bunker was purportedly designed to keep the former president, Park Chung‐hee, safe during potential North Korean attack, the town of Paju was to act as human and infrastructural sacrifice to keep the rest of the country secure. Therefore, to bring Paju into the bunker via the exhibit is to inverse that power relationship and thus work to demilitarize the space, the town, and ultimately the patrons.

100 MOVING TOWARDS “NET ZERO” HEALTHCARE: THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF A MIXED FACE-TO-FACE AND TELEHEALTH MOVEMENT DISORDER CLINIC

Abstract Background The climate emergency disproportionately impacts older people. Providing low carbon-emitting care now is important for current and future healthcare. In “For a Greener NHS”, the NHS (National Health Service) set a target to reduce Carbon emissions for which it is directly responsible by 80% by 2028, 100% by 2040; and for emissions over which the NHS has influence by 100% by 2045. A low carbon model of care includes telehealth clinics. 3.5% of all UK road traffic is NHS travel and transport. Methods A sample was used to estimate modes of transport to clinics. One calendar year of telehealth clinics were reviewed to estimate distances not travelled by patients. Personal protective equipment (PPE) use was estimated. Carbon Dioxide equivalents emissions were calculated to compare face-to-face attenders with telehealth reviews. Results Clinician commute emitted 26.84kgCO2e. A sample of 57 face-to-face attendees indicates 89.48% travel by private vehicle, 7.02% by taxi, 1.75% by ambulance and 1.75% by bus. For the sample, this equates to 246.94kgCO2e if petrol cars used and 238.61kgCO2e if diesel cars used; 1.53kgCOe for taxi transfers; 1.92kgCOe for bus transfer. Reliable data on ambulance transport related CO2e was not found. For telehealth clinics over calendar year 2021, the total distance not travelled by patients was 14,749.8km, mean 25.51km, median 21.6km and range 1-276km. The estimated CO2e savings were: 2.30tonnes CO2e if petrol cars; 2.22tonnes CO2e if diesel cars; 215.65kgCO2e for taxis; 26.4kgCO2e for buses. The PPE related emission-savings were 128.48kgCO2e. Estimating from median travel distance 21.6km for the year: face-to-face attendances resulted in 75.17kgCO2e from taxis; 9.21kgCO2e for bus use; 801.81kgCO2e if petrol private car, 774.78kgCO2e if diesel car. 56kgCO2e in PPE related emissions. Conclusion Telehealth clinics can assist in reaching net zero healthcare. Sustainable and active transport needs facilitation. A specific organisational “Green Plan” is required to equitably and effectively deliver sustainable healthcare.

Improving Metropolitan Transportation Efficiency With FAST Miles

In America’s large and severely congested metropolitan areas, carpools and express bus service could attract many more riders if they could operate between residential areas and job centers on free-flowing highways that provide premium service opportunities. FAST Miles attempts to eliminate recurring congestion on limited-access highway systems using a potentially more publicly acceptable form of road pricing, along with an integrated multimodal strategy to encourage shifts of solo-driving commuters to alternative modes. FAST Miles allocates to motorists a limited number of free miles for use in peak periods on limited-access highways. Every motorist would get a share of free peak-period use of FAST highway facilities “already paid for” through his or her taxes through free FAST Miles credits. Total outstanding credits would be limited to ensure that the metropolitan highway system does not get congested and that express bus services operate faster, providing better levels of service at a lower cost.The concept would include new express bus and carpooling services, improved passenger collection and distribution services at bus transfer stations, free transit trial periods, web-based multimodal trip-planning programs, and individualized marketing of alternative modes at employment centers and in residential areas. Preliminary sketch analysis suggests that FAST Miles could be self-financing. It also would introduce new possibilities for public-private partnerships.

Bus travel time reliability incorporating stop waiting time and in-vehicle travel time with AVL data

Improving bus travel time reliability can attract more commuters to use bus transit, and therefore reduces the share of cars and alleviates traffic congestion. This paper formulates a new bus travel time reliability metric that jointly considers two stochastic processes: the in-stop waiting process and in-vehicle travel time process, and the bus travel time reliability function is calculated by the convolution of independent events’ probabilities. The new reliability metric is defined as the probability when bus travel time is less than a certain threshold and can be used in both conditions with and without bus transfer. Next, Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) data of the city of Harbin is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. Results show that factors such as weather, day of the week, departure time, travel distance, and the distance from the boarding stop to the bus departure station can significantly affect the travel time reliability. Then, a case with low bus departure frequency is analyzed to show the impact of travelers’ arrival distribution on their bus travel time reliability. Further, it is demonstrated that the travel time reliabilities of two bus transfer schemes of the same Origin–Destination (O–D) pair can have significantly different patterns. Understanding the bus travel time reliability pattern of the alternative bus routes can help passengers to choose a more reliable bus route under different conditions. The proposed bus travel time reliability metric is tested to be sensitive to the effect of different factors and can be applied in bus route recommendation, bus service evaluation, and optimization.

Optimization for Feeder Bus Route Model Design with Station Transfer

To fully take the advantages of conventional bus and subway, and to maximize the overall feeder efficiency of the public transport system, the topic of feeder bus route optimization is studied in this paper. Considering the origin destination demand of passenger flow between subway stations and bus stations and transfer characteristics, the objective function is established with the minimum sum of bus operation cost and passenger travel cost. Taking into account the integrity of the feeder bus route, the rationality of the route, the route capacity and the station transfer factors, the constraints of the optimization model are constructed. Based on the idea of the genetic algorithm, the solution algorithm of the optimization model is developed. The genetic algorithm and enumeration algorithm are used to solve the optimization of the feeder bus route in this case, and the accuracy and efficiency of the solution are analyzed. The influence of the number of feeder bus routes on the system in the case network is compared and discussed. We compare and analyze the differences between the original bus network and the feeder bus network in terms of bus operation cost, passenger flow demand and total passenger travel cost. The research shows that the model and algorithm can find the approximate optimal solution of the feeder bus network scheme related to the subway through fewer iterations. The number of routes in the model has little impact on the whole feeder system, and the optimization scheme using five routes is effective and reasonable in this paper. Compared with the existing bus network, the optimization scheme has obvious advantages in improving the passenger-carrying rate, reducing the per capita travel cost and improving the overall operation efficiency of the system.

A differential operation principle of the automatic bus transfer system pickup unit as a way of decreasing the emergency clearing time.a

A proper choice of the design and operation algorithm of emergency control devices like high-speed bus transfer (HSBT) is only possible proceeding from a study and analysis of steady-state and transient processes in emergency modes of operation (short-circuit faults, power supply disconnection, or phase open-circuit fault). The numerical experiments for studying such modes that were carried out, using the Matlab Simulink software package, on the mathematical models of an industrial power supply system involving synchronous motors connected to it made it possible to synthesize a new differential HSBT pickup unit featuring a high-speed response to emergency events. In doing so, special attention was paid to an analysis of transient operation modes with the aim of minimizing the probability of false actuations. The obtained study results have found practical application in the HSBT devices installed at the facilities of PJSC MOSENERGO. The experience gained from the operation of a new device jointly with high-speed circuit breakers produced by the Tavrida-Elektrik state-owned corporation has demonstrated essential advantages in comparison with the conventional HSBT designs.

Transient Residual Voltage Influence on the Dynamic Load Transfer

Abstract The successful operation of back-up supply sources in the case of dynamic loads transfer in industrial electricity supply installation is mainly depending on the mitigation of the residual voltage that appears in fault scenarios that result in losing supply from the main grid. The decrease of the interval of presence of residual bus voltage depends highly on the local load and the network configuration. A high time constant (seconds) of the decreasing residual voltage can lead to the disconnection of critical consumers. In this paper, it is presented a simple, cost-effective method for dynamic load transfer that can replace the Motor Bus Transfer approach. The validity of the method is tested on a real large industrial site from Romania. The case study shows that the proposed approach can achieve a voltage return time of around 750 ms.