Transit Route Design Research Articles

A note on branch-and-cut-and-price

In this paper, we propose a methodology for branch-and-cut-and-price when cuts and columns are generated simultaneously. The methodology is illustrated with two application cases: the Split Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem (SDVRP) and the Bus Rapid Transit Route Design Problem (BRTRDP).

Geography in Coverage Modeling: Exploiting Spatial Structure to Address Complementary Partial Service of Areas

The assessment of, and planning for, service coverage has been a fundamental aspect of geographic research. In particular, facility placement and associated coverage are central concerns in emergency services, transit route design, cartographic simplification, natural resource management, and weather monitoring, among others. In this article the widely applied set-covering problem is discussed, focusing on its use in geographic analysis. Problematic aspects of set-coverage modeling across space are identified. In particular, geographic information systems (GIS) and enhanced spatial information have accentuated abstraction/spatial representation issues in need of greater consideration in modeling service coverage. To address representational problems with existing approaches, a new set-covering model is introduced for dealing with spatial objects (points, lines, polygons, arcs, curves, etc.). The developed approach accounts for complementary coverage of objects. In doing this, the model decreases modifiable areal unit problem impacts known to be an issue in the geographic application of the set-covering problem. Empirical results are presented to support the usefulness and validity of this new approach.

Genetic Algorithm Approach for Transit Route Planning and Design

The problem of determining an optimal feeder bus route, feeding a major intermodal transfer station (or a central business district), in a service area is considered. Subject to geographic, capacity, and budget constraints, a total cost function, consisting of user and supplier costs, is developed for determining the optimal bus route location and its headway considering intersection delays, irregular grid street patterns, heterogeneous demand distributions, and realistically geographic variations. The criterion for the optimality is to minimize the total cost objective function. The number of feasible bus routes increases drastically with the increased number of the links (streets), and thus this problem is computationally intractable for realistic urban networks. This paper presents examples and demonstrates that the proposed genetic algorithm efficiently converges to the optimal solution, which is validated by the optimal solution obtained by applying an exhaustive search algorithm.

RAM: A normative tool for transit route planning : Leonard Goldstein (Dissertation in the Department of Transportation Planning and Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of New York, New York, NY 11201).

This work deals with the development of a Route Allocation Model (RAM), a practical methodology to assist the transit planner in the development of transit needs. RAM is a computerized transit route design tool which will sequentially allocate bus (or other) routes to an area under study. The model is multi-purpose in that it may be utilized for standard transit route planning or for transit route planning under a scenario of special interest. These scenarios may include such items as limited auto-environment planning, school bus planning, standard Transportation Systems Management Element applications, and the updating of currently outdated transit routes to reflect present day transportation needs. This document discusses such items as: the nature of the general transit routing problem; a disutility function; a definition of the network and the RAM approach. There are charts that illustrate the differences between the conventional approach of route planning and the RAM approach to transit route planning. The scope includes a case study application of the RAM methodology in Queens County, New York City. Results obtained for this case study are presented as well as recommendations for further research. The RAM methodology is developed within this text and complemented by the appendices of computer outputs which illustrate components of the methodology. The appendix material is not included herein, but it is available on request from the Transportation Research and Training Center, Polytechnic Institute of New York. /UMTA/

An interactive graphic transit planning system based on individuals

With recent developments in disaggregated demand models and advances in low cost computer graphic systems, it is now reasonable to contemplate integrating these innovations together in an interactive graphic transit route design system. The authors outline the goals for such a system and propose a means for implementing those goals. The result is an analytical system which is more effective and economically efficient for transit planners to use than previous interactive systems while also having the capability to solve problems of a larger size, for cities up to one million population. Finally, the authors have developed an operational example of such a system to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.