Urban Public Transport Network Research Articles

Construction and Characteristics Analysis of the Xi’an Public Transport Network Considering Single-Mode and Multi-Mode Transferring

The connectivity of the urban public transport network and the convenience of transfers between modes of transit are important factors that affect whether passengers choose public transport. Identifying the key nodes that affect network connectivity, direct access, transfers, and clarifying the main factors that restrict the network efficiency play important roles in improving the efficiency of the public transport network and establishing a “green city”. On this premise, this paper constructs two single-layer networks and a composite network that can reflect the transfer relationship between ‘bus–bus’, ‘metro–metro’, and ‘metro–bus’ based on the method of Space-P. The composite network realizes the integration study of homogeneous and heterogeneous stops, lines, and transfer relationships in the public transport network. At the same time, five kinds of centrality indexes are applied to the transport transfer network, and the significance of these indexes in the network is explained. Through the comprehensive analysis of these five types of indexes, the key nodes affecting the network connectivity, direct access and transfer efficiency, can be identified more accurately. Taking the public transport network of Xi’an as an example, the structural characteristics of the networks, including scale-free and small-world characteristics, were empirically analyzed. The main stops that play important roles in networks were identified based on the integrated centrality, degrees, and weight degrees. The research results showed the following: (1) Xi’an’s metro network, bus network, and metro–bus composite network all have scale-free and small-world characteristics. (2) The influence of the key stops of the metro network is concentrated, while the influence of the key stops of the bus network is scattered. (3) The public transport network in the first ring road area of Xi’an has the highest degree of direct access, and the core areas of the south, west, and north of Xi’an also have high direct access. However, the direct access in the area east of Xi’an is slightly lower. (4) Xi’an’s bus transport network covers a large area, showing the characteristics of a dual-core “central + southern” network. (5) The metro–bus composite network demonstrates a closer connection between stops and a more balanced network. (6) Finally, the degree of direct access to stops in the bus transport network and metro transport network shows the characteristics of “the single core is dominant, and the circle diffusion weakens step by step”.

E-Bus Scheduling


 
 
 The following Review Articles aims at reviewing available literature regarding the introduction of E-Buses in urban public transport networks, with particular focus on the scheduling constraints of both vehicles and crews. 
 Battery Electric Buses (BEBs) are the type of E-Buses taken into consideration in this review through the lens of the Electric Vehicle Scheduling Problem (E-VSP). 
 By introducing the planning processes and scheduling objectives that the implementation of e-buses requires, covering then the most impactful constraints that emerge with their adoption (both complete and partial), and concluding with the illustration of the five solution approaches to the scheduling problem deemed more relevant by the authors on the basis of information availability and frequency of use, the article attempts to provide the reader with holistic level information regarding the topic. 
 
 

Vulnerability Analysis of Bus Network Based on Land-Use Type of Bus Stops: The Case of Xi’an, China

The urban public transport network is closely related to urban construction and is susceptible to external influences, especially the bus network (BN). The measurement of the changes in the performance of BN under disruptions plays an important role in the development of bus systems. This paper takes the land-use type around each bus stop to modify the standard coverage range and then combines the attractive service area of the stop and the passenger flow as the opportunity coefficient to propose an improved accessibility model. Finally, the vulnerability of the BN based on the improved accessibility model in different time periods under four disruptions is analyzed. Taking BN in the central area of Xi’an as a case study, the results show that the BN is less vulnerable when stops are associated with high land-use type attractiveness, and regions with a single land-use type have high vulnerability levels. In addition, the land-use disruption causes larger-scale network vulnerability than topological disruptions. An interesting result, opposed to common sense, is found in stops within the top 10% of topological disruption failure probabilities, i.e., the BN is the most vulnerable during the off-peak night period. This study supplements the coordinated development of public transport and land use in future planning.

Update of the interstate standard “Reinforced concrete slabs for tramway track pavements”

Introduction. Development of urban public transport networks in Russian cities involves modernization and improvement of rail transport to increase its traveling comfort, carrying capacity and reliability. Tram transport is environmentally friendly and has a high passenger capacity. The combination as well as the intersection of rail and pneumatic transport in the urban environment is considered to be an urgent issue. In this regard, State Standard 19231 “Reinforced concrete slabs for tramway track pavements. Specifications” is needed to be revised and updated due to changes in the requirements for concrete and emergence of new classes of steel reinforcement.Aim. To update State Standard 19231 in order to bring products for tram infrastructure to the proper regulatory and technological parameters in compliance with current requirements.Materials and methods. The present study involves an analysis of existing regulatory documents in the field of reinforced concrete materials and products, as well as a bibliographical research of works and expert opinions.Results. Updating the standard resulted in the establishment of specifications that meet the current demand, both in terms of regulations and scientific research.Conclusions. The updated interstate State Standard 19231 will contribute to a higher quality design and production of reinforced concrete slabs for tramway pavements, which will surely enhance their reliability and durability.

Understanding the mobility of public transport systems based on weighted multiplex networks

The structure and properties of urban public transport networks are important for understanding the mobility of public transport systems. However, most studies have ignored the impact of shared mobility and lacked the support of large-scale empirical data when exploring the mobility of urban public transport networks. Using multi-mode travel data, this study constructs a three-layer multiplex network and assigns weights to reflect the transport capacity of different modes (bus, metro, and shared bike) based on ridership and travel distances. The case study was conducted on the public transport system of Shenzhen, China. The results show that the degree distribution and edge weight distribution of the multiplex network exhibit distinct scale-free characteristics. The effect of the multiplex network model on single-layer networks suggests that cooperation between networks significantly improves the capacity and efficiency of urban public transport systems. Regression analysis reveals the effects of the urban population and land use on the demand for public transport services. The results show an intrinsic association between the public transport system and urban land use, which will facilitate the prediction of public transport demand and serve the sustainable development of cities.

Evaluation of Bus Lane Layouts Based on a Bi-Level Programming Model—Using Part of the Qingshan Lake District of Nanchang City, China, as an Example

Bus lanes have gradually become an indispensable infrastructure for the development of urban public transportation networks. A bi-level programming model is used herein to compare the total travel time of social vehicles and buses before and after the bus lane is set up to judge whether the bus lane layout plan is scientific and reasonable considering the road network. The model’s effectiveness is verified using areas of Qingshan Lake in Nanchang City, and the operational efficiency of one bus lane before and after establishing the dedicated bus lane is analyzed. The case results show that the bus lane layout evaluation needs to consider the traffic benefits of a specific road and also judge whether the total travel time of the network traffic volume is improved from the macroscopic road network level. The research results provide theoretical support for the rational layout of bus lanes and are of practical significance for prioritizing the development of public transportation and promoting the sustainable development of urban transportation.

Decision support algorithm for intermodal transport networks: Urban aerial cableway systems

We propose a decision support algorithm to solve the service policy of urban cableway systems, which are used as a transport mode to address the First-Last Mile problem for intermodal urban public transport networks. Our work develops a stochastic discrete-event model for computing the queuing performance of the public transport networks and evaluates the effects on the passenger waiting time over a commercial working day, considering different service policies: (i) previous policy; (ii) current policy; and (iii) proposed policy. We provide an embarking procedure for urban cableway lines to aid transport operators in managing queues on platforms during rush hours. Finally, a set of large-scale Monte-Carlo simulations was conducted using a real multimodal network of a large-size metropolitan city (3.8 million inhabitants) to evaluate the effectiveness of different service policies.

A consumer surplus, welfare and profit enhancing strategy for improving urban public transport networks

We show that a novel pricing system can help resolve a series of perennial problems evident in the deregulated British urban public transport market that have impeded urban growth, access equality and environmental ambitions. A two-stage pricing system, with operators setting their multi-operator service ticket prices collusively in one stage and their single-operator ticket prices independently in the other, offers potential consumer surplus, profit and welfare gains over, what we characterise as, the free-market ‘Status Quo’. The proposed win–win pricing system can also support a larger number of operators and services with potential additional welfare gains. We also compare the proposed system against a multi-operator ticketing card (MTC) scheme, permitted in the UK under the Block Exemption. The Block Exemption allows collusive pricing on a limited basis but is due to expire and is under statutory review, making this is a timely contribution. We show, whilst the MTC offers higher welfare when all regimes provide the same number of services, the proposed system can support a larger number of operators in the presence of fixed costs, which can reverse the welfare ranking in its favour. A calibration exercise indicates the market may be operating in the region where the proposed system can dominate the ‘Status Quo’ in profit, consumer surplus and welfare terms and support a larger network than the ‘Status Quo’ or MTC with further welfare gains. The resulting higher public transport patronage may also offer further indirect benefits via reduced pollution, congestion and accidents. Improved transport efficiency may have urban density advantages, especially in Britain’s second-tier cities which do not tend to benefit from extensive public transit rail and underground networks, with associated agglomeration effects contributing to the current levelling-up priority. Given the salience amongst developed countries of the private aspect of urban public transport in Britain, along with an unresolved private vs public debate, this issue is of potential interest to urban planners and policymakers beyond the UK.

Using Space-L complex network model for public transportation supply and demand analysis in Taipei metropolitan area

As an important means of transportation in modern cities, public transportation plays an important role in people’s travel and the economic development of urban areas Harvey 1971 [1]. Many researchers apply the complex network theory to urban public transport network, construct complex networks and view the operation of urban public transport from the perspective of complex networks. The study established a complex network model of BUS, MRT (metro), LRT (light rail) and Multi-vehicle. And based on the weighted analysis of the actual passenger traffic, the weighted complex network model which conforms to the actual travel characteristics is obtained, and the relationship between the public transport station and the surrounding land use in Taipei metropolitan area is discussed.

Planning of Transportation Infrastructure Networks for Sustainable Development with Case Studies in Chabahar

This article addresses the problem of increasing transport services that intercontinental corridors demand from the urban infrastructure networks along their routes. Yet, attention has not been paid to the coordination between the transportation potentials of a city infrastructure network located on the path of an intercontinental corridor and the sustainable application of the corridor itself. This article discusses solving this problem by increasing the transportation capacities of the cities on the path of the corridor. With field studies in Chabahar, we observe the situation of its transportation infrastructure network to discover shortcomings and suggest required changes. This paper recommends the necessary changes and improvements in the urban transportation system of Chabahar to have a sustainable intercontinental corridor and an effective urban infrastructure network simultaneously. The research methods used include observation of traffic flow and behavior in travel origins, destinations, and paths in Chabahar. Then, this study builds a mathematical model with a graph technique to calculate the traffic capacities on the nodes and streets and determine places that require changes. Analyses show that 13,420 cars enter just the center of Chabahar city due to the increasing pressure of the Chabahar–Milak corridor. This paper recommends a multi-modal transportation system with an urban public transport network. It also suggests physical and geometric corrections in sight distances and longitudinal curves of streets, sidewalks, and squares. We find urban transportation failures in the city and present a comprehensive transportation plan for its improvement. This model is applicable in all cities on the route of corridors and assists their sustainable function and urban transport system simultaneously.

Research on Carbon-Trading Model of Urban Public Transport Based on Blockchain Technology

With the realization of the “dual carbon” goal, urban public transport with an increasing proportion of new energy vehicles will become the key subject to achieve the carbon emission reduction goal. Under the new background of deep coupling between transport networks and power grids, it is of great significance to study the carbon-trading mode of urban public transport participation in promoting the development of new energy vehicles and improving the operating efficiency and low-carbon level of the “energy-transport” system. In this paper, based on blockchain technology, a framework for urban public transportation networks to participate in carbon trading is established to solve the current problems of urban public transportation’s insufficient motivation to reduce emissions, lax operation strategy and lack of carbon-trading matching mechanisms. Finally, Hyperledger Fabric was selected as the simulation platform, and we simulated the model through the calculation example. The results show that the proposed scheme can effectively improve the operating efficiency of urban public transport and reduce its operating costs and carbon emissions. In addition, policy recommendations on carbon price, carbon quota and penalties are proposed to improve the institutional system of the carbon-trading market.

A data driven approach to update public transport service elasticities

Understanding the passenger demand impacts of public transport service changes is a fundamental aspect of transport planning. The main objective of this study is to derive an updated Generalised Journey Time (GJT) elasticity for urban and metropolitan public transport networks, by applying a revealed preference approach using individual passenger journey data. Based on more than 25 million empirical journeys subject to 9 different service interventions within the Greater London area, we find an average GJT elasticity of −0.61. The value implies that for every 1% increase in generalised journey time, on average public transport demand is expected to reduce by 0.61%, and vice versa. We also find that the demand response to service changes is most elastic during the midday period between the peak hours and most inelastic during the AM peak and early morning, possibly caused by a higher share of mandatory journeys. Our study results confirm the existence of a build-up rate from the initial short-run elasticity to a somewhat stronger longer-run elasticity. Besides, we find that at least within the short- and medium-term demand is more elastic to service degradations compared to service improvements. Our findings imply that it requires more time for demand to increase in response to a service quality improvement, compared to demand to decrease after a service quality reduction.

GIS-based Road Network Analysis and Bus Route Evaluation in Futian District, Shenzhen

Futian District is the central urban area of Shenzhen and one of the busiest and most dynamic urban areas. This article is based on the spatial analysis method (slop, density, road area); Simultaneously, using research methods such as average station distance, nonlinear coefficient, service area, and public transportation network repetitive coefficient, combined with national standards, this study analyzes and evaluates the urban road network and public transportation network in Futian District, Shenzhen. The results show that: firstly, the overall difference in road network density in Futian District is significant, with a characteristic of high density in the southeast and low density in the northwest. The transportation network is mainly distributed in the east, south, and west regions. Secondly, the shortcomings of the planning in this area were manifested in the non-compliance of the urban road area with national standards, the high nonlinear coefficient of bus routes, increased time and travel costs for residents' bus travel, and a bus service area within 500 m far below national standards. Reflecting on the sustainable development of urbanization in the area, we should address the shortcomings in road design and public transportation layout, explore our own advantages, and adjust planning strategies to seek new directions and strategies.

Trolleybuses and trams in the urban public transport network of Russian regions: problems and prospects

This study covers the problems and prospects of integrating trolleybuses and trams into the public urban transport network of the Russian regions, to the analysis of the relevant experience of individual cities of the world. As part of the implementation of the national project "Safe High-Quality Roads", the regions are financed to modernize the rolling stock of trolleybuses and trams, expand the network of routes, and create modern infrastructure. The study identified the problems of transition to electric public transport, typical for Russian regions and individual foreign cities. In most cities of Russia, the fleet of trolleybuses and trams has drastically decreased compared to the Soviet period, tram lines often interfered with traffic due to increased urban traffic and were dismantled, the infrastructure and rolling stock are worn out and do not meet safety requirements. Abroad, city authorities face other problems: equipping trolleybuses and trams with security systems that allow them to avoid collisions with pedestrians and collisions with other city transport, equipping rolling stock with on-board batteries with recharging while driving, creating low-floor models of trams and trolleybuses. Thus, the task of switching to electric public transport is common on a global scale, but the problems that the city authorities of Russian and foreign regions need to solve differ significantly.

Exploring the robustness of public transportation system on augmented network: A case from Nanjing China

A highly robust urban public transportation network is the foundation for the stable and sustainable development of a city. Managers may benefit from a reasonable investigation into the robustness of the public transportation system to recognize and deliver improved public transportation services. This paper developed a robustness analysis framework for public transportation systems on augmented network (AN). Specifically, an AN was first built to treat the public transit network from a multi-layer perspective. The AN carefully considers the boarding, alighting, riding and transfer behaviors, and develops cost functions under the congestion effect, thus sufficiently simulating the real passengers’ behaviors. Then, the user equilibrium (UE) assignment model, a model widely used for passenger flow forecasting, is applied to guide the robustness analysis under cascading failures. Finally, a real large-scale bus–rail hybrid network in Nanjing is used as a case study. The results show that the initial station capacities are significant to the impact of the cascading failure, from which we conclude that a larger initial capacity of stations can prevent the cascading failures. By investigating the relationship between passenger flow and cascade size, the comparative results further explain the mechanisms of cascading failures. Thanks to the AN and UE, three types of travel times can be compared to reflect the quality of public passenger trips, which should provide traffic managers with pertinent advice for improving service.

Features of Development of Route Networks of Public Urban Passenger Transport in Russian Monotowns: the Case of the City of Nizhnekamsk

Currently, improvement of public transport of general use is among priority areas for development of urban transport systems. Convenient public transport routes, combined with modern rolling stock and a developed transport infrastructure, allow solving most transport problems and ensure high mobility of residents and guests of a city. The objective of the research, main results of which are described in the paper, was to build an efficient urban public transport network in monotowns of Russia to ensure sustainability of functioning of public passenger transport intended for general use. The article presents an option for solving the problem of functioning of public transport in single-industry towns. Very often, in such cities (with enterprises pronouncedly influencing urban planning), there are two mutually exclusive transport networks, namely, municipal one and contracted one (contracted by an enterprise and intended for shift rotation). As a result, contracted routes are not optimal, municipal carriers suffer losses, transport companies do not meet the schedule, switch to a less capacious type of vehicles, and consequently people are dissatisfied with the work of public transport in the city. To solve these problems, it is proposed to combine the municipal and contracted networks into a single transport network of the city.

Modeling System-Wide Urban Rail Transit Energy Consumption: A Case Study of Boston

Rapid transit systems are critical components of urban public transportation networks in their impact, not only on personal mobility but also on the energy and environmental costs associated with network operations. To facilitate effective planning for current and future needs, a framework is required that provides important consumption metrics and also explains the various contributors to energy consumption, along with their interactions. To address this gap, we estimated models that utilized operational and ridership data for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s rapid transit system, as well as ambient temperature, to accurately predict system-wide electricity consumption. The models were trained with data from 2019 and tested with data from 2020. The estimated multiple linear regression (MLR) and random forest (RF) models explained 93% and 95% of the variance in the data set, respectively. The MLR model provided predictions with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 2.7 MWh and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 4.68%, while the RF model resulted in an RMSE of 2.94 MWh and MAPE of 5.01%. We also investigated the impacts of COVID-19 on the transit system by exploring the effects on ridership, energy consumption, cost, and train movement metrics before and during the pandemic. We find that the models are robust and perform well, even with the significant disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perceived and actual travel times in a multi-modal urban public transport network: comparing survey and AVL data

Perceived travel times of travelers are usually longer than actually realized travel times, implying that passengers’ experience of travel time savings is different from objectively calculated savings. This study provides additional empirical evidence on this topic, by comparing the passengers’ perceived travel times reported in an (online) survey with their corresponding actual in-vehicle travel times from Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) data. The case study involves the metro, tram and bus network of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. On average, travelers perceive their travel time to be 1.9 min (11%) longer than their actual realized travel time. The perceived values match the scheduled values slightly better than the actually realized values. Furthermore, we found a larger travel time over-perception for metro compared to tram and bus. This is a counter-intuitive result, since the metro has been found to have a less negative travel time perception than busses in the public transport choice modelling literature. When the travel purpose is considered, the leisure time purposes recreation and shopping have a significantly smaller travel time over-perception than work-related journeys. Opening a new metro line did not have a significant influence on the travel time perception of travelers in Amsterdam.

Differentiated fares depend on bus line and time for urban public transport network based on travelers’ day-to-day group behavior

Considering travelers’ day-to-day group behavior based on social interaction, this paper proposes a differentiated fare strategy depending on bus line and time. Based on the analysis of travelers’ generalized cost, a day-to-day group travel behavior evolution model with social interaction is established, and the corresponding OD matrix evolutionary model based on the complexity of the group behavior is designed. Set the differentiated fares of bus lines, private car parking fees and bus departure frequency as the optimization variables, the multi-objective optimization model is established to maximize the profit of the public transportation system and travelers’ utility On this basis, the improved particle swarm multi-objective optimization algorithm is introduced to solve the model. Finally, the proposed model and algorithm are applied to a bus network under real case. The numerical results show that: (1) The implementation of differentiated fares depends on bus line and time based on travelers’ day-to-day group behavior can improve the Pareto frontier, in which the travelers obtain higher utility and the public transportation system achieves higher profit than the model based on perfect rationality; (2) Compared with the traditional traffic flow model, the day-to-day evolution model of group behavior under differentiated fares can reduce the congestion of the network; (3) Properly reducing the information interaction range of travelers can effectively reduce the travel time under the differentiated fares.

Experimental analysis of boarding and alighting behavior in urban public transport network: A case study

This paper investigates the characteristics of passengers’ behavior and its effect on the metro stopping time at stations. A field survey was conducted on two mega stations in Cairo metro by video cameras photographing and a stated preference survey was performed based on design of experiments approach. The level of passenger non-compliance behavior, defined as the passengers start boarding the metro while others alighting is analyzed and its relationship with deferent affecting factors is fitted by a two-factor interaction model with a determination coefficient of 0.9234. It is found that some factors have a significant impact on passenger’s non-compliance behavior such as the number of alighting and boarding passengers, applying a penalty when not comply with the rules and the door opening shift (i.e. the train stop away from the place designated for it on the platform). Factor interactions show that alighting process does not affect passenger behavior in case of door opening shift. This may be because the alighting passengers are ready to alight from their position inside the train and have nothing to do. Delay from work is the most influential factor and has interaction with all affecting factors. Results may help for verifying passenger behavior simulation to improve the operational capacity of the metro network.