Achieving equitable outcomes through optimal design in the development of microtransit zones

Taylor Bonner and Elise Miller-Hooks

Journal of Transport Geography, 2023, vol. 112, issue C

Abstract: As public transit becomes increasingly personalized with services that can dynamically adapt to demand as it is realized over the course of a day, it is important to ensure that the services are equitable and do not grow on unintended or endemic biases, or create new biases. Such biases might arise from prioritizing cost-effectiveness or system efficiency. This paper explicitly integrates equity considerations in the design of public, microtransit services, i.e., shared-ride public services that typically uses vans or shuttles to move passengers along dynamically generated routes operating within predefined zones. To this end, a mathematical model and solution methodology for designing the microtransit zones with the specific aim of creating equitable services is proposed. Findings from the application of the proposed methodology on a case study of Washington, D.C. showcase how even well-intentioned designs created with equity in mind can result in poor service coverage for the same individuals most in need of a reliable and efficient form of transit. The findings also show that resulting service zones developed from a combination of two forms of equity, horizontal and vertical, exceled in serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color populations, older adults, and low-income households with only a small reduction in the number of potential riders with services as compared with designs developed from more typical vertical or horizontal equity measures.

Keywords: Microtransit; Equity; On-demand transit; Accessibility; Public transportation; Mobility; Ridesharing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:112:y:2023:i:c:s0966692323001680

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2023.103696

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