Using an AHP-ISM Based Method to Study the Vulnerability Factors of Urban Rail Transit System

Liangliang Song, Qiming Li, George F. List, Yongliang Deng and Ping Lu
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Liangliang Song: School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Qiming Li: School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
George F. List: Department of Civil, Construction, & Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Yongliang Deng: School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Ping Lu: School of Civil Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: As a sustainable means of public transportation, urban rail transit system undergoes rapid expansion in China. How to provide a safe and reliable service has been the subject of growing attention in this context. However, such work is challenging because rail transit systems are quite vulnerable and influenced by a set of interacting factors. Studying these vulnerability factors will contribute significantly to the operation of rail transit system. From this perspective, this paper made an exploration of the vulnerability factors based on an integrated method consisting of AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) and ISM (Interpretative Structural Modeling). Based on literature review, 21 vulnerability factors were identified. Subsequently, expert elicitation was employed to ascertain the importance of each factor and the interrelations among them. The results suggest that management and individual factors have the highest importance weights and the interrelations among vulnerability factors could be expressed as a five-layer structure, in which management factors were inclined to be at the lower level. The research provides valuable information for decision makers to take proactive strategies and reinforcement policies to guarantee safety operation of urban rail transit system and ensure urban public safety, which could promote the sustainable development of cities.

Keywords: urban rail transit; vulnerability factor; expert elicitation; analytical hierarchy process; interpretative structural modeling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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