Comparison of Bus Network Structures in Face of Urban Dispersion for a Ring-Radial City

Hugo Badia ()
Additional contact information
Hugo Badia: KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Networks and Spatial Economics, 2020, vol. 20, issue 1, No 9, 233-271

Abstract: Abstract This paper extends the discussion about the bus network design in face of the mobility patterns associated with different degrees of urban dispersion. Based on an analytical approach, a comparison of total costs among different network structures is made for a ring-radial city, which is the other most common regular city layout. The results clarify what structure is the best solution for different scenarios of dispersion and city and transport characteristics. Simultaneously, the effect of the street pattern on the applicability of each structure is evaluated comparing these results to a previous research for a grid city. Three basic structures are analyzed: a radial scheme, a direct-trip-based network, and a hybrid structure as a transfer-based alternative. Each structure is dominant for a specific range of dispersion: radial networks for scenarios of high concentration, direct-trip-based systems for intermediate degrees of dispersion, and transfer-based structures when the activities are decentralized. However, constraints on stop capacity modify these ranges. Each structure presents a different distribution of travel time in the transit chain and agency costs that determine the most competitive alternative. In addition, the behavior of the structures and the evolution of costs regarding urban decentralization are practically the same for both street patterns: system costs grow with increasing mobility dispersion, the range of applicability for each structure is the same, and changes in their applicability when main input parameters vary are very similar. Therefore, these results make it possible to generalize about the conclusions obtained independently of the street layout.

Keywords: Transit network design; Bus network structure; Ring-radial networks; Hybrid network; Public transportation; Urban mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11067-019-09474-5 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:netspa:v:20:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11067-019-09474-5

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... ce/journal/11067/PS2

DOI: 10.1007/s11067-019-09474-5

Access Statistics for this article

Networks and Spatial Economics is currently edited by Terry L. Friesz

More articles in Networks and Spatial Economics from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().