How network structure can boost and shape the demand for bus transit

Hugo Badia, Juan Argote-Cabanero and Carlos F. Daganzo

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2017, vol. 103, issue C, 83-94

Abstract: Conventional wisdom states that transit riders are averse to transfers and that consequently bus networks should be designed to limit their number. Probably as a result of this belief, many real bus systems try to connect as many origins and destinations as possible without transfers, so they are usually composed of long, circuitous routes with redundant overlapping sections – and the resulting bus map is hard to understand. If coverage is extensive, many routes are needed. Economics then prevents an agency from populating all routes with sufficient buses to provide attractively frequent service. This low frequency and the complicated circuitous map discourage transfers, perpetuating the belief that people are averse to transferring. Not surprisingly, the percentage of bus trips that includes a transfer has been reported to be: 1.5% for Boston, 3% for New York, 13% for London, and 16% for Melbourne.

Keywords: Public transport; Bus system; Bus network design; Transfer-based network; Network effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2017.05.030

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