Feeder bus service design under spatially heterogeneous demand

Li Zhen and Weihua Gu

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2024, vol. 189, issue C

Abstract: In rapidly sprawling urban areas and booming intercity express rail networks, efficiently designed feeder bus systems are more essential than ever to transport passengers to and from trunk-line rail terminals. When the feeder service region is sufficiently large, the spatial heterogeneity in demand distribution must be considered. This paper develops continuum approximation models for optimizing a heterogeneous fixed-route feeder network in a rectangular service region next to a rail terminal. Our work enhances previous studies by: (i) optimizing heterogeneous stop spacings along with line spacings and headways; (ii) accounting for passenger boarding and alighting numbers on bus dwell times and patron transfer delays at the rail terminal; and (iii) examining the advantages of asymmetric coordination between trunk and feeder schedules in both service directions. To tackle the increased modeling complexity, we introduce a semi-analytical method that combines analytically derived properties of the optimal solution with an iterative search algorithm. Local transit agencies can readily utilize this approach to design a real fixed-route feeder system.

Keywords: Feeder bus; Bus network; Heterogeneous demand; Continuum approximation; Schedule coordination (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2024.104214

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