Strategies for transit fleet design considering peak and off-peak periods using the single-line model

Sergio Jara-Diaz (), Andrés Fielbaum and Antonio Gschwender

Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 2020, vol. 142, issue C, 1-18

Abstract: Transit demand and traffic conditions present relevant differences between peak and off-peak periods - e.g. flows, trip lengths, congestion - raising a relevant strategic design choice regarding the potential use of vehicles with different sizes. Here we first revisit the optimal design using a single-line, single-fleet model, showing that buses should always run full at the peak but not always at the off-peak. Then we develop a two-fleet strategy (with different vehicle sizes) where one fleet operates the whole day and the other during the peak period only. This strategy includes holding during the peak (in order to avoid bunching) by imposing equal cycle times for both fleets. The two-fleet operation has slightly lower total costs than one-fleet, but exhibits very different effects on users’ and on operators’ costs across periods. A sensitivity analysis reveals the role played by various elements and shows that results are robust. Optimal one and two-fleet designs are both better than optimizing each period independently, revealing economies of time scope.

Keywords: Public transport; Peak off-peak periods; Fleet design; Holding (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191261520304045
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

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:eee:transb:v:142:y:2020:i:c:p:1-18

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/supportfaq.cws_home/regional
https://shop.elsevie ... _01_ooc_1&version=01

DOI: 10.1016/j.trb.2020.09.012

Access Statistics for this article

Transportation Research Part B: Methodological is currently edited by Fred Mannering

More articles in Transportation Research Part B: Methodological from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().