Network Design for Personalized Public Transit Service

Network design requirements for personalized public transit service are presented. This concept involves diverting buses from their fixed routes to pick up passengers in the vicinity of the route. The software developed for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit to implement this concept is also discussed. A Dallas bus route is used as the case study. The service corridor is defined to be one-third of a mile on each side of the route. The software uses the real-time bus location and the schedule adherence data from a satellite-based vehicle locator system. Once it is determined that a given service request can be filled, the program generates the best diversion path and the estimated time of arrival to the caller’s location. The software includes modules for logging incoming calls for service, identifying passenger locations, assessing feasibility of providing service, determining the best diversion path for passenger pickup, and assessing the effect of the diversion on the schedule. The network database includes street geometry (nodes and links); link volumes, capacities, and free-flow speeds; node turning prohibitions; bus stop and timepoint locations; and route schedule including available schedule slacks.