Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Cross-Checking Automated Passenger Counts For Ridership Analysis, Simon Berrebi, Sanskruti Joshi, Kari Watkins

Journal of Public Transportation

Due to concerns about data quality, Automated Passenger Counting technology has rarely been used to analyze local ridership trends. This paper presents a novel framework to test the consistency and completeness of passenger count data in four cities. The data are aggregated at the system level and compared with the National Transit Database between 2012 and 2018. In all four agencies, passenger counts closely follow the fluctuations observed in the national transit database. There is, however, a slight drift in two of the four agencies. At the stop-level, missing and duplicate vehicle-trips are identified using schedule data from the General …

Driver Perceptions On Taxi-Sharing And Dynamic Pricing In Taxi Services: Evidence From Athens, Greece., Christina Milioti, Konstantinos Kepaptsoglou, Konstantinos Kouretas, Eleni Vlahogianni

Journal of Public Transportation

The taxi industry has changed dramatically during the last decade, as ride-sourcing applications, ride-sharing and alternative pricing schemes have emerged, either as complementing or competitive services and strategies. After some years of familiarity with such trends, it is interesting to explore where the taxi industry stands with respect to possible service innovations. This paper explores behavioral patterns of drivers, focusing on issues such as their preferred way of conducting business, and their views on introducing taxi-sharing and dynamic pricing. Data collected from a face-to-face questionnaire survey in Athens, Greece are exploited, and appropriate econometric models are developed for the purposes …

Using Fuzzy Clustering Of User Perception To Determine The Number Of Level-Of-Service Categories For Bus Rapid Transit, Yueying Huo, Jinhua Zhao, Xiaojuan Li, Chen Guo

Journal of Public Transportation

The concept of level of service (LOS) is meant to reflect user perception of the quality of service provided by a transportation facility or service. Although the LOS of bus rapid transit (BRT) has received considerable attention, the number of levels of service of BRT that a user can perceive still remains unclear. Therefore, in this paper, we address this issue using fuzzy clustering of user perception. User perception is defined as a six-dimension vector of the perceived arrival time, perceived waiting time, bus speed perception, passenger load perception, perceived departure time, and overall perception. A smartphone-based transit travel survey …

Understanding Transantiago Users’ Motivations For Paying Or Evading Payment Of Bus Fares, Carolina Busco, Felipe González, Yamil Jaqueih, Felipe Jiménez, Borja Alonso

Journal of Public Transportation

Transantiago, the public transport system implemented in Santiago, Chile, remains a controversial subject of public debate due to constantly increasing fare evasion rates throughout its decade-long existence. The

Transantiago, the public transport system implemented in Santiago, Chile, remains a controversial subject of public debate due to constantly increasing fare evasion rates throughout its decade-long existence. The research question under consideration in this paper is as follows: What motivates individuals to evade or pay bus fares? To answer this question, we developed a multidisciplinary study that combined relevant engineering expertise with a sociological perspective and combined quantitative analyses with qualitative methodologies …

People-Focused And Near-Term Public Transit Performance Analysis, Alex Karner

Journal of Public Transportation

Public transit ridership forecasts have long played a role in understanding the potential success of a policy or investment, but their limitations have led researchers and practitioners to identify other performance analysis approaches. Accessibility, or the ease of reaching opportunities, has become very popular and widely used for this purpose. But commonly used accessibility measures also embody weaknesses that are seldom acknowledged; these limit their utility for truly understanding the benefits of transit investments. In this paper, we identify the pros and cons of these competing approaches and offer a third strategy. Specifically, we describe how revealed travel behavior data, …

Occupational Health And Job Satisfaction Assessment Of Bus Rapid Transit (Brt) Drivers, Alireza Samerei, Kayvan Aghabayk, Alireza Soltani

Journal of Public Transportation

Several studies have focused on ergonomics of commercial and urban bus drivers; however, there exists a dearth of research on BRT drivers. This study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting the BRT drivers' mental health and satisfaction. The study was carried out on 171 BRT drivers in Tehran, Iran. The required data were collected through two questionnaires. The Classification and Regression Tree (CART) and Hierarchical clustering (HC) was used to extract factors affecting mental health and satisfaction of BRT drivers. The important factors affecting BRT drivers' mental health were: dispute with passengers, depression, BMI, criminal behaviours of passengers, driver's …

Increasing Boarding Lost Time At Regular Bus Stops During Rainy Conditions: A Case Study, Margarita Novales, Alfonso Orro, José-Benito Pérez-López, Jorge Feal, Miguel R. Bugarín

Journal of Public Transportation

Inclement weather conditions affect the behavior of travelers and transportation system operations. Understanding this influence can help improve operational planning schemes for any mode of transport, especially for buses. One of the factors that can be affected by rainfall is the time expended by a passenger from the moment a bus opens its doors until he/she boards the bus. This time is known as the boarding lost time (BLT); it was first introduced in the last edition of the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM). TCQSM only considers the BLT for bus rapid transit (BRT) stations with more …

Modeling Bus Bunching And Anti-Bunching Control Accounting For Signal Control And Passenger Swapping Behavior, Qi Xin, Rui Fu, Shaowei Yu, Satish V. Ukkusuri, Rui Jiang

Journal of Public Transportation

The conventional bus propagation process has two main shortcomings: one is bus bunching, the other is extra energy consumption by idling at signalized intersection and unexpected speed variation along the route. To overcome these problems simultaneously, an extended bus propagation model and an anti-bunching control are proposed. To extend the time-based bus propagation model, we employ finite state machine and intelligent driver model to establish a spatial-temporal based bus propagation model accounting for bus dynamic motion and passenger swapping behavior between bunching buses. To mitigate bus bunching and improve bus fuel economy in a cyber-traffic environment, an anticipated average speed …

Valuing Public Transport Customer Amenities: International Transit Agency Practice, Chris De Gruyter, Graham Currie

Journal of Public Transportation

Public transport customer amenities cover a range of measures that can enhance the quality of the passenger experience, such as information provision and station quality. While much research has determined the value that users place on amenities, there is little understanding of current practice in the use of customer amenity valuations in project appraisal. A survey of transit agencies in 11 cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland, London, Paris, Toronto, Vienna, Oslo and Singapore) was undertaken showing that Australasian cities, albeit Melbourne, generally have widespread inclusion of customer amenities as part of advanced appraisals for all relevant types of public …

Extracting Bus Transit Boarding And Alighting Information Using Smart Card Transaction Data, Zhen Chen, Wei Fan

Journal of Public Transportation

The smart card–based automated fare collection (AFC) technologies provide new opportunities for transportation data collection since smart card data (SCD) contain a significant amount of archived information that can be gathered and leveraged to help estimate public transit origin-destination (OD) matrices. Both boarding and alighting location detection are important particularly when there is no automatic vehicle location (AVL) system or other information in the database. With the analysis of raw data using limited information in this paper, an algorithm for boarding stop identification is presented after the trip direction and boarding cluster identification. Alighting stops are then identified based on …

Exploring Low-Carbon Bus Options For Urban Brt Systems: The Case Of Amman, Rana Imam, Seong-Cheol Kang, Diana Quezada

Journal of Public Transportation

Being able to provide high-quality, metro-like transit service at a fraction of the cost of other options, bus rapid transit (BRT) has been viewed as one of the most cost-effective public mass transport systems suitable for urban areas. Considering significant amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions are attributed to the transport sector, deploying low carbon buses for BRT systems should be of high priority. With a view to promoting low carbon buses instead of diesel buses for a BRT system currently being planned in Amman, Jordan, this paper evaluates several low carbon bus options – hybrid, plug-in …

Covid-19 And Public Transportation: Current Assessment, Prospects, And Research Needs, Alejandro Tirachini, Oded Cats

Journal of Public Transportation

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great challenge for contemporary public transportation worldwide, resulting from an unprecedented decline in demand and revenue. In this paper, we synthesize the state-of-the-art, up to early June 2020, on key developments regarding public transportation and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the different responses adopted by governments and public transportation agencies around the world, and the research needs pertaining to critical issues that minimize contagion risk in public transportation in the so-called post-lockdown phase. While attempts at adherence to physical distancing (which challenges the very concept of mass public transportation) are looming in several countries, the latest …

Toward Car Free Key West, Mary Bishop

Journal of Transportation Demand Management Research

This paper explores the transportation problems created by the large volume of tourist arrivals to the island of Key West, Florida. A survey of visitors to the island was conducted to uncover their perspectives related to the barriers and benefits of various transportation modes in hopes to inform City staff on the development of transportation options that will meet the needs and desires of tourists. The results from 398 respondents revealed a variety of trends, including varying travel choices depending on the number of visits, where visitors were from, and arrival types. From these trends, priority groups for behavior change …

Understanding Transit System Performance Using Avl-Apc Data: An Analytics Platform With Case Studies For The Pittsburgh Region, Xidong Pi, Mark Egge, Jackson Whitmore, Amy Silbermann, Zhen Sean Qian

Journal of Public Transportation

This paper introduces a novel transit data analytics platform for public transit planning, assessing service quality and revealing service problems in high spatiotemporal resolution for public transit systems based on Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) technologies. The platform offers a systematic way for users and decision makers to understand system performance from many aspects of service quality, including passenger waiting time, stop-skipping frequency, bus bunching level, bus travel time, on-time performance, and bus fullness. The AVL-APC data from September 2012 to March 2016 were archived in a database to support the development of a user-friendly web …

Reflections On The Future Of Public Transportation, Joel Volinski

Journal of Public Transportation

No abstract provided.

Is It Time For A Public Transit Renaissance?: Navigating Travel Behavior, Technology, And Business Model Shifts In A Brave New World, Susan Shaheen, Adam Cohen

Journal of Public Transportation

Travel behavior is undergoing a period of significant change in the United States. In 2016, public transit ridership fell in almost all major U.S. metropolitan regions. While Americans are still heavily dependent on the personal automobile for mobility, technological and societal changes are transforming how mobility is accomplished. This paper reviews the convergence of five trends leading to fundamental changes in public transportation: (1) changing generational behavior toward suburbanization and automobility; (2) new attitudes toward information communications technology; (3) shifting attitudes toward sharing and mobility on demand; (4) innovative alternatives to work and non-work travel; and (5) an increasing number …

Not If, But When: Autonomous Driving And The Future Of Transit, Jerome M. Lutin

Journal of Public Transportation

This paper discusses the implications of autonomous vehicle technology on auto use and travel behavior, and the resulting impacts on public transportation. The paper goes on to explore how autonomous driving technology can make more efficient use of bus transportation and improve service to disabled individuals. The paper concludes with recommendations for transit agencies to engage with government and suppliers of autonomous vehicles to promote research, development, and policies that will allow the industry to reap the benefits of this revolutionary and disruptive technology.

Analysis On The Influence Factors Of Accident Severity: Evidence From Urban River-Crossing Tunnels In Shanghai Of China, Wan He, Zhuoye Zhang, Linjun Lu, Zhenyu Wang

CUTR Faculty Journal Publications

To analyze various factors influencing the accident severity of urban river-crossing tunnels, 12 influence factors were selected according to the three traffic elements of vehicle, road, and environment, including accident-involved vehicle type, tunnel length, tunnel speed limit, accident occurrence time, and weather. These factors were based on the historical data of 14 urban river-crossing tunnels in Shanghai. A binary logistic regression model was also utilized to identify significant influence factors and analyze the influence degrees of their accident severity. Significance analysis reveals that accident occurrence place, accident-involved vehicle type, tunnel speed limit, number of vehicles involved, and accident type are …

Can Public Transportation Compete With Automated And Connected Cars?, Ralph Buehler

Journal of Public Transportation

Over the next 30 years, technological innovation will make automobile travel more convenient. Automated and connected vehicles will perform an increasing number of driving tasks without human input and will lure customers away from traditional public transportation. This paper first explores key characteristics of public transportation demand in the United States today--based on an international comparison with other Western countries. Next, the paper provides potential pathways on how public transportation agencies and local governments in the United States could respond to the emergence of automated and connected vehicles. The paper argues that space efficiency in urbanized areas and the rush …

Lies, Damned Lies, Avs, Shared Mobility, And Urban Transit Futures, Graham Currie

Journal of Public Transportation

It seems to me there is a gigantic lot of nonsense discussed about the future of transport and the future of public transport in particular. As a researcher in the field, I find my emotions boiling over. I get angry at blanket statements telling us public transport has no future and it seems to me much of what is talked about regarding transport futures flies in the face of facts and a long history of what knowledge has gleaned about the human condition, economics, cities, and travel. My hope is that readers will see prevailing discourse differently as a result …

Future Of Rural Transit, Jill Hough, Ali Rahim Taleqani

Journal of Public Transportation

This paper provides a contemplative description of the future of rural public transportation. It considers emerging technologies along with their long-term implications and corresponding impacts on rural communities. The authors used their collective knowledge to identify key drivers of change in rural areas. As a result, the authors expect the future definition of rural areas to change and a new geographical classification to emerge. This classification is a continuum of population density gradient from highly populated urban areas to sparsely populated areas. The paper also suggests that automated vehicles and hologram telecommuting could dominate the U.S. transportation industry, even in …

Just Around The Corner: The Future Of U.S. Public Transportation, Steven E. Polzin

Journal of Public Transportation

No abstract provided.

Does The Future Of Mobility Depend On Public Transportation?, Kari Watkins

Journal of Public Transportation

We’ve all seen the headlines. “Will self-driving cars, taxis make mass transit obsolete?” (Davidson 2017) and “What happens if Uber or Lyft outcompetes public transit?” (Sen 2017) or even “Department Of Transportation Says The Future Of Transit Looks Pretty Bleak” (Griggs 2015). We are entering the next great revolution in how people move about in cities. But does the future of transportation mean the end of transit?

Improved Mobility Through Blurred Lines, Carol Schweiger

Journal of Public Transportation

No abstract provided.

Better Integrating Travel Choices Into Future Urban Mobility Systems: The Day The Highways Stood Still, Eric Schreffler

Journal of Public Transportation

No abstract provided.

Transit In The 2000s: Where Does It Stand And Where Is It Headed?, Michael Manville, Brian D. Taylor, Evelyn Blumenberg

Journal of Public Transportation

U.S. public transit has experienced something of a renaissance in the 2000s, with per capita service levels increasing nationwide and public investment growing even faster—particularly expenditures on rail transit. Despite this expansion, overall transit patronage has been relatively flat, and has declined significantly since 2014. What is behind these trends, and what do they portend for the future of transit? In this paper we consider three challenges shaping transit today and in the years ahead: (1) the asymmetry of transit supply and use make it especially vulnerable to changes and disruptions; (2) many of the factors that determine transit ridership, …

To Predict With Confidence, Plan For Freedom, Jarrett Walker

Journal of Public Transportation

No abstract provided.

A Synthesis Of Mobile Ticketing Applications Used By Commuter Railroads In The United States, Jonathan Mesoraca, Candace Brakewood

Journal of Public Transportation

Since 2012, many major commuter railroads have deployed mobile ticketing applications (or “apps”) that allow passengers to pay fares directly using their smartphones. In light of this rapid technological change, this research aims to provide a synthesis of the current state of mobile ticketing in the United States. The 14 largest commuter railroads that have launched mobile ticketing apps are compared in four different areas: (1) the ticket validation process; (2) ticket types offered in the mobile app; (3) additional features in the app; and (4) the process for transferring to other modes using the app. The results reveal that …

Ex-Regular Users Of Public Transport: Their Reasons For Leaving And Returning, Paula Vicente, Elizabeth Reis

Journal of Public Transportation

This paper describes the characteristics of former regular users of public transport in the metropolitan area of Lisbon. It also examines why these people stopped using public transport and explores what would make them become regular users again. The empirical results revealed significant socio-demographic differences between current and ex-regular users, namely in relation to gender and social level. Differences were also found in travel characteristics, car ownership, and satisfaction with the transit service. The main reasons given by ex-regular users for no longer using public transport included changes in their lives (e.g., change in workplace/residence/ school or becoming unemployed) and …

Towards Food Service Sustainability In Suburban Environments By Optimally Locating Shared Anaerobic Digester Units, Rebecca Loraamm, Joni Downs, Robert Alonso Bair, Daniel Yeh

Suburban Sustainability

Anaerobic digestion is an effective method for reducing food waste at the consumer level. Drawbacks associated with this strategy include high construction costs for multiple digester units and limited public awareness of the method’s commercial potential. Given the large scale problem of food waste, an approach establishing community partnerships between local businesses and primary schools is offered to combat the problem of food waste. Optimizing the placement of shared digester units enabling utilization by multiple stakeholders is the suggested mitigation method. This research explores application of the p-median problem to determine the set of optimal sites for shared anaerobic digester …