Comparison of Public Transport Network Design Methodologies Using Solution-Quality Evaluation

Abstract

Because of the expected shift from ordinary to autonomous vehicles, the role of public transport (PT) will have to be enhanced, and thus there is a need to pay more attention to its design procedures and evaluation processes. This study compares previous models and methodologies by creating a quality-evaluation platform that enables a comparison of their solution qualities. The evaluation framework developed consists of an integration component between the criteria and objectives of the passengers, the agencies, and the authorities. A set of performance indicators is selected from the literature to build an evaluation rating system. Existing benchmark networks are adopted in the numerical experiments, and interesting findings are obtained. The evaluation results reveal that the quality of the solutions declines with an increase in the network size, and for large networks, the consideration of an unlimited capacity of transport modes is too simplified; this points to the need for a layer-by-layer analysis. In addition, this study shows the level of importance in making transfers. The methodology developed can help planners to improve and design better PT networks.