The principles and practices of designing and implementing a multicenter-based timed transfer network at a medium-sized transit agency are discussed. Information is presented on route structure concepts, network design tools and considerations, the effect of the service structure on passenger transfers, and rider behavior. Notable differences from existing practices and assumptions are emphasized, especially relative to the commonly used central business district–focused radial network. Both operational and customer aspects are presented.
This paper discusses a model for the problem of locating garages in an urban mass transit system and the associated assignment of vehicles to garages for background and peak services of transit lines. The objective of this model is to minimize the sum of fixed site-related costs, variable vehicle costs, and crew relief costs. The model is solved by an iterative procedure involving a location interchange heuristic and a network flow-based algorithm. The implementation of the model is discussed through its various stages, from data preparation to the final policy recommendations.
The availability in the Shirley Highway corridor in Northern Virginia of an uncongested high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane restricted to vehicles carrying three or more persons has led to the development of significant dynamic ridesharing activity. Each day, drivers of vehicles carrying too few occupants to qualify for HOV lane use (known as “bodysnatchers”) stop at informally established but well-known locations to seek additional passengers (known as “slugs”). As part of a study whose purpose was to quantify the likely effects of changing the HOV lane eligibility rule from three or more persons per vehicle to two or more persons per vehicle, data were collected on the patterns of dynamic carpool formation. These data were used in the examination of the hypothesis that an important factor contributing to the long-term success of dynamic ridesharing is that a single passenger need never ride with a lone driver: the 3+ occupant HOV rule ensures that there will always be two passengers in addition to the driver. Analysis of carpool formation patterns by number and gender revealed that slugs come in pairs. Changing the HOV occupancy rule would result in fewer vehicles seeking riders, but most slugs would still find acceptable rides. The primary effect on ridesharing would result from increased congestion in the HOV lanes.
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