Cellular Automata Based Modeling for Evaluating Different Bus Stop Designs in China

Abstract

A cellular automaton model is proposed to simulate mixed traffic flow composed of motor vehicles and bicycles near bus stops. Three typical types of bus stops which are common in China are considered in the model, including two types of curbside bus stops and one type of bus bay stops. Passenger transport capacity of three types of bus stops, which is applied to evaluate the bus stop design, is calculated based on the corresponding traffic flow rate. According to the simulation results, the flow rates of both motor vehicles and bicycles exhibit phase transition from free flow to the saturation one at the critical point. The results also show that the larger the interaction between motor vehicle and bicycle flow is near curbside bus stops, the more the value of saturated flows drops. Curbside bus stops are more suitable when the conflicts between two flows are small and the inflow rate of motor vehicles is low. On the contrary, bus bay stops should be applied due to their ability to reduce traffic conflicts. Findings of this study can provide useful suggestions on bus stop selection considering different inflow rate of motor vehicles and bicycles simultaneously.

Lane width‐based cellular automata model for mixed bicycle traffic flow

“…Ding et al. () used the NS model for motorized traffic flow, and the BCA model for bicycle flow to simulate a mixed traffic flow near bus stops. Ren, Jiang, Chen, Huang, and Lu () presented a CA model to explain the straight‐through movements in heterogeneous bicycle traffic at signalized intersections.…”

“…Zhang, Ying, and Hu (2014) used an NS-BCA model to simulate a mixed traffic flow at the intersections using a motorized-vehicle-bicycle. Ding et al (2015) used the NS model for motorized traffic flow, and the BCA model for bicycle flow to simulate a mixed traffic flow near bus stops. Ren, Jiang, Chen, Huang, and Lu (2016) presented a CA model to explain the straight-through movements in heterogeneous bicycle traffic at signalized intersections.…”

Research on the characteristics of mixed traffic flow based on an improved bicycle model

“…Zhang et al 22 proposed a combined NaSch–BCA model, considering vehicle–bicycle interference characteristics, to analyze mixed traffic flow at an intersection. Ding et al 23 also proposed a combined NaSch–BCA model to evaluate different bus stop designs in China. Luo et al 24 proposed a new cellular automata model to simulate heterogeneous vehicle and bicycle traffic on an urban road.…”

Analyzing the Impact of Trucks on Traffic Flow Based on an Improved Cellular Automaton Model

“…Since most roads in the world have two or more lanes in one direction, lane-change rules have been developed from the single-lane CA model into the multilane CA model. Some complex traffic problems have been simulated through these models and abundant research results have been obtained [16][17][18].…”