Numerical Analysis of Transit in Rural Netherlands Found that Demand-Responsive Transit Halves Perceived Travel Time Compared to Fixed Transit for 50 Percent of Trips.
Demand-Responsive Transport Pilot Was Evaluated in Comparison with Fixed Transit in Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Netherlands
The Potential of Demand-Responsive Transport as a Complement to Public Transport: An Assessment Framework and an Empirical Evaluation
Summary Information
Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) services provide a flexible travel option that can complement Fixed Transit (FT) systems, enhancing mobility and expanding service coverage. Although the concept of DRT is not new, its widespread implementation has only recently become feasible due to advancements in technology. These developments have enabled real-time, large-scale operations, leading to the emergence of modern urban DRT services. Examples include Bridj, Lyft Line, UberPOOL, and Via in the United States, as well as Abel in Amsterdam, Kutsuplus in Helsinki, Padam in Paris, and Radiobus di Quartiere in Milan. This study evaluated the performance of DRT and its impact on availability through a pilot service deployed in Nijmegen, Netherlands, in December 2016, featuring a network of 255 stops.
METHODOLOGY
This study used numerical methods to analyze the DRT system characteristics and operation involving both DRT usage and performance and examined a series of availability indicators. Input data included the pick-up and drop-off locations for all registered ride requests, both performed and declined, between December 2016 and May 2017. Overall, a total of 4,719 performed trips and 130 declined trips were considered valid for the analysis.
FINDINGS
- The case study shows that 50 percent of rides had a DRT generalized journey time (the perceived passenger journey time) half or less than that of FT.
- In total, the results indicated that only 0.1 percent and 16.5 percent of the DRT trips could have been performed as walking and bike trips, respectively.
