An Optimization Study Revealed That Integrated Demand-Responsive Transport (I-DRT) Systems Can Reduce Average Passenger Travel Time By As Much as 36 Percent Compared to Traditional Public Transit.
Transit Route Optimization Was Evaluated in Canberra, Australia.
Canberra
Integrated Demand Responsive transport in Low-Demand Areas: A case study of Canberra, Australia
Summary Information
Traditional public transport (PT) systems often face limitations in low-demand urban areas due to their inherent inflexibility and cost-inefficiency; Integrated-Demand Responsive Transport (I-DRT) is one possible solution. I-DRT not only serves as a feeder, connecting residents to the PT network, but also provides local services from any origin to any destination within the service area. This study investigated the implications of replacing the existing local bus lines in Canberra, Australia with I-DRT using a multi-objective model. The study compared the performance of I-DRT and existing local bus lines based on number of utilized vehicles, operational cost, fuel consumption, average travel time, individual passenger travel time, and delay. The dataset, obtained from Canberra’s MyWay card, included details such as trip origins, destinations, and departure/arrival times for the busiest weekend day of the busiest month between August 2020 and July 2021.
METHODOLOGY
This study simulated I-DRT using a multi-objective route optimization model with different prioritizations on operational cost and passengers’ travel time to explore the impact of trade-offs between objectives on the performance of I-DRT. In the model, the local bus lines of the study area were replaced with the I-DRT system. Each ride request was associated with a desired time window specified by the earliest visiting time and the latest visiting time.
FINDINGS
- This study found that the average travel time for passengers using the local bus network was 12.2 minutes. Average travel time for passengers using I-DRT ranged from 10.3 minutes (a 15 percent reduction), when the focus was on minimizing operational costs.
- When the focus was solely on minimizing passengers' travel time, the average travel time decreased to 7.7 minutes (a 36 percent reduction).
- The results demonstrated that I-DRT had the potential to reduce travel distance by 38 to 46 percent by preventing unnecessary travel.
- The results indicated that replacing the local bus network with I-DRT could result in a reduction of operational costs from $10,377 AUD ($6,509 USD) to $4,036 AUD ($2,532 USD), equivalent to a 61.1 percent reduction, when the focus was on minimizing operational costs.
- The results indicated that the fuel consumption could be reduced by 50 percent when the model prioritization focused on minimizing passengers' travel time.
