IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jotrge/v58y2017icp220-233.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improving Bus Service Levels and social equity through bus frequency modelling

Author

Listed:
  • Ruiz, Maurici
  • Segui-Pons, Joana Maria
  • Mateu-LLadó, Jaume

Abstract

Bus lines play an essential role in providing urban public transport service. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics determine the specific transport service needs of districts that, in most cases, are not served by the existing bus routes. Small changes in the frequency of a bus route can have a direct effect on the territorial distribution of a city's public transport service. Adjusting the frequencies of a bus fleet can help planners improve the service level and adapt the fleet's spatial distribution. A bus frequency optimization methodology is proposed to improve harmonization between service level and social equity in public transport. The method relies on a simple spreadsheet that integrates geographic data about bus routes and socioeconomic information about city districts. Simulation and optimization procedures are coordinated to appropriately adjust the routes to the geographic space. The proposed method is tested in a real case study that demonstrates its usefulness in analysing the service level and equity of a transport system and improving a city's public transport planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruiz, Maurici & Segui-Pons, Joana Maria & Mateu-LLadó, Jaume, 2017. "Improving Bus Service Levels and social equity through bus frequency modelling," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 220-233.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:58:y:2017:i:c:p:220-233
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.12.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692316307347
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2016.12.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Farahani, Reza Zanjirani & Miandoabchi, Elnaz & Szeto, W.Y. & Rashidi, Hannaneh, 2013. "A review of urban transportation network design problems," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 229(2), pages 281-302.
    2. Delbosc, Alexa & Currie, Graham, 2011. "The spatial context of transport disadvantage, social exclusion and well-being," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1130-1137.
    3. Currie, Graham, 2010. "Quantifying spatial gaps in public transport supply based on social needs," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 31-41.
    4. Ricciardi, Anthony Michael & Xia, Jianhong(Cecilia) & Currie, Graham, 2015. "Exploring public transport equity between separate disadvantaged cohorts: a case study in Perth, Australia," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 111-122.
    5. Ibarra-Rojas, O.J. & Delgado, F. & Giesen, R. & Muñoz, J.C., 2015. "Planning, operation, and control of bus transport systems: A literature review," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 38-75.
    6. Delbosc, Alexa & Currie, Graham, 2011. "Using Lorenz curves to assess public transport equity," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1252-1259.
    7. Neutens, Tijs, 2015. "Accessibility, equity and health care: review and research directions for transport geographers," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 14-27.
    8. Chen, Xumei & Yu, Lei & Zhang, Yushi & Guo, Jifu, 2009. "Analyzing urban bus service reliability at the stop, route, and network levels," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 43(8), pages 722-734, October.
    9. Welch, Timothy F., 2013. "Equity in transport: The distribution of transit access and connectivity among affordable housing units," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 283-293.
    10. Perugia, Alessandro & Moccia, Luigi & Cordeau, Jean-François & Laporte, Gilbert, 2011. "Designing a home-to-work bus service in a metropolitan area," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 45(10), pages 1710-1726.
    11. Wu, Belinda M. & Hine, Julian P., 2003. "A PTAL approach to measuring changes in bus service accessibility," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 307-320, October.
    12. Guihaire, Valérie & Hao, Jin-Kao, 2008. "Transit network design and scheduling: A global review," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 42(10), pages 1251-1273, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ben-Elia, Eran & Benenson, Itzhak, 2019. "A spatially-explicit method for analyzing the equity of transit commuters' accessibility," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 31-42.
    2. Rahman, Moshiur & Yasmin, Shamsunnahar & Eluru, Naveen, 2020. "A joint panel binary logit and fractional split model for converting route-level transit ridership data to stop-level boarding and alighting data," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1-16.
    3. Börjesson, Maria & Eliasson, Jonas & Rubensson, Isak, 2020. "Distributional effects of public transport subsidies," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    4. Zhan, Shuguang & Wong, S.C. & Lo, S.M., 2020. "Social equity-based timetabling and ticket pricing for high-speed railways," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 165-186.
    5. Camporeale, Rosalia & Caggiani, Leonardo & Ottomanelli, Michele, 2019. "Modeling horizontal and vertical equity in the public transport design problem: A case study," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 184-206.
    6. Luo, Qingyu & Bing, Xue & Jia, Hongfei & Song, Jinge, 2022. "An incentive subsidy mechanism for bus lines based on service level," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 1-13.
    7. Maria-Dolores Pitarch-Garrido, 2018. "Social Sustainability in Metropolitan Areas: Accessibility and Equity in the Case of the Metropolitan Area of Valencia (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Chen, Qingxin & Fu, Chenyi & Zhu, Ning & Ma, Shoufeng & He, Qiao-Chu, 2023. "A target-based optimization model for bike-sharing systems: From the perspective of service efficiency and equity," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 235-260.
    9. You-Zhi Zeng & Bin Ran & Ning Zhang & Xiaobao Yang & Jia-Jun Shen & She-Jun Deng, 2018. "Optimal Pricing and Service for the Peak-Period Bus Commuting Inefficiency of Boarding Queuing Congestion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, September.
    10. Dubé, Jean & Andrianary, Eugénie & Assad-Déry, François & Poupart, Janie & Simard, Justine, 2018. "Exploring difference in value uplift resulting from new bus rapid transit routes within a medium size metropolitan area," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 258-269.
    11. Börjesson, Maria & Fung, Chau Man & Proost, Stef, 2020. "How rural is too rural for transit? Optimal transit subsidies and supply in rural areas," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    12. Alexandre Moragues & Joana Maria Seguí-Pons & Antoni Colom Fernández & Maurici Ruiz-Pérez, 2023. "Analysis of Road Accessibility by Residents and Tourists to Public Hospitals in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-24, May.
    13. Liu, Chengliang & Duan, Dezhong, 2020. "Spatial inequality of bus transit dependence on urban streets and its relationships with socioeconomic intensities: A tale of two megacities in China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiaoshu Cao & Huiling Chen & Feiwen Liang & Wulin Wang, 2018. "Measurement and Spatial Differentiation Characteristics of Transit Equity: A Case Study of Guangzhou, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Camporeale, Rosalia & Caggiani, Leonardo & Ottomanelli, Michele, 2019. "Modeling horizontal and vertical equity in the public transport design problem: A case study," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 184-206.
    3. Weckström, Christoffer & Kujala, Rainer & Mladenović, Miloš N. & Saramäki, Jari, 2019. "Assessment of large-scale transitions in public transport networks using open timetable data: case of Helsinki metro extension," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Carleton, Phillip R. & Porter, J. David, 2018. "A comparative analysis of the challenges in measuring transit equity: definitions, interpretations, and limitations," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 64-75.
    5. Ruqin Yang & Yaolin Liu & Yanfang Liu & Hui Liu & Wenxia Gan, 2019. "Comprehensive Public Transport Service Accessibility Index—A New Approach Based on Degree Centrality and Gravity Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-20, October.
    6. Xia, Jianhong(Cecilia) & Nesbitt, Joshua & Daley, Rebekah & Najnin, Arfanara & Litman, Todd & Tiwari, Surya Prasad, 2016. "A multi-dimensional view of transport-related social exclusion: A comparative study of Greater Perth and Sydney," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 205-221.
    7. Pyrialakou, V. Dimitra & Gkritza, Konstantina & Fricker, Jon D., 2016. "Accessibility, mobility, and realized travel behavior: Assessing transport disadvantage from a policy perspective," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 252-269.
    8. Md. Kamruzzaman & Tan Yigitcanlar & Jay Yang & Mohd Afzan Mohamed, 2016. "Measures of Transport-Related Social Exclusion: A Critical Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-30, July.
    9. Sharma, Ishant & Mishra, Sabyasachee & Golias, Mihalis M. & Welch, Timothy F. & Cherry, Christopher R., 2020. "Equity of transit connectivity in Tennessee cities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    10. Jun Yang & Andong Guo & Xueming Li & Tai Huang, 2018. "Study of the Impact of a High-Speed Railway Opening on China’s Accessibility Pattern and Spatial Equality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-13, August.
    11. Gabriella Vitorino Guimarães & Tálita Floriano Santos & Vicente Aprigliano Fernandes & Jorge Eliécer Córdoba Maquilón & Marcelino Aurélio Vieira da Silva, 2020. "Assessment for the Social Sustainability and Equity under the Perspective of Accessibility to Jobs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-23, December.
    12. Apantri Peungnumsai & Hiroyuki Miyazaki & Apichon Witayangkurn & Sohee Minsun Kim, 2020. "A Grid-Based Spatial Analysis for Detecting Supply–Demand Gaps of Public Transports: A Case Study of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-27, December.
    13. Yiduo Huang & Zuojun Max Shen, 2021. "Optimizing timetable and network reopen plans for public transportation networks during a COVID19-like pandemic," Papers 2109.03940, arXiv.org.
    14. Linovski, Orly & Baker, Dwayne Marshall & Manaugh, Kevin, 2018. "Equity in practice? Evaluations of equity in planning for bus rapid transit," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 75-87.
    15. Liu, Chengliang & Duan, Dezhong, 2020. "Spatial inequality of bus transit dependence on urban streets and its relationships with socioeconomic intensities: A tale of two megacities in China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    16. Chen, Zhiwei & Guo, Yujie & Stuart, Amy L. & Zhang, Yu & Li, Xiaopeng, 2019. "Exploring the equity performance of bike-sharing systems with disaggregated data: A story of southern Tampa," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 529-545.
    17. Sharma, Gajanand & Patil, Gopal R., 2021. "Public transit accessibility approach to understand the equity for public healthcare services: A case study of Greater Mumbai," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    18. Karner, Alex, 2018. "Assessing public transit service equity using route-level accessibility measures and public data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 24-32.
    19. Costa, Cayo & Ha, Jaehyun & Lee, Sugie, 2021. "Spatial disparity of income-weighted accessibility in Brazilian Cities: Application of a Google Maps API," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    20. Armando Cartenì & Luca D’Acierno & Mariano Gallo, 2020. "A Rational Decision-Making Process with Public Engagement for Designing Public Transport Services: A Real Case Application in Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-26, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:58:y:2017:i:c:p:220-233. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-transport-geography .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.