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Understanding the impacts of a combination of service improvement strategies on bus running time and passenger’s perception

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  • Diab, Ehab I.
  • El-Geneidy, Ahmed M.

Abstract

Transit agencies implement many strategies in order to provide an attractive transportation service. This article aims to evaluate the impacts of implementing a combination of strategies, designed to improve the bus transit service, on running time and passenger satisfaction. These strategies include using smart card fare collection, introducing limited-stop bus service, implementing reserved bus lanes, using articulated buses, and implementing transit signal priority (TSP). This study uses stop-level data collected from the Société de transport de Montréal (STM)’s automatic vehicle location (AVL) and automatic passenger count (APC) systems, in Montréal, Canada. The combination of these strategies has lead to a 10.5% decline in running time along the limited stop service compared to the regular service. The regular route running time has increased by 1% on average compared to the initial time period. The study also shows that riders are generally satisfied with the service improvements. They tend to overestimate the savings associated with the implementation of this combination of strategies by 3.5–6.0min and by 2.5–4.1min for both the regular route and the limited stop service, respectively. This study helps transit planners and policy makers to better understand the effects of implementing a combination of strategies to improve running time and passenger’s perception of these changes in service.

Suggested Citation

  • Diab, Ehab I. & El-Geneidy, Ahmed M., 2012. "Understanding the impacts of a combination of service improvement strategies on bus running time and passenger’s perception," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 614-625.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:46:y:2012:i:3:p:614-625
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2011.11.013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tétreault, Paul R. & El-Geneidy, Ahmed M., 2010. "Estimating bus run times for new limited-stop service using archived AVL and APC data," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(6), pages 390-402, July.
    2. Hensher, David A. & Stopher, Peter & Bullock, Philip, 2003. "Service quality--developing a service quality index in the provision of commercial bus contracts," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 499-517, July.
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    Cited by:

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    4. Eboli, Laura & Forciniti, Carmen & Mazzulla, Gabriella, 2018. "Spatial variation of the perceived transit service quality at rail stations," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 114(PA), pages 67-83.
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    12. Chin, Kwai-Sang & Yang, Qiang & Chan, Catherine Y.P. & Tsui, Kwok L. & Li, Yan-lai, 2019. "Identifying passengers’ needs in cabin interiors of high-speed rails in China using quality function deployment for improving passenger satisfaction," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 326-342.
    13. De Zhao & Wei Wang & Amber Woodburn & Megan S. Ryerson, 2017. "Isolating high-priority metro and feeder bus transfers using smart card data," Transportation, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1535-1554, November.
    14. Ties Brands & Malvika Dixit & Edgard Zúñiga & Niels Oort, 2022. "Perceived and actual travel times in a multi-modal urban public transport network: comparing survey and AVL data," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 85-103, March.
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