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Measuring Inter-Stop Distances to Improve Scheduling, Costing, and Enhance Sustainable Urban Mobility

Author

Listed:
  • Marcin Jacek Kłos

    (Department of Transport Systems, Traffic Engineering, and Logistics, Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Krasińskiego 8 Street, 40-019 Katowice, Poland)

  • Aleksander Sobota

    (Department of Transport Systems, Traffic Engineering, and Logistics, Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Krasińskiego 8 Street, 40-019 Katowice, Poland)

Abstract

This paper quantifies the economic and operational impact of spatial accuracy in metropolitan public transport systems, proposing a standardized GIS-based method for measuring inter-stop distances. Addressing the geometric limitations of legacy GTFS data, this study introduces a replicable workflow that integrates open spatial data with infrastructure-specific maneuvering constraints. The method was validated in the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis (GZM), achieving near-identical precision to manual field measurements (MAPE ≈ 0.02%) while offering superior scalability compared to traditional odometer or satellite-based techniques. The analysis reveals that even minor measurement errors (approx. 2.5%) in legacy datasets propagate into significant budget misallocations, estimated at tens of thousands of PLN per line annually. These findings demonstrate that precise distance computation is a fundamental driver of cost efficiency and schedule reliability in large-scale transit networks.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcin Jacek Kłos & Aleksander Sobota, 2026. "Measuring Inter-Stop Distances to Improve Scheduling, Costing, and Enhance Sustainable Urban Mobility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-26, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:18:y:2026:i:2:p:556-:d:1833958
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