IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/orinte/v55y2025i3p238-253.html

Empowering MetroAccess Service with Nested Decomposition and Service Type Integration

Author

Listed:
  • Shijie Chen

    (Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310)

  • Md Hishamur Rahman

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112)

  • Nikola Marković

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112)

  • Muhammad Imran Younus Siddiqui

    (IT Curves, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879)

  • Matthew Mohebbi

    (IT Curves, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879)

  • Yanshuo Sun

    (Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32310)

Abstract

Tens of millions of Americans face severe mobility barriers because of travel-limiting disabilities and thus depend on paratransit, a door-to-door shared-ride service. However, this crucial service faces significant operational and financial challenges. Therefore, through a university-industry collaboration, we have identified (1) modernizing the optimization engine in paratransit scheduling software suites, and (2) incorporating alternative service providers in paratransit service optimization as two critical steps in overcoming some challenges in paratransit practice. We thus developed a nested decomposition method in which a column generation–based solution approach is embedded in a temporal decomposition framework. Additionally, we integrated alternative service types, such as accessible taxis, in paratransit scheduling and designed a reoptimization procedure. The new optimization methods were implemented in a software suite of IT Curves and deployed in paratransit operations in the Washington, DC, metro area. It was found that the improved optimization engine, relative to the legacy, led to significant improvements in key operational metrics and yielded substantial operating cost reductions (approximately 15%). The fruitful collaboration not only showcases the potential for advanced algorithms to significantly enhance the financial sustainability of paratransit services but also reflects the importance of bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical application in transit vehicle routing.

Suggested Citation

  • Shijie Chen & Md Hishamur Rahman & Nikola Marković & Muhammad Imran Younus Siddiqui & Matthew Mohebbi & Yanshuo Sun, 2025. "Empowering MetroAccess Service with Nested Decomposition and Service Type Integration," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 55(3), pages 238-253, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orinte:v:55:y:2025:i:3:p:238-253
    DOI: 10.1287/inte.2024.0123
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/inte.2024.0123
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/inte.2024.0123?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. Chen, Shijie & Rahman, Md Hishamur & Marković, Nikola & Siddiqui, Muhammad Imran Younus & Mohebbi, Matthew & Sun, Yanshuo, 2024. "Schedule negotiation with ADA paratransit riders under value of time uncertainty," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    2. Bruno P. Bruck & Filippo Castegini & Jean-François Cordeau & Manuel Iori & Tommaso Poncemi & Dario Vezzali, 2020. "A Decision Support System for Attended Home Services," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 137-152, March.
    3. Lu Zhen & Wenya Lv & Zheyi Tan & Bin Dong, 2022. "Container Transportation Scheduling Between Port Yards and the Hinterland in Yunfeng," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 52(3), pages 250-266, May.
    4. Thomas Hanne & Teresa Melo & Stefan Nickel, 2009. "Bringing Robustness to Patient Flow Management Through Optimized Patient Transports in Hospitals," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 39(3), pages 241-255, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Detti, Paolo & Papalini, Francesco & Lara, Garazi Zabalo Manrique de, 2017. "A multi-depot dial-a-ride problem with heterogeneous vehicles and compatibility constraints in healthcare," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1-14.
    2. LIAN, Ying & LUCAS, Flavien & SÖRENSEN, Kenneth, 2022. "On-demand bus routing problem with dynamic stochastic requests and prepositioning," Working Papers 2022004, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    3. Christian Ackermann & Julia Rieck, 2025. "Multiple plan approach for a dynamic dial-a-ride problem," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 47(3), pages 781-815, September.
    4. Vinicius M. Ton & Nathália C. O. da Silva & Angel Ruiz & José E. Pécora & Cassius T. Scarpin & Valérie Bélenger, 2024. "Real-time management of intra-hospital patient transport requests," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 208-222, June.
    5. Sapan Tiwari & Neema Nassir & Patricia Sauri Lavieri, 2024. "Review and Classification of Objectives in Dynamic Dial-a-Ride Systems: A Triple Bottom Line Approach of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-30, July.
    6. Lian, Ying & Lucas, Flavien & Sörensen, Kenneth, 2024. "Prepositioning can improve the performance of a dynamic stochastic on-demand public bus system," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 312(1), pages 338-356.
    7. Jean-François Cordeau & Manuel Iori & Dario Vezzali, 2024. "An updated survey of attended home delivery and service problems with a focus on applications," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 343(2), pages 885-922, December.
    8. Xin Wang & Okan Arslan & Erick Delage, 2024. "Crowdkeeping in Last-Mile Delivery," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(2), pages 474-498, March.
    9. Zamiela, Christian & Hossain, Niamat Ullah Ibne & Jaradat, Raed, 2022. "Enablers of resilience in the healthcare supply chain: A case study of U.S healthcare industry during COVID-19 pandemic," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    10. Zhang, Zhenzhen & Liu, Mengyang & Lim, Andrew, 2015. "A memetic algorithm for the patient transportation problem," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 60-71.
    11. Verena Schmid & Karl F. Doerner, 2014. "Examination and Operating Room Scheduling Including Optimization of Intrahospital Routing," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(1), pages 59-77, February.
    12. Rossana Cavagnini & Valentina Morandi, 2021. "Implementing Horizontal Cooperation in Public Transport and Parcel Deliveries: The Cooperative Share-A-Ride Problem," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-20, April.
    13. Fröhlich von Elmbach, Alexander & Scholl, Armin & Walter, Rico, 2019. "Minimizing the maximal ergonomic burden in intra-hospital patient transportation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 276(3), pages 840-854.
    14. Gabrel, Virginie & Murat, Cécile & Thiele, Aurélie, 2014. "Recent advances in robust optimization: An overview," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 235(3), pages 471-483.
    15. Villa, Stefano & Prenestini, Anna & Giusepi, Isabella, 2014. "A framework to analyze hospital-wide patient flow logistics: Evidence from an Italian comparative study," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 196-205.
    16. Ho, Sin C. & Szeto, W.Y. & Kuo, Yong-Hong & Leung, Janny M.Y. & Petering, Matthew & Tou, Terence W.H., 2018. "A survey of dial-a-ride problems: Literature review and recent developments," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 395-421.
    17. Jean-François Cordeau & Manuel Iori & Dario Vezzali, 2023. "A survey of attended home delivery and service problems with a focus on applications," 4OR, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 547-583, December.
    18. Nitish Umang & Thomas Balcavage & Jefferson Jee & Riddhesh Nitin Kumtakar & Prem Raj Dahal & Angela Simko & James Oduntan Bode, 2025. "Johnson & Johnson Uses Advanced Analytics to Optimize Gaylord Building and Truck Loading for Outbound Container Shipments," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 55(3), pages 254-262, May.
    19. Bruno P. Bruck & Filippo Castegini & Jean-François Cordeau & Manuel Iori & Tommaso Poncemi & Dario Vezzali, 2020. "A Decision Support System for Attended Home Services," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 137-152, March.
    20. Yves Ndikuriyo & Yinggui Zhang & Dung Davou Fom, 2025. "An Improved Self-Organizing Genetic Algorithm for Optimizing Container Transportation Routing Problems Under Times Windows," SN Operations Research Forum, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 1-24, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:inm:orinte:v:55:y:2025:i:3:p:238-253. 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: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    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.