Integrated Real-Time Transit Signal Priority Control for High-Frequency Transit Service.
Abstract Bus bunching affects transit operations by increasing passenger waiting time and variability. To tackle this phenomenon, a wide range of control strategies has been proposed. However, none of them have considered station and interstation control together. In this study station and interstation control were tackled to determine the optimal vehicle control strategy for various […]
Analysis of Real-Time Control Strategies in a Corridor with Multiple Bus Services
Abstract Control strategies have been widely used in the literature to counteract the effects of bus bunching in passenger‘s waiting times and its variability. These strategies have only been studied for the case of a single bus line in a corridor. However, in many real cases this assumption does not hold. Indeed, there are many […]
Understanding the Relationship between Voting Preferences for Public Transport and Perceptions and Preferences for Bus Rapid Transit versus Light Rail
Abstract This paper provides evidence on the key perceived barriers that mitigate against support for BRT in the presence of LRT options. We develop best–worst preference experiments, one associated with design characteristics, another with service descriptions associated with BRT and LRT, and an experiment that focuses on voting preferences more generally. The focus of this paper is establishing a […]
Generation Heuristics for Zonal Express Services
Abstract A methodology is presented for designing zonal services for a bus corridor, in which buses visit all stops in a route’s initial and final segments, skipping all stops in between. Two heuristics are described, one for congested (binding capacity) and other for uncongested cases. An experiment on a bidirectional corridor shows that the heuristics […]
CoAXs: interactive mapping for measuring and communicating transit’s accessibility impacts to support co-creative planning
Abstract When evaluating transport projects, accessibility measures provide insights into the potential for wider economic benefits that may accrue through agglomeration effects; these measures are recognized as a way to connect land use and transportation planning. Similarly, emerging evidence suggests that accessibility measures can effectively connect complex technical analyses with narratives more easily understood and […]
Quantifying the effects of driver non-compliance and communication system failure in the performance of real-time bus control strategies
Abstract Control strategies that prevent bus bunching allow for improvement to the level of service offered by a transit corridor as well as reducing travel time and its variability, thus providing higher reliability to the user. Several optimization models based on the use of real-time information have been shown to achieve this, through the planning […]
Ridership Response to Incremental Bus Rapid Transit Upgrades in North America: Demographic and Network Effects.
This paper explores ridership increases in response to incrementally upgraded bus services in U.S. and Canadian cities. Current guidelines for developing bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors reveal a tension between comprehensive implementation of full-fledged corridors on the one hand and incremental, flexible development on the other. A review of the literature discusses this tension, various […]
Trunk and feeder services regulation: Lessons from South American case
Abstract Many cities in the developing world are engaged in efforts to reconfigure their public transport systems and improve qualities of service. With some notable South American exceptions, a characteristic shared by these cities is heavy reliance on paratransit services, which are often poorly regulated and operated as informal businesses. Current projects and initiatives aimed […]
Transport Planning (book chapter)
Book’s Abstract This Handbook provides comprehensive coverage of all of the major factors that underpin our understanding of urban and transport planning in the developed world. Combining urban and transport planning in one volume, the chapters present the state of the art as well as new research and directions for the future. It is an […]
What is behind fare evasion in urban bus systems? An econometric approach.
Fare evasion is a problem in many public transport systems around the world and policies to reduce it are generally aimed at improving control and increasing fines. We use an econometric approach to attempt explaining the high levels of evasion in Santiago, Chile, and guide public policy formulation to reduce this problem. In particular, a […]
Valuation Of Travel Time Savings For Intercity Travel: The Madrid-Barcelona Corridor
We derive values of travel time savings (VOT) for the Madrid–Barcelona corridor, linking the two largest cities in Spain, based on the estimation of discrete choice models among the main public transport services in the corridor: air transport, high speed rail (HSR) and bus. The new HSR alternative (which started to operate in February 2008) […]
On the variability of hybrid discrete choice models
Abstract It is well-known that not all the variables affecting decisions in a discrete choice situation are objective characteristics of the alternatives. Some of them are associated with difficult to measure attributes which may be represented as latent variables. Since this type of variables cannot be directly observed by the analyst, they must be estimated […]
Urban Travel Demand Model with Endogenous Congestion
Abstract We formulate and estimate a structural model for travel demand in which users have heterogeneous preferences and make their transport decisions based on network congestion. A key component in the model is the infinite number of users in the network, all of whom have common knowledge about the distribution of preferences in the population. […]
An improved Stirling approximation for trip distribution models
Abstract Many trip distribution models used in transport systems planning are de- signed to solve maximum entropy optimization problems. Discrete by nature, they must be transformed into continuous and differentiable problems, typically by applying the first-order Stirling approximation. Although it does a reasonable job for large trip flows, this approximation produces significant errors when flows […]
Incentives in Bus Concession Contracts: A Review of Several Experiences in Latin America
Abstract This paper reviews the incentive structure of concession contracts in several Latin American transit reforms. It also presents a conceptual analysis of the optimal design of concession contracts. The conceptual discussion and case studies reviewed indicate that payment to operators should be linked to operational variables and that some demand risk should optimally be […]
Understanding Fare Evasion in Santiago’s Public Transport System
Abstract Fare evasion is a problem in many public transport systems. Policies to reduce it are generally aimed at improving control and increasing fines. In the bus component of Santiago de Chile’s transit system the average evasion rate is over 20% and the highest values are reported in low income areas. However, limiting the explanation […]
Modal Image: Candidate Drivers of Preference Differences for BRT and LRT
Abstract The physical image of transport systems, as perceived by users and non users, has long been put forward as a powerful influence on the formation of preferences. One setting for this is in the choice between bus rapid transit (BRT) and light rail transit (LRT) where there appears to be a strong preference in […]
High Quality Public Transport: Gaining Acceptance of Bus Rapid Transit Systems
The selection of appropriate public transport investments that will maximise the likelihood of delivering the levels of service required to provide a serious alternative to the automobile is high on the agendas of many metropolitan governments. Mindful of budget constraints, it is crucial to ensure that such investments offer the greatest value for money. This chapter promotes the view that integrated multi-modal systems that provide frequency and connectivity in a network-based framework offer the best way forward. A mix of public transport investments with buses as feeder services and bus rapid transit (BRT) as trunk services can offer a greater coverage and frequency than traditional forms of rail, even at capacity levels often claimed the domain of rail. Design features are important in order to promote good performance, and evidence is presented as to the importance of the various design elements to driving patronage. Decision-makers need to recognize implementation issues can be complex if a successful outcome of a BRT system contributing to the public transport network is to be achieved.
Mobility Network as the Strategic Element of the Urban Mobility System
Advancing Urban Mobility with National Programs: A Review of Colombia’s National Urban Transport Policy
Abstract Urban mobility is not merely a local concern. National governments in developing countries are growingly investing in urban transport infrastructure. While there is a growing body of knowledge on the topic, there is also a need for further understanding and improving. This paper contributes to the topic by providing an assessment and formulating recommendations […]
Exploring the Connection Between Climate Change and Traffic Safety: An Initial Aggregate Assessment
Abstract Climate change and road safety are intrinsically connected. Vehicle kilometers (miles) traveled or VKT (VMT), an indicator of the total amount of motorized roadway travel in a given jurisdiction, is at the same time a strong predictor of transport related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and traffic fatalities. While both climate change and road safety […]
BRT and bus priority corridors: scenario in the American continent
Abstract There is world-wide interest for the implementation of bus priority corridors and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) approach. The authors present an overview of existing bus-based priority corridors in the American continent based on information included in the BRTdata.org database, which comprises 116 attributes and indicators. Curitiba is considered the cradle of BRT, but […]
Accessibility and residential land value uplift: identifying spatial variations in the accessibility impacts of a bus transitway
Abstract New public transport investment can improve accessibility for existing and new users of the urban transport network and this can lead to land value uplift with uplift benefits being distributed in relation to the proximity of the location of the property to the infrastructure. This paper quantifies land value uplift and its spatial distribution […]
Do preferences for BRT and LRT vary across geographical jurisdictions? A comparative assessment of six Australian capital cities
Developing and updating public transport infrastructure is one of the most complex and far-reaching investment decisions for government. Better public transport and transport infrastructure generates benefits for users and helps manage urban congestion and climate change. This paper presents the results of a survey of residents of six capital cities in Australia to investigate potential jurisdictional differences and similarities in the support for BRT in the presence of LRT options, a common context in many metropolitan areas. We develop two best–worst preference experiments, one associated with design characteristics and the other with service descriptions, in which a number of statements about bus, BRT and LRT, are presented in sets of four, and respondents are asked to indicate which one they perceive as the best circumstance and which one they perceive as the worst. The sets of statements are varied across preference sets to elicit the role of each statement as an identified barrier against or in support of BRT and/or LRT. The main focus of the experiments is to assist in the development of a strategy to promote BRT and to break through the barriers that have created the modal misperceptions so common in many geographical jurisdictions. A survey of residents of six capital cities in Australia provides the empirical context. Ongoing research is extending the study to other locations throughout the world.
Network Governance and Future Urban Mobility: the Case of London Public Transport System
Examining regulatory reform for bus operations in Latin America
Abstract Governments in Latin American cities are pursuing regulatory reforms to address the negative externalities of informal bus service. This is achieved by consolidating many small operators competing “in the market” into fewer larger companies competing “for the market”. This reform addresses the problems in the previous phase of the regulatory cycle, but requires a […]
A behavioural comparison of route choice on metro networks: Time, transfers, crowding, topology and socio-demographics
Abstract Understanding travellers’ behaviour is key element in transportation planning. This article presents a route choice model for metro networks that considers different time compo- nents as well as variables related to the transferring experience, train crowding, network topology and socio-demographic characteristics. The route choice model is applied to the London Underground and Santiago Metro […]
Citizen Participation for Sustainable Transport: The Case of Living City
Twentieth century citizen “revolts” against urban highway projects have influenced thinking about public transport (Toronto, Vancouver, New York), governance (Portland), and cycling (The Netherlands) to this day. Less is known, however, about how these emerge in developing countries, and what they can tell us about citizens’ role in innovation to achieve more sustainable transport systems. […]
A Zonal Inference Model Based on Observed Smart-Card Transactions for Santiago de Chile
Abstract The collection of origin-destination data for a city is an important but often costly task. This way, there is a need for better and inexpensive methods of collecting information of citizens’ travel patterns. In this line, this paper presents a model to infer the zones of origin and destination for an observed trip between […]
Incentive schemes for bus drivers: the case of the public transit system in Santiago de Chile
Abstract Although many authors have studied regulatory schemes for bus operators of public transport provision, little attention has been given to incentive schemes for bus drivers in terms of economic incentives and labour conditions. Therefore, there is a need to analyse incentive schemes for bus drivers since the level of service of the bus system […]
Assessment of Adoption of Sustainable Urban Passenger Transport Measures
Abstract To better understand urban sustainable transport status and catalyze changes, this paper assesses the adoption of selected “avoid” and “shift” sustainable transport measures in three fields: congestion pricing, low emission zone and vehicle quota system under vehicle demand management; bus rapid transit and metro under mass transit; and carsharing and bikesharing under shared vehicles. […]
Survey data to model time-of-day choice: methodology and findings
Purpose – Departure time choice not only depends on the desire to carry out activities at certain times and places; it is a complex decision making process influenced by travel conditions, congestion levels, activity schedules, and external trip factors. To estimate departure time choice models capturing the factors influencing it in appropriate form, a complex […]
Cost and Fare Estimation for the Urban Bus Transit System of Santiago
In this paper, we estimate the cost function of bus operators of Transantiago and the budget balance fare to contribute technically to the discussion on the level of subsidies needed for transit system of Santiago. We estimate the cost function and an aggregate demand model. Our results show that there are economies of density and […]
Cost and Fare Estimation for the Urban Transit System of Santiago
In 2007 the city of Santiago, Chile implemented a new urban transit system (Transantiago), which integrated the Metro system with a redesigned bus network. The city was divided in several regions and each region was tendered and awarded to the highest bidder that fulfilled the requirements. After a very complicated start, the Government was forced […]
Incentive Schemes, Provision of Quality and Monitoring: the case of the public transit system in Santiago de Chile
Identification of Key Factors in the Design and Implementation of BRT Systems in Developing Countries
Exhaust Emissions of Transit Buses: Brazil and India Case Studies
Meta-Analysis of Transit Bus Exhaust Emissions
This paper presents a comparative analysis of bus emissions associated with a variety of fuel types, specifically for developing countries. A large data set of in-use transit bus tests is compiled for commonly regulated transportation emissions including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Carbon dioxide is included to help in understanding greenhouse gas […]
Integration of spatial correlation into a combined travel model with hierarchical levels
A combined travel model incorporating spatial correlation is derived from the optimality conditions of a multi-objective optimization framework, in which the trip generation and distribution steps are expressed as hierarchical logit functions. Different forms of spatial correlation are shown to be easily accommodated in combined models using hierarchical logit structures. An extension incorporates spatial correlation […]
Aggregate estimation of the price elasticity of demand for public transport in integrated fare systems: The case of Transantiago
Price elasticities of demand for public transport are a key determinant in evaluating the impact of changes in fares on user flows, yet in many integrated fare transit systems, estimating these indicators is often hampered by two realities: the fare changes for different modes are implemented simultaneously and their magnitudes are highly correlated. This strong […]
Modelling the effects of pro bicycle infrastructure and policies: towards sustainable urban mobility
This paper aims to determine the potential of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transport in a medium-sized Spanish city (Santander, in northern Spain) with strong inclines and relatively inclement weather. For this purpose, a general methodology has been designed that could serve as an example for other areas. First, potential bicycle users in […]
Saving Lives with Sustainable Transport
The relationship between safety, capacity and operating speed on bus rapid transit
Using Empirical Bayes to Estimate the Safety Impact of Transit Improvements in Latin America
BRT Design Workshop Gran Avenida Briefing Book
A first glimpse on policy packaging for implementation of BRT projects
Policy packaging (i.e. the combination of individual policies and measures in order to achieve a certain goal) is a common practice in urban mobility management used to create synergies between single policies or to mitigate negative effects of a given policy.
However this practice is filled with difficulties of different kinds, from conflicting measures in the same package to simply bad packaging design, disregarding synergetic effects that can be achieved with the simultaneous or synchronized adoption of more than one policy measure. This problem has long been identified and is especially intense in urban areas. However it has not yet been solved.
It is worth mentioning that there is a common perception by several authors that these difficulties are much related with the institutional design and legal framework which constitute an outset condition of the decision process. This perception will be only a departure hypothesis in our analysis, since the empirical work entailed in this research will be supported by a structured analysis of a large number of BRT implementation cases.
This work is part of a broader project about the complexity of policy design in urban mobility systems with the purpose of enhancing the adoption and implementation of BRT systems.
Expanding transportation planning capacity in cities of the global south: Public-private collaboration and conflict in Chile and Mexico
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