Developing an integrated transit schedule with improved passenger level of service measures

Abstract

Complementary paratransit services are required by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act in order to provide the elderly and disabled with the same level of mobility and accessibility offered to riders who are physically able to access fixed-route transit services. Complementary paratransit services are expensive to provide, however, so it is important that they be provided in as cost-effective a manner as possible without reducing the level of service provided to passengers. One strategy for improving the efficiency of a paratransit system is to integrate it with the existing fixed-route system. In this research, the quality and efficiency of an integrated transit service that focuses on providing the best possible level of service to its passengers while reducing agency operating costs were evaluated. This evaluation includes development of a passenger scheduling algorithm and a case study. The algorithm builds upon previous research to better incorporate passenger level of service measures so that integrated transit service is evaluated from the point of view of the passenger as well as from the point of view of the agency. The expected benefit of the research is a realistic and practical assessment of the potential level of service and financial benefits of integrating paratransit and fixed-route transit services. The case study, based on paratransit service in Houston, Texas, indicates that reductions in individual passenger travel time and overall agency operating cost can result from the implementation of an integrated transit service. The improvement in passenger level of service and the reduction in operating costs are not mutually exclusive, as both passenger and agency were found to benefit simultaneously from integration of paratransit and fixed-route service. It is therefore recommended that the vehicle scheduling task of the integrated transit service problem be investigated with a case study.