摘要
Bus reliability has long attracted attention and been extensively studied to enhance service quality.However,existing research generally evaluates bus reliability of specific routes or stops.To this end,this study explores en-route bus reliability with real-time data at network scale.Drawing on data of bus automatic vehicle location and smart card usage in Ningbo,China,this study calculates headway-based reliability with the difference between actual and scheduled headway at each stop.To demonstrate the trend of stop-level reliability along a bus route,reliability is graded and visualized on a map with ridership at each stop,which is then weighted with passenger-boarding volume.Route-level reliability is then quantified and mapped,where unreliable service basically concentrates in or extends through the centre area.With respect to network-level reliability,temporal changes are demonstrated with ridership on weekdays and at the weekend.It is observed that on weekdays,the reliability trend is similar to that of ridership,implying a causal relationship between bus travel-time variation and bus waiting-time at stops.Furthermore,a reliability comparison between weekdays in December and October shows the necessity of evaluating periodically and around important events to avoid negative riding experiences that discourage public transport usage.This research provides insights for bus agencies to systematically evaluate service reliability both spatially and temporarily,in order to identify and prioritize the routes and stops where the scope for reliability improvement and the expected benefit are greatest.
