Dwell time estimation models for bus rapid transit stations

Bus rapid transit （BRT） systems have been shown to have many advantages including affordability, high capacity vehicles, and reliable service. Due to these attractive advantages, many cities throughout the world are in the process of planning the construction of BRT systems. To improve the performance of BRT systems, many researchers study BRT operation and control, which include the study of dwell times at bus/BRT stations. To ensure the effectiveness of real-time control which aims to avoid bus/BRT vehicles congestion, accurate dwell time models are needed. We develop our models using data from a BRT vehicle survey conducted in Changzhou, China, where BRT lines are built along passenger corridors, and BRT stations are enclosed like light rails. This means that interactions between passengers traveling on the BRT system are more frequent than those in traditional transit system who use platform stations. We statistically analyze the BRT vehicle survey data, and based on this analysis, we are able to make the following conclusions： （ I ） The delay time per passenger at a BRT station is less than that at a non-BRT station, which implies that BRT stations are efficient in the sense that they are able to move passengers quickly. （II） The dwell time follows a logarithmic normal distribution with a mean of 2.56 and a variance of 0.53. （III） The greater the number of BRT lines serviced by a station, the longer the dwell time is. （IV） Daily travel demands are highest during the morning peak interval where the dwell time, the number of passengers boarding and alighting and the number of passengers on vehicles reach their maximum values. （V） The dwell time is highly positively correlated with the total number of passengers boarding and alighting. （VI） The delay per passenger is negatively correlated with the total number of passengers boarding and alighting. We propose two dwell time models for the BRT station. The first proposed model is a linear model while the second is nonlinear. We introduce the conflict between passengers boarding and alighting into our models. Finally, by comparing our models with the models of Rajbhandari and Chien et al., and TCQSM （Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual）, we conclude that the proposed nonlinear model can better predict the dwell time at BRT stations.

Optimizing Performance of atgrade Intersection with Bus Rapid Transit Corridor and Heterogeneous Traffic

Bus Rapid Transit(BRT)has emerged as a preferred mode of public transport in various countries all over the world for its cost effectiveness in construction as well as in operation and maintenance.The rapid transit feature of BRT is seen as a solution to many traffic problems in these countries.However,in developing countries like India,the right–of-way for most of the roads is restricted and traffic is heterogeneous in nature.Provision of BRT in existing right–ofway reduces the capacity available for other motorized traffic.As the buses travel with a certain frequency on dedicated bus-ways,the dedicated corridor remains unused for most of the period when other traffic on motorized vehicle(MV)lanes suffers from congestion.The problem gets severe at intersections.However,if buses are operated in mixed traffic it is no more rapid transit.Hence,a solution is required to address this problem and optimize the performance of traffic as a whole.This paper presents the effect if dedicated bus-ways end at a reasonable distance before the stop line at a busy signalized at-grade intersection,and bus lanes(beyond that)are made available to all the motorized vehicular traffic(heterogeneous traffic)at intersection.The performance evaluation is done in terms of average queue length,maximum queue length,average delay time per vehicle,vehicle throughput,average speed in network and emission of Carbon monoxide CO,mono-nitrogen oxides NOx and Volatile organic compounds(VOC).It is observed that availability of bus lanes to other motorized traffic for a reasonable distance before intersection considerably reduces the average queue length,maximum queue length,average delay time per vehicle and emission per vehicle,while there is an increase in vehicle throughput and average speed of all the vehicles in the network.Thus it results in reduction of congestion and performance enhancement of at-grade intersections and network.Results of investigation are relevant in international context.VISSIM,a microscopic simulation tool,is used to model the heterogeneous traffic and public transit lines under constraints of roadway geometry,vehicle characteristics,driving behaviour and traffic controls.The effect is investigated with different random seeds to obtain reasonable results for analysis.

Development of New Modality Municipal Public Transportation for Guangzhou——Group Rapid Transit System as Supplementary Linkage from Guangzhou City Center to its Eastern Tourism Zone

As one of the primary business centers of China, Guangzhou has been undergoing rapid growth and expansion. Over the past decade, the Guangzhou Municipality Government has significantly upgraded its transport infrastructure, especially with the highly beneficial expansion of its Subway Mass Rapid Transit(MRT) system.Positive steps have also been taken to continue planning the construction of new roads, a Bus Rapid Transit(BRT)system and other transportation facilities. Further administrative and regulatory measures have also been implemented to control the situation, such as the banning of motorcycles from the central city area and the limitation of new automobile registrations. However, Guangzhou continues to face serious challenges of traffic congestion in and around the city center owing to further intensification of its population with economic growth. The need to ease Guangzhou's stretched public transportation resources,and at the same time to support the realization of its"Eastward Advance" strategy, presents a unique challenge and opportunity to develop an advanced high-efficiency public transportation modality for Guangzhou, viz. the Group Rapid Transit(GRT) involving the use of automation-guided(driverless) smart-vehicles. This paper outlines the PRT/GRT(PRT: Personal Rapid Transit) smart-vehicle modality and also puts forth a proposal of Guangzhou's first GRT route as the city's first dedicated transportation link to the scenic landscape of the Eastern Tourism Zone.This GRT route will help in diffusing the city's traffic congestion as well as support the effectuation of Guangzhou's "Eastern Expansion" strategy, supplementing the ongoing expansion of the Guangzhou Municipality's subway MRT networks.