Appropriate Frequency Allocation for a BTR System Through a Multiobjective Model Appropriate Frequency Allocation for a BTR System Through a Multiobjective Model

Abstract

This article addresses the search for adequate frequencies of bus dispatching in an Integrated Public Transportation Systems (IPTS). An optimization model is proposed to find these frequencies for bus dispatching travelling in different exclusive lane routes. The model was applied to a reduction of the Integrated Public Transportation Systems (IPTS) in the city of Pereira (Risaralda, Colombia), which is of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) type. Nevertheless, the model can be applied to a larger BRT system.

The frequencies are determined according to an estimated travel demand in a given bus station, the capacity of the buses, and the size of the available fleet. There is resolution of a multi-objective function that minimizes downtimes at the stations, the economic costs of the business operators and takes into account a penalty that occurs when users must wait for a second bus. Finally, a methodology to choose the weights of the multi-objective function is shown.

The model was solved using a genetic algorithm (GA). Dispatch frequencies are bounded, achieving a reduction of the solution space and obtaining operable intervals.