Interaction between Bus Stops Location and Traffic on ...

Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 97-98 (2011) pp 1185-1188 Online available since 2011/Sep/02 at www.scientific.net © (2011) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.97-98.1185

Interaction between Bus Stops Location and Traffic on Bus Operation Mohammad Hesam Hafezi1,a* and Amiruddin Ismail2,b 1

Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran 2

Sustainable Urban Transport Research Centre (SUTRA)/, Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia a

[email protected], b [email protected]

Keywords: Traffic flow, Bus stop, Traffic light, Scheduling, passenger.

Abstract. In bus networks there are many stations used for boarding and alighting passengers along the bus route. In designing bus stop location three sides approach to be considered; the big picture, street side and curb side. Apiece of three sides have directly affects in the bus scheduling. The effectiveness of bus operation will depend on number of bus stops and its spacing. Basically, bus stations have two kinds: bus stop, use to service passengers in one bus line and bus interchange (terminal) use to share station between some bus lines. This article described a survey on bus stop location efficiency in bus operation where study on bus stop location in three points: near-side, far-side and mid-block were considered. It has been highlighted bus stop location in situation mid-block has higher efficiency than others situations. Introduction There are several reasons for using the bus to compare to other public transportation. They include its ability to operate on most streets, its low investment cost, and its capacity. According to width required for bus service and the width of streets, its ability to bus operate is possible for most streets where breadth is more than 7.50 meter (two lines for traffic). Overall, three agents have affects on bus networks: buses authority, passengers and traffic [1]. Buses authority is including: fleet size, planning zone and control sector. Passengers are who traveling by bus during achieve to their destination. Finally, traffic agent in bus networks is including: bus route characteristics and interaction between other vehicles and buses. Bus networks characteristics are including some components: system performance, level of service, impact are the effects transit service and costs [2]. Performance of bus networks is measurement based on unit departures per hour. It is including: service frequency, operating speed, reliability, safety, line capacity, productive capacity, productivity and utilization. Level of service is a basic element in attracting potential user to the system and including: performance elements that affect users, service quality and price. Impact on the effects of transit service is studies in two sections: short-run and long-run. Two main issues raised in costs are investment and operating costs. Bus route characteristics is including: design of route, bus stop spacing and location. The locations of bus stops are influences on operating efficiency and passenger convenience. More intervals between bus stops caused increasing speed and accordingly increasing reliability of service. On the other hand, increasing space between bus stops is increased walking space for passenger and less area coverage. Generally, spacing bus stops is related to the ratio of passenger on area. Average spacing is around 400 to 600 meter. For spacing below 300 meter, if there are demands for boarding or alighting bus stops at the station, otherwise, buses continue their headway. Where bus stop spacing had equal intervals, service reliability was safer [3, 4]. Also, bus service reliability will be reducded when total distance of bus route increase than 30 km [5]. There are some conditions for choice of stop locations: traffic signal coordination, passenger access to other routes, interaction between passenger and vehicular and geometry of bus turning and stopping.

All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of TTP, www.ttp.net. (ID: 202.184.124.13-03/09/11,04:39:12)

1186

Advanced Transportation

Locations of bus stop are divided into three parts: near-side, far-side and mid-block. Design of location bus stop is better out of the route. This design caused increasing safety and decreasing interference with other traffic. Bus shelters is principal assent appears to be an ability to accommodate large advertising displays. Terminals buses are off-street areas with stops for several bus routes and where there is palace for rest crews [2, 6]. In this article we described a survey on bus stop location efficiency in bus operation. Hence, we studies different bus stop location efficiency based on an actual public bus operation in Tehran, Iran. Bus stop location In designing bus stop location three sides approach to be considered; the big picture, street side and curb side. The big picture is including: transit system performances, traffic flow, safety, security and livable community. Street side is including: stop spacing, operating, placement (far-side, near-side, mid-block) and stop type. Curb side is including: location within the community, compatibility, direct access to bus stop, existing street furniture and environmental treatments. Bus stop locations are divided into three parts: near-side (Figure 1a), far-side (Figure 1b) and mid-block (Figure 1c).

(a)

(b)

(c)

Fig.1 (a) Near-side bus stop; (b) far-side bus stop; (c) mid-block bus stop Near-side, where bus stop is at an intersection before crossing the cross street with have traffic light or non traffic light. In this situation, it is probable that buses arrives during green traffic light which means possible these forces to stop unlike others vehicles at the station for boarding and alighting passengers during passing those in the cross street. Advantages and disadvantages of near-side bus stops is summrized in Table 1.

Advantages • •

•

Table 1 Advantages and disadvantages of near-side bus stops Disadvantages

Duration traffic congestion can prevents it • from interfering It is possible access to station beside walkway • Passengers can boarding and alighting duration red traffic light

• •

Have interference by turn right Decrease visibility of traffic control instruments and pedestrians in the cross street Decrease visibility of vehicles Capitan beside the bus Beget problem on precedence buses for passing red traffic light

Far-side, where bus stop is at an intersection passed the cross street with have traffic light or non traffic light. In this situation, precedence of buses for passing cross street is simpler because they not forces to stop befor cross street. Advantages and disadvantages of far-side bus stops is summrized in Table 2.

Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 97-98

1187

Table 2 Advantages and disadvantages of far-side bus stops Advantages • Minimizing of interference between turn right and buses • Increase capacity of turn right with done free line in the cross street • Vehicles Capitan do not have visibility problem • •

Disadvantages • Beget queue in behind bus •

Decrease visibility of passengers

•

Increasing traffic congestion if bus had stop during green traffic light at the bus stop

Encourage passengers for passing of intersection from behind bus Precedence buses is simple

Mid-block, where bus stop is away from intersections and indeed buses can adjustment their speed and dwell time for passing cross street whiout request stop behide traffic light. Advantages and disadvantages of mid-block bus stops is summrized in Table 3. Table 3 Advantages and disadvantages of mid-block bus stops Advantages

Disadvantages

• •

Increase visibility of passengers Increase visibility of vehicles Capitan

• •

Increase spaces of park stop Encourage passengers for passing street width

•

Decrease passengers crowding in the bus stop

•

Increase length of walkway passengers

We survey adjustment between three types of bus stops location and bus scheduling duration different operation time in one month on an actual public bus operation in Tehran, Iran. The bus line to be studied in this paper is about 7,850 m on inbound way and 9,630 m on outbound way. It has 11 and 13 bus stops and two terminals on inbound and outbound way, respectively. The bus stops on inbound way are including: 3 near-side type, 3 far-side type and 5 mid-block type. Also, the bus stops on outbound way are including: 4 near-side type, 5 far-side type and 4 mid-block type. To organize passengers, a metal framework in each bus stop is used. Some bus stops are shared stops with other lines. These stations are larger compared to the non-shared ones. The value of adjustment between three different types of bus stops location and bus schedule is summarized in Table 4. In fact, this value is compatibility percentage of actual operation and virtual planning on three different types of bus stops location. Table 4 Compatibility percentage of actual operation and virtual planning on three types of bus stops location Inbound way Bus stop number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Outbound way Standard deviation (%) 85 93 75 81 89 90 72 80 91 70 90 -

Type

Bus stop number

Terminal Far-side Mid-block Near-side Far-side Mid-block Mid-block Near-side Far-side Mid-block Near-side Mid-block Terminal

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Standard deviation (%) 85 72 89 83 70 69 90 79 67 81 94 91 85 -

Type Terminal Far-side Near-side Mid-block Far-side Near-side Near-side Mid-block Far-side Near-side Far-side Mid-block Mid-block Far-side Terminal

1188

Advanced Transportation

Note that the values of above table are obtained by measurements parameters based on sharer between bus stop and bus scheduling model such as: boarding and alighting time, dwell time and entering and exiting movement of buses from bus stop. Conclusion In this paper, survey on bus stop location efficiency and its interaction on traffic has been presented. It has been highlighted bus stop location in situation mid-block has higher efficiency than others situations. According to Table 4 average of compatibility percentage of actual operation and virtual planning for near-side, far-side and mid-block types are 71%, 82% and 91%, respectively. Also, there are some common advantages on the near-side and far-side in mid-block bus stop location such as: increased in visibility to passengers and vehicles. Also, the mid-block bus stop location the percentage of compatibility of actual operation and virtual planning is increased. Generally, shared bus stops with other lines are larger compared to the non-shared ones and there are more demand of passengers in these bus stops. Location of these stations is better in mid-block type because more space available and buses can maneuver easily and have more dwell times. Also, passengers have more convenience on the changes bus lines . Furthermore, in this situation bus fare can be collected at the bus station before the arrival of buses that may reduce boarding time [7]. Acknowledgement We thank the Fara Tarabar Mahdi bus company for providing the test data. We would like also to thank Mr. Mahdi Raeisi for his helping in data collection. References [1] Meignan, D., O. Simonin, and A. Koukam, Simulation and evaluation of urban bus-networks using a multiagent approach. Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, (2007). 15(6): p. 659-671. [2] Vuchic, V.R., Urban Public Transportation. Facsimile ed. (1981): Prentice Hall College Div. 560. [3] Ibeas, Á., et al., Optimizing bus stop spacing in urban areas. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, (1996). 46(3): p. 446-458. [4] Bermond, J.-C. and F.Ö. Ergincan, Bus interconnection networks. Discrete Applied Mathematics, (1996). 68(1-2): p. 1-15. [5] Chen, X., et al., Analyzing urban bus service reliability at the stop, route, and network levels. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, (2009). 43(8): p. 722-734. [6] Grava, S., Urban Transportation Systems. 1 ed. (2002): McGraw-Hill Professional. 840. [7] Pelletier, M.-P., M. Trépanier, and C. Morency, Smart card data use in public transit: A literature review. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, (2011). In Press, Corrected Proof.