Optimal service planning for a sustainable transit system

A mathematical model and methodology are presented in this paper that can be used to determine the sustainability of a bus service. To formulate the optimization model, an entire bus route in a suburban area is considered on which many eligible stop locations are distributed realistically as discrete points such as intersections or entrances to housing developments. The objective total profit function is maximized by optimizing the number and locations of stops, the headway, and the fare. The number of passengers for the service is dependent on passengers' access distance, wait time, in-vehicle time, and fare. The solution methodology is applied to an example that uses a bus route in suburban Woodbridge, NJ to demonstrate its effectiveness. The sensitivity of the total profit and of the amount of passengers served to various parameters is analyzed.