Framework for Deployment Planning of Bus Rapid Transit Systems

Author(s):  
Yafeng Yin ◽  
Mark A. Miller ◽  
Avishai (Avi) Ceder

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems combine vehicles, stations, running ways, and intelligent transportation system elements into a fully integrated system with a unique identity. It has great flexibility in incremental deployment of these BRT elements. Proposed is a deployment planning framework that provides, in a sequence of steps, a general structure for optimal deployment of BRT systems. This framework and its formulation, once operationalized, would provide transit agencies a practical tool for determining the optimal deployment strategy or strategies given budgetary, institutional, and other types of constraints associated with the corridor for which they have decided to deploy BRT. A case study example is provided to illustrate how the proposed framework would be used.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2550
Author(s):  
Andrés E. Díez ◽  
Mauricio Restrepo

This paper presents an electrical infrastructure planning method for transit systems that operate with partially grid-connected vehicles incorporating on-board batteries. First, the state-of-the-art of electric transit systems that combine grid-connected and battery-based operation is briefly described. Second, the benefits of combining a grid connection and battery supply in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems are introduced. Finally, the planning method is explained and tested in a BRT route in Medellin, Colombia, using computational simulations in combination with real operational data from electric buses that are currently operating in this transit line. Unlike other methods and approaches for Battery Electric Bus (BEB) infrastructure planning, the proposed technique is system-focused, rather than solely limited to the vehicles. The objective of the technique, from the vehicle’s side, is to assist the planner in the correct sizing of batteries and power train capacity, whereas from the system side the goal is to locate and size the route sections to be electrified. These decision variables are calculated with the objective of minimizing the installed battery and achieve minimum Medium Voltage (MV) network requirements, while meeting all technical and reliability conditions. The method proved to be useful to find a minimum feasible cost solution for partially electrifying a BRT line with In-motion Charging (IMC) technology.


Author(s):  
Kara Todd ◽  
Freyja Brandel-Tanis ◽  
Daniel Arias ◽  
Kari Edison Watkins

As transit agencies expand, they may outgrow their existing bus storage and service facilities. When selecting a site for an additional facility, an important consideration is the change in bus deadhead time, which affects the agency’s operating costs. Minimizing bus deadhead time is the subject of many studies, though agencies may lack the necessary software or programming skill to implement those methods. This study presents a flexible tool for determination of bus facility location. Using the R dodgr package, it evaluates each candidate site based on a given bus network and existing depots and calculates the network minimum deadhead time for each potential set of facilities. Importantly, the tool could be used by any transit agency, no matter its resources. It runs on open-source software and uses only General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and data inputs readily available to transit agencies in the U.S.A., filling the accessibility gap identified in the literature. The tool is demonstrated through a case study with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), which is considering a new bus depot as it builds its bus rapid transit network. The case study used current MARTA bus GTFS data, existing depot locations, and vacant properties from Fulton County, Georgia. The tool evaluated 17 candidate sites and found that the winning site would save 29.7 deadhead hours on a typical weekday, which translates to more than $12,000 daily based on operating cost assumptions. The output provides important guidance to transit agencies evaluating sites for a new bus depot.


2018 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
pp. 567-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Ruano-Daza ◽  
Carlos Cobos ◽  
Jose Torres-Jimenez ◽  
Martha Mendoza ◽  
Alexander Paz

Author(s):  
Herbert S. Levinson ◽  
Samuel Zimmerman ◽  
Jennifer Clinger ◽  
James Gast

Bus rapid transit systems have grown in popularity in recent years. Spurred by federal initiatives, the spiraling cost of rail transit, and market realities, a growing number of cities have installed or are planning bus rapid transit (BRT). There is a synthesis of current experience, drawing on ongoing research conducted in a project for TCRP. The nature of BRT is described; where it operates; key features, such as running ways, stations, vehicles, intelligent transportation systems, and service patterns; performance in ridership, travel times, and land development; and the emerging implications for new systems. It is important to match transit markets to rights-of-way; achieve benefits in speed, reliability, and identity; minimize adverse impacts to street traffic, property access, and pedestrians; and obtain community support throughout an open planning process.


Author(s):  
Juan Pablo Bocarejo ◽  
Juan Miguel Velasquez ◽  
Claudia Andrea Díaz ◽  
Luis Eduardo Tafur

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