Transit Timetables Resulting in Even Maximum Load on Individual Vehicles

With advances in the intelligent-transportation-system technology of passenger information systems, the importance of even and clock headways in transit timetables is reduced. This allows for the creation of timetables with even average maximum passenger loads on individual vehicles. The maximum load attained is a load standard desired at the maximum-load stop. These timetables minimize overcrowding and produce more reliable and efficient schedules than other timetables from both passenger and operator perspectives. Thus, it will make the transit service more attractive. This paper provides a procedure for the creation of transit timetables to improve the correspondence of vehicle departure times with passenger demand. The algorithm developed yields departure times (a timetable) for vehicles to achieve an even maximum load on each vehicle and a smoothing consideration in the transition between time periods. A case study was carried out using the data of one bus route in Auckland, New Zealand, with modeling and simulation analyses. The results of the even maximum load on individual vehicles, in terms of the elimination of overcrowding and schedule adherence, exhibit significant improvement over timetables with even headways or with headways based on hourly even maximum loads.