Analyzing urban bus service reliability at the stop, route, and network levels

• Published in: Transportation research. Part A, Policy and practice Vol. 43; no. 8; pp. 722 - 734
• Main Authors: Chen, Xumei, Yu, Lei, Zhang, Yushi, Guo, Jifu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2009; Elsevier
• Series: Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Bus; Bus Service reliability Public transport Punctuality Evenness Routes Stops; Evenness; Exact sciences and technology; Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction; Public transport; Punctuality; Road transportation and traffic; Routes; Service reliability; Stops; Transportation planning, management and economics; Asia; China; China, People's Rep., Beijing; Punctuality; Bus; Stops; Evenness; Routes; Public transport; Service reliability; Performance evaluation; Public transportation; Passenger transportation; Survey; Analysis method; Urban transportation; Reliability; Computing method; Service quality; Bus stop
• ISSN: 0965-8564; 1879-2375
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2009.07.006

Improving the reliability of bus service has the potential to increase the attractiveness of public transit to current and prospective riders. An understanding of service reliability is necessary to develop strategies that help transit agencies provide better services. However, few studies have been conducted analyzing bus reliability in the metropolis of China. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of service reliability based on bus operational characteristics in Beijing. Three performance parameters, punctuality index based on routes ( PIR), deviation index based on stops ( DIS), and evenness index based on stops ( EIS), are proposed for the evaluation of bus service reliability. Reliability involves routes, stops, punctuality, deviation, and evenness. The relationship among the three parameters is discussed using a numerical example. Subsequently, through a sampling survey of bus lines in Beijing, service reliability at the stop, route, and network levels are estimated. The effects of route length, headway, the distance from the stop to the origin terminal, and the use of exclusive bus lanes are also analyzed. The results indicate low service reliability for buses in Beijing and a high correlation between service reliability and route length, headway, distance from the stop to the origin terminal, and the provision of exclusive bus lanes.