Simulation Evaluation of Threshold-Based Bus Control Strategy Under the Mixed Traffic Condition

Abstract

Implementing operational strategies is a sustainable and effective way for providing good bus serviceability, but the effects of the strategies on other traffic participants, e.g., cars, have drawn little attention. This paper thus aims to explore the effects of the mutual interference between buses and private cars, when applying a bus control strategy to a regular transit line. Three threshold-based strategies are compared, including (a) holding control (HC); (b) limited boarding control (LBC) and (c) holding combined with limited boarding control (H-LBC). A cellular automaton based model is proposed to depict the interaction between cars and buses, and the model parameters are calibrated using data collected from a real-life bus route in Beijing, China. The control strategies are evaluated by their benefits for three stakeholders involved in the system, including passengers, bus operator and car drivers. Simulation results show that a good bus control strategy does not only improve the efficiencies of bus operating and passenger travel, but also speed up the car running by alleviating traffic congestion. In turn, the car volume is an important factor when setting the optimal parameter for control strategies. Moreover, the comparison suggests that H-LBC outperforms the other two strategies in improving the service level for passengers, buses as well as cars, especially under crowded scenarios.