On-demand systems in which passengers with similar routes can share a vehicle are expected to become a relevant part of future mobility, thanks to their flexibility and their potential impact on reducing congestion. Nevertheless, due to the long detours required by a door-to-door scheme, they induce extra costs to the users in terms of delay. In this paper, we face the design of such a system in which users might be requested online to walk towards/from nearby pick-up/drop-off points if this improves overall efficiency. We show theoretically that the general problem becomes more complex (as it contains two sub-problems that extend set-cover), analyze the trade-offs that emerge, and provide a general formulation and specific heuristics that are able to solve it over large instances. We test this formulation over a real dataset of Manhattan taxi trips (9970 requests during one hour), finding that (a) average walks of about one minute can reduce the number of rejections in more than 80% and Vehicles-Hour-Traveled in more than 10%, (b) users who depart or arrive at the most demanded areas are more likely to be required to walk, and (c) the performance improvement of the service is larger when the system receives more trip requests.

On-demand ridesharing with optimized pick-up and drop-off walking locations

This paper presents characteristics of rural areas for MaaS development, based on a project co-funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland. The paper presents rural mobility SWOT analysis and challenges, as well as goals and vision. Solutions for MaaS services in terms of collaboration, services & markets, planning & decision-making, and technology & information are proposed. The next steps to be taken in rural MaaS development are examined. Rural areas have challenges to organize mobility services due to long distances and narrow flows of people and material, as well as tightening financial targets. Rural areas have also a major potential to organize transport services more efficiently. The collaboration of different stakeholders — businesses, the public sector and people — is key to the success. New pilots with impact assessment should be carried out and best practices disseminated. The unique characteristics of rural areas should be taken into account in e.g. legislation and financing. Technology is an enabler of efficient MaaS services; thus digitalization of data and use of open/defined interfaces is recommended. A toolkit for MaaS pilot/service development is needed to promote the development and implementation of new MaaS services.

MaaS in rural areas - case Finland

Recent events related to the COVID-19 pandemic event highlighted some criticalities of transport systems, especially the public sector. The respect for social distancing and a widespread fear of contagion have reduced travel on public transport. In addition, the new trend to reduce daily long-range mobility needs due to the increase in teleworking is present. Following the pandemic, there has been a paradigm shift, from smart cities to smart and sustainable cities (SSCs) in which a new concept of ​​resilience is contemplated. Among the various changes, a reversal of the trend has occurred with respect to the transition to the use of public transport. The growing density of car traffic causes an increase in external costs, in terms of atmospheric pollution and waste of time, with negative consequences also for the balance between private life and work. In this regard, the focus of this paper is to analyse the European policies promoted in the aftermath of the pandemic in the field of urban and suburban mobility. An exploratory analysis of key factors for active mobility, public transport and shared services has been carried out highlighting possible actions and strategies to be implemented in the light of the recent pandemic and the defined restrictions. Among the European policies implemented, the redevelopment of public spaces for the promotion of various forms of active mobility, such as cycling and walking, are considered. Among the possible transport solutions, which allow medium and long-range travel, demand responsive transport (DRT) services can reduce the use of private vehicles. In fact, they are implemented for two purposes: both to connect the centres with low demand for transport often lacking an adequate supply of travel choices and to cope with the pandemic, strengthening the service on the routes with greater demand for transport.

A New Vision on Smart and Resilient Urban Mobility in the Aftermath of the Pandemic: Key Factors on European Transport Policies

Public transport for smart cities: Recent innovations and future challenges

The emergence of demand responsive transport (DRT) services is restructuring mobility in the urban universe. They provide a high level of service and in many cases compete with public transportation modes. However, in less dense areas, where conventional public transit (CPT) services such as buses are inefficient and costly, DRT services could be an alternative that is both profitable and provides passenger satisfaction. This paper investigates the economic and socioeconomic potential of replacing CPT with DRT services. In particular, it focuses on the development and combination of two models. The first is an agent-based model, which describes movements of vehicles and assigns them to passengers according to a utility function. The assignment equilibrium problem is solved for demand that is elastic to generalized cost alone. The second is an economic optimization model, based on a simulated annealing algorithm, which aims to determine supply conditions that maximize the benefit for the operator, the user, the environment, and society. Four economic problems are discussed and formulated accordingly. In addition, supply optimization is carried out in particular with respect to fleet size, trip fare, and vehicle capacity. Finally, these models are applied to a real case in the Paris metropolitan area where a bus service has been replaced by a DRT system. The results show that though this shift is not beneficial from a societal point of view, bus demand is attracted by a DRT service consisting of 30 vehicles and charging a fare of €0.5. The operator would aim to propose a taxi-service, with small-sized vehicles and higher fares, in order to increase their profitability. User utility, on the other hand, would suggest that public authorities should regulate fares and vehicle capacity (more than 6 seats). Fare regulation, in particular, will depend on the fleet size, ranging linearly from €0 for 25 vehicles to €4 for 70 vehicles. Finally, we find through the sensitivity analysis that thresholds exist for demand and fixed costs (respectively 85% and 90% of reference values) beyond which the bus line is more beneficial to society than the DRT service.

Andreas Bossert

Papers

How much flexibility does rural public transport need? – Implications from a fully flexible DRT system