Integrated Dynamic Transit Operation System for Multimodal Suburban Transit

The endeavor of suburban transit agencies to improve operation efficiency and transit experience still faces significant challenges due to the long waiting time caused by low service frequency, as well as the lack of connectivity between different transit modes. This work proposes an integrated dynamic transit operation (IDTO) system solution to support enhanced operations of multimodal public transit involving rail rapid transit, bus and on-demand transit. The IDTO system enables the commuter to interact with the transit systems on real-time travel needs and trip options by providing dynamic transit applications including transfer connection protection (T-CONNECT) and dynamic travel management (T-DISP). An IDTO prototype with T-CONNECT capability is developed by implementing a dynamic bus holding control strategy that incorporates dynamic inter-stop trip times and passengers' demand. Field operational test results from real world multi-line bus system and rail transit system indicate that the proposed IDTO can effectively improve the success rate of transfers and reduce the commuters' waiting time during transfer.