Integrated Smart Feeder / Shuttle Bus Service

This paper presents the design of an integrated smart feeder/shuttle system. The design of such a system was motivated by the need to provide easy access to main haul transit services. Park and ride lots in many train stations can no longer accommodate automobiles brought to the stations. Some train riders have switched their mode of transportation from public transit to solo driving. Shortage of parking spaces at rail stations encourages passengers to drive alone, hence more cars on freeways and worsening traffic congestion. The purpose of this study is to design an innovative feeder/shuttle system that will 1) meet the needs and desires of end users, 2) utilize intelligent transportation technologies, and 3) increase the operational efficiency. Ideally, this smart feeder/shuttle system should be attractive to consumers because the service should be reliable and routing/scheduling should be flexible enough to meet the needs of riders. Among the attributes are the provision of door-to-door services and smooth and synchronized transfers between main haul and collector transit systems. To design an innovative feeder/shuttle system, new integrated and routing concepts have been developed. Ten different routing strategies are examined, including combinations of fixed/flexible routes, fixed/flexible schedules, one or bi-directional approaches, and short-cut (shortest path) and/or short-turn (turn around) concepts. The evaluation of these strategies is performed using a simulation model which is developed and constructed for this project. This simulation tool allows for the examination of: (a) various operating strategies from the user and the operator perspectives, (b) different routing models and scenarios, and (c) different real-time communication possibilities between the user, operator and a control center. This simulation model is used in a case study of Castro Valley in Alameda County, California. In this case study the feeder/shuttle service is coordinated with the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) service and the ten routing strategies are compared while using four fleet sized scenarios.