VDM Verlag A Genetic Algorithm Approach to Bus Transfers Synchronization: Minimizing Transfer Times in a Public Transit System

As urban areas continue to grow in population and as congestion continues to worsen, future demands for transportation can only be met by an efficiently managed mass transportation. Minimizing transfer time through schedule coordination is one means to reduce the total travel time for those passengers who need to transfer from one route to another to complete their trips. However, providing coordinated transit services for the entire transit system, in which transfer times are minimized, is not easily achieved. This book presents a system-wide approach, based on genetic algorithms, for the optimization of transfer times for an entire bus transit system. Optimization of transfer times in a transit system is a complex problem because of the large set of binary and discrete values involved. The combinatorial nature of the problem imposes a computational burden and makes it difficult to solve by classical mathematical programming methods. As this book provides good coverage of the issues involved with transit transfers and transfer optimization, investigators conducting research in public transportation may find this book useful. In addition, software developers can benefit from the code provided in the appendixes. Master¿s and Ph.D. students may find this book resourceful for a master¿s thesis or dissertation. About the Author Fabian Cevallos, Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Transportation) at Florida International University. His research interests include: APTS, GIS, Transit Databases, Optimization Models, Information Technology, Evolutionary Algorithms, Business Intelligence, Data Analysis, Data Mining, and Transit Operations. Dr. Cevallos is currently the Transit Program Director at Florida International University.