In a paper published in the journal Transportation Research Record, the authors outline a new solution to the often slow, unreliable and wasteful bus routes that service suburban and exurban communities.
On-demand transit (ODT) is an algorithm-based system that replaces buses with a fleet of passenger vans. Drivers respond to rider requests made through smart devices at existing bus stops. The drivers pick up one or more passengers at the stops and deliver them to the nearest public transit hub, usually a commuter rail or metro station.
The system is designed to optimize "first-mile" trips—the initial stage of a commute when passengers leave their home for the transit hub where they will embark on the next stage of travel that brings them to work.
Co-lead author Seyed Mehdi Meshkani says ODT presents several advantages over current bus-based fixed routes.
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