Modeling Public Transportation Networks with Queues

The modeling and simulation of public transportation networks is an important approach to alleviating the negative effects of sub-optimal systems implemented due to the rapid expansion of urban areas. Current approaches focus on optimizing the underlying structure and fail to consider the effects of these changes on the existing utilization rates of passengers. This paper introduces a novel computational model adapted from standard queuing theory to allow for simulation and analysis of these aspects. This approach is adaptable to a wide-array of public transportation systems and allows for simulating significant changes to the existing structure and the impact on passenger experience. We illustrate its capabilities with a case study on the University of Tsukuba campus bus loop in Japan. We show that our model is able to simulate changes to timetables, the effects of adding additional vehicles, and its capability to easily substitute and simulate alternative methods of transportation