Problem 5: Optimising bus services within the Happy Bay Peninsula (25 marks)

At the request of Transport for People (TfP), the Wheels in Motion (WIM) bus company has decided to review its current bus operations in order to help support a mode-shift from private car use to higher levels of public transport use. To do this, they hired you as a consultant to help them reconfigure their bus routes and rolling stock allocation. On inspecting their operations, you find the following:

WIM 301 bus route services all three key destination zones on the Happy Bay Peninsula Infinity, Stormhaven University and TheSalt Mines & Villaville. The round trip takes 70 minutes and with the exception of the university stop, all dwell-times at bus stops fall within a 20 second dwell-window

The service currently operates at 30-minute headways from the bus stop located 200m from the Happy Bay Train Station

WIM indicates that it can deploy up to 8 vehicles and drivers to service any improvements to the 301 bus route, but prefer to keep the resource allocation as low as possible for deployment on other routes within their contract area. After undertaking a customer feedback survey, customers cite the primary reason for why they dont like using the 301 service as wait times and travel times that are too long by comparison with other options.

c) What changes could be made to the route configuration and allocation of rolling stock resources that would improve the service quality by reducing average waiting times and travel times for customers? (5 marks)

d) What changes to end-to-end run times would need to be made to your new service configuration to reduce the rolling stock allocation? (5 marks)

e) What changes to the physical infrastructure on the Peninsula could be made to enable the delivery of better public transport services? Keep in mind that lower cost options are more likely to be implemented than high cost projects. (5 marks)

Transport for People (TP) Transport for People (TfP) is the transport planning authority for the state government. Recent changes to the transport administration has meant that planning and coordination functions from the public transport providers and road authority have been relocated and amalgamated into the one division within Transport for People in an effort to create greater opportunities for collaboration and coordination between transport modes. There is also a contracts division within Transport for People that set the service standards that Making Tracks and Wheels in Motion have to work to. Transport and access to Happy Bay peninsula The transport services that serve the Happy Bay Peninsula are highlighted in Figure 2. The road network is relatively simple and provides access for both private passenger and delivery vehicles as well as public transport services to the Peninsula buses. The train service runs at 10-minute frequencies during peak periods, but to reach any of the sites on the Peninsula by public transport it is necessary to transfer to the 301 bus service. Unfortunately the 301 bus stop is located some 200 metres from the rail station and takes a very circuitous trip along the Peninsula leading to a high level of dissatisfaction amongst passengers. Service levels and travel times for public transport to and from Happy Bay Peninsula are shown in Table 1. Table 1: Relative travel times for active and public transport and private car travel on the Happy Bay Peninsula Travel Mode Round Trip (min) Frequency Train to Uni (min) 35 Train to V'ville (min) 45 V'ville to Infinity (min) 50 Train to Infinity (min) 25 V'ville to Uni (min) 60 Bus 301 70 University Shuttle 30 mins 15 mins in morning & evening peaks, 30 mins in off-peaks 40 20 Car 30 35 32 18 Shared Path 15 30 min walk 15 min ride Train 10 mins to city CBD The collector road that links the activities on Happy Bay Peninsula to the rest of Stormhaven, University Drive, operates at a poor Level of Service (LOS) during the morning peak period. Between 7:30am-8:30am (morning peak), the southern sections of University Drive are operating at LOS D or LOS E on most weekdays. The maximum hourly capacity of University Drive is approximately 3,000 vehicles/hour in each direction - or 1,500 vehicle/hour/lane. Of the 5,123 car trips for the journey-to-work around half, 2,561, are travelling between 7:30am-8:30am, keeping in mind that most of the Villaville residents are travelling out of the Happy Bay Peninsula. Some drivers, approximately, half, arrive at work on the shoulders of the peak period either because their work or lecture starting times are earlier or later or as a way of avoiding congestion. This is consistent with peak spreading patterns on most roads throughout Stormhaven. IIOOOO Bus Stop Shuttle Stop/Bus Stop Entry to Shared Path Signalised Intersections Roadway Bus Route 301 Shuttle Route Shared Path --- Train Line Stormhaven University Villaville Hoy C Urbo Happy Bay The Salt Mines SY OF Infinity -O- Railway Station Figure 2: Transport services to Happy Bay Peninsula The mode-splits at the three key sites for residents, employees and students are shown in Table 2 and as can be seen the mode-split for the journey-to-work is dominated by private car travel. The data shown in Table 2 was collated by a Happy Bay Council Officer using census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in 2010 and accordingly may be different in 2020. The Wheels in Motion bus fleet has carrying capacities of 60 (45 seated and 15 standing) for standard buses and 77 (52 seated and 25 standing) for articulated buses. Table 2: Population, parking and journey-to-work mode---splits for the Happy Bay Peninsula Stakeholder Population Car Parking Car Infinity Employees 2,262 1,850 9% (204) 1% (23) 4% (89) 86% (1,945) 91% (573) Stormhaven University Staff 630 570 6% (38) 1% (6) 2% (13) Students (average semester day) 3,800 3,000 84% (2,520) 11% (330) 1% (30) 4% (120) Villaville Residents 2-3 per 1,800 (720*) dwelling 67% (482) 28% (202) 2% (14) 3% (22) The Salt Mines 8,000 4,000 (proposed) (5,000**) *Number of working people in the residential population. **Future population that will be commuting for work or education in The Salt Mines Transport for People (TP) Transport for People (TfP) is the transport planning authority for the state government. Recent changes to the transport administration has meant that planning and coordination functions from the public transport providers and road authority have been relocated and amalgamated into the one division within Transport for People in an effort to create greater opportunities for collaboration and coordination between transport modes. There is also a contracts division within Transport for People that set the service standards that Making Tracks and Wheels in Motion have to work to. Transport and access to Happy Bay peninsula The transport services that serve the Happy Bay Peninsula are highlighted in Figure 2. The road network is relatively simple and provides access for both private passenger and delivery vehicles as well as public transport services to the Peninsula buses. The train service runs at 10-minute frequencies during peak periods, but to reach any of the sites on the Peninsula by public transport it is necessary to transfer to the 301 bus service. Unfortunately the 301 bus stop is located some 200 metres from the rail station and takes a very circuitous trip along the Peninsula leading to a high level of dissatisfaction amongst passengers. Service levels and travel times for public transport to and from Happy Bay Peninsula are shown in Table 1. Table 1: Relative travel times for active and public transport and private car travel on the Happy Bay Peninsula Travel Mode Round Trip (min) Frequency Train to Uni (min) 35 Train to V'ville (min) 45 V'ville to Infinity (min) 50 Train to Infinity (min) 25 V'ville to Uni (min) 60 Bus 301 70 University Shuttle 30 mins 15 mins in morning & evening peaks, 30 mins in off-peaks 40 20 Car 30 35 32 18 Shared Path 15 30 min walk 15 min ride Train 10 mins to city CBD The collector road that links the activities on Happy Bay Peninsula to the rest of Stormhaven, University Drive, operates at a poor Level of Service (LOS) during the morning peak period. Between 7:30am-8:30am (morning peak), the southern sections of University Drive are operating at LOS D or LOS E on most weekdays. The maximum hourly capacity of University Drive is approximately 3,000 vehicles/hour in each direction - or 1,500 vehicle/hour/lane. Of the 5,123 car trips for the journey-to-work around half, 2,561, are travelling between 7:30am-8:30am, keeping in mind that most of the Villaville residents are travelling out of the Happy Bay Peninsula. Some drivers, approximately, half, arrive at work on the shoulders of the peak period either because their work or lecture starting times are earlier or later or as a way of avoiding congestion. This is consistent with peak spreading patterns on most roads throughout Stormhaven. IIOOOO Bus Stop Shuttle Stop/Bus Stop Entry to Shared Path Signalised Intersections Roadway Bus Route 301 Shuttle Route Shared Path --- Train Line Stormhaven University Villaville Hoy C Urbo Happy Bay The Salt Mines SY OF Infinity -O- Railway Station Figure 2: Transport services to Happy Bay Peninsula The mode-splits at the three key sites for residents, employees and students are shown in Table 2 and as can be seen the mode-split for the journey-to-work is dominated by private car travel. The data shown in Table 2 was collated by a Happy Bay Council Officer using census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in 2010 and accordingly may be different in 2020. The Wheels in Motion bus fleet has carrying capacities of 60 (45 seated and 15 standing) for standard buses and 77 (52 seated and 25 standing) for articulated buses. Table 2: Population, parking and journey-to-work mode---splits for the Happy Bay Peninsula Stakeholder Population Car Parking Car Infinity Employees 2,262 1,850 9% (204) 1% (23) 4% (89) 86% (1,945) 91% (573) Stormhaven University Staff 630 570 6% (38) 1% (6) 2% (13) Students (average semester day) 3,800 3,000 84% (2,520) 11% (330) 1% (30) 4% (120) Villaville Residents 2-3 per 1,800 (720*) dwelling 67% (482) 28% (202) 2% (14) 3% (22) The Salt Mines 8,000 4,000 (proposed) (5,000**) *Number of working people in the residential population. **Future population that will be commuting for work or education in The Salt Mines