Author: Phan Hong Lan Tran
Tran, Phan Hong Lan, 2021 Public transport improvements with focus on on-demand bus services using traffic simulation, Flinders University, College of Science and Engineering
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Public Transport (PT) has played an important role in ensuring society mobility, active travel, social equality, and relieving traffic congestion (Cao et al. 2017). However, Adelaide Public Transport has been assessed as an extensive yet underused network with spare capacity (Infrastructure SA 2020) because of the lack of integration for linking services, low frequency and improper coverage which makes PT less attractive. The aims of this thesis are to gain understanding about Public Transport in Adelaide and methods for shortening travel times, which would result in better public transport patronage and the reduction in private vehicle trips. Specifically, assessing the effectiveness of the new train line extension from Tonsley station to Flinders station and the operation of the network connecting two Flinders University Campuses, Tonsley and Bedford Park will be investigated. Since, the focus of this research is on Tonsley loopbus, Flinders Express and autonomous vehicle FLEX, these transport services are the main objectives of the detailed transport modelling to be undertaken. In addition to detailed study of the Darlington area, the other Adelaide Public Transport corridors were experienced by the author using different means of tranport such as bus, train, tram, the Bus Rapit Transit, and Sealink station to door bus-ferry-bus to understand the transit services in Adelaide in a customer point of view. Thereby, PT improvements were proposed with evidence-based benefits of linking local services to the current government transit service by Flinders line train. Although, the travel time investigation is the main focus of this research, an estimation of other transport key performance indicators (KPIs) is carried out, such as the potential for reducing vehicles' emissions. The traffic microsimulation approach, using start-of-the-art Aimsun software package, is utilised in thorough transport network operation.
Keywords: Public transport, on-demand bus services, Aimsun, Traffic simulation, Socio-economic characteristics
Subject: Engineering thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2021
School: College of Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Dr Nicholas Holyoak