Route performance evaluation of a closed bus rapid transit system using GPS data

Abstract

GPS-fitted buses operating in bus rapid transit systems (BRTS) of India make it easier to collect a wealth of travel-time data from them. This article evaluates the operational performance of BRTS routes based on GPS data. First, various simplified statistical range parameters, viz. coefficient of variation percentile travel time, travel-time distributions, etc. are selected for route evaluation. Then, two bus routes of the Ahmedabad BRTS are selected as case study to develop and validate a methodology for evaluating the performance of these routes based on selected parameters. Weekday bus travel-time data for one direction accounting for 2124 bus trips are used in the study. The study then compares travel-time reliability-based performance of a BRT and a non-BRT route. Further, the study proposes an approach to measure a shift in BRTS network level of service based on two indices - average travel time per kilometre, and travel-time coefficient of variation. A left shift in cumulative plot indicates an improvement in the BRTS network level of service in the year 2016 compared to 2013.