Multi-Objective Optimization Model for Headway of Bus Transit in Rural Areas

The scientific determination of bus headway is very important for bus transit in rural areas. The problem of setting bus headway on a transit network under deterministic conditions with time varying demand for service and operation cost is formulated as a mathematical programming problem. This paper first proposes a bus headway problem by taking into account the operators' profit and passengers' cost. It proceeds to develop a multi-objective optimization model for the proposed problem, which aims to minimize the social cost in terms of waiting time, inconvenience due to crowding in the bus, and operation cost. The genetic algorithm is subsequently designed to solve this optimization model. Finally, a numerical example based on a real route in Wujin city of China is carried out to demonstrate the strength of this optimization model. The results show that the model and the algorithm are feasible and effective.