Urban Public Bus Adequacy Evaluation Analysis: A Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia Case Study

Abstract

The attractiveness of public transportation to current and/ or future users is highly related upon the adequacy and reliability level of public transportation in an urban area. In order to enhance the strategy development for decision makers as well as transit agencies an evaluation of current situation of urban transportation network is needed. This study aims to evaluate and find ways to improve the performance adequacy of public bus networks in Johor Bahru, Johor state of Malaysia using GIS. Three most effective parameters, namely, drivers’ punctuality, ease of accessibility, and bus schedule adherence are proposed for the evaluation of bus routes service quality and evenness. Various factors relative to the effectiveness of the bus routes are processed using geospatial analysis techniques of ArcGIS by means of real-world data. The results show that 18.75 percent of the actual running times are longer than (and thus behind) the scheduled, and 16.67 percent of those shorter than (and thus ahead of) the scheduled. However, the results are considered applicable for urban transportation planning and management in order to not only analyze the efficiency of current working buses but also improve the level of service (LOS) within a certain place of interest, thereby demonstrating that it can provide quick and accurate quality control

Keywords

• GIS, Public Transportation, Urban GIS, GIS-T

References

1. Annamalai V. (2008). Data Management of Public Bus Operation in Johor Bahru. Master of Science. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai.
2. Arampatzis, G., C.T. Kiranoudis, P. Scaloubacas, and D. Assimacopoulos. (2002).
3. A GIS-based support system for planning urban transportation policies. European Journal of Operational Research 152: 465–475.
4. Azghadi. V., Taghizadeh M., Saberi A., Mokaram M. (2009). Optimization of Bus Transportation Networks using MCMTrPrP1 Model. Geomatic 89 Conference. 15 April 2009. National Cartographic Center of Iran. Tehran, Iran. 1- 5.
5. Cervero, R. (1998). The Transit Metropolis: A Global Inquiry. Island Press, Washington, D.C., USA.
6. Chang, K. T. (2010). Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. (5th ed.)., McGraw-Hill 2010.
7. Church R.L. (1999). Location modeling and GIS. In P. Longley, M. Goodchild, D. Maguire, & D. Rhind (Eds.)., Geographical information systems (2nd ed.).. New York: John Wiley. pp. 293-303
8. Church R.L. and C. ReVelle. (1974). The maximal covering location problem. Papers of the Regional Science Association 32. pp. 101-118 Clarke, M. (1999). GIS for Business and Service Planning. In Geographic Information Systems. Longley, P, M. Goodchild, D. Maguire, and D. Rhind (Eds). New York: John Wiley and Sons. Vol 2. pp.709-722.

9. Coppock J. T. and Rhind D. W. (1991). The history of GIS. In Maguire D J, Goodchild M F,And Rhind D W (eds).
10. Geographical Information Systems: Principles and Applications (Volume 1). Harlow, Longman: 21–43 D.Meyer, M. (2001). Urban Transportation Planning: a Decision-Oriented Approach, (2nd ed.)., Singapore: McGraw Hill.
11. Drakakis-Smith, D. (2003). Third World Cities: Introduction to Development Series. Routledge: New York (2nd. Ed.).
12. Eastman, J. R., Jin, W., Kyem, P. A. K. and Toledano, J. (1995). Raster procedures for multicriteria/ multiobjective decisions. Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. 61(5).; 539-547.
13. El-Shair, Issa (2000). GIS and Remote Sensing in urban transportation planning: A case study of Birkenhead, Auckland, Department of Geography Faculty of Arts, Yarmouk University Irbid, JORDAN.
14. Foresman, T.W., editor (1998). The history of geographic information systems: Perspectives from the pioneers. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
15. Getis Artur (2008). “What is GIS?”. ArcNews Magazine. Winter 2007/2008 issue, Environmental System and Research Institute (ERSI)., 1- 2.
16. Ghosh, A., McLafferty S., and Craig C. (1995). Multifacility Retail Networks. In Z. Drenzer ed., Facility Location: A survey of applications and Methods, pp. 301- 330. New York: Springer.
17. Gohari, A, 2011, Route planning system based on Geographic Information System, Map Malaysia 2011, PN35.
18. Golnarkar Ali (2009). Multimodal Transportation Networks and Closest Path Finding using Fuzzy Logic. Geomatic 89 Conference. 15 April 2009. National Cartographic Center of Iran. Tehran, Iran. 11- 23.
19. Goodchild MF. (1992b). Geographic data modeling. Computers and Geosciences 18(4).:401--408.
20. Goodchild, M.F. (1998). Geographic information systems and disaggregate transportation modeling. Geographical Systems 5(1–2).: 19–44.
21. Hakimi, S. L. (1964). Optimum Locations of Switching Centers and the Absolute Centers and Medians of a Graph. Operations Research 12: 450- 459.
22. Harvey, J., and Shih-Lung, Sh, (2001). Geographic Information Systems for Transportation: Principles and Applications, (1st ed.)., New York: Oxford University Press.
23. Jean-Claude Thill (2000). Geographic Information Systems in Transportation Research. (1st ed.)., Elsevier Science Ltd. Oxford, UK
24. Jie L., Peng W., Darold T. B. (2007) Transportation Research Part E-logistics and Transportation Review. TRANSP RES PT E-LOGIST TRANSP , vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 1086-1098.
25. Khatib, Z., Chang, and Ou,Y. (2001). Impacts of Analysis Zone Structures on Modeled Statewide Traffic. Journal of Transportation Engineering. pp 127: 31- 38.
26. Kittelson & Associates, Inc. (2003). Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, second ed. TCRP Report 100, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council.
27. Lau Too Kya, Zainuddin Awang. (2002). Statistik asas UiTM. 10th Edition. Malaysia: Fajar Bakti, Sdn. Bhd. pp 6-15.
28. Lawrence Tseu (2006). URBAN TRANSPORT GROWTH: THE CHALLENGES AHEAD – THE NEW REALISM AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. Fourth Sabah-Sarawak Environmental Convention 2006.
29. Miller, H. J. and Shaw S. L. (2001). Geographic Information Systems for Transportation (GIS-T).: Principles and Application. Oxford University Press.
30. Mosely M.J., Harman R.G., Coles O.B. and Spencer M.B. (1977). Rural Transport and Accessibility. Centre of East Anglian Studies, Univ. of East Anglia, Norwich. pp. 171-266.
31. Mukhtarah Bt Awi Nurzawani (2009). Are Malaysian Cities Automobile dependent: A Case Study of JB, Batu Pahat, and Muar, Johor Darul Takzim. Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning.Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai.
32. Nyerges, T. L. (1995). Geographical Information System Support for Urban/ Regional Transportation Analysis. In S. Hanson, ed., The Geography of Urban Trasportation, 2nd ed., pp. 240- 265. New York: Giulford Press.
33. O'Neill, W., Harper, E.A. (2000). Implementation of Linear Referencing Systems in GIS. Urban Planning and Development Applications of GIS, S. Easa, Y. Chan, eds., Reston, VA: ASCE Publications, pp. 79-98.
34. Peuquet, D. J. (1990). A conceptual framework and comparison of spatial data models. In Introductory Readings in Geographic Information Systems, D. J. Peuquet and D. F. Marble, eds., Taylor & Francis, London and Bristol, PA, pp. 250-285.
35. Shirzadi A. and Mesgari M. (2007). Evaluating the compatibility of multi-functional intensive urban land uses. Int. J. Applied Earth Obs. Geoinform., 9: 375-391.
36. Souleyrette, R. Strauss, T.R. (2000). Transportation. In: Easa, S., Chan, Y. (Eds.)., Urban Planning and Development Applications of GIS. American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA, pp. 117- 132.
37. Sterman, B., Schofer, J.(1976). Factors affecting reliability of urban bus services. Transportation Engineering Journal 102, 147–159.
38. Strathman, J., Hopper, J., 1993. Empirical analysis of bus transit on-time performance. Transportation Research Part A 27A (2)., 93–100.
39. Strathman, J., Dueker, K.J., Kimpel, T., (1999). Automated bus dispatching, operations control, and service reliability baseline analysis. Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1666, 28–36.
40. Sussman, J.( 2000). Introduction to Transportation Systems, (1st ed.)., Norwood, MA: Artech House.
41. Shaw, S. (1993). GIS for urban travel demand analysis: Requirements and lternatives. Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems, 17, 15–29.
42. Tao Zhang (2006). The Application of GIS and CARE-W on Water Distribution Networks in Skärholmen Pressure Zone, Stockholm, Sweden. Pipeline Technology 2006 Conference.
43. Waters, N. (1999). Transportation GIS: GIS-T. In P. A. Longley, M. F. Goodchild, D. J. Maguire and D. W. Rhind (eds.). Geographical Information Systems, Volume 2: Management Issues and Applications, 2ed., New York: John Wiley, 827-844
44. Xumei C., Lei Y, Yushi Z, Jifu G. (2009). Analyzing urban bus service reliability at the stop, route, and network levels. Transportation Research Part A 17A (2)., 107– 113