Commuter arrivals and optimal service in mass transit: Does queuing behavior at transit stops matter?

B-Tier
Journal: Regional Science and Urban Economics
Year: 2008
Volume: 38
Issue: 3
Pages: 228-251

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper considers whether the optimal (second-best) mass-transit policy under a uniform-fare constraint is affected by passengers' queuing disciplines, by comparing the first-in-first-out (FIFO) and the random-access queuing. We analyze the problem by extending the model of mass-transit in Kraus and Yoshida (JUE(2002)) to the case of random-access queuing. The model involves the optimal number and capacity of trains as well as pricing. It is shown that, when the shadow value of a unit of waiting time exceeds that of a unit time of being late, the passengers' queuing discipline does not have any effect on the optimal (second-best) mass-transit policy including the number of trains and runs, scheduling, and pricing. If in turn, the shadow value of a unit of waiting time is smaller than that of being late, then aggregate travel costs are lower with random-access queuing than with FIFO, due to randomization of passengers' positions in a mass.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:regeco:v:38:y:2008:i:3:p:228-251
Journal Field
Urban
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-29