Discussion about Studies on Methods of Planning Bus Lines Network

Planning in the field of public transportation especially bus network encompasses a vast area of research. The process of network analyzing could be studied from different point of view namely network designing, program planning for drivers activity, demand analysis, planning in order to traffic assignment, mathematical solutions and full-fledged methods. Designing links of network could be considered as the most important part of planning. This process which is known as a strategic step so as to do large-term programs, affects frequency organizing, determining the number of vehicles, vehicles scheduling and using staff. This research has done by revising 40 studies about solving the designing network of bus lines problem with different kind of methods. Also, mentioned studies are classified from their model aims and type of solutions point of views. From the aim point of view, being theory or practical of used methods are considered and from the solution point of view, mathematical approaches, initiated and meta-initiated approaches and full-fledged are discussed. According to these descriptions, although, it is possible that presented approaches by experimental models are optimum, they aren’t practical and useful in real world. In addition, it is determined that standing achieved answers with previous methods in local optimums and disability of models in solving different problems is the most important reason of increasing new solutions. Furthermore, mathematical and initiated method have not lost their application in solving problems and are used in some special problems. Finally, in this research, according to aims and different features of each researcher in order to analyzing new network design problems, some useful and appropriate models are suggested.