Optimizing the Bus’s Number of Doors and their Width by means of Passengers’ Flow Simulation under Congestion to Reduce Dwell Time

Bus dwell times on urban bus operations play a critical role in correct scheduling and punctuality. Dwell time, since it is the amount of time at which boarding and alighting processes are performed, can account for the vast majority of the total travel time. Under peak load conditions, dwell time can experience a remarkable rise due to the friction existing between on-board passengers. The purpose of this study is to provide a number of strategies which are able to reduce the amount of dwell time. To do this, the previous studies in which the dwell time has been modeled by taking account of on-board crowding are investigated. Moreover, the present study simulates the flow of passengers by means of simulation tools to determine the optimal bus layout, including the optimal number of doors and their width. Being able to predict how a bus design affects passenger flow would consequently be highly valuable during bus development. The results show that the increase in bus doors can lead to a sharp decline by 37.6 percent in dwell time over considering three scenarios. Furthermore, increasing the width of doors and improving boarding policy can reduce bus dwell time.