CESS seminar : Deviated Fixed-route Microtransit: Design and Operations
Abstract
Microtransit offers opportunities to enhance urban mobility by combining the reliability of public transit and the flexibility of ride-sharing. This paper optimizes the design and operations of a deviated fixed-route microtransit system that relies on reference lines but is allowed to deviate in response to passenger demand. We formulate a Microtransit Network Design (MiND) model via two-stage stochastic optimization. The model features a tight second-stage formulation thanks to a subpath-based representation of microtransit operations in a load-expanded network, which optimizes on-demand deviations between checkpoint stops. We develop a double-decomposition algorithm combining Benders decomposition and subpath-based column generation armed with a tailored label-setting algorithm. Using real-world data from Manhattan, results suggest that our method scales to large practical instances, with up to 10-100 candidate lines and hundreds of stops. Comparisons with transit and ride-sharing benchmarks suggest that microtransit provides win-win outcomes toward efficient mobility (high demand coverage, low operating costs, high level of service), equitable mobility (broad geographic reach) and sustainable mobility (limited environmental footprint).
Short bio
Alexandre Jacquillat is an Associate Professor of Operations Research and Statistics at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on data-driven decision-making, spanning integer optimization, stochastic optimization, and machine learning. His primary focus is on the optimization of complex transportation and logistics systems to promote efficient, reliable and sustainable mobility of people and goods. Alexandre is the recipient of several awards, including the INFORMS Dantzig Dissertation Award, the Best Paper Prize from INFORMS Transportation Science and Logistics (twice), the Harvey Greenberg Research Award from INFORMS Computing, the Pierskalla Best Paper Award from INFORMS Health Applications, and the Best Paper Award from INFORMS Data Mining and Decision Analytics. He received a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from the Ecole Polytechnique and PhD in Engineering Systems from MIT.
Sandwiches are offered at the end of the seminar.
Microtransit offers opportunities to enhance urban mobility by combining the reliability of public transit and the flexibility of ride-sharing. This paper optimizes the design and operations of a deviated fixed-route microtransit system that relies on reference lines but is allowed to deviate in response to passenger demand. We formulate a Microtransit Network Design (MiND) model via two-stage stochastic optimization. The model features a tight second-stage formulation thanks to a subpath-based representation of microtransit operations in a load-expanded network, which optimizes on-demand deviations between checkpoint stops. We develop a double-decomposition algorithm combining Benders decomposition and subpath-based column generation armed with a tailored label-setting algorithm. Using real-world data from Manhattan, results suggest that our method scales to large practical instances, with up to 10-100 candidate lines and hundreds of stops. Comparisons with transit and ride-sharing benchmarks suggest that microtransit provides win-win outcomes toward efficient mobility (high demand coverage, low operating costs, high level of service), equitable mobility (broad geographic reach) and sustainable mobility (limited environmental footprint).
Short bio
Alexandre Jacquillat is an Associate Professor of Operations Research and Statistics at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on data-driven decision-making, spanning integer optimization, stochastic optimization, and machine learning. His primary focus is on the optimization of complex transportation and logistics systems to promote efficient, reliable and sustainable mobility of people and goods. Alexandre is the recipient of several awards, including the INFORMS Dantzig Dissertation Award, the Best Paper Prize from INFORMS Transportation Science and Logistics (twice), the Harvey Greenberg Research Award from INFORMS Computing, the Pierskalla Best Paper Award from INFORMS Health Applications, and the Best Paper Award from INFORMS Data Mining and Decision Analytics. He received a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from the Ecole Polytechnique and PhD in Engineering Systems from MIT.
Sandwiches are offered at the end of the seminar.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Prof. Olga Fink (IMOS), Prof. Alexandre Alahi (VITA), Prof. Dusan Licina (HOBEL), Prof. Alain Nussbaumer (RESSLab)
Contact
- Prof. Nikolaos Geroliminis