Bus Route Operational Efficiency Evaluation in Milwaukee County

Abstract

ABSTRACT BUS ROUTE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY EVALUATION IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY by Ebtesam Hazbavi The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2015 Under the Supervision of Professor Yue Liu Public transit systems are expanding in the majority of cities in the United States due to the increasing numbers of people who use public transportation as their main commute facility. Evaluating the efficiency of public transit systems results in providing better services for the residents on one hand and reduces the unnecessary costs on the other hand. In this research, the efficiencies of bus routes options in County are evaluated. After reviewing different literature, Fuzzy AHP model is selected as the main decision making model. AHP is one of the preferred methods of decision making in solving complex problems, which provides the opportunity of involving all provided criteria in the final decisions. In this research, the efficiency was calculated for Fixed Routes and Free Flyer Routes, daily and during the peak hours. The data of this research are obtained from Milwaukee county 2013 annual ridership report as routine reports published by Milwaukee county transit system (MCTS). In conclusion, various solutions are suggested for improving the transit system in Milwaukee County.