Vehicle routing and scheduling for the ultra short haul transportation system

Abstract

A method of vehicle routing and scheduling for an air based intraurban transportation system is developed. The maximization of level of service to passengers in a system operating under time varying demand is considered on both the optimal and heuristic levels. It is shown that while the determination of an optimal schedule is mathematically feasible, it is computationally impractical. Heuristic vehicle control algorithms are developed and tested using computer simulation. It is shown that, as compared to fixed routing strategies, dynamic vehicle routing strategies provide a greater level of service to passengers while substantially reducing the direct operating costs of the system.