Evaluating Public Transportation Criteria and Congestion Using Multi-Criteria Assessment and Simulation Modeling

Congestion in urban transportation is a significant challenge, often exacerbated by increasing private vehicle use and limitations in public transport. This study introduces a two-stage approach combining multi-criteria assessment and traffic simulation to examine current conditions and propose improvements. Initially, data on five primary and twenty-one secondary factors affecting public transport choice are assessed using the Best–Worst Method (BWM). The findings reveal that convenience is prioritized by working professionals, while travel cost is most important to students. A baseline simulation model is established using a case study at Kaset Intersection in Bangkok. Incorporating weighted preferences into the simulation aims to enhance public transport and encourage private car users to switch modes through potential traffic management policies. Additionally, a micro-simulation assesses the impacts of decreased traffic density, revealing that a reduction in traffic density can shorten overall travel time by about 2.04 s, based on regression analysis. The results suggest policies to improve public transport, reduce traffic density, and enhance urban transport system performance.