A Modified Genetic Algorithm for Solving the Joint Regular Bus Route Design, Express Bus Service Design, and Frequency Setting Problem

Abstract Express bus services, which use faster routes and make fewer stops than regular bus services, are a potential solution to reduce travel time. This study aims to solve the regular bus network design problem, the express service design problem, and the frequency setting problem simultaneously while considering capacity constraints and incorporating deadheading. A hybrid genetic algorithm is modified to solve this integrated problem. A waypoint-based solution representation is proposed to facilitate the design of both regular and express routes. Numerical experiments are set up to demonstrate the performance of the hybrid genetic algorithm and its components, the effects of minimum frequency for regular routes, the characteristics of express routes, the superior performance of simultaneous optimization of regular routes and the express service compared with optimizing the express service after regular routes design.