DemandTrans has announced the launch of a new predictive modeling tool to help agencies make decisions about demand responsive, Microtransit, and Mobility-as-a-Service solutions. Termed MaaS-Builder to reflect the simulator’s sophisticated ability to model how varied (actual or proposed) service offerings fit into the larger regional vision for mobility and quality of life, this tool provides four specific dimensions of capability for transit planners and agency leaders:
- DRT (aka microtransit) area/zone determination
- Simulation of potential services
- Validation of service concept utilizing actual dispatching tools
- Refinement of the regional model to understand the impact of regional mode share options to promote more sustainable infrastructure investment
“Maximizing the positive impact of public transit hinges on being able to dynamically balance supply and demand to enhance efficiency, increase system effectiveness, and provide customers with access to appropriate modes of travel to better serve, satisfy and grow ridership. Our MaaS-Builder simulation tool provides a means for agencies to understand the impact of blending varied fixed and flexible service configurations and modes before deployment, saving time, money, and most importantly, reducing risk,” said Charlotte Frei, DemandTrans director of Transit Lab and developer of MaaS-Builder, which evolved from her dissertation research.
As an example, the DemandTrans MaaS-Builder Simulator can illustrate the tangible impact of instituting a specific curb-to-curb service or intersection-to-intersection service. Balancing customer convenience with operating efficacy is an important consideration. “The desire to minimize wait and travel times can sometimes generate longer vehicle tours, particularly if vehicles must navigate one-way streets or make several turns to return to major corridors in order to perform subsequent pick-ups and drop-offs.” added Dr. Frei. “We are excited because services with and without timed transfer points can also be explored.”
“One of the biggest challenges transit agencies confront today is a lack of meaningful data when it comes to finding innovative, relevant ways to integrate these smarter, dynamic city initiatives,” said DemandTrans Chairman John E. Michel. “The MaaS-Builder Simulator was created to make it much easier for public transit agencies to prepare to imagine, pilot, and deploy a range of capabilities — Demand Response, Microtransit, or Mobility-as-a-Service — with reduced risk and enhanced understanding of potential outcomes under complex demand and service scenarios.” He continued, “Using the MaaSBuilder Simulator, agencies can now eliminate the trial-and-error approaches of the past in favor of data-driven approach that helps identify the most practical ways to deploy flexible transit solutions.”
