PhD defense by Soumela Peftitsi and Jonas Hatzenbühler
PhD defense by Soumela Peftitsi on 13 June 2022, 14:00
Thesis title: Public transport demand and supply management under uneven passenger distributions
Location: Kollegiesalen, Brinellvägen 6, KTH Campus, Stockholm
Zoom: kth-se.zoom.us/j/68428741605
Language: English
Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Erik Jenelius (main), Assoc. Prof. Oded Cats
Opponent: Prof. Achille Fonzone, Edinburgh Napier University
Abstract: Overcrowding in public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, or transit) systems due to increased travel mobility has become a major problem for public transport operators. Overcrowded transit stations and vehicles are connected to travel time variability and greater discomfort for the passengers. Uneven passenger distributions among lines, stations, trips or even among different compartments of the vehicle (e.g. individual cars of a multi-car rail vehicle) lead to inefficient capacity utilization and magnify the negative effects of crowding. To this end, there is a need to gain a deeper understanding of passenger travel behavior and the causes of the imbalanced passenger distribution as well as improve the capacity utilization and passenger travel experience through demand and supply management strategies. Read more
PhD defense by Jonas Hatzenbühler on 14 June 2022, 10:00
Thesis title: Simulation and optimization of innovative urban transportation systems
Location: Kollegiesalen, Brinellvägen 6, KTH Campus, Stockholm
Zoom: kth-se.zoom.us/j/65778805858
Language: English
Supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Erik Jenelius (main), Assoc. Prof. Oded Cats, Assoc. Prof. Gyözö Gidofalvi
Opponent: Assoc. Prof. Joseph Chow, New York University
Abstract: The ongoing trends of urbanization and e-commerce continuously challenge the existing urban transportation systems. A steadily growing number of people traveling within urban areas, results in more trips taken with public transportation systems. Additionally, the constantly increasing number of urban logistic operations leads to more commercial vehicles in cities. These ongoing trends and the need for more sustainable operations require the design of robust and efficient transportation systems which additionally provide a high level of service for their users. In recent years, two innovative approaches have been proposed to overcome these challenges. That is, first, the use of autonomous buses as a replacement, or an addition to existing public transportation systems, and second, the consideration of consolidating multiple types of demand (i.e. passenger and freight) when planning and designing transportation systems. In this thesis, both approaches are studied and their impact on urban transportation systems is evaluated. This is achieved by developing novel simulation-based optimization models that consider technology-specific cost structures and capture the changed mode of operation for different vehicle technologies. Read more