Setting public transport service standards : an economic approach.

This paper describes a new approach to setting service frequency levels for urban public transport routes, using SCBA techniques to select the optimum economic service frequency. This optimum frequency depends on the trade-off, as frequency varies, between operator costs (including vehicle capital costs), user (generalised) costs and externality costs (congestion and environmental costs). This approach has been translated into an economic model in the context of Melbourne's public transport system (bus, tram and train services). The model has been applied to examine how economic costs vary with service frequency, and hence to derive optimum frequencies, for generic routes for each mode and for a range of individual routes. This has led to some 'rule of thumb' generalizations based on the key 'drivers' affecting optimum frequencies. The model has also been applied in developing recommendations on enhanced bus service frequencies as part of Melbourne's Metropolitan Bus Plan. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E210413.