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The Vanpool Assignment Problem: Optimization models and solution algorithms

delete2013-09-01
delete23
PRE
AI
L
Levent Kaan
E
Eli V. Olinick *
DOI:10.1016/j.cie.2013.05.020delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
We present optimization models and solution algorithms for the Vanpool Assignment Problem. A vanpool is typically a group of 9-15 passengers who share their commute to a common target location (typically an office building or corporate campus). Commuters in a vanpool drive from their homes to a park-and-ride location where they board a van and ride together to the target location; at the end of the work day they ride together back to the park-and-ride location. The Minimum Cost Vanpool Assignment Model (MCVAM) developed in this study is motivated by a program offered by Gulfstream Aerospace, a large employer in the Dallas/Fort-Worth area, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Our MCVAM imposes constraints on the capacity of each van and quality-of-service constraints on the cost and travel time involved in joining a vanpool. The goal of the MCVAM is to minimize the total cost of a one-way trip to the target location for all employees (including those employees who opt-out of the program and choose not to join a vanpool). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first mathematical programming model proposed for the standard (one-stop) Vanpool Assignment Problem. The MCVAM models the current practice in vanpooling of using one park-and-ride location per vanpool. We also present a Two-Stop MCVAM (TSMCVAM) that offers significant cost savings compared to the MCVAM with little or no increase in trip times for most passengers by allowing vanpools to stop at a second park-and-ride location. We present heuristics for the TSMCVAM which are shown in a computational study to find solutions with optimality gaps ranging from 5% to 10% in CPU times ranging from 1 to 15 min for problem instances with up to 600 employees and 120 potential park-and-ride locations. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Transportation
Vanpooling
Carpooling
Park-and-ride
Integer programming
Heuristics

Journal

Computers and Industrial Engineering cover
Computers and Industrial Engineering
IF:
6.5
Papers:
1.0W
Citations:
3.8W

Organization

No organization information available