Campus Shuttle Bus Performance Under COVID-19

Utilizing Simulation to Evaluate Shuttle Bus Performance Under Passenger Counts Impacted by Covid-19 – National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. The mission of the NIH is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burden of illness and disability. The NIH is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  The NIH is comprised of the Office of the Director and 27 research institutes and centers.

Covid-19 changed the ridership levels of the shuttle bus system.

Covid-19 considerations will continue to change ridership patterns well into 2021:

• Overall decrease in ridership due to remote work or employees wanting to avoid public transportation
• Changes demand pattern, as work schedules are staggered
• Changes in origin-to-destination patterns, as some departments/buildings more likely to work remotely than others
• A need to proactively limit the capacity of buses to ensure adequate spacing between riders

Simulation modeling is uniquely positioned to evaluate the shuttle bus system’s future state demands

• Can modify inputs to create demand / routes that do not currently exist
• Can include random variation in rider types, arrival patterns, and delay times
• Can create 3D animation to increase trust in the model

Shuttle bus simulation model enabled NIH to test various shuttle strategies for a variety of demand patterns. The visual nature of the simulation model is also critical to explain the model to non-technical resources.

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