Traveler Satisfaction in Rapid Rail Systems: The Case of Istanbul Metro SedaYanık1, Emel Aktas2*, Ilker Topcu1 1Industrial Engineering Department, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey 2Cranfield University, CranfieldSchool of Management, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK Abstract Multi-faceted characteristics of urban travel have an impact on thepassengers’ overallsatisfaction with the transport system. In this study, we investigate the interrelationships among traveler satisfaction, travel and traveler characteristics,and service performancein a multimodal network that comprises of a trunk line and its feeder lines. We analyze the factors influencing the choices of access to rail transit stations and the satisfaction of transit travelers with the rapid rail transit systems. We quantitatively study these relationships and demonstrate the complexity of evaluating transit service performance. Since the interrelationships among variables affecting this system are mainly stochastic, we analyzethe satisfaction with transit system problem using a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN), which helps capture the causality among variables with inherent uncertainty.Using the case of Istanbul, weemploy theBBN as a decision support tool for policy makers to analyzethe rapid rail transit services and determinepoliciesfor improving the quality and the level of serviceto increase the satisfaction with transit system.In the case study, satisfaction with accessibility and access mode variables are found to be more effective variables than total travel time for travel time satisfaction, confirming the significant role of access in multimodal travels. Keywords: Trunk-and-Feeder Transportation Systems,Rapid Rail Systems, Traveler Satisfaction, Bayesian Belief Network *Corresponding author. Tel.: +441234751122; e-mail address:
[email protected]. 1 1. Introduction Public transport is a key aspect of sustainable transportation, allowing social mobility and enabling less pollution and congestion.