Planning and Operational Analyses for A New Intercity Transit Service Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Ranjbari, Andisheh Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 25/09/2021 07:58:17 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/630234 PLANNING AND OPERATIONAL ANALYSES FOR A NEW INTERCITY TRANSIT SERVICE By ANDISHEH RANJBARI ________________________ Copyright © Andisheh Ranjbari 2018 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING MECHANICS In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2018 THE LTNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Commiuee, we certifu that we have read the dissertation prepared by Andisheh Ranjbari, titled Planning and Operation Analyses for A New Intercity Transit Service and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Date: May 3,2418 Date: May 3,2018 Mark D. Hickman Date: May 3,2018 Neng Fan Date: May 3,2018 Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certiff that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. Date: May 3,2018 rector: Yi-Chang Chru Date: May 3,2018 Dissertation Director: Mark D. Hickman 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: Andisheh Ranjbari 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The past couple years of my PhD studies have formed a very special chapter of my life, but it would not be the same if it were not for the many amazing people who have contributed to my life and my research over these years. I owe them my deepest gratitude, and the words below just glimpse the influence they have all had in my life and in my PhD. My fabulous adviser, Dr. Mark Hickman – He always believed in me, encouraged me, and supported me in all my endeavors, and I greatly appreciate his knowledge, wisdom and patience. He corrected me when I was wrong, complimented me when I accomplished something, guided me when I was confused, encouraged me when I was disheartened, listened to me when I was frustrated, and cheered for me when I was excited. I could talk to him about any idea, whether bright or stupid; he would always patiently listen to my ideas and offer his opinion, without making me feel stupid or discouraged. Our regular Thursday meetings were absolutely something to look forward to, and I would always leave the meeting with refilled confidence, a smile, and a passion to explore more. My other bright adviser, Dr. Yi-Chang Chiu – I am very grateful to him for coming up with the idea of Flexpress in the first place, a path which, howbeit long and uneven, made this research a joy for me. He supported me and coached me to become a better researcher, better presenter and a more successful professional. He pushed me out of my comfort zone several times, which helped me become stronger and more confident. Along with this amazing dissertation research, my PhD period was filled with several internships and extracurricular activities; even though worried about my research, he confided in me and never stopped me from pursuing my goals, and each of those experiences have greatly contributed to my personal and professional character. My favorite boss and terrific mentor, Elizabeth Sall – She has been a pleasure to know, a joy to work with, and a role model to always look up to. She pushed me to believe in myself, to pursue what I think is good for me, and to broaden my horizons. She has helped me grow in many ways over the past five years, and I am indebted to her for several good things that have happened in my professional life. My fantastic teaching mentor, Dean Papajohn – He is a gifted teacher, an excellent mentor, and an incredible human being. His contagious love for teaching and enthusiasm for helping students have inspired me to become a better teacher and have helped me discover the joy of teaching. Full of passion, support, and encouragement, he has been a pleasure to work with and to learn from, and I feel so lucky to have known him and worked with him. 5 Our wonderful department head, Dr. Kevin Lansey - He believed in me and supported me in every path that I wanted to pursue, and always helped pave the way for me. His support, encouragement, care and understanding lighted some of my darkest moments in the past few years. My precious friends, my family by choice, Behrouz, Kamal, Milad, Navid, Pegah, and Sahel – They have been there for me, in my happiest and saddest moments, no matter if they were hundreds of miles away. Having traveled the same road, we have shared all the stressful and cheerful days of our personal and professional lives over the past two decades, from middle school, high school and college days to that special moment of finally being called “doctor”, and as we embark on the next chapters of our lives. I usually take them for granted, but in the midst of a world that is consistently changing, having them in my life is absolutely a blessing. My dear friends in Tucson, who have been delightful company in the time of being away from my family, and made my past six years in this fascinating land of sun and cacti full of good memories and happy moments. My life champions, the dearest in my heart, Mom and Dad – Words fail me to express my appreciation and gratitude toward them. They have gone above and beyond in supporting me in every step of my life and have made a lot of sacrifices so that I can pursue my dreams and build a life that I have hoped for. They have given me freedom to choose, courage to start, strength to fight, love to continue, and faith to believe in; and I am indebted to them for all the beautiful things that I have in my life. My loving and caring siblings, Atlas and Ramin – Since I started first grade, they have cheered me on every small or big achievement in my studies and career. They wanted me to have all the good things that they had or ever imagined for themselves and did everything they could to support me and to help me achieve my goals. And finally, my life-long friend and beloved partner, Babak – He has been my biggest cheerleader, my number-one support, and my constant source of happiness. He stood with me in all the crazy and stressful moments of the past twelve years, and in every step of this PhD; celebrated every accomplishment with me and helped me get over every failure. He always supported me to pursue what was the best for me, and encouraged me to go after what seemed impossible. Whenever I was discouraged, he would do his best to inspire me and to put me back on track, and when things looked the worst, he would always find a way to make me smile. I would never have found myself where I am today without his encouragement, love, patience, and belief in me. To Mom and Dad, for their endless support and unconditional love, and for all their sacrifices. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………...…………….… 9 LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………………..…………..…… 10 ABSTRACT ……………….....………………………………………..………………… 11 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 13 1.1. INTERCITY TRAVEL: CHALLENGES AND DEVELOPMENTS ............................ 14 1.2. RESEARCH NEED AND PROBLEM DEFINITION ..................................................... 16 1.3. STUDY OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................... 18 1.4. FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................................. 19 1.5. STUDY SCOPE AND RESEARCH PROCESS ............................................................... 19 1.6. DISSERTATION STRUCTURE ....................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 2: CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT ................................................................ 21 2.1. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND RELEVANT DEVELOPMENTS ................... 22 2.1.1. High-Speed Electric Passenger Vehicles ....................................................................... 22 2.1.2. Superbus......................................................................................................................... 22 2.1.3. Wireless Charging Technology.....................................................................................