A Single-stage Integer Programming Model for Long Term Transit Fleet Resource Allocation

The authors present a procedure for resource allocation among transit agencies for transit fleet management, specifically focusing on the purchase of new buses and rebuilding of existing buses. The model is formulated as a non-linear optimization problem of maximizing the total weighted average remaining life of the fleet subject to budgetary, policy and other constraints. The problem is solved using Integer Programming (IP) and its application is demonstrated through a case study utilizing actual transit fleet data from the Michigan Department of Transportation. This proposed model is an extension of earlier research on a Two-stage sequential optimization method, solved by Linear Programming (LP). The proposed model has a Single-stage structure designed to attain a better solution by allocating resources among different improvement options and different agencies in a single step. A comparison of the results by the two methods shows that while both approaches are viable, the Singlestage approach produces better results. The proposed model, as demonstrated in the case 1 Ph.D Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wayne State University, 5050 Anthony Wayne Drive, Detroit, MI 48202, Tel: 313.577.3803, Fax: 313.577.3881,Email: [email protected] 2 Associate Professor, Transportation Systems Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400 076. Tel: 91-22-2576-7349, Fax: 91-22-2576-7302, Email: [email protected] 3 Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wayne State University, 5050 Anthony Wayne Drive, Detroit, MI 48202, Tel: 313.577.3915, Fax: 313.577.3881, Email: [email protected]