Optimization of İzmir’s public transportation system by linear programming and sensitivity analysis

This study will focus on public transportation problems in terms of energy consumption, excessive travel time, and fares. The study seeks the best solutions for such concerns in the Izmir case. It aims to optimize these subjects for the tramway and bus systems, which are comparable in terms of origin and destination points. This study, also, draws attention to the integration issue of the transportation modes. The methods employed in this study are linear programming and sensitivity analysis. For this study, nine routes, which have both tramway and bus lines, were determined. The routes sharing the same transfer points were taken to investigate which transportation type would be the most convenient or useful, what their drawbacks and positive outcomes would be, and which one would be environmentally friendly, with especially the lowest cost. For linear programming, the Solver tool of Microsoft Excel® software was utilized. Initially, the objective functions were identified as minimization of energy consumption, minimization of route length and minimization of passenger costs. The data about energy consumptions, speeds, and passenger volumes were collected are constraints of optimizations. Finally, sensitivity analysis was conducted to assessthe findings. The best solutions with bus and tram options were found for both passengers and operators. Optimal routes are Fahrettin Altay-Alsancak, Fahrettin Altay-Halkapınar, Mavişehir-Bostanlı and Egekent-Bostanlı. The study contributes to the literature using the time matrix besides to the transport cost matrix. Thus, this research serves not only for monetary aims but also for environmental and social aims.