A Two-Phase, Joint-Commuting Model for Primary and Secondary Schools Considering Parking Sharing

Area of Science:

• Transportation Engineering
• Urban Planning
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Traffic congestion and environmental issues around schools are exacerbated by private car student commutes.
• Existing commuting models often fail to balance cost-efficiency with service levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an efficient and feasible joint-commuting model for primary and secondary schools.
• To reduce traffic congestion, travel costs, and environmental impact associated with student transportation.

Main Methods:

• Developed a "private car and school bus" joint-commuting model based on public-private cooperation and parking sharing.
• Designed a two-phase commuting travel model considering parent travel costs and school bus operating costs.
• Validated the model using an example, sensitivity analysis, and examination of factors influencing emissions.

Main Results:

• The joint-commuting model reduced total commute time cost by 23.33% compared to private car use.
• Significant reductions observed in private car driving time (23.36%) and dwell time (92.29%) during school commutes.
• School bus time cost decreased by 54.88% with the joint-commuting model.
• Staggered commuting, traffic regulation, and improved parking utilization were found to reduce costs and emissions.

Conclusions:

• The proposed joint-commuting model effectively balances service levels and resource consumption.
• It alleviates traffic congestion around schools and reduces environmental impact.
• The model offers a practical solution for reducing parent travel costs and school bus operational expenses.