UTILIZATION OF EXPRESSWAYS IN INTER-REGIONAL BUS NETWORKS

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to propose a measure to utilize expressways for inter-regional trunk line buses in regional public transportation. After the abolition of railroads, route buses are often operated mainly on national highways that run parallel to railroads. In response to this situation, a decision-making process was developed to determine the areas where a bus network should be introduced. This network separates inter-regional buses, which travel on expressways, from intra-regional buses, which operate within municipalities. The process was applied to the Hidaka, Shiribeshi, and Dohoku regions in Hokkaido. As a result, it was found that there are many suitable sections, especially those where destination facilities are concentrated in urban areas and where there is a distance of about 10 km between interchanges. It is also shown that the proposed bus network between Nakagawa and Horonobe in Dohoku is not as fast as the railroad network due to the effect of the connection.