Assessing the Resiliency of Transit and Shared Mobility Systems in Disasters and Emergencies

Research Team: Kenichi Soga (lead), Louise Comfort, Bingyu Zhao

UC Campus(es): UC Berkeley

Problem Statement: California’s public transit systems are under the constant threat of a myriad of disasters and emergencies. For example, the wildfire-induced Public Safety Power Shutoff emergencies may impact the operation of electricity-dependent buses, while earthquakes and tsunamis pose dangers to underground BART tunnels and highway bridges. To adapt to the rising threat of climate change as well as the challenge of aging infrastructure, this project will engage stakeholders to identify the most concerning scenarios regarding public transportation facilities and services, and to provide tools and data for decision makers through integrated transport simulation models that address the interconnections and interactions between public transit and shared mobility services. This approach will provide fine-resolution details for modeling and policy making, within a system-side perspective.

Project Description: This project will identify the most vulnerable components in the California public transit and shared mobility service systems and provide a reliable tool to test different planning and financing options. The researchers will demonstrate the technical feasibility of employing large-scale agent-based transportation simulations to build a baseline understanding of public transit vulnerabilities and incorporate them into large-scale simulations, as well as testing the values of simulation tools for evidence-based decision making. Ultimately, this work will provide insights and tools suitable for larger-scale deployment, such as full-scale analyses of major disaster and structural damage scenarios in multiple big cities in California.

Status: In Progress

Budget: $80,000