학술논문

Operating Policies With Temporally and Spatially Varied Parameters in Station-Based Carsharing Services
Document Type
Periodical
Source
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management IEEE Trans. Eng. Manage. Engineering Management, IEEE Transactions on. 71:5101-5116 2024
Subject
Engineering Profession
Automobiles
Mathematical models
Behavioral sciences
Pricing
Vehicle dynamics
Public transportation
Planning
Extra parking
free reservation
operating policy
simulation-based optimization (SBO)
station-based carsharing
Language
ISSN
0018-9391
1558-0040
Abstract
This study investigates two operating policies with temporally and spatially varied parameters in station-based carsharing services, which are becoming a popular traffic mode. One is the so-called free-reservation policy, in which a user can reserve a car freely before his/her trip. The other is the extra-parking policy, in which a user can return a car to a station without valid parking slots but with a fixed extra-parking fee paid. A scheme with temporally and spatially varied parameters is proposed to maximize the total operational profit, where key service parameters in the two policies are varied with stations and periods. The strategic behavior of users is considered which involves the choices of both transportation modes and carsharing stations. A simulation-based optimization solution method is developed to optimize the key parameters in the policies, where the solution space is reduced. Extensive numerical experiments validate the solution method and the scheme with varied parameters. The results indicate that the scheme with varied parameters increases the total profit by approximately 20% compared to the scheme with unified parameters in the configuration of experiments. Several managerial implications are also proposed to help carsharing platforms utilize resources efficiently.