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Although demand responsive feeder bus operation is possible with human-driven vehicles, it has not been very popular and is mostly available as a special service because of its high operating costs due to intensive labor costs as well as requirement for advanced real-time information technology and complicated operation. However, once automated vehicles become available, small-sized flexible door-to-door feeder bus operation will become more realistic, so preparing for such automated flexible feeder services is necessary to take advantage of the rapid improvement of automated vehicle technology. Therefore, in this research, an algorithm for optimal flexible feeder bus routing, which considers relocation of buses for multiple stations and trains, was developed using a simulated annealing algorithm for future automated vehicle operation. An example was developed and tested to demonstrate the developed algorithm. The algorithm successfully handled relocation of buses when the optimal bus routings were not feasible using the buses available at certain stations. Furthermore, the developed algorithm limited the maximum degree of circuity for each passenger while minimizing the total cost, including total vehicle operating costs and total passenger in-vehicle travel time costs.

The consequences of road accidents are significant for drivers and society. The connected vehicle system (CVS) is a promising technology that can improve road safety by warning drivers of traffic hazards. Broad implementation of the CVS could mitigate the harmful consequences of road accidents. Widespread implementation requires schemes that can promote the pervasive adoption of the system by drivers. This study proposes the innovative idea of implementing the CVS in usage-based insurance (UBI) as a measurement probe and modeling drivers’ acceptance of the new UBI scheme. This study developed a random effect logit model demonstrating that the drivers of cheaper vehicles and middle-age drivers (30 to 60) were more inclined to accept the new UBI scheme and use the CVS in their vehicles. Risk-averse drivers were more likely to accept the scheme than were other drivers. The pervasive implementation of the CVS can be costly, but it can improve traffic safety. Because of the two-way spectrum of the costs and benefits of the CVS, providing comprehensive projects to develop the system is important for CVS investors and developers.

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There are relatively few comprehensive studies on driving errors and violations in Iran, a non-Western country with a high traffic fatality rate. In this study, 712 drivers completed a questionnaire at technical inspection centres and carwashes in Tehran, Iran. Respondents were asked about their demographic characteristics, accident involvement, traffic fines, and driving aberrations in the form of the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). The results of a principal component analysis of the DBQ showed a distinction between errors and two types of violations: speeding and non-speeding violations. Correlation analyses showed that DBQ violations were associated with a higher driving mileage, a higher education level (for DBQ speeding violations in particular), and younger age. DBQ errors were associated with risk perception, that is, the belief that one has a high probability of becoming involved in a car accident. Regression analyses showed that the DBQ speeding violations score was predictive of the number of speeding tickets and that the DBQ nonspeeding violations score was predictive of involvement in minor accidents in the past three years. A correlation analysis at the level of municipal districts showed that drivers from districts with lower education and literacy levels and lower car ownership were more likely to report driving a low-cost car and had lower DBQ violations scores. These results can be interpreted as indicating that affluence enables deviant driving. We conclude that the error-violation distinction is of relevance to road safety in Tehran, both at the level of individual drivers and at the level of districts.