Prospect of Technology for Public Transit Planning using Smart Card Data

The smart card system has been applied for all subway and bus in Seoul metropolitan area since 2004. In Seoul area public transport more than 90% of passengers use smart cards to pay fare. The boarding and alighting information from the smart cards enable to calculate the OD (origindestination) and total travel distance of each transit passenger. The smart card system of Seoul is operated as one system integrating metro and buses. Therefore, passenger's overall travel information (trip chain) is available linking each individual trip OD data of modes and lines. The smart card system also enables to obtain the information of detailed (very specific) individual transit usage and operation. In other words, a large amount of very specific public transit data for public transport planning and operations has been established. This paper proposes the method to derive transit information from the smart card data and arranged valid data for transportation planning and operation. Especially, the concept of Real OD (trip chain) database based on multi-modal trip chains is presented. The technical prospect of demand analysis, service performance assessment, multimodal transit assignment, and optimization was presented. In addition, several conceptual models of transit performance indices and transit assignment are proposed. Transit passenger and OD information based on the smart card is not estimated data derived from surveys but actual performance data. So, the information is much more realistic and detailed than existing methods. Preliminary feasibility test and verification are possible at the simulator using assignment and optimization models based on Real OD (trip chains). This will contribute to encourage rail project investment and passenger services.