Transit Network Design with Two-Level Demand Uncertainties: A Machine Learning and Contextual Stochastic Optimization Framework

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Guan, Hongzhao, Basciftci, Beste, Van Hentenryck, Pascal
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866912970469015552
author Guan, Hongzhao
Basciftci, Beste
Van Hentenryck, Pascal
author_facet Guan, Hongzhao
Basciftci, Beste
Van Hentenryck, Pascal
contents Transit Network Design is a well-studied problem in the field of transportation, typically addressed by solving optimization models under fixed demand assumptions. Considering the limitations of these assumptions, this paper proposes a new framework, namely the Two-Level Rider Choice Transit Network Design (2LRC-TND), that leverages machine learning and contextual stochastic optimization (CSO) through constraint programming (CP) to incorporate two layers of demand uncertainties into the network design process. The first level identifies travelers who rely on public transit (core demand), while the second level captures the conditional adoption behavior of those who do not (latent demand), based on the availability and quality of transit services. To capture these two types of uncertainties, 2LRC-TND relies on two travel mode choice models, that use multiple machine learning models. To design a network, 2LRC-TND integrates the resulting choice models into a CSO that is solved using a CP-SAT solver. 2LRC-TND is evaluated through a case study involving over 6,600 travel arcs and more than 38,000 trips in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The computational results demonstrate the effectiveness of the 2LRC-TND in designing transit networks that account for demand uncertainties and contextual information, offering a more realistic alternative to fixed-demand models.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_00010
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Transit Network Design with Two-Level Demand Uncertainties: A Machine Learning and Contextual Stochastic Optimization Framework
Guan, Hongzhao
Basciftci, Beste
Van Hentenryck, Pascal
Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
Transit Network Design is a well-studied problem in the field of transportation, typically addressed by solving optimization models under fixed demand assumptions. Considering the limitations of these assumptions, this paper proposes a new framework, namely the Two-Level Rider Choice Transit Network Design (2LRC-TND), that leverages machine learning and contextual stochastic optimization (CSO) through constraint programming (CP) to incorporate two layers of demand uncertainties into the network design process. The first level identifies travelers who rely on public transit (core demand), while the second level captures the conditional adoption behavior of those who do not (latent demand), based on the availability and quality of transit services. To capture these two types of uncertainties, 2LRC-TND relies on two travel mode choice models, that use multiple machine learning models. To design a network, 2LRC-TND integrates the resulting choice models into a CSO that is solved using a CP-SAT solver. 2LRC-TND is evaluated through a case study involving over 6,600 travel arcs and more than 38,000 trips in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The computational results demonstrate the effectiveness of the 2LRC-TND in designing transit networks that account for demand uncertainties and contextual information, offering a more realistic alternative to fixed-demand models.
title Transit Network Design with Two-Level Demand Uncertainties: A Machine Learning and Contextual Stochastic Optimization Framework
topic Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00010