Evaluation of shuttle bus lines for the high-speed rail by using analytic hierarchy process

High speed rail and buses are public transportation systems and possess the attribute of sustainable environment. A well-developed process for deciding bus lines, which are integrated with high speed rail, is essential for sustainable development. This study proposes an evaluation framework for shuttle bus lines with three evaluation dimensions and eleven evaluation indexes by adopting the Tainan high speed rail station as a case study. A questionnaire based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is designed to interview with bus operators, scholars and public transportation authorities. By applying AHP, this study elicits interviewee opinions on evaluation indexes and analyzes the weight of each index. Results indicate that travel time, travel cost and bus schedule are significant evaluation indicators for shuttle bus lines. With respect to the priority of shuttle bus lines, lines 1, 3 and 4 rank as the leading three places based on the weighted sum of performance values.