Genetic Algorithms for Optimal Urban Transit Network Design

This paper aims to highlight the effectiveness of genetic algorithm (GA)-based procedures in solving the urban transit network design problem (UTNDP). The analysis looks at why traditional methods have problems in solving the UTNDP. Procedures are suggested to alleviate these problems using a GA-based optimization technique. The main thrust of this work is three-fold: 1) to show the effectiveness of GAs in solving the UTNDP, 2) to identify features of the UTNDP that make it a difficult problem for traditional techniques, and 3) to suggest directions, through the presentation of GA-based methodologies for the UTNDP, for the development of GA-based procedures for solving other optimization problems having features similar to the UTNDP.