Thep-median scheduling and location problem

With few exceptions, public-facility location models have considered facility accessibility to be solely a function of spatial distribution relative to demand. In this paper, we expand this definition to recognize a temporal component as well. A model is presented that optimally locates a given number of facilities and simultaneously schedules their operations to maximize accessibility to demand. In addition, for the special case when facilities already exist, a model is presented that focuses solely on the optimal scheduling of facility operations. Test results indicate that these models may have significant and varied implications for locational and policy analysis.