Multi-criteria analysis model to evaluate transport systems: An application in Florianopolis, Brazil

Urban mobility via public transport is currently one of the major challenges facing policy makers and residents. The increasing demand for transport, the growing number of vehicles on the road, and the improvement of road infrastructure in large cities are some of the trends that need to be addressed by government agencies and society as a whole. Public transport services should play an important role, providing high quality services for users, being more attractive to potential users, and providing an efficient use of urban space. However it is necessary to understand how users evaluate the available services by evaluating the objective and subjective aspects involved in the perception of service quality. The present study aims to develop a multi-criteria model to assess urban public transport, with an approach centered on user perceptions. Through the use of multi-criteria evaluation, it is possible to identify the objective and subjective factors that determine a user's opinion of the service, enabling improvements. The study is applied in a specific transport system, the Integrated Public Transport System (SIT), implemented in Florianopolis and other Brazilian cities. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.