ANNUAL CONGRESS 2025

When Buses Become Beacons: Rethinking Buses as Adaptive Responders in Crisis—A Chinese Perspective

Not scheduled

20m

Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul

Oral Track 12 | DISASTER-RESILIENT PLANNING

Speaker

Mr Yanyun MAO (Urban Mobility Institute, Tongji University)

Description

Modern urban transportation systems prioritize efficiency and precision, often overlooking resilience and adaptability under extreme events. While transit-priority policies have gained global recognition, their systemic value in emergency response remains underexplored. This study re-evaluates the role of urban public transit—particularly buses—in extreme scenarios, emphasizing their potential to enhance urban resilience.

Unlike metro systems, which dominate the discourse on urban transportation during crises, ground buses are an underappreciated yet critical component of urban mobility networks. Their inherent flexibility allows rapid resource deployment and service reconfiguration, making them indispensable in scenarios of constrained resources and dynamic, unpredictable demand. However, existing research rarely addresses the mechanisms by which buses adapt to emergencies or the policy and planning measures required to support such adaptations. This study aims to fill this gap by addressing two key questions: how do buses respond dynamically to extreme conditions, and how can their planning and governance frameworks be optimized to enhance resilience?

Using empirical data from China’s emergency response cases—such as bus dispatching during the COVID-19 outbreak and service continuity during the catastrophic flooding—the study investigates the dynamic adaptation of buses. Grounded in theories of adaptive planning, resilient cities, and dynamic resource allocation, we propose a conceptual framework termed the Crisis-Adaptive Transit System (CATS). This framework positions public transit not merely as an everyday service but as a strategic asset for crisis management. It identifies critical variables influencing bus system adaptability, including policy support, network flexibility, spatial distribution equity, and response time, extending the traditional focus on efficiency to encompass resilience and societal functions.

Key findings reveal that China’s bus systems demonstrate unique strengths in crisis response:

1. Network Density and Coverage: Comprehensive spatial layouts provide a foundation for resilience.
2. Public Ownership Model: Facilitates rapid resource integration and redeployment.
3. Digitalization: Enhances real-time monitoring and effective scheduling.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, urban bus systems across China implemented innovative service models and flexible strategies, ensuring essential mobility while supporting pandemic containment measures. These practices underscore the potential of ground buses as cost-effective, agile responders in extreme situations.

To translate these insights into actionable strategies, the study proposes a resilience-oriented planning framework for public transit under extreme conditions:

1. Modular Network Design: Develop hierarchical and redundant network structures to absorb disruptions.
2. Intelligent Management Platforms: Employ digital technologies to enhance real-time coordination and precise response.
3. Community-Scale Micro-Networks: Strengthen “last-mile” connectivity to bolster neighborhood resilience.
4. Multi-Sectoral Collaboration: Establish integrated governance mechanisms for crisis response.

These findings challenge conventional transit planning paradigms, which prioritize efficiency over resilience and equity. The study argues that adaptive planning and flexible operational mechanisms are essential for enhancing the emergency capacity of public transit. By integrating crisis response capabilities into the performance evaluation of transit systems, this research expands the theoretical and practical understanding of public transportation’s role in urban resilience. Furthermore, it highlights the global relevance of China’s practices, offering valuable lessons for the sustainable evolution of urban mobility systems amid growing climate challenges and increasing uncertainties.

In conclusion, this study advocates for a paradigm shift in urban transit planning—from efficiency-driven models to resilience-oriented frameworks. Ground buses, as cost-effective and flexible components of urban mobility networks, hold untapped potential to act as critical responders to extreme events, ensuring continuity and equity in urban transportation systems. Future research should explore pathways for integrating climate adaptation strategies into public transit planning, ensuring systems are robust, equitable, and responsive to diverse urban demands in the face of an increasingly uncertain world.

References

Feng, K., Li, Q., Ellingwood, B.R., 2020. Post-earthquake modelling of transportation networks using an agent-based model. Struct. Infrastruct. Eng. 16, 1578–1592. https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2020.1713170
Hu, S., Lin, P., Weng, J., Zhou, W., 2021. The impact of emergent public health events on passengers’ public transport dependence. J. Transp. Health 22, 101109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2021.101109
Yazdani, M., Mojtahedi, M., Loosemore, M., 2020. Enhancing evacuation response to extreme weather disasters using public transportation systems: a novel simheuristic approach. J. Comput. Des. Eng. 7, 195–210. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcde/qwaa017