Bus route network planning in cities beyond the Arctic Circle

In the context of the constantly increasing number of vehicles, growing population, and intensifying mobility, it is especially important to ensure the development of public transport and reasonable planning of the route network. Based on the studied foreign and domestic experience, the paper offers a method of bus route network planning, tested in Norilsk municipal entity. In cities beyond the Arctic Circle, transportation is characterized by complex natural and climatic conditions, a large spread of industrial enterprises, a significant increase in passenger traffic during rush hours, and difficult road conditions. The proposed method is based on a simulation model of bus transport planning, which makes it possible to assess the quality of public transport services, the route network performance, and the consequences of managerial and organizational decisions. The minimization of the time spent to reach work or other public places is proposed as the criterion to determine the route network option. The calculation results show that using mathematical simulation when planning the bus route network in Norilsk municipal entity, we can significantly reduce the total time spent by passengers on transportation (which is the main indicator of the quality of transport services), with a slight decrease in the density of the route network, and also reduce the operating costs of transportation.