Multi-Modal Transportation and Multi-Criteria Walking (MMT-MCW) for Wayfinding and Navigation Services

Existing wayfinding and navigation services are primarily designed to support driving and riding modes of transportation. They do not provide walking as one mode of transportation in multi-modal transportation routes. To address this gap, this dissertation introduces the concept of Multi-Modal Transportation and Multi-Criteria Walking (MMT-MCW). The premise of MMT-MCW is based on the observations that: walking can be performed for other purposes in addition to travelling to a destination, such as maintaining or improving health; and traveler’s characteristics and preferences play an important role in determining optimal route choices. MMT finds candidate routes that include walking plus other modes of transportation such as driving or riding public transit. MCW recommends a route among those suggested by MMT whose walking mode of transportation is optimal with respect to a set of criteria. An example criterion is fastest walking time, for which flat and short routes typically take priority over steep and longer routes. Another example is exercise, for which steeper and/or longer routes may take priority. \ud Methodologies and algorithms for MMT-MCW are developed, discussed, and analyzed. A prototype wayfinding service and a simulation methodology based on MMT-MCW are described. The benefits of MMT-MCW are demonstrated through the prototype and the results of simulating various trip scenarios.\u