£1.3m Cashable Savings for Hertfordshire County Council

Hertfordshire County Council in the UK, in conjunction with leading professional support services provider, Mouchel Parkman, selected SIMUL8 to develop a simulation model to determine the capacity of the existing Stevenage Bus Station and whether it could cope with a predicted rise in future demand for public transport in the area.

SIMUL8 was used to analyze the performance of the existing bus station and support the planning and design of a new bus station, resulting in cost savings of approximately $2.6m ( £1.3 m) for the Council, while simultaneously easing congestion and increasing safety and performance.

The SIMUL8 Solution

SIMUL8 Corporation was responsible for developing a simulation model that supported analysis of performance in the current bus station, in order to provide a benchmark for comparison against the proposed bus station design. In addition to this, any new station design could be tested to include scope for predicted future volumes of traffic.

SIMUL8 Corporation worked with Hertfordshire County Council to validate each model, using industry standards of their physical attributes, supplemented with observed timings and passenger quantities within the current station.

The SIMUL8 model built for the Council demonstrated the physical characteristics of the station. For example, the cause and effect of delays and congestion could be explored and the impact of changes assessed.

Furthermore, SIMUL8 allowed detailed testing of the system under conditions that reflect the predicted demand increase. This de-risked the entire project by understanding future performance and risks, before implementing any of the proposed changes.

The Benefits

• Cost savings in the region of $2.6m (£1.3m) - a reduction of 33% expected budget
• Increased passenger safety
• Eased congestion in and around the proposed bus station
• Reduced internal bus travel times, improving the timeliness of buses
• Able to satisfy anticipated 20% increase in passenger demand

Download the full case study

Dave Ramsey,
Principal Transport Planner Hertfordshire Highways