Somerset and Union Counties An Analysis of aTaxi Trip Distribution in Somerset and Union Counties, New Jersey ORF 467: Transportation Systems Analysis By Natalie Carthy and Chandler Gay

Somerset County, New Jersey Facts: Population*: 324,893 Area (sq. miles): 305 Census Blocks*: 5,595 Largest City: Somerville Major Employers: AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, Met Life * Population and Census Block Data from US Census Bureau, Other Information from Wikipedia and Somerset County Business Partnership Source: “Somerset County, New Jersey” – Wikipedia

Top 10 Pixels in Somerset County

Somerset Overview The histogram below shows the distribution of trip lengths throughout an entire day of Somerset County departures.

Pixel {129, 240} – Somerset County, North Plainfield ItemValue Activity Locations 19 Employment628 Population129 School Enrollment 0

Cumulative aTaxi Surplus Throughout the Day This pixel exemplifies the typical behavior seen in Somerset aTaxi surplus: Type 1 taxis are slow to accumulate a surplus until just after the morning commute at which point the surplus begins to rise at a steeper but constant rate Type 2 taxis exhibit the same behavior in the opposite direction: the shortage starts out low but becomes increasingly larger at a constant rate at the same time Type 1 changes.

Pixel {112, 240} – Somerset County Warren, Chubb Group ItemValue Activity Locations 5 Employment3,394 Population70 School Enrollment 0 Chubb Group of Insurance Companies

Cumulative aTaxi Surplus Throughout the Day This pixel exhibits a more unique behavior Type 1 aTaxis exhibit typical behavior as seen in Somerset. Type 2 aTaxis, however, hold a surplus throughout the work day, which we do not see in other pixels. This could be explained by Chubb Group employees living in the same neighborhoods, leading to more ride share potential.

Total Somerset County aTaxi Surplus Deficit indicates that optimized repositioning of aTaxis returning from foreign counties will be very important in minimizing empty vehicle miles will be higher

Total Somerset County aTaxi Surplus

Union County, New Jersey Facts: Population*: 539,494 Area (sq. miles): 105 Census Blocks*: 7,563 Largest City: Elizabeth Top Employers: Merck & Co., New England Motor Freight, USI Services Group * Population and Census Block Data from US Census Bureau, 2011, Other Information from Wikipedia Source: “Union County, New Jersey” – Wikipedia

Top 10 Pixels in Union County

Union Overview The histogram below shows the distribution of trip lengths originating in Union.

ItemValue Activity Locations 210 Employment7,176 Population4,025 School Enrollment 2,169 Pixel {150, 244} - Union County Elizabeth Station (NJTransit)

Cumulative aTaxi Surplus Throughout the Day This pixel exemplifies the behavior seen in most of the other Union pixels: Type 1 taxis have a relatively continuous increase in their surplus throughout the day, with a jump around 8 AM due to the morning commute. Type 2 taxis exhibit mixed behavior: initially there is a shortage before the morning commute, at which point a quick surplus accumulates, and then a relatively steady increase in the shortage with a jump around the evening commute.

Pixel {150, 243} - Union County Union County College & Jail ItemValue Activity Locations 139 Employment19,010 Population4,895 School Enrollment 179

Cumulative aTaxi Surplus Throughout the Day This pixel shows irregular Union aTaxi behavior : Type 1 aTaxi surplus is normal. Type 2 taxis, however, accumulate a large surplus coinciding with the morning commute, which is partially relieved by the evening commute. This could be explained by Union County College students living in concentrated areas, leading to more ride share potential.

Total Union County aTaxi Surplus

Vehicle Assignment Algorithm Proceeding through the day, for each trip that appears: 1) Check if an aTaxi of proper size is waiting at that pixel 2) Check if there is an aTaxi of proper size with a destination of that pixel and an ETA of less than 5 minutes  Note: this could be a taxi being repositioned from a foreign destination or a regular intracounty trip 3) Check if there is an empty taxi waiting less than 5 minutes away that is not on the clock for another departure. 4) Otherwise, “create” a new taxi  Here, “create” means that a taxi would have been waiting from the beginning of the day that has not yet been used but was placed there during the midnight repositioning

Union Repositioning Regions

Somerset Repositioning Regions

Empty Vehicle Repositioning For the approximately 5% of the total trips that are intracounty, we assume that the aTaxi stays at its destination for simplicity. For the other ~95% that are intercounty trips, barring a return trip within 10 minutes, the aTaxis return to the region of highest import, where:

Approximation of aTaxi Needs Theoretical minimum  Determined by number of aTaxis on trips at all times throughout the day Theoretical maximum  Assume that foreign return trips are rare  Let all aTaxis in foreign destinations return to their domestic origin pixel (no repositioning optimization)  Max determined by the number of aTaxis on the road at all times throughout the day, including the aTaxis returning from foreign counties

Union - Minimum aTaxis

Union - Maximum aTaxis

Union – Expected aTaxi Supply Minimum aTaxis Required Maximum aTaxis Required Expected # of aTaxis Required Type 16,6809,986 8,500 Type 241,44572,523 57,000 Type 32,0142,449 2,250 Type

Somerset - Minimum aTaxis

Somerset - Maximum aTaxis

Somerset – Expected aTaxi Supply Minimum aTaxis Required Maximum aTaxis Required Expected # of aTaxis Required Type 111,23617,428 14,500 Type 224,82142,152 34,000 Type 31,9002,019 2,000 Type 4127