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The staggered work hours (SWH) policy is a practical strategy for managing travel demand, aiming to spread out the temporal distribution of travel volume by adjusting the schedules of travelers' activities. The influence of the SWH policy on the commuting patterns of passengers using bus transit is not yet clear. We addressed this issue in a many-to-one bus line, treating commuters as Q-learning agents learning to minimize regrets by selecting appropriate bus runs. The learning outcomes reveal a SWH-induced equilibrium, where commuters departing from the same station with the same work start time experience identical minimal commuting costs, regardless of the chosen bus. Subsequently, we investigate the effectiveness of SWH policy by manipulating two key control variables: the division of travel demand between two categories of travelers and the staggered time interval. The results confirm that congestion during peak hours can potentially be mitigated by carefully selecting the above two key parameters. Correspondingly, we provide optimal control boundaries for these two parameters to design an effective SWH policy. Furthermore, we explore the combined impact of physical distancing and SWH policy on traffic flow patterns during an epidemic outbreak. Concurrently, we assess the infection risk through a surrogate index, revealing that the SWH policy has a positive effect in mitigating the risk of contact exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The holding strategy performs well in resisting bus bunching in the dedicated bus route. Yet, its efficiency in a non-dedicated bus route has not been well studied, and its external effects on other road participants are unclear. We study this topic in a circular two-lane traffic system consisting of buses and cars. A cellular automaton model is used to depict the vehicles' dynamic behaviors. By numerical simulations, we obtained the phase diagram of the bus system, and identified the four states concerning the stability and level of service. Then we analyzed the flow and velocity characteristics and distinguished three states of the traffic system. Our simulations prove the separation effect of car flows on the bus headway regulation. Combined with this effect, the holding strategy makes the bus running more homogeneous and the bus utilization more evenly in the mixed traffic flow condition. Interestingly, from a macro perspective, the holding strategy incurs no detrimental effects on the whole traffic system, though it might intensify local interference between buses and cars near bus stops. Under certain conditions, the average speed of buses and cars increases, eventually increasing the system's capacity. • Interference between buses and cars in mixed traffic flow conditions is analyzed. • Bus operating states with and without the holding are investigated. • The bus line characters and traffic conditions determine the holding effeteness. • External effects of the bus holdings on the car flows are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]