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Feeder transport services are fundamental as first and last-mile connectors of mass rapid transit (MRT). They are especially beneficial in low-demand areas where private transport is usually the main transport mode. Besides, the rapid spread of new technologies such as vehicle automation and the shared mobility paradigm gave rise to new mobility-on-demand modes that can dynamically match demand with service supply. In this context, the new generation of real-time demand-responsive transport services can act as on-demand feeders of MRT, but their performance needs to be compared with conventional fixed-route fixed-schedule feeders. This article aims at presenting an agent-based model able to simulate different feeder services and explore the conditions that make a demand-responsive feeder (DRF) service more or less attractive than a fixed-route fixed-schedule feeder (FRF). The parametric simulation environment creates realistic constraints and parameters that are usually not included in analytical models because of high computational complexity. First, we identified the critical demand density representing a switching point between the two services. Once the demand density is fixed, exploratory scenarios are tested by changing the demand spatial distribution and patterns, service area, and service configurations. Main results suggest that the DRF is to be preferred when the demand is spatially concentrated close to the MRT station (e.g., in a TOD-like land-use area) or when station spacing is quite high (e.g., a regional railway service), whereas the FRF performs better when the demand is mainly originated at the MRT station to any other destinations in the service area (e.g., during peak hours). Besides, automated vehicles could play a role in reducing the operator cost if the service is performed with many small vehicles rather than higher-capacity vehicles, even if this would not imply a major benefit gain for the users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shared mobility solutions can respond to the social inclusion needs of communities, eliminating the costs of owning a private vehicle. In particular, bike -sharing services are an active mobility solution that especially favours sustainability since the bicycle is a transport mode with a low environmental impact and with positive effects on the health of users. However, the accessibility to shared services and the related travel opportunities may be conditioned by some spatial constraints, mainly due to the restrictions on the operational areas of such services. Based on this premise, this paper proposes a composite index of accessibility to bike -sharing systems to evaluate both the possibility for users to access the service and the potential destinations that can be reached, based on the availability of vehicles and the operational areas of the service. An evaluation of horizontal equity is conducted through the use of Lorenz curve and Gini index, two economic measures used to assess the distribution of a characteristic within the population. The approach was applied to the Dublin (Ireland) case study, where both a station -based service and a free -floating service are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]