The growing mobility needs of travellers have led to the development of increasingly complex and integrated multi-modal transit networks. Hence, transport agencies and transit operators are now more urgently required to assist in the challenging task of effectively and efficiently planning, managing, and governing transit networks. A pre-condition for the development of an effective intelligent multi-modal transit system is the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) tools that will support the needs of transit operators and travellers. To achieve this, reliable real-time simulation and short-term forecasting of passenger demand and service network conditions are required to provide both real-time traveller information and successfully synchronise transit service planning and operations control. Modelling Intelligent Multi-Modal Transit Systems introduces the current trends in this newly emerging area. Recent developments in information technology and telematics have enabled a large amount of data to become available, thus further attracting transport researchers to set up new models outside the context of the traditional data-driven approach. The alternative demand-supply interaction or network assignment modelling approach has improved greatly in recent years and has a crucial role to play in this new context.

In this title, experts in public transport address the current problem of improving public transit systems by taking advantage of new technologies and advanced modelling techniques. The key areas open to improvement are service planning and operations management.

th It is our great privilege and honor to present the proceedings of the 18 International Symposium on Transportation and Traffic Theory (ISTTT), held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, China on 16-18 July 2009. th The 18 ISTTT is jointly organized by the Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies and Department of Civil and Structural Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The ISTTT series is the main gathering for the world's transportation and traffic theorists, and those who are interested in contributing to or gaining a deep understanding of traffic and transportation phenomena in order to better plan, design and manage the transportation system. Although it embraces a wide range of topics, from traffic flow theories and demand modeling to road safety and logistics and supply chain modeling, the ISTTT is hallmarked by its intellectual innovation, research and development excellence in the treatment of real-world transportation and traffic problems. The ISTTT prides itself in the extremely high quality of its proceedings. Previous ISTTT conferences were held in Warren, Michigan (1959), London (1963), New York (1965), Karlsruhe (1968), Berkeley, California (1971), Sydney (1974), Kyoto (1977), Toronto (1981), Delft (1984), Cambridge, Massachusetts (1987), Yokohama (1990), Berkeley, California (1993), Lyon (1996), Jerusalem (1999), Adelaide (2002), College Park, Maryland (2005), and London (2007). th th This 18 ISTTT celebrates the 50 Anniversary of this premier conference series.

th It is our great privilege and honor to present the proceedings of the 18 International Symposium on Transportation and Traffic Theory (ISTTT), held at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, China on 16-18 July 2009. th The 18 ISTTT is jointly organized by the Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies and Department of Civil and Structural Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The ISTTT series is the main gathering for the world's transportation and traffic theorists, and those who are interested in contributing to or gaining a deep understanding of traffic and transportation phenomena in order to better plan, design and manage the transportation system. Although it embraces a wide range of topics, from traffic flow theories and demand modeling to road safety and logistics and supply chain modeling, the ISTTT is hallmarked by its intellectual innovation, research and development excellence in the treatment of real-world transportation and traffic problems. The ISTTT prides itself in the extremely high quality of its proceedings. Previous ISTTT conferences were held in Warren, Michigan (1959), London (1963), New York (1965), Karlsruhe (1968), Berkeley, California (1971), Sydney (1974), Kyoto (1977), Toronto (1981), Delft (1984), Cambridge, Massachusetts (1987), Yokohama (1990), Berkeley, California (1993), Lyon (1996), Jerusalem (1999), Adelaide (2002), College Park, Maryland (2005), and London (2007). th th This 18 ISTTT celebrates the 50 Anniversary of this premier conference series.

The growing mobility needs of travellers have led to the development of increasingly complex and integrated multi-modal transit networks. Hence, transport agencies and transit operators are now more urgently required to assist in the challenging task of effectively and efficiently planning, managing, and governing transit networks. A pre-condition for the development of an effective intelligent multi-modal transit system is the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) tools that will support the needs of transit operators and travellers. To achieve this, reliable real-time simulation and short-term forecasting of passenger demand and service network conditions are required to provide both real-time traveller information and successfully synchronise transit service planning and operations control. Modelling Intelligent Multi-Modal Transit Systems introduces the current trends in this newly emerging area. Recent developments in information technology and telematics have enabled a large amount of data to become available, thus further attracting transport researchers to set up new models outside the context of the traditional data-driven approach. The alternative demand-supply interaction or network assignment modelling approach has improved greatly in recent years and has a crucial role to play in this new context.