Multicriteria analysis and regional transportation planning with the analytic hierarchy process

Regional transportation planning is a complex process involving decision making about public infrastructure that is costly, long lasting, highly visible and frequently contentious. Improvements to the process of problem identification are elusive, so multicriteria decision methods are seen as the next best improvement that can help make planning more transparent and achieve better results. A survey of multicriteria decision methods determines that the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a widely used method in many disciplines, is a promising tool for regional transportation planning. A case study of local (Waterloo) regional public transit planning is presented to illustrate an application of the method. A subsequent sensitivity analysis determines that light rail transit (LRT) is the best alternative for the majority of plausible future conditions. Conclusions suggest that the AHP could be used to improve local regional planning and the public consultation process.