Decision Analysis and Benefit Evaluation of Ridesharing Behavior in Bus Lanes Based on Cumulative Prospect Theory

Sharing dedicated bus lanes with ridesharing private vehicles plays a positive role in improving road traffic efficiency and alleviating traffic congestion. This study investigates the willingness to adopt ridesharing and analyzes the factors influencing ridesharing decisions. Under the scenario of opening dedicated bus lanes to private ridesharing vehicles, a ridesharing decision-making model for dedicated bus lanes is established based on cumulative prospect theory. We analyze the impact of the bus-lane-sharing strategy on travelers’ ridesharing decisions and traffic flow structure. In addition, a bus lane operational efficiency evaluation model based on the combined weighting–TOPSIS method is constructed. Using the principle of maximum closeness, the operational efficiency of bus lanes is evaluated through a case study in a specific area of Nanchang City. The research results indicate that the closeness degree is 0.3720 without the bus-lane-sharing strategy, while the minimum closeness degree is 0.3744 and the maximum closeness degree is 0.3749 when the bus-lane-sharing policy is implemented. Therefore, the implementation of the bus-lane-sharing strategy demonstrates better operational efficiency compared to scenarios without sharing strategies. Additionally, when the number of ridesharing vehicles is relatively small and their capacity is large, travel costs are significantly reduced, and the overall road operational efficiency is improved. This study provides important reference values and practical significance for alleviating traffic congestion, improving the utilization efficiency of road resources, and formulating bus-lane-sharing policies.