Linking land use and transportation in a rapidly urbanizing context: A study in Delhi,India

Cities in developing countries like India are facing some of the same concerns that North American cities are: congestion and urban growth. However, there is a sense of urgency in cities like Delhi, India in that this growth is far more rapid as both urbanization and motorization are ongoing processes that have not yet peaked. In this paper, we examine land use change and its relationship with transportation infrastructure and other planning related variables in a spatial context. We estimate land use change models at two different scales from separate data. Cellular automation and Markov models were used to understand change at the regional scale and discrete choice models to predict change at the local level. The results suggest that land use in the Delhi metropolitan area is rapidly intensifying while losing variety. These changes are affected by industrial, commercial and infrastructure location and planners and policy-makers need to better understand the implications of location decisions. We also examine these results in the context of a policy framework for data-based planning that links land use and transportation models for Delhi.     

Area- and gender-based commuting differentials in India’s largest urban-rural region

In the countries of the Global South such as India, rapid urbanization and the increase in individual motorization may lead to a predominance of unsustainable commuting patterns. However, urbanization also has important positive effects, including the empowerment of women. This paper examines newly released, spatially disaggregated data on home-to-work commuting by non-agricultural workers in the National Capital Region of India. It aims to understand and compare commuting patterns in urban and rural areas, including choice of travel modes, commuting distances, and gender differentials.The results reveal a tendency observable in urban residents to use individual motorized transport more often both for short and for long trips, although the proportion of individual motorization is far from what it is in the industrial world. Rural areas are characterized by the predominance of non-motorized travel modes and a large share of long trips. The mobility gap between men and women does not appear to increase with literacy. In urban areas, women often choose to commute by car rather than using green modes of transportation (especially in higher-income districts). The paper stresses the importance of the area and gender differentials that need to be taken into account when formulating regional transport policies.     

From e-bike to car: A study on factors influencing motorization of e-bike users across China

Household car ownership has risen dramatically in China over the past decade. At the same time a disruptive transportation technology emerged, the electric bike (e-bike). Most studies investigating motorization in China focus on macro-level economic indicators like GDP, with few focusing on household, city-level, environmental, or geographic indicators, and none in the context of high e-bike ownership. This study examines household vehicle purchase decisions across 59 cities in China with broad geographic, environmental, and socio-economic characteristics. We focus on a subset of households who own e-bikes and rely on a telephone survey from an industry customer database. From these responses, we estimate two three-level hierarchical choice models to assess attributes that contribute to (1) recent car purchases and (2) the intention to buy a car in the near future. The results show that the models are dominated by household characteristics including household income, household size, household vehicle ownership, number of licensed drivers and duration of car ownership. Some geographic, environmental and socio-economic factors have significant influences on car purchase decisions. Only two city-level transportation variable have an effect – higher taxi density and higher bus density reducing car purchase. Cold weather, population density gross domestic product per capita positively influence car purchase, while urbanization rate reduces car purchase. Because of supply heterogeneity in the data set, described by publicly available urban transportation data, this is the first study that can include geographic and urban infrastructure differences that influence purchase choice and suggests potential region-specific policy approaches to managing car purchase may be necessary.     

Growth of urban transportation: Peoples republic of China

The Peoples Republic of China, with its great urban populations, is finding it necessary to develop a range of strategies to deal with increasing demand for goods and people movement, increasing motorization and the increasing congestion that results from the increasing travel demand. This paper discusses strategies being adopted in two northern cities, Changchun and Shenyang. Both transit and roadway programs are examined for Changchun. Problems and successes of a new toll road are examined for Shenyang. Sustained infrastructure investment is essential to assure the necessary mobility for economic growth.     

城市绿色交通建设与发展策略综述

绿色交通系统对改善城市交通拥堵,减少交通能耗、环境污染,提高城市的宜居性等方面有着积极的推动作用。文章从城市规划和土地利用开发、交通需求管理、交通基础设施建设等方面阐述了城市绿色交通的建设与发展策略,为发展、建设城市绿色交通提供思路。     

Subjective well-being in China: how much does commuting matter?

With rapidly increasing urbanization and motorization in China, the effect of commuting on residents’ subjective well-being (SWB) is likely growing. We used 13,261 individual, 124 city, and 401 neighbourhood samples from the 2014 China Labour-Force Dynamics Survey (CLDS 2014) and applied multilevel mixed-effects ordered probit regressions to investigate the relationship between commuting and SWB. We found huge differences between urban and rural areas in relation to commuting. Urban respondents’ daily average commuting time was 0.56 h while rural respondents’ daily average commuting time was 0.41 h. Further, the daily average commute time for residents living in cities with high urbanization rates (> 70%) was longer than for those living in cities with low urbanization rates (< 70%). The subjective well-being of residents who commute by walking or cycling was significantly lower than that of those who commute by other transportation modes. The regression results indicated that the longer the commute time, the lower the subjective well-being. Among residents who live in rural areas or cities with low urbanization, subjective well-being was more easily affected by commuting time. Commuting time was also found to influence residents’ job satisfaction and family life satisfaction, which in turn influence SWB. China’s current development mode ignores the traffic needs of vulnerable groups. Therefore, future traffic construction should increase its prioritization of these vulnerable transportation groups.

     

Mapping minibuses in Maputo and Nairobi: engaging paratransit in transportation planning in African cities

ABSTRACT

Often called paratransit because of their flexible stops, schedules and routes, minibuses make up the bulk of public transport in African cities. Despite their ubiquity and importance, these systems are poorly understood by transportation planners who tend to focus on large-scale urban infrastructure projects such as highways, commuter rail or bus rapid transit systems. The assumption within much of this planning is that these minibus systems are barriers to change and will become at most secondary “feeder” buses within large-scale projects, but structured plans detailing this vision are lacking. This paper argues that frequent failure to collect data and value important paratransit systems as a critical part of transportation in their own right is deeply problematic from the point of view of equity, access and inclusive and effective planning. We ask whether the growing number of bottom up mapping projects of minibus systems can disrupt this status quo. By comparing two mapping projects, Digital Matatus in Nairobi and the Mapa Dos Chapas in Maputo, we find that inclusive, collaborative mapping can help render these minibuses more visible in planning and provoke more grounded and inclusive “planning conversations” on multi-modal integration, passenger information and minibus upgrading, all key but relatively marginalised aspects of creating accessible, low emission, high quality and safe public transport in African cities.     

Technology and settlement form: a future scenario for Canada

This paper analyzes emerging technological change in developing a scenario for future Canadian urban form. Rather than more centrifugal development, we may actually witness greater centripetal movement. In many developed countries, inner-city employment has been increasing, but at a slower rate than in metropolitan areas. The only nation which has bucked this trend is Canada where both Montreal and Toronto continue to experience rapid rates of central area employment. Canada thus stands as an anomaly with explicit municipal and provincial policies contributing to the strengthening of housing and jobs within range of transit-orientated commuting systems. Some speculations will be developed, based on demographic structure, housing demand, transportation, employment, and infrastructure provision, as well as socio-cultural services which are viewed as major factors influencing development patterns.     

Transport in Tokyo

This paper gives a review of the historical and geographical preconditions as well as of the population and economic development which led to the unique and complex transport systems of Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis, one of the most populous cities in the world, is located in the National Capital Region of Japan where 32 million people are living today. The special transport problems deriving from this high population density are described in context with the development of employment, transport infrastructure and motorization. Due consideration is given to the influence exerted by the structure of the whole region on the overall traffic behaviour.

Several transport phenomena and problem solutions which are typical of the traffic systems in Tokyo are described, such as the change of rush hour congestion rates depending on subway extension, modal split for different trip purposes in the inner urban area, or information via local radio broadcasts with very short range of transmission.

The main current transport issues are discussed. Though the transport networks in Tokyo are some of the most developed in the world, there is still heavy congestion in rush hours. The basic policy therefore is the further strengthening and improvement of the public transport network.     

Performance evaluation and obstacle factors analysis of urban public transport priority

ABSTRACT

Through the comprehensive consideration of four subsystems – overall development level, infrastructure construction, public transportation service level and policy support – an index system of public transport priority performance evaluation is established. A performance evaluation of bus priority implementation in Wuhan City from 2007 to 2016 is carried out by applying the difference coefficient CRITIC-TOPSIS model. The obstacle factor model is also used to diagnose the factors affecting the priority performance of urban public transport. The research results show that, during this decade, the comprehensive performance of Wuhan City’s public transport priority developed from poor to medium, then to good and finally to excellent. The overall development level and infrastructure construction performance subsystems have the highest obstacle degree, followed by public transportation service levels and policy support performance subsystems. The research idea and method of this paper provide a realistic basis for promoting the priority performance of urban public transport.     

荆门市综合交通运输系统总体布局规划

文章运用区域综合交通规划学、系统工程学、区域经济学和旅游经济学等多学科研究方法,针对我国“十二五”期间大力发展旅游业和优先建设交通基础设施的特殊背景,以荆门市交通运输系统为研究对象,综合考虑城市交通、过境交通、旅游交通及其各种交通方式的综合协调,对荆门市的综合交通运输网络进行总体布局规划。     

Integrating vehicle positioning data in quality control programs in public transit: a European perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to show how vehicle positioning data collected through global positioning systems (GPS) or similar applications can be used in quality control programs of public transit operators to better assess the quality and performance of transportation services, and improve them. The paper describes the concept of the integration between quality control programs and vehicle monitoring systems, presents a case study where the concept has been successfully implemented, and discusses the benefits from the adoption of such an approach. The implementation of the concept is characterized by efficiency, accuracy, reliability, and optimization: efficiency in terms of data flow; accuracy and reliability in terms of quality and performance indicator values; and optimization in terms of optimum use of the available information technology infrastructure. The paper places particular emphasis on aspects relating to the interface between urban transportation services, vehicle positioning technology, and policy-making.     

Adaptation planning for climate-resilient urban infrastructures

This paper analyzes the interdependency across two critical infrastructures of transportation and motor fueling supply chains, and investigates how vulnerability to climatic extremes in a fueling infrastructure hampers the resilience of a transportation system. The proposed model features both a bi-stage mathematical program and an extension to an ‘α-reliable mean-excess’ regret model. The former aspect allows decision makers to optimize the pre-disaster asset prepositioning against the maximum post-disaster system resilience. The latter aspect of the proposed model devalues the impact of ‘low-probability, high-cost’ sub-scenarios upon model results. The model reveals the reliance of post-disaster urban mobility on the interdependent critical infrastructure of motor fueling supply chains. The results also suggest how investment in the fueling infrastructure’s vulnerable elements protects urban mobility while the transportation network is stressed or under attack.     

Does urbanization lead to less energy use on road transport? Evidence from municipalities in Norway

The relationship between urbanization, energy use, and CO₂ emissions has been extensively studied in recent years, however little attention paid to the differences in urban forms. Previous studies implicitly assume that the urban form is homogenous across different urban areas. Such an assumption is questionable as urban form can have many different facets. This paper investigates the effects of urbanization on the road transport energy use by considering different urban forms from a dataset of 386 Norwegian municipalities from 2006 to 2009. Using the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model with an energy use identity equation, the main findings (1) confirm the well-established result that urban density has a negative and significant influence on road transport energy use, and (2) demonstrate that the effect of urbanization partly depends on the level of urban density. These results imply that additional increases in urbanization in dense areas yield greater decreases in road transport energy use per capita. Additional findings posit that (3) there is a non-linear (quadratic) relationship between road energy use per capita and urban population. This implies that an increase in total municipality population over a specific turning point can result in a decrease in road energy use per capita. However, (4) the ratio of urban residential buildings with private gardens has a negative and significant influence on road transport energy use. This implies that there may be a trade-off between compact and sprawl city development strategies, highlighting that sustainable energy use requires further investigation.     

Planning for implementation

Although the urban transportation planning process has evolved into the most sophisticated of all urban planning processes, the increasirig difficulty in implementing long-range transportation plans in urban areas today suggests basic questions concerning the process which deserve critical examination.Planning for implementation of urban transportation programs, particularly during periods of rapidly changing human values, requires a continuing re-evaluation of both technical and organizational strategies and their interrelationships.This paper raises some fundamental questions about the traditional activities and relationships that have characterized most urban transportation planning programs in the past. It also suggests a number of strategies, both technical and organizational, that may contribute to the implementation of plans and programs resulting from the transportation planning process.The first portion of this paper discusses the implications of not providing transportation services to match metropolitan growth. The experience of the Washington Metropolitan Area over the past decade is used to illustrate these implications.A discussion of organizational and institutional constraints upon the planning process follows. Then, the implications for the planning process are explored, and the scale of planning is reviewed as well as the need for monitoring the performance and impact of facilities.Next, the paper deals with the need to broaden the range of solutions to transportation problems, including consideration of economic and land development policies to reduce travel demand, as well as the provision of new facilities.Finally, techniques for involving decision-makers in the planning process are discussed. Examples of special project activities in the Washington area are used to illustrate these techniques and their value.     

Measuring post-disaster transportation system performance: the 1995 Kobe earthquake in comparative perspective

Recent earthquake disasters have caused major damage to transportation networks, leading to significant economic disruption. While this suggests the need to evaluate total system performance in transportation risk assessment, in addition to examining the vulnerability of individual components such as bridges, no appropriate measures currently exist. This paper develops post-disaster system performance measures and applies them to the urban rail and highway transportation systems in the Kobe, Japan, region devastated by the 1995 Hyogoken–Nanbu earthquake. Performance is evaluated in terms of network coverage and transport accessibility. Performance degradation was much more severe for highways and railways than for other lifeline infrastructure systems. Both transportation systems fared poorly in the disaster but service restoration proceeded much more rapidly for rail. The restoration of highway system performance correlated closely with the recovery of highway traffic volumes. The paper further develops a measure of subarea transport accessibility and applies this to Kobe’s constituent city wards. Results indicate substantial spatial disparity that is maintained throughout the restoration period. Comparisons with the 1989 Loma Prieta and 1994 Northridge earthquakes in the US show that although these disasters caused notable damage to highway bridges, system performance degradation was small in comparison with the Kobe experience. The paper argues that explicitly measuring transportation system performance can greatly facilitate both understanding the effects of historic disasters and preparing for future hazard events.     

National policy towards cars: the federal republic of Germany

Although much of the early technical development of the automobile occurred in Germany, the spread of car ownership within Germany was relatively slow up to 1933. Besides the general economic situation, this was due to the high costs of purchasing and running a car. With deliberate promotion of automobility by the national‐socialists after 1933, the pace of motorization proceeded more rapidly until the outbreak of World War II. Immediately after the war, motorization was slow to regain momentum but by the middle fifties, after the initial phase of post‐war reconstruction, the rapid build‐up of cars began again and has continued ever since. By 1986, the West German car fleet exceeded 27 million and 80% of motorized passenger kilometres were made by car.

This rapid post‐war growth was made possible by a liberal transport policy which reacted to growing car use by adaptation and provision of the necessary infrastructure. The adverse effects of vehicular traffic on the environment and on the urban quality of life moved policy at the end of the sixties towards stronger support for urban public transport and regulations for noise and exhaust emissions of automobiles. Also, the high toll of death and injuries from road accidents made improvement of road safety another important policy objective. So far, however, measures taken have fallen short of requiring changes in driver behaviour. Although there is widespread awareness of the environmental and accident costs of automobility, there is a reluctance to legislate (or for people voluntarily) to modify driving behaviour for social objectives.

This paper presents, briefly, the main instruments that have been applied in West Germany to achieve car‐related transport policy objectives, including the latest modifications in the tax system intended to foster the use of low‐emission vehicles. Possible future directions of policy towards the car, depending inter alia on changes in government, are also explored.     

Energy savings in transport

A decade of increasing Federal attention to urban transportation needs has culminated in the 1970 Urban Mass Transportation Assistance Act. This Act is intended to provide 10 thousand million dollars over the next 12 years in Federal assistance money to urban public transportation systems. This paper examines the needs of selected U.S. cities as a basis for (1) understanding the vast, various and complex transportation needs of urban areas throughout the country, and (2) assessing the sufficiency of these funds. The sample cities have been placed into three broad categories based on the state of development of their transportation systems. In Category I cities, the essential need is to ensure the survival of bus systems for the use of non‐drivers, or to provide some other viable alternative to the automobile; in Category II cities, the primary needs are to relieve auto congestion and to improve public transportation components, while in Category III cities, the primary need is massive investment to improve and to extend public transportation facilities. It is concluded that the presently intended Federal funding level for transportation will not meet the financial requirements of the Category III cities.     

Japan's urban transportation system in the major transport spheres

The urban areas in Japan have undergone rapid changes in the last two and one-half decades. At the same time, the urban transportation system has been faced with numerous problems which need to be solved urgently. This paper presents the development stage and problems in the three largest metropolitan areas, designated as transport spheres, in Japan. Japan's problems in urban transportation are similar to those of most Western nations with regard to such issues as rapid urbanization, growth in travel, increasing auto ownership, growing transit operating deficits, rising wages and air pollution. The differences are the large modal split of transit from automobile trips, major expansion of the rail transit network, and the large number of transit operators in each urban area in Japan. In addition, governmental policies to help solve the urban transport problems are briefly described. In order to make the policies effective, coordination among government agencies is required. The establishment of a unified government agency is regarded as the first priority in dealing with the urban transport problem. It is expected that the government will offer bold new countermeasures to cope with urban transportation problems.This report was accomplished with the kind assistance of Professor Jerry B. Schneider, Departments of Civil Engineering and Urban Planning, University of Washington, and Mr. Satoshi Inoue, an official of the Ministry of Transport in Japan, who is currently studying at the University of Washington.