Improving the accessibility of urban transportation networks for people with disabilities

What is the most effective way to enhance the accessibility of our oldest and largest public transportation systems for people with reduced mobility? The intersection of limits to government support with the growing mobility needs of the elderly and of people with disabilities calls for the development of tools that enable us to better prioritise investment in those areas that would deliver the greatest benefits to travellers. In principle and, to a lesser extent, in practice, many trains and buses are already accessible to nearly all users, leaving the stations and interchanges as the single largest and most expensive challenge facing operators trying to improve overall access to the network.Focussing on travel time and interchange differences, we present a method that uses network science and spatio-temporal analysis to rank stations in a way that minimises the divergence between accessible and non-accessible routes. Taking London as case study, we show that 50% of the most frequently followed journeys become 50% longer when wheelchair accessibility becomes a constraint. Prioritising accessibility upgrades using our network approach yields a total travel time that is more than 8 times better than a solution based on random choice, and 30% more effective than a solution that seeks solely to minimise the number of interchanges facing those with mobility constraints. These results highlight the potential for the analysis of ‘smart card’ data to enable network operators to obtain maximum value from their infrastructure investments in support of expanded access to all users.     

成品油税费改革对农村公路管理养护体制的影响

分析了成品油税费改革对农村公路管理养护体制带来的影响,提出了具体的解决办法。     

Incorporating equity into the transit frequency-setting problem

This paper and the proposed formulation contribute to an apparent gap in transit research design by integrating equity considerations into the transit frequency-setting problem. The proposed approach provides a means to design transit service such that equitable access to basic amenities (e.g., employment, supermarkets, medical services) is provided for low-income populations or disadvantaged populations. The overarching purpose is to improve access via transit to basic amenities to: (1) reduce the disproportionate burden faced by transit dependent populations; and (2) create a more feasible transportation option for low-income households as an opportunity to increase financial security by reducing dependence on personal autos. The formulation is applied to data from a mid-sized US metropolitan area. The example application illustrates the formulation successfully increases access to employment opportunities for residents in areas with high percentages of low-income persons, as well as demonstrates the importance of considering uncertainty in the locations of populations and employment.     

Feasible provision of targeted traveler information in public transportation: Segmentation based on functional limitations

This paper presents findings on the need for traveler information among people with functional limitation(s), and how the need varies between groups with different functional limitation(s). Chi-Squared Automatic Identification Detector (CHAID) was used to identify groups (segments) in order to understand how functional limitations contribute to the need for traveler information. The key findings suggest that people with functional limitations have a greater need for traveler information concerning different aspects of travel beyond traveler information that relates to their functional limitation(s); this greater need also relates to groups of people with covert functional limitations to which little consideration is usually given. Further, it is feasible to consider the need of traveler information generated by functional limitation(s) in providing traveler information in public transportation, and people with combinations of functional limitations that include loss of lower extremity skills and prevalence of poor balance are particularly in need of relevant traveler information.     

A fuzzy-stochastic optimization model for the intermodal fleet management problem of an international transportation company

ABSTRACT

In this paper, a fuzzy-stochastic optimization model is developed for an intermodal fleet management system of a large international transportation company. The proposed model integrates various strategic, tactical and operational level decisions simultaneously. Since real-life fleet planning problems may involve different types of uncertainty jointly such as randomness and fuzziness, a hybrid chance-constrained programming and fuzzy interactive resolution-based approach is employed. Therefore, stochastic import/export freight demand and fuzzy transit times, truck/trailer availabilities, the transport capacity of Ro-Ro vessels, bounds on block train services, etc. can also be taken into account concurrently. In addition to minimize overall transportation costs, optimization of total transit times and CO₂ emission values are also incorporated in order to provide sustainable fleet plans by maximizing customer satisfaction and environmental considerations. Computational results show that effective and efficient fleet plans can be produced by making use of the proposed optimization model.     

小件快运中的最短运输时间问题

小件快运经过多年的发展,已经成为公路客运一个新的经济增长点,越来越多的公路客运企业和汽车客运站加入到经营小件快运的行列,小件快运也逐渐由单个企业的独立运营发展到多个企业联合的网络化运营。对中转运输中多条运输线路进行分析,得到最短运输时间线路,从而提高运输效率。     

Distribution of vehicle operating costs/benefits to a rural population

Assessment of economic benefits resulting from the provision of transportation projects are standard practice. However, the procedures seldom consider detailed distribution of benefits amongst the study area population. Distribution of vehicle operating cost benefits to rural population is presented for a road sealing project.     

Development of computerized vehicle scheduling system for specialized transportation: delaware case

A computer‐aided vehicle scheduling system is developed for Delaware's state‐wide specialized transportation system for elderly and handicapped persons. This paper presents the model, computer program package, system implementation, evaluation and the lessons learned from the project. The project which spanned two and a half years consists of five phases: (1) examine the manual method of vehicle scheduling (prior to the computerization); (2) develop a scheduling model; (3) develop a computer program package for the operation of the model; (4) install and operate the system; and (5) evaluate the system performance. The scheduling model consolidates passengers by block of time, origin and destination zones and along the direction of vehicle travel, first; second, minimizes the empty vehicle travel; and, lastly, assigns drivers to route considering assignment priority among the types of drivers and passengers. The product of the model is a set of driver log‐sheets which specify the sequence of passenger pick‐ups and drop‐offs. The computer program package includes necessary auxiliary data management functions such as registration of trip reservation, operating statistics and parameter value changes, as well as the execution of the model. It also allows the dispatcher to override the computer generated log‐sheet based on his discretion. The system has been operational for more than one year and it has brought about a number of changes in the operation and the role of the dispatcher. A before‐and‐after comparison of the operation and the lessons learned are also shown.     

农村公路多元化筹资的必然性分析

运用公共管理学和公共经济学等学科知识分析农村公路的公共产品属性,指出传统单一的融资方式已经不能适应今后农村公路发展的需要,分析了农村公路的供给主体及多元化筹资的必然性。     

靖西县农村客运发展探讨

文章阐述了农村客运发展的意义,分析了靖西县农村客运发展的现状与问题,指出了该县农村客运发展的方向,并对其农村客运发展的对策与措施进行了探讨。     

Multiple objective optimization of the fleet sizing problem for road freight transportation

A fleet sizing problem (FSP) in a road freight transportation company with heterogeneous fleet and its own technical back‐up facilities is considered in the paper. The mathematical model of the decision problem is formulated in terms of multiple objective mathematical programming based on queuing theory. Technical and economical criteria as well as interests of different stakeholders are taken into account in the problem formulation. The solution procedure is composed of two steps. In the first one a sample of Pareto‐optimal solutions is generated by an original program called MEGROS. In the second step this set is reviewed and evaluated, according to the Decision Maker's (DM's) model of preferences. The evaluation of solutions is carried out with an application of an interactive multiple criteria analysis method, called Light Beam Search (LBS). Finally, the DM selects the most desirable, compromise solution.     

Airport ground transportation management: moving towards the turn of the century

Over the last fifty years ground transportation management (GTM) has slowly evolved into a major function at most larger airports. However, during this time there has been relatively little written discussing the idea, organization structures or duties included within this functional activity. This paper reviews and updates the limited, earlier research. This study replicates initial work done in 1989 and thus provides a short longitudinal view of the airport GTM function. The final results demonstrate the current position of GTM and suggest trends for the future.     

推动容县农村客运健康快速发展的对策思考

文章结合容县农村客运现状,分析了农村客运发展存在的问题与原因,提出了发展农村客运的对策与保障措施。     

南宁市农村客运发展策略研究

农村客运是农村社会经济发展的基础与保障,是农村居民重要的出行方式。文章阐述了南宁市农村客运发展存在的问题,分析了问题产生的原因,并基于南宁市城市发展方向与目标提出了农村客运发展策略。     

A relationship between the gravity model for trip distribution and the transportation problem in linear programming

A gravity model for trip distribution describes the number of trips between two zones as a product of three factors; one is associated with the zone in which a trip begins, one with the zone in which it ends and the third with the separation between the zones. The separation or deterrence factor is usually a decreasing function of the generalized cost of travelling between the zones, where generalized cost is usually some combination of the time of travel, the distance travelled and the actual monetary costs.If the deterrence factor is of the exponential form exp (-αc) and if the total numbers of origins and destinations in each zone are known, then the resulting trip matrix depends solely on α. In this paper it is shown that as α tends to infinity, this trip matrix tends to a limit in which the total cost of trips is the least possible allowed by the given origin and destination totals. That is to say the limit is a cost-minimizing solution to the linear programming transportation problem having the same origin and destination totals. If this transportation problem has many cost-minimizing solutions then it is shown that the limit is one particular solution in which each non-zero flow from an origin i to a destination j is of the form r_is_j. A numerical example is given.     

Approximation algorithms for the bid construction problem in combinatorial auctions for the procurement of freight transportation contracts

Trucking companies (carriers) are increasingly facing combinatorial auctions conducted by shippers seeking contracts for their transportation needs. The bid valuation and construction problem for carriers facing these combinatorial auctions is very difficult and involves the computation of a number of NP-hard sub problems. In this paper we examine computationally tractable approximation methods for estimating these values and constructing bids. The benefit of our approximation method is that it provides a way for carriers to discover their true costs and construct optimal or near optimal bids by solving a single NP-hard problem. This represents a significant improvement in computational efficiency. We examine our method both analytically and empirically using a simulation based analysis.     

British location rents: an interpretation of the dual transportation problem for commodity flows

The transportation problem is solved for a number of commodity flow matrices for Britain for 1972. The commodities were selected because of the likelihood of the transportation problem producing a relatively good fit. Commodities were also chosen when it was thought that accessibility was a key location factor. The rationalisation of the interpretation of the dual values as shadow prices and location rents is outlined and, after discussing the merits of alternative means of analysing and presenting the dual values, the distribution of these values are compared with the actual location of industry. Some difficulties and further implications of the approach are suggested.     

A macroscopic theory of two-lane rural roads

A macroscopic theory for predicting the operation on two-lane, two-way roads is proposed. In this theory, the interaction between fast and slow vehicles obeys Newell’s kinematic wave theory of moving bottlenecks. Calibration is not required as all parameters are fully observable. Closed-form expressions for the capacity, average speed, percent time spent following and overtaking rates are proposed and the biases of current practice are identified. Comparisons between the proposed theory and empirical data are also included.     

道路运输企业发展甩挂运输的效益研究

甩挂运输是一种先进的运输组织方式,是提高道路运输效率的重要手段,对于促进节能减排,推动道路运输业的发展具有重要意义。本文针对某一具体甩挂运输企业构建数学模型并从固定成本、变动成本两个方面对其进行经济效益评价,从油耗、二氧化碳排放量和污染物排放量三个方面进行节能减排评价,进而论证得出了甩挂运输具有提高经济效益和节能减排的优势。