Repetitions in individual daily activity–travel–location patterns: a study using the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index

Using Herfindahl–Hirschman Index and the Mobidrive and Thurgau six-week travel diary datasets this paper examines the degree of repetition of individuals’ choices of their daily activity–travel–location combinations. The results show that the repetitiveness of individual activity–travel–mode–location combinations is highly influenced by the individuals’ out-of-home commitments, the intra-household conditions and the availability and the accessibility of the activity locations. Different types of activity have different pattern of repetition. The level of repetition of individual’s daily activity–travel pattern is less correlated to travel mode choice, but more to the individuals’ commitments and obligations. The repetitiveness of mode choices is more related to the conditions or the accessibilities of the activity location, but not directly to the activity itself.     

A merging–giveway interaction model of cars in a merging section: a game theoretic analysis

In many past studies dealing with traffic phenomena in merging or weaving sections, only the influence of through traffic on the behavior of a merging car is considered in the analysis. It is, however, often seen that a through car, which runs on the most outside lane, takes a cooperative motion for the merging car called “giving way” by moving to the adjacent lane. That is, both the merging car and the through car affect one another. Because their influence is not independent from one another, it should be jointly treated in the analysis as “interaction”. This behavior is typical in merging sections, and is a dominant factor forming the traffic phenomena in a section of this type. This study develops a game theoretical model to describe the traffic behavior of a pair of merging and through cars, while explicitly considering the interaction between them. Both the merging and through cars attempt to take the best actions for themselves by forecasting the other’s action, respectively. Such a behavior is modeled as a two-person non-zero-sum non-cooperative game. Through a case study with data analysis of videotaped observation, the proposed model can be used to obtain an understanding of traffic behavior at on-ramp merging sections. ©     

Applying a structured simulation-based methodology to assess carpooling time–space potential

Abstract

Increasing urban traffic congestion calls for the study of alternative measures. One such measure is carpooling, a system in which a person shares his private vehicle with one or more people in a commuter trip. In principle, this system could lead to potentially significant reductions in the use of private vehicles; however, in practice it has achieved limited success. In this paper, we apply a simulation-based methodology that uses aggregated data from commuter trips in an urban area to create compatible and feasible random trips. These are then analyzed through a heuristic process recursively to find grouping possibilities, thus producing indicators of carpooling potential such as the percentage of matched trips. Using this methodology, simulations are run for the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal) and results show that an increase in the number of participants in a carpooling scheme will only increase the probability of matching up to a certain point, and that this probability varies significantly with time–space trip attributes.     

Origin–destination missing data estimation for freight transportation planning: a gravity model-based regression approach

This paper develops a log-linear regression approach to estimate missing data in a sparse origin–destination (O–D) matrix assuming the sampled or observed O–D trips follow a good gravity pattern. The approach is tested with randomly selected samples from the known portions of 1997, 2002, and 2007 US Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) O–D value and tonnage matrices and validated with 2007 US O–D tonnage matrix at the state level. The missing data are also estimated for the 2007 CFS tonnage matrix with the best intercept and coefficients obtained using all known entries of the matrix. The concept of the approach can be extended beyond the gravity model to any strong mathematical pattern embedded in the known set of a sparse O–D matrix to estimate its missing cells.     

Public–private partnerships: a review of economic considerations with particular reference to transportation projects

The paper sets in context some of the more recent work that has been conducted on public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the provision and operation of infrastructure. PPPs essentially involve a government or its agent signing an agreement with a private company or consortium to supply it with services with the private sector actor involved in major elements of designing, building, temporarily ‘owning’, and running the physical assets; basically they are long-term development and service contracts between government and a private partner. The paper outlines the development of economic thinking regarding the rationale behind PPPs, the extent to which unbundling is optimal and the forms that it may take, the nature of the contracts that are enacted and their renegotiation, the awarding of contracts, and matters of possible corruption. By way of focus, it also provides some indication of what empirical studies in the transportation have thrown up regarding the outcomes of PPPs.     

Analysis of long-distance vacation travel demand in the United States: a multiple discrete–continuous choice framework

This study analyzes the annual vacation destination choices and related time allocation patterns of American households. More specifically, an annual vacation destination choice and time allocation model is formulated to simultaneously predict the different vacation destinations that a household visits in a year, and the time (no. of days) it allocates to each of the visited destinations. The model takes the form of a multiple discrete–continuous extreme value (MDCEV) structure. Further, a variant of the MDCEV model is proposed to reduce the prediction of unrealistically small amounts of vacation time allocation to the chosen destinations. To do so, the continuously non-linear utility functional form in the MDCEV framework is replaced with a combination of a linear and non-linear form. The empirical analysis was performed using the 1995 American Travel Survey data, with the United States divided into 210 alternative destinations. The model estimation results provide several insights into the determinants of households’ vacation destination choice and time allocation patterns. Results suggest that travel times and travel costs to the destinations, and lodging costs, leisure activity opportunities (measured by employment in the leisure industry), length of coastline, and weather conditions at the destinations influence households’ destination choices for vacations. The annual vacation destination choice model developed in this study can be incorporated into a larger national travel modeling framework for predicting the national-level, origin–destination flows for vacation travel.     

Establishing speed–flow–density relationships for exclusive motorcycle lanes

Abstract

The motorcycle is a popular mode of transport in Malaysia and developing Asian countries, but its significant representation in the traffic mix results in high rates of motorcycle accidents. As a result, the Malaysian Government decided to segregate motorcycle traffic along its new federal roads as an engineering approach to reduce accidents. However, traffic engineers needed to know the maximum traffic a motorcycle lane could accommodate. Despite substantial literature related to speed–flow–density relationships and capacities of various transport facilities, there is a knowledge gap regarding motorcycle lanes. This paper establishes motorcycle speed–flow–density relationships and capacities of exclusive motorcycle lanes in Malaysia. Observations of motorcycle flows and speeds were conducted along existing and experimental motorcycle lanes. Motorcycle speed–density data were aggregated and plotted for two types of observable motorcycle riding behaviour patterns that were influenced by the widths of a motorcycle lane: the headway pattern (lane width ≤ 1.7 m) and the space pattern (lane width > 1.7 m). For both riding patterns, regression analysis of motorcycle speed–density data best fits the logarithmic model and consequently the motorcycle flow–density and speed–flow models are derived. Motorcycle lane capacities for headway and space riding patterns are estimated as 3300 mc/hr/lane and 2200 mc/hr/m, respectively.     

Is a new applied transportation research field emerging?––A review of intermodal rail–truck freight transport literature

Intermodal freight transport has developed into a significant sector of the transport industry in its own right. This development has been followed by an increase in intermodal freight transportation research. We contend that a new transportation research application field is emerging; and that, while still in a pre-paradigmatic phase, it is now time to move on to a more mature independent research field. An independent research field can be justified because intermodal transport is a complex system that has characteristics which distinguishes it from other transport systems. We have reviewed 92 publications in order to identify the characteristics of the intermodal research community and scientific knowledge base. This paper will discuss aspects of this research, assessing the status quo and seeking directions for the future. To conclude, we will propose an intermodal research agenda which can direct the intermodal research field towards a period of “normal science”.     

Environmental impacts of high-speed rail links in cost–benefit analyses: a case study of the Dutch Zuider Zee line

Since 2000 it has been formally required in the Netherlands to evaluate major infrastructure projects according to a standard manual. Here the focus is on its application to the Zuider Zee line, a possible rail link to run from the west to the north of the country, starting at Schiphol Airport and ending at the northern towns in the province of Groningen. We put a major emphasis on environmental impacts of the line, including the methods used to estimate impacts and the results. Ways to improve current practice are discussed. A major advantage has been that the environment has been put on the research and policy agenda at an early stage, although insights into the effects of rail infrastructure on the landscape and nature are limited.     

Fuel price changes and their impacts on urban transport – a literature review using bibliometric and content analysis techniques, 1972–2017

ABSTRACT

While the period of heightened oil prices in 2005–2014 has attracted considerable academic and policy attention, there is scant cross-disciplinary research considering energy price, transport and land use together. In car dependent societies many socio-economically disadvantaged areas often lack public and active transport accessibility. Emerging research focus has been placed on issues of transport equity including effects of fuel prices. We reviewed 45 years (1972–2017) of publications about fuel price impacts, transport, and urban context, drawn from Web of Science listed publications. Bibliographic citation analysis reveals eight major research clusters with a set of inter-city comparative studies at their centre. The historical evolution, geographical trends, research approaches and the key themes are revealed by context analysis. The paper highlights the need for further studies looking at energy, transport and land use interaction, and suggests a greater focus on transport equity.     

A Gendered Perspective of the Shelter–Transport–Livelihood Link: The Case of Poor Women in Delhi

Abstract

Women form an important part of the workforce originating from the slums in the city of Delhi, India. The paper illustrates that women spend more time travelling on slower modes of transport to access work; the faster modes are more expensive. Their time–poverty demands they look for work at shorter distances from home. The basic argument presented is that their ability to contribute to the alleviation of their standard of living and their status in society is severely curtailed by their limited mobility and the constrained accessibility to the transport system of the city. This transport deprivation becomes further exacerbated by the process of forced eviction and relocation of low‐income households to the periphery of the city, causing the women to lose livelihood opportunities.     

Some comments on origin–destination matrix estimation

Estimation of origin–destination (O–D) matrices from link count data is considered. This problem is challenging because the number of parameters to be estimated is typically larger than the number of network links. As a result, it is (usually) impossible to identify a unique optimal estimate of the O–D matrix from mean link traffic counts. However, information from the covariance matrix of link count data collected over a sequence of days can relieve this problem of indeterminacy. This fact is illustrated through a simple example. The use of second-order statistical properties of the data in O–D matrix estimation is then explored, and a class of estimators proposed. Practical problems of model mis-specification are discussed and some avenues for future research outlined.     

Transport in Romania—a British perspective

Abstract

Railways restructuring takes place under very different circumstances and with very different goals in Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia. There are some improvements in productivity associated with the reforms in the European Union (among others access to infrastructure and vertical separation). But they are not certain to be replicated following similar restructuring in transition economies, especially if one takes account of the much higher shadow price on government subsidies in the latter. The current and proposed reforms in the railways of Central and Eastern Europe and Russia are described in detail; the likely outcomes of reforms in the special economic, regulatory and legal environments of these countries are analysed; and an alternative proposal for restructuring in Russia is presented.     

Modelling of vehicular exhausts – a review

A review of the air pollution studies carried out to study the dispersion of vehicular exhaust emissions (VEEs) has been made. The review includes the modelling studies in the domain, primarily, of analytical modelling – deterministic mathematical models and numerical models, and statistical models. Various model performance evaluation and comparative assessment studies have also been discussed. Further, the studies conducted to model VEEs at the urban road intersection and urban street canyons have also been reviewed.     

Family changes and public transport use 1984–1987

Panel data are used to investigate what happens when people have some important transitions or changes in their life-cycle, employment status, income, or car ownership. Only three years data are available, and the pace of transition is slow: as a result relevant sample sizes are rather small. The analysis is carried out in two stages: results are given from a two year period, and these are used to generate hypotheses checked with data from the third year.It is found that in many cases the effects on mobility are different from what would be expected from cross-section data. In particular:

Evaluating a concept design of a crowd-sourced ‘mashup’ providing ease-of-access information for people with limited mobility

This study investigates the impact of using a concept map-based ‘mashup’ (www.accessadvisr.net) to provide volunteered (i.e. user contributed) ease of access information to travellers with limited mobility. A scenario-based user trial, centred around journey planning, was undertaken with 20 participants, divided equally between (1) those who have physical restrictions on their mobility, due to disability, illness or injury, and (2) those with practical mobility constraints due to being parents with young children who have to use a child’s pushchair when using public transport. Both user groups found the concept useful, but its potential impact was less for the pushchair user group. There were mixed views in relation to the ability of the mashup to convey the trustworthiness, credibility and reliability of information necessary for journey planning. The study identified a number of key information-related user requirements which help enable effective design of user contributed web-based resources for travellers with mobility-related issues.     

Airport–Airline interaction: some food for thought

Abstract

We provide an interpretive analysis of vertical relations between airports and carriers, while assessing the way in which deregulation of the airline market and the privatization of airports have created incentives for airport–airline interaction. In particular, if the vertical structure approach has become the standard approach in air transport research, we add to the literature by discussing three issues that we believe need further understanding. The three issues that we think should be the focus of future research on airport–airline interaction are (i) incomplete contracts and asymmetric information structure; (ii) upstream horizontal complementarities; and (iii) airports as two-sided platforms.     

A note on “highway pricing and capacity choice in a road network under a build-operate-transfer scheme”

This note rectifies an error in the paper by Yang and Meng (2000) on highway pricing and capacity choice, and shows that under essentially the same assumptions as for Mohring and Harwitz (1962) and Strotz (1964), self-financing applies to a general network.     

Design and evaluation of a grade-separated intersection: a case study of the proposed Belgrade ‘Hipodrom’

This paper presents the evaluation results of three traffic solutions for the complex grade-separated intersection located in the old part of Belgrade at the junction with the new bridge over the Sava River. The corridor to which the intersection belongs together with the new river bridge are parts of a great urban artery called the Inner Half Semi-Ring Road (IHSRR). The traffic solutions that are evaluated are defined in the preliminary design phase, based on two opposed concepts: a complete grade separation of all intersection legs (the CPV alternative – ‘grade-separated’) and a grade separation designed to minimise construction costs (DMC 1 and 2 alternatives – ‘minimise cost’). The evaluation procedure is conducted in three steps: first, the score based on expert assessment of the functionality of the design solutions is determined; second, the alternatives are ranked according to the value of a set of state indicators obtained by micro-simulation using PTV–VISSIM 4.10; and third, the final score is obtained by multi-criteria evaluation using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The results of the first evaluation step show a small advantage for DMC 2, a sub-alternative of the DMC 1 alternative. The results of the micro-simulation give advantage to the DMC 1 alternative. The multi-criteria evaluation provides a better ‘goodness factor’ for the CPV alternative against the DMC 1 alternative. At the same time, the least construction cost favours alternative DMC 1.     

The Value of a Statistical Life in a Road Safety Context — A Review of the Current Literature

Abstract

This paper summarizes the state-of-the-art for assessing the value of a statistical life (VSL) as a component of the costs of road accidents. It focuses on the most popular approaches for assessing the VSL, with respect to its theoretical foundations, current state-of-research and empirical evidence. Our paper also provides a first (to our knowledge) compendium of results for the VSL based on Stated Choice (SC) methods. Among the analysed alternatives, the willingness-to-pay (WTP) appears to be the leading approach for assessing the VSL and the SC methods represent the current state-of-the-art for determining the WTP for non-market goods. We conclude that the SC approach overcomes some of the most important shortcomings of the alternative approaches and offers a significant flexibility that can be used to address its own limitations. We also identify a significant need for research, as a gap between the methods employed in research (SC methods) and the state-of-the-practice (other methods) has emerged.