Development of location-based services for recommending departure stations to park and ride users

More and more commuters are beginning to favour public transportation. Fast and convenient park and ride (PnR) services provided by public transportation authorities are the result of changes of household demographics and household, increasing fuel prices and a focus on environmental sustainability. However, lack of parking spaces in PnR facilities creates a major bottleneck to this service. The aim of this research is to develop a location-based service (LBS) application to help PnR users choose the best train station to use to reach their destination using a multicriteria decision making model. A fuzzy logic method is used to estimate parking availability when a user is estimated to arrive at a PnR facility. Two surveys are conducted to collect traffic flow, travel behaviour and service quality data at four selected Perth Western Australia train stations. With the proposed approach and survey data, a prototype of LBS application, Station Finder, was developed using the Android SDK 4.0 and Google API 16. This application is a useful and practical tool to save travel cost and time of PnR users’.     

Relationship between logistics infrastructure and trade: Evidence from Spanish regional exports

Geographical factors and transport infrastructure are two of the key determinants that influence international competitiveness. In this sense, the quality of such infrastructure and how widespread it is, the distribution and capacity of logistics facilities in a country, as well as the number of private operators and their degree of specialisation, all play an increasingly important role in the design of business strategies aimed at increasing a country’s share of the international market. Until recently, however, availability and access to logistics services have been considered secondary factors when defining business competitiveness. This paper estimates an augmented gravity model of trade that specifically includes logistics and transport infrastructure indicators as explanatory variables. The model is estimated by using bilateral exports from 19 Spanish regions to 64 destinations (45 countries and 19 Spanish regions) with data for the period 2003–2007. The findings show that logistics is indeed important for the analysis of trade flows in goods and they highlight the importance of logistics measures at the regional level. In particular, the number, size and quality of logistics facilities positively influence export flows.     

Optimization-based study of the location of park-and-ride facilities

Park-and-ride facilities are parking lots located on the periphery of cities to intercept car trips coming from the suburbs and diverting them to a transit system, thus playing a potentially important role in reducing traffic congestion and air pollution in urban areas. In this paper, we present a study carried out to shed light on where to install park-and-ride facilities in the city of Coimbra, central Portugal. Its main component is an optimization model which aims to determine the best possible locations for a given number of park-and-ride facilities under the objective of minimizing car use in the urban areas. The main result of the study is that the introduction of only three park-and-ride facilities could reduce car use in Coimbra's urban areas by 19%, an impact that would be very difficult to achieve through measures such as decreasing bus fares, increasing parking fees and/or increasing bus services.     

Truck versus pipeline transportation cost analysis of wastewater sludge

Domestic and industrial sludge generated at wastewater treatment facilities is considered a potential biomass source for producing biodiesel. However, transportation of large amounts of sludge from wastewater treatment facilities to a biorefinery is expensive. The objective of this paper is to identify the proper transportation mode to use as a function of the volume shipped and transportation distances. Currently, sludge is mainly shipped by truck and pipeline. We estimated that the fixed and variable cost components of pipeline transportation for a volume such as 480 m³/day and a distance of 100 miles are $0.116/m³ and $0.089/m³/mile, respectively. We estimated the biomass (sludge) transportation cost per gallon of biodiesel, and observed the changes in these costs as a function of distance traveled and volume shipped. The outcomes of this study have the potential to help biofuel plants make better biomass transportation decisions, and consequently reduce the price of biodiesel significantly.     

A comparative analysis of US toll policy

In the US, there is a long tradition of toll roads, beginning with the Lancaster Turnpike that was built at the end of the 18th century connecting Philadelphia and Lancaster. There are currently more than 300 toll facilities in the US, which is probably the largest number of toll facilities in the world. These facilities represent a wide range of conditions, from hypercongested facilities in large metropolitan areas such as New York City to toll highways in rural areas. The toll structures are equally diverse, ranging from multi-tier price structures with frequent user, carpool, and time of day discounts; to simpler structures in which the only differentiation is made on the basis of the number of axles per vehicle. The toll rates are typically set by the agencies that operate or own the toll facilities. The rules or formulas by which these tolls are determined are not generally available to the public, though it is safe to say that toll decisions are made taking into account technical considerations, as well as the all important criterion of political acceptability. However, data on toll rates and how they change by vehicle types and by some other attributes are readily available.The overall objective of this paper is to analyze the toll data from various facilities across the US to gain insight into the overall factors affecting the tolls. A more specific objective is to assess—though in a rather approximate fashion—if the tolls by vehicle type, relative to each other, are appropriate and consistent with economic theory. This is achieved by comparing tolls to approximate indicators of road space consumption and pavement deterioration. The literature review confirmed that this is the first time such research has been conducted which is an important first step toward an analysis of the efficiency of current toll policies.The analyses in this paper are based on a random sample of all toll facilities across the US. The toll dataset, which include toll rates for passenger cars, busses, and three different truck types, is assembled mainly from the available information on the web sites of various toll agencies. After cleaning the data, the authors used econometric modeling to estimate a set of ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models that express tolls as functions of independent variables. Three families of models were estimated: linear models, models based on expansions of Taylor series, and models based on piece-wise linear approximations to non-linear effects. The resulting models were analyzed to identify the salient features of current toll policies towards different vehicle types.     

油田集输管线的联合阴极保护

外防腐层与阴极保护是油田集输管线最经济有效的防腐蚀措施,但是管线的阴极保护往往与油田地面设施的防雷/静电技术不匹配,管线的阴极保护效果受影响。文中介绍了采用联合阴极保护油田集输管线的极化水平不均的问题。从绝缘接头绝缘性、管线阻性以及站内地面设施接地等方面进行了阴极保护系统调查,指出绝缘接头失效、现有接地系统是导致电流漏失的因素。对集输管线原有阴极保护系统提出了在恒电位仪输出阴极串联具有强制分流的阴极接线箱、绝缘接头保护、接地改造等改进措施。     

A Fuzzy Set Approach for a Location-Inventory Model

Abstract

In the supply chain, production and logistics facilities are positioned between the customer and supply markets. As a consequence, any changes in these markets should cause the enterprise to re-evaluate its location and the capacity of its activities at that particular location in the logistics network, which also means re-evaluating the parameters of input-output matrices for the entire supply chain. Different analytical approaches have been developed to describe the influence of production on the hierarchical spatial pattern. Our article presents a fuzzy set approach to the model of spatial hierarchy as a result of spatial interactions. We attempt to present the difference between net present value estimated by a fuzzy approach on the one hand and report on an analytical approach to the problem on the other.     

山区高速公路危险路段交通安全设施系统研究

本篇以高速公路长下坡危险路段为研究对象,以解决云南蒙新高速公路38km连续长下坡路段行车安全问题为目标,提出了车辆制动失灵概率的预测方法,研发出了长下坡路段制动失灵车辆专用减速带、消能减速护栏、网索式避险车道等三种新型安全设施,并总结分析了长下坡路段安全设施的设计方法及施工工艺技术,编制了《连续长下坡路段安全保障系统设计与施工指南》,可有效提高长下坡危险路段的行车安全。     

A study of the bi-directional pedestrian flow characteristics at Hong Kong signalized crosswalk facilities

This paper investigates the bi-directional flow characteristics at signalized crosswalk facilities in Hong Kong. Pedestrian flow measurements were conducted at selected signalized crosswalks in Hong Kong urban area with and without the Light Rail Transit (LRT) railway tracks in the median of the carriageway. The pedestrian speed-flow functions for these crosswalk facilities were calibrated. The relationships between the walking speed at capacity and directional distribution of pedestrian flow (or flow ratio) are determined. The effects of different flow ratio on the effective capacity are also investigated. The bi-directional pedestrian flow effects on signalized crosswalk facilities with LRT tracks are found more significant than those without LRT tracks. The result could be used as a basis to improve the assessment of the crosswalk's capacity and to determine the design walking speeds under different flow ratios at signalized crosswalks in Hong Kong and in other Asian cities with similar environments.     

Determining locations of charging stations for electric taxis using taxi operation data

The adequate provision of charging infrastructure is critical for the effective deployment of electric taxis. This study attempts to locate charging stations for electric taxis reflecting real-world taxi travel patterns identified from taxis equipped with digital tachographs. Data for one week are processed in order to estimate their charge demand. The estimated temporal distribution of charge demand indicates that it varies day-by-day and hour-by-hour. The maximum set covering model is applied for determining the locations of charging stations. The results show that the pre-specified service distance and service coverage rate (defined by the proportion of total demand served) can be critical factors for determining the number and location of charging stations. These factors should be carefully specified by considering the tradeoff between operational efficiency of charging facilities and user convenience.     

Understanding cyclists’ perceptions,keys for a successful bicycle promotion

Many variables that influence bicycle use beyond time and cost have been included in models of various types. However, psycho-social factors that make the bicycle eligible as a modal alternative have not been identified properly. These factors are related to intention, attitudes and perceptions, and their identification can contribute to obtain the keys for a successful bicycle policy. Here, an in-depth investigation of cyclists’ perceptions is attempted using a large university survey designed and collected ad hoc, and then applying exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. After identifying fourteen factors, a structural equations model was estimated to find structure and relationships among variables and to understand users’ intentions to use the bike. Four (latent) variables are identified, namely convenience, pro-bike, physical determinants and exogenous restrictions. The main conclusion is that convenience (flexible, efficient) and exogenous restrictions (danger, vandalism, facilities) are the most important elements to understand the attitudes towards the bicycle.     

Locating new passenger facilities on a transportation network

This paper examines the problem of locating additional passenger facilities on a transportation network to supplement ones that already exist. A distinction is made between “supporting” facilities which operate only in concert with already existing ones and “new” facilities which are self-sufficient and operate independently. It is shown that, when the objective is to maximize the utility of travel times to all users, at least one set of optimal locations for the new facilities exist on the nodes of the network if the utility function for travel times is convex. This result is proven under very general conditions including the assumption of a probabilistic transportation network, i.e. a network where travel times on network branches are random variables. A straightforward algorithm for solving a specific simple case is also provided and the results are illustrated by examples.     

Serial private infrastructures

This paper investigates private supply of two congestible infrastructures that are serial, where the consumer has to use both in order to consume. Four market structures are analysed: a monopoly and 3 duopolies that differ in how firms interact. It is well known that private supply leads too high usage fees, and that a serial duopoly leads to even higher fees than a monopoly, as firms are monopolists on their sections. But, as this paper finds, a duopoly can also lead to a different capacity rule than the first-best one, and this distortion differs from with two parallel facilities. Finally, four auction formats for the right to build and operate facilities are investigated. With a bid auction, the competition is on how much to pay the government. This auction leads to the same outcome as no auction. An auction on the facility’s capacity leads to an even lower welfare than no auction, as firms set overly large high capacities. Conversely, an auction on the generalised price or number of users leads to the first-best outcome, which they do when the facilities go to one or two winners and both with serial as with parallel facilities.     

Joint inventory-location problem under the risk of probabilistic facility disruptions

This paper studies a reliable joint inventory-location problem that optimizes facility locations, customer allocations, and inventory management decisions when facilities are subject to disruption risks (e.g., due to natural or man-made hazards). When a facility fails, its customers may be reassigned to other operational facilities in order to avoid the high penalty costs associated with losing service. We propose an integer programming model that minimizes the sum of facility construction costs, expected inventory holding costs and expected customer costs under normal and failure scenarios. We develop a Lagrangian relaxation solution framework for this problem, including a polynomial-time exact algorithm for the relaxed nonlinear subproblems. Numerical experiment results show that this proposed model is capable of providing a near-optimum solution within a short computation time. Managerial insights on the optimal facility deployment, inventory control strategies, and the corresponding cost constitutions are drawn.     

Highway traffic noise effects on land price in an urban area

The study evaluates the monetary effect of traffic noise on property values in Seoul, Korea. Hedonic price models are estimated using the zone-based data that includes traffic noise levels, official land price, land use classification, distance to roadways, type of nearby roadway facilities, and traffic characteristics. It is found that a 1% increase in traffic noise associated with a 1.3% decline in land price. Based on this, the annual cost per kilometer due to traffic noise is about $347 thousand.     

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.     

Willingness to accept commuting time within the household: stated preference evidence

In this study, stated preference data is used to derive estimated values of commuting time (VOCT). Both spouses in two-earner households are individually making trade-offs between commuting time and wage; both with regard to their own commuting time and wage only, as well as when both their own commuting time and wage and their spouse’s commuting time and wage are simultaneously changed. Thus, we are able to compare how male spouses and female spouses value each other’s commuting time. When only ones own commuting time and wage are attributes, the empirical results show that the estimated VOCT is plausible with a tendency towards high values compared to other studies, and that VOCT does not differ significantly between men and women. When decisions affecting commuting time and wage of both spouses are analyzed, both spouses value the commuting time of the wife highest. Further analysis show that this result is driven by households where the man has the highest income. If VOCT were to be gender specific in policy implications, the value might be higher for women than for men in two-earner households.     

格拉管道密闭输送-10 #轻柴油主要技术对策

阐述了地处高原寒区的格拉管道首次密闭输送-10 #轻柴油过程中对输送条件、油品物性、管输特性及输送过程所进行的分析比较,介绍了输送方案和主要技术对策,其中要点有设定的管路压力,流量与流速,工艺流程及控制方式,管道泄漏和进、出站压力突变,输油设施设备发生故障时的处置.实践证明,格拉管道利用每年7、8月份地温最高的有利时机密闭输送-10 #轻柴油是可行的,但输送压力、流量、节流压力等主要参数与输送-20 #、-35 #轻柴油不同,对输送参数和输送方案需做相应调整.     

Household Mobility Tool Ownership: Modeling Interactions between Cars and Season Tickets

This paper moves beyond traditional models of car ownership in that we propose a framework for modeling household-level decisions to acquire specific types and numbers of mobility tools to fulfill the mobility needs of household members. The framework is applied to a data set collected during the winter and spring of 2000/2001 in the German city Karlsruhe via an interactive web-based stated response survey in which respondents could optimize their household mobility tool sets through on-line feedback concerning the estimated costs of the sets. In our analysis, bivariate ordered probit models are estimated for three combinations of mobility tools: season tickets (i.e., transit passes) and cars, season tickets and small cars and season tickets and large cars. In all instances, strong substitution effects are found – that is, as the number of season tickets increases, the number of cars decreases. This finding underscores the need to move beyond simple models of car ownership to comprehensive models of mobility tool ownership. As demonstrated by our research, failure to do so is likely to lead to biased results.     

Where to dispose of urban green waste? Transportation planning for the maintenance of public green spaces

Urban green spaces provide various social and environmental benefits that strongly improve the quality of life in a city. Municipalities are responsible for maintaining their green spaces in order to preserve these potentials. This paper supports municipalities in planning the transportation and disposal logistics of the green waste that is produced by the maintenance activities. The approach combines ecological issues like the seasonality of green waste generation and different types of biomass with economically driven decision making. We show how to determine cost efficient transportation plans for the disposal logistics and how to capture the seasonality of green waste generation when booking capacities at disposal facilities. It is also shown how a municipality can select the disposal facilities to cooperate with in a competitive environment where facilities offer capacities at differing conditions, as is the case for disposal sites that dump the green waste and for conversion plants that use the biomass for producing renewable energy. We illustrate the approach using case data of a major city in Germany.