Exploring ride-hailing fares: an empirical analysis of the case of Madrid

Transportation - Ride-hailing is an emerging service that is transforming door to door mobility in urban areas. Users can easily request a ride through a smartphone app that informs them of the...     

Users’ perceptions and willingness to pay in interurban toll roads: identifying differences across regions from a nationwide survey in Spain

Users’ acceptability is considered one of the key drivers for the successful implementation of transport policy measures. This is especially crucial in the case of toll roads since they are financed through drivers’ contributions. Previous literature in this field has mainly focused on measuring users’ attitudes towards urban congestion pricing strategies. However limited research has been developed concerning interurban toll roads. Previous research shows that socioeconomic variables are not conclusive to explain users’ perceptions towards tolls. By contrast, other drivers such as regional differences seem to play a more important role, especially when charging conditions within the same nation greatly vary across regions. This paper analyzes regional differences in users’ attitudes within an asymmetrical distribution of the toll road network across regions. Based on a nationwide survey conducted to road users in interurban toll roads in Spain, we develop both a binomial logit and a censored regression (tobit) model to explore drivers’ perceptions and willingness to pay. The research concludes that users from regions with a more extensive tolled network generally show a more negative attitude towards charges, but not necessarily a lower willingness to pay. The paper also points out that an asymmetrical distribution of toll roads across regions may result in negative perceptions among those users perceiving to be unfairly treated when compared to citizens in other regions.     

The influence of variable message signs on en-route diversion between a toll highway and a free competing alternative

Transportation - In the field of road transport, Advanced Traveller Information Systems represent a relevant tool to manage road traffic, improve drivers’ utility and make a more efficient...     

Drivers’ adoption of electronic payment in the Spanish toll road network

Transportation - Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems are based on tags, on-board units associated to personal bank accounts, used for paying tolls electronically. Despite the benefits...     

Short run fare elasticities for Bogotá’s BRT system: ridership responses to fare increases

Transportation - The fare policy of the BRT system in Bogotá, in order to cover its operating costs, has consisted of steadily fare increases, since its creation until 2012. To date, no study...     

Successful Transplantation of a Fragmenting Coral,Montipora digitata,for Reef Rehabilitation

The scleractinian coral Montipora digitata (Acroporidae) is a common reef flat species that thrives under high levels of light and water turbulence, and propagates successfully by natural fragmentation. It was used for transplantation experiments in an attempt to restore a degraded lagoon environment in the northwestern Philippines. Branches about 5 cm high from a natural population in the lagoon were transplanted to dead coral outcrops or knolls in two locations (Binlab and Malilnep-Ac) with different environmental characteristics. Growth and survival were significantly better at Malilnep Ac, which resembled the natural habitat of the species more closely. Environmental conditions at this site also favored the establishment of a greater diversity of species around the coral transplants. There was no difference in performance between transplants on vertical and horizontal surfaces, and the transplants showed limited differences due to density within the experimental range. Significant survival of detached, transplanted colonies or fragments thereof around the bases of the experimental bommies at the more successful site was an additional positive outcome. Water motion showed significant effects on survival and growth, possibly enhancing the suitability of the more successful site for transplantation. These results demonstrate the potential of coral transplantation to initiate the establishment of natural communities in degraded reef areas, a concern for coastal managers in developing countries.     

建成环境对步行和自行车出行的影响--以波哥大为例

哥伦比亚波哥大以可持续的城市交通系统闻名,包括其密集的自行车道网络以及Ciclovía系统——为骑车者和行人预留的道路空间,可在星期日和节假日休闲出行使用。探讨此类设施以及建成环境的其他属性——城市密度、混合用地、可达性以及与公共交通车站的距离——如何影响步行和自行车出行行为以及Ciclovía的使用。结果表明,道路设施设计要素例如道路密度、连通性、与Ciclovía车道的距离,与体力活动相关;而建成环境的其他属性如密度和用地混合程度,对体力活动影响甚微。这可能是由于波哥大建成区的大部分街区均在非机动交通出行占绝对优势的时期演变发展——紧凑、用地混合、交通可达性水平相似。由此可见,影响非机动交通出行的因素是设施设计而非一般的街区用地属性。     

Explaining light vehicle demand evolution in interurban toll roads: a dynamic panel data analysis in Spain

Tolls have increasingly become a common mechanism to fund road projects in recent decades. Therefore, improving knowledge of demand behavior constitutes a key aspect for stakeholders dealing with the management of toll roads. However, the literature concerning demand elasticity estimates for interurban toll roads is still limited due to their relatively scarce number in the international context. Furthermore, existing research has left some aspects to be investigated, among others, the choice of GDP as the most common socioeconomic variable to explain traffic growth over time. This paper intends to determine the variables that better explain the evolution of light vehicle demand in toll roads throughout the years. To that end, we establish a dynamic panel data methodology aimed at identifying the key socioeconomic variables explaining changes in light vehicle demand over time. The results show that, despite some usefulness, GDP does not constitute the most appropriate explanatory variable, while other parameters such as employment or GDP per capita lead to more stable and consistent results. The methodology is applied to Spanish toll roads for the 1990–2011 period, which constitutes a very interesting case on variations in toll road use, as road demand has experienced a significant decrease since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008.     

Has heavy vehicle tolling in Europe been effective in reducing road freight transport and promoting modal shift?

Transportation - During the last few decades, the European Union has promoted distance-based charges on heavy goods vehicles for the use of main roads as a means of funding the infrastructure and...