Exploring the capacity of social media data for modelling travel behaviour: Opportunities and challenges

In the past few years, the social science literature has shown significance attention to extracting information from social media to track and analyse human movements. In this paper the transportation aspect of social media is investigated and reviewed. A detailed discussion is provided about how social media data from different sources can be used to indirectly and with minimal cost extract travel attributes such as trip purpose, mode of transport, activity duration and destination choice, as well as land use variables such as home, job and school location and socio-demographic attributes including gender, age and income. The evolution of the field of transport and travel behaviour around applications of social media over the last few years is studied. Further, this paper presents results of a qualitative survey from travel demand modelling experts around the world on applicability of social media data for modelling daily travel behaviour. The result of the survey reveals positive view of the experts about usefulness of such data sources.     

Transport telematics in urban systems-a backcasting Delphi study

This paper includes a presentation of the results from a scenario study on transport telematics in urban passenger transport. An international Delphi panel of 100 experts from 20 countries replied to questions on the feasibility and impact of a restricted number of different technical scenarios. The results show that most experts see substantial potential for limiting certain transport problems if there is broad implementation of transport telematics as described in this study. The majority of experts favoured a scenario based on extended public transport information. In that scenario, environmental gains were in practice paid for in terms of less comfortable trips and longer travel times.     

The impact of “free” public transport: The case of Brussels

Public transport subsidies play an important role in the present Belgian mobility policy. The introduction of “free” bus transport in Hasselt in 1997 was an important event. Later, the Flemish government in cooperation with the regional public transport company elaborated the so-called “third-payer system” for target groups. The price of public transport is not paid by the user or the provider, but partly or completely by a “third party”. In how far these measures contribute to a more sustainable mobility system has caused much debate.In the academic year 2003–2004, a “free public transport” initiative was introduced for the students of Flemish colleges and universities in Brussels. These students had the opportunity to obtain a refunded annual season ticket on Brussels public transport. Brussels was selected for the case study, because in the same city there is a group of students that benefits from the measure, and another group (students from French speaking universities and colleges) that does not. In order to examine the effects of this measure, we conducted a survey among the students to examine their present travel behaviour (number of trips, motives, modal choice …) and the changes with the travel behaviour of the previous year. In addition we compare the current travel behaviour between the students benefiting from the measure, and those who do not.     

Travel,transport and energy implications of university-related student travel: A case study approach

This study highlighted significant cultural differences and complexity in travel behaviour associated with travel to university across the UK and Ireland. This paper examines university travel behaviours and the implications for emissions, across the 2012–2013 academic year, based on responses from 1049 students across 17 universities in Ireland and the UK. Surveys were analysed to examine the trips of students both during term time and when accessing the universities each year. The data analysis in this paper examines three aspects of the transport implications of travel to and from university. Firstly the journey between university and term time address (or permanent address if the respondent does not have a separate term time address), secondly the journey between the university area and a separate permanent address where relevant; and thirdly implications for emissions resulting from university-related travel.The study found that student car users were more likely to be female, older students, or studying part time; male students were more likely to use active modes. The study indicated interesting differences between students living in different parts of the UK and Ireland. For example, it was found that there was a higher level of car dependence amongst Northern Irish students compared to other areas; and a greater variability in travel distances in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England, car use was more pronounced when students travelled from their permanent address to term time address, and, as in Ireland, there was evidence of more car sharing on such trips. Public transport usage was more pronounced amongst Scottish students. The effect of these transport choices on emissions is significant and demonstrates the importance of education related trips to the development of a transport policy response. The analysis shows that annual emissions are highest for regular travel to and from university when a student has a permanent address rather than a separate term time and permanent address.     

Projected prevalence of car-sharing in four Asian-Pacific countries in 2030: What the experts think

This paper presents a “big-picture view” for policymakers and related stakeholders regarding the future development of car-sharing services. Car-sharing has the potential to significantly disrupt the personal mobility market. Thus, understanding their market penetration and implications is urgently needed. Previous studies in this domain have predominantly focused on the views, opinions, and preferences of consumers. In this study, we complement the current demand modelling research on car-sharing by applying an expert elicitation and aggregation technique that relies on transport experts’ opinions to investigate the role of car-sharing in the future. Specifically, based on the opinions of mobility suppliers, this research elicits experts’ judgment from across government, industry, and academia to gain insights into the future of car-sharing markets in four countries – Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. The analysis reveals that, from a mobility supplier’s perspective, energy and vehicle prices will not have a statistically significant impact on the future adoption of car-sharing. The results also show that the more knowledgeable an expert is, the more pessimistic they are about the market penetration of car-sharing in 2016, and the more optimistic they are about the prevalence of car-sharing in 2030.     

Automating a framework to extract and analyse transport related social media content: The potential and the challenges

Harnessing the potential of new generation transport data and increasing public participation are high on the agenda for transport stakeholders and the broader community. The initial phase in the program of research reported here proposed a framework for mining transport-related information from social media, demonstrated and evaluated it using transport-related tweets associated with three football matches as case studies. The goal of this paper is to extend and complement the previous published studies. It reports an extended analysis of the research results, highlighting and elaborating the challenges that need to be addressed before a large-scale application of the framework can take place. The focus is specifically on the automatic harvesting of relevant, valuable information from Twitter. The results from automatically mining transport related messages in two scenarios are presented i.e. with a small-scale labelled dataset and with a large-scale dataset of 3.7 m tweets. Tweets authored by individuals that mention a need for transport, express an opinion about transport services or report an event, with respect to different transport modes, were mined. The challenges faced in automatically analysing Twitter messages, written in Twitter’s specific language, are illustrated. The results presented show a strong degree of success in the identification of transport related tweets, with similar success in identifying tweets that expressed an opinion about transport services. The identification of tweets that expressed a need for transport services or reported an event was more challenging, a finding mirrored during the human based message annotation process. Overall, the results demonstrate the potential of automatic extraction of valuable information from tweets while pointing to areas where challenges were encountered and additional research is needed. The impact of a successful solution to these challenges (thereby creating efficient harvesting systems) would be to enable travellers to participate more effectively in the improvement of transport services.     

Integrating e-scooters in urban transportation: Problems,policies, and the prospect of system change

Throughout the world, cities seek to ease transport-related problems of congestion, air pollution, noise, and traffic injuries. Urban transport planners have welcomed e-scooters as an alternative to motorized individual transport, specifically the car. The public has met e-scooters with both enthusiasm and scepticism, as cities have struggled with unforeseen outcomes such as forms of irresponsible riding, cluttering, or vandalism. This paper investigates the challenges associated with the introduction of e-scooters in ten major cities, based on a content analysis of local media reports. News items (n = 173) were identified through Internet searches and include print media, TV and radio websites. Concerns prior to and after the introduction of e-scooters are assessed, analysed, and interpreted in the context of new policies for this transport mode. Results suggest that many cities have moved through trial and error stages in their search for appropriate legislation. The paper concludes that it is prudent for urban planners to introduce policies regarding maximum speeds, mandatory use of bicycle infrastructure, and dedicated parking, as well as to limit the number of licensed operators. Where negative public opinion can be averted, e-scooters stand a chance to become a disruptive niche innovation with the potential to transform urban transport systems.     

管道顺序输送中混油及混油量的研究

介绍了顺序输送过程中检测混油界面的几种方法,并对混油的处理和切割方法做了简单的介绍.详细叙述了顺序输送过程中计算混油量的方法,包括混油量的理论计算公式和经验计算公式.并记录了国内外专家学者关于混油量计算模型以及对经验计算公式的改进.最后提出了关于油品在顺序输送过程中关于混油研究的几点建议.     

Future prospects for personal security in travel by public transport

This paper reports findings from a project focused on understanding the interaction between transport technologies and user needs and perceptions in supporting personal security in travel by public transport. The research engaged over 60 experts from across the UK transport sector in a combination of interviews, workshops and scenario planning activities to address a set of four application areas in relation to secure travel. These areas were information provision, travel disruption, automated transport services and flexible transport services. Four future scenario narratives (to a 2040 time horizon) were developed for each application area. A final workshop consolidated and reviewed the narrative scenarios and pulled out key themes and priority issues for policy, practice and research for the near term. Consequently a set of policy recommendations, operator and business opportunities, knowledge gaps and research priorities were identified to support and enhance provision for personal security in travel by public transport.     

Transport and society1

In 1963, the Buchanan Report in the UK advocated a combination of new road capacity, improved public transport and traffic restraint as a means to tackle congestion. Forty years on, and the advice from many transport experts remains the same. However, the scale and complexity of the problems associated with a mobility‐dependent society have grown. The need for politicians to make tough but realistic policy decisions on transport is now becoming unavoidable. They must confront the realities of living with the car as must the general public. Policymakers now also have social well‐being and sustainable development moving higher on their agendas alongside transport. Against such a backdrop, the paper makes the case for transport research, policy and practice to acknowledge more fully the inherent links between transport and society. It argues that greater recognition and understanding of such links is crucial to confronting the present realities. Transport does not merely serve society: it shapes society, as in turn society shapes transport. The future of each is dependent on the other, and this fact must be recognized. The paper advocates in turn that the transport profession must move from its heartlands in engineering and economics also to embrace more fully such disciplines as sociology and psychology. A factual picture of the many facets of present‐day society is presented and the implications for travel demand are discussed. Through considering phenomena such as social norms and habitual behaviour, it is then argued that the travel choices and behaviour of individuals are not simply a matter of economic optimization. This points to the need for decision‐makers to be furnished with better evidence about the transport problems faced and the potential efficacy of measures that might be taken. Discussion of public attitudes and the role of the media are included in the context of assessing how politicians can be encouraged and supported in their implementation of realistic but unpopular policies. Evidence and experience within the paper are UK based, although many of the issues and arguments apply world wide.     

Tweeting Transit: An examination of social media strategies for transport information management during a large event

Social media platforms are seeing increasing adoption by public transport agencies, as they provide a cost-effective, reliable, and timely mechanism for sharing information with passengers and other travellers. In this paper, we use a case study of the @GamesTravel2014 Twitter account to evaluate how this social media platform was used over the course of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland to provide and share transport-related information and respond to information requests. The case study provides an exemplar for the public co-ordination of information from multiple partners in a complex environment during a time of transport disruption. We evaluate both the structure and intent of the @GamesTravel2014 social media strategy via interviews with involved parties and an analysis of Tweets related to the account. Findings indicate the potential for future applications of social media by transport operators and authorities in producing a more effective network of communication with passengers.     

Transport planning for urban areas: A retrospective look and future prospects

This paper examines the evolution of urban transport planning since the 1960′s, identifies the key trends that have influenced such planning, describes the current state of urban transport planning, and speculates on the important characteristics that will influence urban transport planning over the next several decades. Fifteen planning conferences since 1957 are reviewed to show the changing perspectives on planning from the professional community. Ten areas are identified that will provide special challenge to future transport planners—demographic changes, the importance of economic production and market forces for transport system performance, multimodal perspectives for transport planning, adopting an operations focus, an important role for technology, developing a sense of community, laying the groundwork for pricing, integrating transport decision making with growth management, transport planning within a sustainability framework, and providing greater accountability of the decision making and planning processes.     

Reflections on transport in the future

Abstract

The first INTRA Seminar, held at the College of Europe, Bruges, in April 1982, was on the theme Transport in the Future: some possibilities and their implications. This theme was chosen to give an opportunity to consider transport requirements and resources in the broadest possible way, and as a prelude to later Seminars on more specific subjects. Throughout, the emphasis was on major trends and possible discontinuities which may have important policy consequences. The seminar also aimed to help participants—who attended by personal invitation—to broaden and deepen their understanding of the role and nature of transport and its internal and external relationships.

These ‘reflections’ are intended for wider circulation, particularly for senior officials in national and international organizations not directly or regularly involved in transport but who may find it helpful in their own activities. They are not intended to be either complete or comprehensive, but deliberately emphasize those aspects which participants identified as requiring more consideration and examination. The opening section, entitled Overall Impressions, is a brief general statement. The fuller account of the Seminar which follows is largely based on the Working Paper circulated before the Seminar, on introductory Statements on particular topics prepared by participants, and on the reports by the Moderators of Study Groups; it has also benefited from advice and suggestions from others who intended to take part but who were prevented from doing so.

Since this account has been prepared by the two INTRA organizers, it naturally reflects their views of these papers, discussions and suggestions. Equally, any views expressed are not necessarily those of all participants—or, indeed, of any individual participant—nor of the organizations or institutions with which they are associated.     

Impacts of a multimodal mobility service on travel behavior and preferences: user insights from Munich’s first Mobility Station

The City of Munich, in cooperation with the local public transport provider MVG, is testing a pilot project of a “Mobility Station”, which is a multimodal mobility hub connecting public transport (PT) and new shared mobility services. The project’s goal is to provide sustainable mobility options that allow citizens to be mobile without owning a car. To evaluate the acceptance of the Mobility Station, as well as short and long term effects on mobility behavior, we developed an online user survey in close cooperation with the stakeholders and experts in the field of shared mobility. The results provide insights on the awareness and perception of the Mobility Station among users, their mobility patterns, current degree of multimodality, as well as actual and potential changes on mobility behavior and travel preferences due to the multimodal mobility service. Most users are young, male, and highly educated individuals with access to multiple mobility options. PT plays a central role for daily mobility together with the services they were identified to be customers of. The high share of users that use different mobility services at least once a month indicates some degree of multimodality. Actual and potential changes in mobility behavior towards multimodality were revealed. Some users declared to use other mobility services more often. They appreciate the availability of different mobility options and show interest in other services and intermodal connections indicating that there is still potential to increase multimodal behavior.     

Factors driving public support for road congestion reduction policies: Congestion charging,free public transport and more roads in Stockholm,Helsinki and Lyon

Based on an across-the-board survey conducted among residents of Stockholm, Helsinki and Lyon, we explore the opinions on three policy measures to combat road congestion: congestion charging, free public transport and building more roads. The support for the two latter policies is substantially higher than the support for congestion charging, which is only supported by a majority in Stockholm. Self-interest is important for the formation of the opinion to all three policies. However, fundamental values and general political views, indicated by four attitudinal factors, are even more important in forming opinions towards the three transport policies. Of all attitudinal factors, the one indicating environmental concern most influences the support for all policies. Equity concerns, however, increase the support for free public transport and opposition to taxation increases the support for building more roads.Our results further suggest that the opinions towards free public transport and building more roads can be mapped along the left–right political axis, where Environment and Equity are to the left and Pricing and Taxation are to the right. However, the opinion towards congestion charging cuts right through the political spectrum. The impact of the fundamental values and self-interest variables are similar for Stockholm and Helsinki, indicating that even if experience increases the overall support for charging, it does not change the relative strength of different political arguments to any major extent.     

Incorporating Logistics in Freight Transport Demand Models: State-of-the-Art and Research Opportunities

Freight transport demand is a demand derived from all the activities needed to move goods between locations of production to locations of consumption, including trade, logistics and transportation. A good representation of logistics in freight transport demand models allows us to predict the effects of changes in logistics systems on future transport flows. As such it provides better estimations of the costs of interaction and allows to predict changes in spatial patterns of freight transport flows more accurately. In recent years, the attention for freight modelling has been growing and new research work has appeared aimed at incorporating logistics in freight models. In this paper we review the state of the art in the representation of logistics considerations in freight transport demand models. Our focus is on the service and cost drivers of changes in logistics networks and how these affect freight transport. Our review proceeds along a conceptual framework for modelling that goes beyond the conventional 4-step modelling approach. We identify promising areas for freight modelling that have an integrative function within this framework, such as spatial computable general equilibrium models, supply chain choice models and hypernetwork models.     

Long-run relationship among transport demand,income, and gasoline price for the US

Energy used in transport is a particularly important focus for environment-development studies because it is increasing in both developed and developing countries and is largely carbon-intensive. This paper examines whether a systemic, mutually causal, cointegrated relationship exists among mobility demand, gasoline price, income, and vehicle ownership using US data from 1946 to 2006. We find that those variables co-evolve in a transport system; and thus, they cannot be easily disentangled in the short-run. However, estimating a long-run relationship for motor fuel use per capita was difficult because of the efficacy of the CAFE standards to influence fleet fuel economy. The analysis shows that the fuel standards program was effective in improving the fuel economy of the US vehicle fleet and in temporarily lessening the impact on fuel use of increased mobility demand. Among the policy implications are a role for efficiency standards, a limited impact for fuel tax, and the necessity of using a number of levers simultaneously to influence transport systems.     

TRESIS: A transportation,land use and environmental strategy impact simulator for urban areas

The Institute of Transport Studies has developed a Transportation and Environment Strategy Impact Simulator (TRESIS) as a decision support system to assist planners to predict the impact of transport strategies and to make recommendations based on those predictions. A key focus of the simulator is the richness of policy instruments such as new public transport, new toll roads, congestion pricing, gas guzzler taxes, changing residential densities, introducing designated bus lanes, implementing fare changes, altering parking policy, introducing more flexible work practices, and the introduction of more fuel efficient vehicles. The appropriateness of mixtures of policy instruments is gauged in terms of a series of performance indicators such as impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, accessibility, equity, air quality and household consumer surplus. In this paper we introduce TRESIS to the research community, focussing on the structure of the system and the diversity of applications. Applications are presented to illustrate the diversity and richness of TRESIS as a policy advisory tool.     

Involving citizens in sustainable development: Scenario workshop on sustainable mobility

The scenario workshop is an example of the Scandinavian tradition of citizen involvement. The method is a mix of scenario and workshop. Scenarios produced by experts (scientists) are presented to a local community in a workshop lasting two to three days during which local participants produce criticism, debate and plans for community action. The method, originally used to actively involve citizens in the development of environmentally sustainable cities in Denmark, is now in use throughout Europe, as the various EU directorates have become very aware of their usefulness. A method has now been generated at the Copenhagen Business School for the field of transport. Four transport scenarios were generated relating to post-Fordist production systems, transport and the concept of sustainable mobility. They are to be presented in a transport-intensive region of Denmark to analyse barriers against environmentally induced adjustments to the transport sector and to find new solutions to the dilemma by creating dialogue between planners, politicians and transport managers.     

Planning with vision: The development of traffic strategies for Melbourne

This paper describes an approach to the development of metropolitan transport strategies based on community needs and values. A search conference and other consultation methods were used to raise community awareness of transport issues and to give the transport planners an understanding of community concerns and values. The collective values were used to develop a vision statement of where Melbourne could be in the future. Transport strategies were then developed which helped achieve the vision. By this approach transport strategies can be integrated with the delivery of other services so that they are complementary and achieve consistent ends. The process encouraged community debate and helped strategy development to focus on what was to be achieved, rather than on particular techniques or interest group agendas. Integrated strategies which have wide interest group and community support can be developed by the process.