Multicriteria high-speed rail route selection: application to Malaysia's high-speed rail corridor prioritization

This paper reviews the literature on multicriteria decision analysis in transportation and provides a case study of high-speed rail (HSR) corridor/route selection using multicriteria methods in the context of HSR corridor prioritization in Malaysia. Using the screening method proposed by Hagler and Todorovich and the ELECTRE I multicriteria method, it is found that the southbound corridor from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore has the highest priority, followed by the eastbound corridor to Kuantan, and northbound to Georgetown. HSR trains could potentially reduce the trip times to Singapore, Kuantan, and Georgetown from Kuala Lumpur, as compared to driving, by 65–73%. The results of this study can be used to assist in the planning of HSR and/or integrated transportation systems in Malaysia. The same methods can be used to evaluate potential HSR corridors/routes in other countries or regions.     

A multicriteria decision support methodology for evaluating airport expansion plans

Rational decision-making requires an assessment of advantages and disadvantages of choice possibilities, including non-market effects (such as externalities). This also applies to strategic decision-making in the transport sector (including aviation). In the past decades various decision support and evaluation methods have been developed in which a market evaluation played a prominent role. The intrinsic limitations of these approaches were also increasingly recognised. Gradually, a variety of adjusted multidimensional methods has been developed over the past years to complement conventional cost–benefit analysis (CBA). These methods aim to investigate and evaluate all relevant impacts of a choice possibility (e.g., project, plan, or programme) on the basis of a multitude of important policy criteria (so-called multicriteria methods). They have a particular relevance in case of non-priced or qualitative effects. There is a clear need for a systematic and polyvalent multicriteria approach to many actual planning issues, such as land use or transportation. This paper offers a new evaluation framework based on a blend of three types of approaches, viz. Regime Analysis, the Saaty method and the Flag Model. All these methods have been developed separately in the past; the paper makes an effort to offer a cohesive framework, which can be used for the e valuation of spatial-economic and environmental-economic policy issues. This new tool is tested by means of a case study on conflicting plans (and policy views) for airport expansion options in the Maastricht area in the southern part of The Netherlands.     

Using AHP to measure the perception gap between current and potential users of bus services

Abstract

This study develops a multicriteria evaluation of user perception towards bus transit services and measures the gap in the perceptions held by current and potential users. A review of the transport quality literature indicates that both preference and satisfaction measures have been implemented to provide a comprehensive perception-based evaluation of bus quality. Although attempts have been made to evaluate user perception through a separate analysis of each (preference and/or satisfaction), the application of multicriteria quality measures are limited. A multicriteria quality measure not only offers more than just information on the daily experience of users but also knowledge of the internal process of quality evaluation (drivers/barriers). The multicriteria measure utilises the data of 512 questionnaires, whereby user perceptions were expressed through judgments of importance and satisfaction based on a set of 29 quality indicators classified into six attributes. Firstly, the study develops analytical hierarchy process (AHP) models to measure user preference. Secondly, a weighted perception index (WPI) of both preference and satisfaction is developed through a multicriteria model. Finally, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) is conducted to identify the level of variation in the perception of both current and potential users towards bus service quality. The results show that although both current and potential users place a higher importance towards the same indicators, they do not share the same pattern of preferences (values and/or order). In addition, the study found that the interaction between preferences and satisfaction generated new patterns of subjective evaluation, and that these patterns vary significantly by user category.     

A fuzzy stochastic approach to the multicriteria selection of an aircraft for regional chartering

This article deals with the problem of decision support for the selection of an aircraft. This is a problem faced by an airline company that is investing in regional charter flights in Brazil. The company belongs to an economic group whose core business is logistics. The problem has eight alternatives to be evaluated under 11 different criteria, whose measurements can be exact, stochastic, or fuzzy. The technique chosen for analyzing and then finding a solution to the problem is the multicriteria decision aiding method named NAIADE (Novel Approach to Imprecise Assessment and Decision Environments). The method used allows tackling the problems by working with quantitative as well as qualitative criteria under uncertainty and imprecision. Another considerable advantage of NAIADE over other multicriteria methods relies in its characteristics of not requiring a prior definition of the weights by the decision maker. As a conclusion, it can be said that the use of NAIADE provided for consistent results to that aircraft selection problem. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transport planning with multiple criteria: The analytic hierarchy process applications and progress review

Five examples of applications of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) are made to illustrate the different uses of this ratio scale multicriteria decision method in transportation. They include a commuter route selection hierarchy, a best mix of routes to Pittsburgh's new International Airport, a benefits/costs hierarchy to choose the best mode to cross a river, a planning hierarchy for a transport system and a simple dependence with feedback cycle to choose a car when criteria depend on the alternatives. For a better appreciation of the use and power of the method, the examples are followed by a resume of developments in research on the (AHP) in the last few years.     

基于AHP-DEMATEL的高铁枢纽换乘效率关键因素研究

为了找出影响高铁枢纽换乘效率关键因素,科学合理高铁枢纽布局,提出一种基于AHPDEMATEL组合评价方法。以高铁枢纽为评价对象,通过构建具有层次结构的评价指标体系,采用层次分析法(AHP)确定指标初始权重,决策与试验评价实验室法(DEMATEL)求得各评价指标影响度、被影响度、中心度,从而确定各指标综合影响度。研究结果表明:其他交通衔接性、通道便捷性、设施供给度、枢纽组织有序度、停车场供需比、平均换乘时间、平均换乘距离、单位时间换乘量、绕行系数是影响高铁枢纽换乘效率的关键因素。     

Evaluating alternative scenarios for high-speed rail investment in Greece

Introducing High-Speed Rail services along the two main corridors in Greece is expected to change the total scene of interurban transport. The present paper considers the effects of the high-speed rail investment plan against this background. It applies a three-fold evaluation process in order to assess the transport potential and the economic and other impacts of the investment. Alternative scenarios are considered with respect to construction period and pricing of the new high-speed services.     

The multi‐actor,multi‐criteria analysis methodology (MAMCA) for the evaluation of transport projects: Theory and practice

In this paper the multi‐actor multi‐criteria analysis (MAMCA) method to evaluate transport projects is presented. This evaluation method specifically focuses on the inclusion of qualitative as well as quantitative criteria with their relative importance, defined by the multiple stakeholders, into one comprehensive evaluation process in order to facilitate the decision making process by the different stakeholders. The MAMCA methodology is introduced by an overview of other evaluation methods for transport projects in the past and is illustrated by means of two practical cases. The introduction will lead us to the theoretical conception of the MAMCA method where we draw the attention to the proven usefulness of the MAMCA for the evaluation of transport projects and the inclusion of different kinds of stakeholders, individuals as well as groups, into the evaluation process.     

Provision of accessible transportation alternatives for the transportation handicapped in Taiwan

Four transportation handicapped groups are identified in Taiwan (impaired ambulation, visually impaired, aged, and others) and nine accessible transportation alternatives are proposed. The costs and potential ridership for these nine alternatives in the Taipei area are estimated. Using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and multicriteria evaluation with qualitative and quantitative data (MEQQD) methods, the most appropriate accessible transportation alternatives for each of the four handicap groups are selected. It is found that the best accessible transportation alternative for the impaired ambulation, the aged, and others would be a demand-responsive lift-equipped specialized van, while half-fare subsidized taxi would be the second-best option. By contrast, the best alternative for the visually impaired would be half-fare subsidized taxi, while conventional bus with broadcast equipment would be the second-best choice.     

高铁枢纽建设与城市功能空间协同发展效率评价

随着我国高铁迅速发展,高铁建设如何与城市功能空间协同发展的问题引起广泛关注。为了评价高铁与城市协同发展的效率,本文从城市协同性、高铁枢纽建设、站城距离等角度,构建高铁枢纽建设与城市功能空间协同发展效率评价指标体系。并引入DEA模型进行分析计算其效率匹配度,为城市既有高铁站与城市协同发展程度提供依据。最后以京沪高铁为案例分析了24个车站与所在城市的协同关系效率值,结果表明,北京南站、上海虹桥站等高铁枢纽发展较好,常州北站、苏州北站、天津南站等较差,尤其是天津南站的通过能力、客流量等产出指标还需要进一步加强。     

Improvement of external transport cost evaluation in the context of Lithuania’s integration into the European Union

This paper starts by reviewing the main components of social marginal costs and environmental costs in the context of transport, and it draws on the experience in Europe concerning the means by which these costs can be valued. That experience is then translated to the situation in Lithuania, where many of the same issues are now being debated. A multicriteria method is proposed to internalize these costs, both from the perspective of the state and of the carriers. Costs need to be raised substantially if the social and environmental factors are to be paid for by the transport users, and such action would bring Lithuania closer to the best practice currently in operation in the European Union.     

Location selection of city logistics centers under sustainability

City Logistics Centers (CLC) are an important part of the modern urban logistics system, and the selection of the location of a CLC has become a key problem in logistics and supply chain management. Integrating the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable development, this paper presents a new evaluation system for the location selection of a CLC from a sustainability perspective. A fuzzy multi-attribute group decision making (FMAGDM) technique based on a linguistic 2-tuple is used to evaluate potential alternative CLC locations. In this method, the linguistic evaluation values of all the evaluation criteria are transformed into linguistic 2-tuples. A new 2-tuple hybrid ordered weighted averaging (THOWA) operator is presented to aggregate the overall evaluation values of all experts into a collective evaluation value for each alternative, which is then used to rank and select alternative CLC locations. An application example is provided to validate the method developed and to highlight the implementation, practicality, and effectiveness by comparing with the fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method.     

隧道工区瓦斯等级可拓评价体系研究

文章介绍了隧道瓦斯工区等级可拓法评价流程,并将瓦斯地质学的理论知识应用于隧道工程领域,对影响隧道工区瓦斯赋存的因素进行了深入分析,同时采用国际上广泛使用的SMART指标体系设计准则,建立了隧道工区瓦斯等级评价指标体系及瓦斯工区等级评价物元模型。通过实例研究表明,该模型得到的结果与实际情况基本吻合,具有一定的现实参考价值。     

Genetic algorithms in bus network optimization

This paper focuses on a new method to compute fitness function (ff) values in genetic algorithms for bus network optimization. In the proposed methodology, a genetic algorithm is used to generate iteratively new populations (sets of bus networks). Each member of the population is evaluated by computing a number of performance indicators obtained by the analysis of the assignment of the O/D demand associated to the considered networks. Thus, ff values are computed by means of a multicriteria analysis executed on the performance indicators so found. The goal is to design a heuristic that allows to achieve the best bus network satisfying both the demand and the offer of transport.     

High-Speed Rail Operations on an Existing Network: An Assessment Model for China

High-speed rail operations have the potential to reduce the long-term decline in rail passenger travel demand for the medium to long distance inter-urban markets. Such decline has been evident through most of the industrialized countries where air and road transport tend to be the dominant modes. In China, the operations of long distance high-speed rail on fully dedicated track is not very easy to implement, due to the high proportion of passengers who travel between high-speed and conventional railways. An alternative approach would be to allow for mixed operations with trains of various speeds on the same track. This article puts forward a simulation model designed to allow an evaluation of the most efficient distance for high-speed rail operations under mixed train speed scenarios. The model takes into account the main operating parameters such as passenger volumes, train speeds, capital and maintenance costs, train operating costs and energy consumption. The distance of high-speed train running on conventional rail that will yield the most economic benefit can be estimated using the model. The article includes the results of using the model for a specific example. It is concluded that large-scale high-speed trains have the potential to be successfully operated on conventional rail networks.     

国外铁路运营安全效益评价现状及启示

铁路运输在国民经济运行中发挥着重要作用,各国铁路公司都非常重视对铁路运营、安全、效益的管理及评价。国外铁路经过两个世纪的发展,积累了丰富经验,通过分析美国、日本、欧洲等国家和地区的普速、高速铁路,在运营效率评价、运营安全评价、服务质量评价、经营效益评价、安全保障法律法规建设和第三方评价机构发展等方面的现状,从客户服务质量评价、安全评价标准体系建立、效率效益导向的经营效益评价机制建设、第三方专业评价机构发展等维度,总结对我国高速铁路运营安全效益评价的经验借鉴及启示。     

A bus route evaluation model based on GIS and super-efficient data envelopment analysis

When compared to large cities in developed countries, the shares of public transportation in most Chinese cities are low. Increasing the competitiveness of urban public transportation remains an urgent problem. A capable evaluation method for public transportation is required to assist the development of urban transit systems. This paper focuses on the bus system. Being devoid of standard criteria, it is difficult to determine the efficiency of a transit system or any bus line using a single evaluation index. This paper proposes a comparative analysis to evaluate bus lines so as to filter out candidates for further optimization. From the viewpoints of transit planning, operation and quality of service, this paper establishes 10 subordinate evaluation indices and then uses geographical information system tools, global positioning system data and smart card data to assist the index definition and calculation. Super-efficient data envelopment analysis (DEA) method is adopted for the proposed single factor and comprehensive evaluation models. Finally, the bus system in Shenzhen, China is used as a case study. The comparable significant results validate the capability of the proposed model.     

Solving the gate assignment problem through the Fuzzy Bee Colony Optimization

In the field of Swarm Intelligence, the Bee Colony Optimization (BCO) has proven to be capable of solving high-level combinatorial problems, like the Flight-Gate Assignment Problem (FGAP), with fast convergence performances. However, given that the FGAP can be often affected by uncertainty or approximation in data, in this paper we develop a new metaheuristic algorithm, based on the Fuzzy Bee Colony Optimization (FBCO), which integrates the concepts of BCO with a Fuzzy Inference System. The proposed method assigns, through the multicriteria analysis, airport gates to scheduled flights based on both passengers’ total walking distance and use of remote gates, to find an optimal flight-to-gate assignment for a given schedule. Comparison of the results with the schedules of real airports has allowed us to show the characteristics of the proposed concepts and, at the same time, it stressed the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

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’.     

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.