The effect of road traffic noise on the prices of residential property – A case study of the polish city of Olsztyn

The key factors that determine the prices of real estate are location, technical standard of property as well as the local environment. In urban agglomerations, road traffic noise has a considerable impact on the purchasing decisions made by apartment buyers. This is a widespread problem in Central-Eastern Europe. The main objective of this study was to verify the working hypothesis that apartment prices are correlated with traffic noise levels in Olsztyn, the capital city of the Region of Warmia and Mazury in north-eastern Poland.The study was carried out in four principal stages. Firstly, traffic noise intensity was determined for apartments (objects of real estate transactions concluded in 2013), based on an acoustic map for the city of Olsztyn. The map was developed in line with the provisions of Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise. Secondly, the values of the Noise Depreciation Sensitivity Index (NDSI) were calculated. NDSI determines the percentage change in property prices per dB increase in noise levels. The distribution of unit prices of apartments was mapped relative to noise levels, and the relationships between the analyzed variables were assessed. Thirdly, linear correlations between the unit prices of apartments and noise levels were analyzed. The strength and direction of relationships between the analyzed parameters were determined based on Pearson’s correlation coefficient. In the last stage, the distribution of the unit prices of apartments was mapped by ordinary kriging, a geostatistical estimation method. The research hypothesis was confirmed by comparing the spatial distribution of traffic noise levels measured in stage 1 with the spatial distribution of apartment prices.     

Measuring reliability of transportation networks using snapshots of movements in the network – An analytical and empirical study

In this paper we introduce an analytical framework based on discrete Likelihood Maximization techniques that provides estimates of operational level data of Queuing models and Transportation networks based on snapshots of data on movements of commodities in a network. We apply our methodology to detailed data on movements of containers imported from S.E. Asian ports to marine ports on the west coast of Canada, unloaded at these ports, moved to rail cars, and transported by rail to destinations in U.S. and Canada. We show how one can estimate operational level parameters such as the number of servers at the ports, schedules of departure and capacity of trains, and even speed of trains based on only snapshots of container movements in the network. Subsequently, we were able to calibrate the entire inter-continental transportation network, were able to identify the sources of variability in the network and were able to measure the reliability of the network to shocks.     

Performability evaluation of the ERTMS/ETCS – Level 3

Level 3 of the ERTMS/ETCS improves the capacity of railways by replacing fixed-block signalling, which prevents a train to enter a block occupied by another train, with moving block signalling, which allows a train to proceed as long as it receives radio messages ensuring that the track ahead is clear of other trains. If messages are lost, a train must stop for safety reasons within a given deadline, even though the track ahead is clear, making the availability of the communication link crucial for successful operation.We combine analytic evaluation of failures due to burst noise and connection losses with numerical solution of a non-Markovian model representing also failures due to handovers between radio stations. In so doing, we show that handovers experienced by a pair of chasing trains periodically affect the availability of the radio link, making behavior of the overall communication system recurrent over the hyper-period of periodic message releases and periodic arrivals at cell borders. As a notable aspect, non-Markovian transient analysis within two hyper-periods is sufficient to derive an upper bound on the first-passage time distribution to an emergency brake, permitting to achieve a trade-off between railway throughput and stop probability. A sensitivity analysis is performed with respect to train speed and headway distance, permitting to gain insight into the consequences of system-level design choices.     

Does the income elasticity of road traffic depend on the source of income?

An extensive body of literature addresses the income elasticity of road traffic, in which income is typically treated as a homogenous quantity. Here we report evidence of heterogeneity in cross-sectional estimates of the elasticity of vehicle-kilometres of travel (VKT) with respect to income, when household income is disaggregated on the basis of income source.The results are generally intuitive, and show that the cross-sectional income elasticity of road traffic is not homogeneous as is typically specified in transport planning models. We show that in a number of circumstances the cross-sectional elasticity with respect to aggregate household income is of the opposite sign in comparison to more refined estimates of elasticity disaggregated by income source. If further research confirms that the elasticities we report here are causal in nature, neglecting the elemental effects could result in misleading results affecting practical infrastructure-investment and policy decisions, particularly as the mix of income sources shifts (e.g. if, as society ages, pension income increases as a share of all income).These results are of interest to both researchers and forecasters of travel demand, as well as designers of future travel survey instruments; the latter group must decide how to generate data about respondents’ income. Current expert guidance is to collect a single estimate of aggregate income at the household level. Future travel survey design choices will bound the analyses that can be supported by the resulting survey data, and therefore methodological research to re-visit the trade-offs associated with such choices is warranted.     

Exact and grid-free solutions to the Lighthill–Whitham–Richards traffic flow model with bounded acceleration for a class of fundamental diagrams

In this article, we propose a new exact and grid-free numerical scheme for computing solutions associated with an hybrid traffic flow model based on the Lighthill–Whitham–Richards (LWR) partial differential equation, for a class of fundamental diagrams. In this hybrid flow model, the vehicles satisfy the LWR equation whenever possible, and have a constant acceleration otherwise. We first propose a mathematical definition of the solution as a minimization problem. We use this formulation to build a grid-free solution method for this model based on the minimization of component function. We then derive these component functions analytically for triangular fundamental diagrams, which are commonly used to model traffic flow. We also show that the proposed computational method can handle fixed or moving bottlenecks. A toolbox implementation of the resulting algorithm is briefly discussed, and posted at https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1318701/Toolbox.zip.     

Do new sources of traffic data make the application of Chaos Theory to traffic management a realistic possibility?

Current signal systems for managing road traffic in many urban areas around the world lack a coordinated approach to detecting the spatial and temporal evolution of congestion across control regions within city networks. This severely inhibits these systems’ ability to detect reliably, on a strategic level, the onset of congestion and implement effective preventative action. As traffic is a time-dependent and non-linear system, Chaos Theory is a prime candidate for application to Urban Traffic Control (UTC) to improve congestion and pollution management. Previous applications have been restricted to relatively uncomplicated motorway and inter-urban networks, arguably where the associated problems of congestion and vehicle emissions are less severe, due to a general unavailability of high-resolution temporal and spatial data that preserve the variability in short-term traffic patterns required for Chaos Theory to work to its full potential. This paper argues that this restriction can now be overcome due to the emergence of new sources of high-resolution data and large data storage capabilities. Consequently, this opens up the real possibility for a new generation of UTC systems that are better able to detect the dynamic states of traffic and therefore more effectively prevent the onset of traffic congestion in urban areas worldwide.     

Environmental traffic management — The end of the road?

This paper questions some aspects of the technical soundness and public acceptability of environmental traffic management scheme of the kind advocated in the Buchanan report, Traffic in Towns. Practical studies have shown that in inner city areas in particular, and perhaps older built-up areas in general, the concept cannot be adequately defended against a wealth of variety of criticism from those whom it most directly affects, i.e. the public. Participation exercises have revealed public fears that the road closures associated with schemes will ruin the viability of local shops, worsen the environmental conditions along local roads chosen as distributors, cause even greater congestion on the main road network due to displaced traffic, and impede the accessibility of local people to their homes. In the light of these, it is suggested a flexible policy be adopted incorporating changes to the forms of vehicles and the manner in which they are used as well as changes to the physical form of the road network.The opinions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect those of the organisations to which the authors are attached.     

The effects of the 2013 floods on Germany’s freight traffic

This article analyzes the spatio-temporal effect of the 2013 floods on freight traffic in Germany by using automatic traffic counter data. The methodology uses a proven time-series outlier detection and identification technique to endogenously determine if a counter was affected during the flood and estimate the magnitude and duration of the change in the number of vehicles passing through it. This is the first paper able to quantify climate-related variations in traffic across all the counters of a national network. Results show variations on 10% of all counters and 23% of all main roads. Results allow us to trace the configuration of disrupted and detour routes, recovery times, and the total effect on the network. Our findings serve as an input to other studies on the impact of exogenous events on the transport system and contribute towards the formulation of public policies to improve road resilience.     

Intelligent transportation system and traffic safety – drivers perception and acceptance of electronic speed checkers

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) can play an important role in reducing risks and increasing traffic safety. Discussion as to whether a technological approach or a behavioral approach is the right way to achieve a safer traffic environment forms a point of departure for this paper. On the one hand, there are the technicians who emphasize technology as the way towards safer traffic. Behaviorists, on the other hand, view the drivers’ behavior as fundamental and argue that education and incentive-oriented policies are essential in order to influence the driver and therefore increase traffic safety. Independent of the approach advocated a successful outcome of either a technological improvement, or an information campaign, has to be based on a high level of acceptance among potential users. In order to increase traffic safety, it is therefore essential to recognize driver motivation and attitudes. In this paper we focus on drivers’ attitudes towards risk, traffic safety and safety measures. A study of drivers’ attitudes and acceptance of an electronic device for speed checking (which the drivers tested for nine months) indicated a high acceptance level. The drivers perceived that they had both become more aware of traffic regulations and behaved in accordance with safety regulations.     

Forecasting containerized traffic for the port of Montreal (1981–1995)

This paper presents an approach to making long-term forecasts of overseas container traffic in the port of Montreal. The paper discusses, first, why performance models explaining traffic variations in ports when postulating a fixed hinterland may not be appropriate for the port of Montreal. Then, the forecasting approach itself is presented. Using 1981 as the base year, projections of container traffic through the port of Montreal until 1995 are developed by considering separately the traffic flows associated with the Canadian and the United States hinterlands. Our approach takes account of anticipated changes in Canadian and U.S. international trade volume, containerization rates and regional growth within Canada. It yields detailed forecasts of containerized traffic, by origin and destination, for 78 commodity groups, 7 world regions and 11 North American regions (i.e. the 10 Canadian provinces plus the United States). Two forecasting scenarios are considered and the aggregate results for 1995 are reported. Finally, a comparison of forecasts with recent data available for 1984 is made, suggesting that the internation trade projections used to generate our forecasts may be too conservative.     

Changes concerning commute traffic distribution on a road network following the occurrence of a natural disaster – The example of a flood in the Mazovian Voivodeship (Eastern Poland)

The purpose of this article is to determine the size and spatial structure of changes in traffic density within the regional road network following an occurrence of a flood in the Mazovian Voivodeship, Poland. The use of the application developed for the purpose of this article – offers a possibility to react accordingly when there are non-typical obstructions (here: a flood). On the basis of the conducted study, it has been stated that the greatest changes in vehicle traffic density (the analysis of commute traffic) regard the capital of Mazovian Voivodeship, which – first of all – stems from the fact that it is Warsaw that the largest number of employees commute to. Secondly, it is influenced by the location of the capital city in relation to the river system. In the case of the analysed voivodeship and in ‘normal’ circumstances (no flood), commuting to work remains approximately within the 160-min isochrone. In the second variant, this time would extend nearly eightfold, and in the remaining scenarios fivefold. As far as ‘normal’ circumstances (no flood) and commuting in the Mazovian Voivodeship are concerned, the greatest load refers in particular to the following road classes: main road of accelerated traffic, main road and cumulative road. In this case, express and motorways play a marginal role. On the other hand, in the remaining scenarios, the importance of the class of main road of accelerated traffic decreases at the expense of the classes of main road and cumulative road.     

How to assess the benefits of connected vehicles? A simulation framework for the design of cooperative traffic management strategies

Advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) allow the transportation community to foresee dramatic improvements for the incoming years in terms of a more efficient, environmental friendly and safe traffic management. In that context, new ITS paradigms like Cooperative Systems (C-ITS) enable an efficient traffic state estimation and traffic control. C-ITS refers to three levels of cooperation between vehicles and infrastructure: (i) equipped vehicles with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) adjusting their motion to surrounding traffic conditions; (ii) information exchange with the infrastructure; (iii) vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Therefore, C-ITS makes it possible to go a step further in providing real time information and tailored control strategies to specific drivers. As a response to an expected increasing penetration rate of these systems, traffic managers and researchers have to come up with new methodologies that override the classic methods of traffic modeling and control. In this paper, we discuss some potentialities of C-ITS for traffic management with the methodological issues following the expansion of such systems. Cooperative traffic models are introduced into an open-source traffic simulator. The resulting simulation framework is robust and able to assess potential benefits of cooperative traffic control strategies in different traffic configurations.     

The Hamilton–Jacobi partial differential equation and the three representations of traffic flow

This paper applies the theory of Hamilton–Jacobi partial differential equations to the case of first-order traffic flow models. The traffic flow surface is analyzed with respect to the three 2-dimensional coordinate systems arising in the space of vehicle number, time and distance. In each case, the solution to the initial and boundary value problems are presented. Explicit solution methods and examples are shown for the triangular flow-density diagram case. This unveils new models and shows how a number of existing models are cast as special cases.     

Analysis of the optimal length of road expansion – A case study of the Taipei metropolitan area

This study explores the optimal investment in the length of an expanded section of road to mitigate the congestion on a transportation corridor. It is assumed that one end of the road is in the central business district (CBD) and that the households are uniformly distributed along the road. Each individual makes trips from his/her residence to the CBD. Trip demand is elastic and depends on the cost of the trip (including congestion costs). During the first stage, the government determines the length of the expanded section given the width of that section. In the second stage, road users determine their trip demands by taking into consideration the trip cost function. In the process of solving this problem, the equilibrium traffic volume is first solved using differential equations. The optimal length of the expanded section is then solved by maximizing the social welfare. The analysis is then applied to the case of the Tucheng city – Banciao city – Taipei CBD corridor in the Taipei metropolitan area. The scheme of road expansion without tolling performs closely to the first-best scheme for the case of a high potential demand. This study’s approach can serve as valuable reference for city planners engaged in road planning in a transportation corridor between the CBD and satellite cities in a metropolitan area.     

The economic impact of logistics infrastructure: the case of PLAZA – the Zaragoza Logistics Platform

Abstract

The economics literature offers many examples of studies of the economic impact of transportation infrastructure such as highways, ports, and airports; however, little attention has been paid to other types of infrastructure such as logistics platforms. This article is a first assessment of the economic effects of the largest logistics platform in Europe – PLAZA, the Zaragoza Logistics Platform – located in Spain. More precisely, this paper analyzes the economic significance of PLAZA on the economy of the Aragon region where it is located. The methodology is based on the application of input–output analysis to the final demand of logistics platform-based companies in a manner that is similar to well-established studies of the economic impacts of tourism on tourist expenditure. This makes it possible to quantify the various levels of economic effects (direct, indirect, and induced) in terms of jobs, salaries, and wages, turnover, gross operating surplus (GOS), and gross value added (GVA). The conclusions reveal the economic importance PLAZA has for the regional economy of Aragon, representing just over 2% of total GVA and 3% of turnover.     

Modeling the α-max capacity of transportation networks: a single-level mathematical programming formulation

Transportation - Network capacity, defined as the largest sum of origin–destination (O–D) flows that can be accommodated by the network based on link performance function and traffic...     

Selatm — a GIS based program for evaluating the safety benefits of local area traffic management schemes

Particular safety problems relate to traffic on local streets. Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) schemes are often implemented with the objective of counteracting these safety problems. One analytical difficulty in appraising the effectiveness of LATM in dealing with safety problems has been the ‘footloose’ nature of accident locations in a local street network. Seldom are there distinct ‘blackspot’ locations. An area‐wide approach is needed and the interaction between the system and arterial road network must be considered. The paper describes the development of a Safety Evaluation Method for Local Area Traffic Management (termed SELATM). It is a GIS‐based program for analysing accident patterns over time and the evaluation of the safety benefits of LATM schemes. The evaluation is perform at different network levels for various accident variables. The thrust of the program involved the integration of network data with data on accidents and the installed devices to generate summary accident statistics for the various network levels allowing for before and after comparison with a control area. This program as developed is applied to a LATM scheme at Enfield, a suburb in metropolitan Adelaide.     

Re-cycling a city – Examining the growth of cycling in Dublin

In the past few decades much research has been conducted on the increasing numbers of commuters taking up cycling to work. This modal shift has been encouraged by pro-cycling policies to increase the attractiveness of cycling and the construction of new cycling infrastructure. In Dublin, several policies have been applied such as a bike rental scheme, bicycle-purchasing schemes, reducing speed limits and the construction of segregated cycle lanes to promote cycling. This paper seeks to examine what, if any, impact these policies have had on cycling rates in Dublin. This paper compares census data from 2006 and 2011 to determine how cycling rates have changed and if the demographics of cyclists have changed in the city. The results presented in the paper show that cycling rates have increased in Dublin and that a greater percentage of females, those in higher age and socio-economic groups are cycling to work on a regular basis. The analysis presented in this paper identifies groups of individuals that have recently shifted to cycling to work, by identifying who these people are, policymakers can tailor strategies to target these groups to encourage others in these groups to take up cycling.     

Non‐physical barriers to traffic flow and the PTA programme of action: problems and prospects

A lot of resources have .been committed to the provision of transport infrastructure in Eastern and Southern Africa. Some of these resources have been borrowed from outside and have to be repaid. Hence the need to maximize their use. However, this is being minimized by non‐infrastructural bottlenecks to traffic flow. These range from macro‐economic constraints with implications for passenger (bus) transport such as the non‐availability or acute shortage of foreign exchange to slow, cumbersome documentation procedures particularly for cross‐border traffic.

The Preferential Trade Area (PTA) for Eastern and Southern Africa is geared to the reduction and eventual elimination of actual and potential non‐physical barriers to traffic flow, for which it has instituted a number of schemes. After introductory remarks on the sub‐regional economy, its transport sector and avenues for sub‐regional cooperation and the implementation of these schemes is assessed and other non‐physical barriers yet to be addressed by the PTA are examined before conclusions are drawn.