Planning and Evaluation of Passenger Ferry Service in Hong Kong

A predominant observation in Hong Kong is the continuous loss in ferry patronage. There are two main reasons for this: poor level-of-service and better competitors. New roads, bridges, and tunnels are serving the buses, and to some extent the railways; whereas the investment in ferry terminals is relatively at a lower level. On the one hand, there is no need to promote the ferries in a free market environment; but on the other hand, the ferries have the best safety record, can only relieve some traffic congestion and need water access that is one of the characteristics of Hong Kong. The goal of this paper is to design a planning approach combined with an evaluation procedure on how to make the best use of the existing water and pier resources in Hong Kong through the provision of commercially viable ferry services. The approach used covers the impact of future developments planning up to 2006 comprising all public transport modes in Hong Kong (heavy rail, metro, bus, and ferry). The planning tool is based on a newly developed multi-objective evaluation method in order to assess the ferry routes with scientific, practical, and simplified analyses for future use. This assessment is applied to the existing ferry routes and candidate routes and can also be carried out on an individual route basis or on a given set of routes. The objective functions set forth analytically in the evaluation method take into account the interests of the three participants: the passengers, the operators and the government. The proposed ferry network design formulation and the suggested new ferry routes will have a positive impact on changing the ferry system’s image in Hong Kong.     

Improving the efficiency of demand-responsive paratransit services

State agencies responsible for ADA-eligible paratransit services are increasingly under pressure to contain costs and maximize service quality. Many do not operate vehicles themselves; instead, they contract out the provision of services. Contractors are paid for each hour of service. They are responsible for hiring crew, forming routes, dispatching, and operating and maintaining agency-owned vehicles. In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Metro Mobility, the agency responsible for providing paratransit services, requires contractors to use agency-approved software for booking trips dynamically and sets parameters that guide contractors’ practices. Customer trips booked in this fashion may not utilize capacity in the most efficient manner. Therefore, beginning with the daily trip schedules generated by the software, this paper proposes two approaches for improving the efficiency of paratransit operations and estimates the benefit of using these approaches via experiments that utilize Metro Mobility data. The first approach re-optimizes routes developed at the end of each day. The second approach evaluates the benefit to state agencies of selectively using non-dedicated service providers such as taxis. Both approaches are tested on actual data obtained from Metro Mobility. The study shows that a conservative estimate of savings from re-optimization would be approximately 5% of Metro Mobility’s operating costs. Savings from the use of taxis are smaller and in the range of hundreds of dollars per day.     

Electronic road pricing in Hong Kong

The paper describes the pilot-stage electronic road-pricing project undertaken in Hong Kong over the two year period from 1983 to 1985. After a discussion of the background to the project, the technology of the pilot system, which comprises of a fully functional subset of a potential full system, is described. The major transport study which has been undertaken as part of the project is outlined, and some of the results of the assessment of the effects of road pricing in Hong Kong are discussed. The paper describes the work on providing a demonstration accounting system and on defining the accounting and administrative requirements of a full system. The potential secondary benefits and uses of a road-pricing system, and of the technology, are also discussed. The paper concludes that the pilot-stage project in Hong Kong has been successful, and that electronic road pricing has been demonstrated as technically viable, administratively feasible and of significant potential benefit in helping to deal with Hong Kong's heavily congested urban road network.     

Discharge headway at signalized intersections in Hong Kong

This paper reports the analysis and comparisons of discharge headways at 26 sites in Hong Kong. Previous studies here established good understanding of the average discharge headway under various conditions but very few studies dealt with discharge headway of individual vehicles which is a vital component in the traffic simulation at signalized intersections. This study that looked into the discharge headway of individual vehicles found that the discharge headway at different queue position follows the Type I Extreme Value Distribution. A method of estimating site‐specific parameters for this distribution has also been proposed.     

Valuing road noise for residents in Hong Kong

This study estimates the willingness-to-pay value for a one dB(A) change over a range of initial noise levels for a sample population in Hong Kong. It establishes a protocol for estimating the willingness-to-pay values by first establishing an annoyance–dB relationship. The protocol takes into account the characteristics that the probability of being annoyed at a particular level varied with the initial objective noise level, and the annoyance–dB relationship varied for a range of initial annoyance level. The study shows that household income level and initial annoyance levels exert considerable influences on the individual’s willingness-to-pay values. However, age and educational level were found not to exert any significant influence on individual’s willingness-to-pay values.     

National policy towards cars: Hong Kong

The Hong Kong transport policy objective is simply, mobility. With this the automobile must conform. A confined land area, difficult to develop, has absorbed excessive immigration and must now service a dynamic entrepreneurial economy.

Transport infrastructure based on major planning studies is created through government capital and is backed by careful legislation, effective administration and private sector participation. The problem is that overall expansion is even faster: widespread urban renewal—roads cannot equally expand; enormous New Territories New Towns—people still want to move in and out so the need for more transport accelerates. Over ten million trips daily are made by 5.5 million people. The answers cannot be more and more private cars: it must be promoting the most effective use of major transport investments, where possible off roads, and the mass carriers on roads. The need to curb congestion by containing escalating car numbers (especially as so far only 17% of households have access to an automobile) led in May 1982 to imposition of severe taxes on ownership. The ultimate and equitable objective is to control usage. Road pricing may be the answer.

In Hong Kong the private cars is part only of a complex strategy including metro, rail, bus, minibus, ferry, taxi and tram. The car cannot take precedence.     

Simulating pedestrian movements at signalized crosswalks in Hong Kong

This paper presents a new pedestrian simulation (PS) model for signalized crosswalks in Hong Kong. This PS model is capable of estimating the variations of walking speed particularly on the effects of bi-directional pedestrian flows so as to determine the minimum required duration of pedestrian crossing time. Video records taken from the observational surveys at the selected crosswalk in urban area were used to extract the required data for model calibration. It was found that the design walking speed for signalized crosswalks should be varied by the effects of the bi-directional pedestrian flows. It was also interesting to note that the negative impact of the bi-directional flow effects (ranging from uni-directional to bi-directional pedestrian flows) on the chance of pedestrian crossing the crosswalk is increasing from free-flow to at-capacity flow conditions. The new PS model is also validated using an independent data set so as to examine the reliability of the simulation results. The validation results show that the new PS model can provide an accurate evaluation on the changes of walking speed and its standard deviation under different scenarios with particular emphasis on the effects of the bi-directional pedestrian flows. The advancement of this PS model can be applied to assess the effects of each improvement measure and to evaluate the benefits of each scenario in practice.     

对香港职业教育培训的初步认识

为配合香港工业起飞,香港工业教育进入了蓬勃发展新阶段,1982年香港政府成立了职业训练局,将专业课程框架与新高中学制配合衔接,课程多元化,并开办专业大学学位课程,"多阶进出",按照七级资历架构,推动终身学习。     

Improving paratransit scheduling using ruin and recreate methods

Abstract

In this paper we study the effects of using ruin and recreate methods in a replanning phase of a dynamic dial-a-ride problem. Several such methods are proposed, and a modeling system is used to evaluate how they improve the quality of the solutions. We show that simple changes to existing planning methods can increase the efficiency of the service. Two cases, with different forms of costs inflicted on the vehicles, are evaluated and significant improvements are found in both cases. The best results of our study are found with ruin methods based on removal of sequences of requests.     

Exposure of urban populations to road traffic noise in Hong Kong

This article examines the exposure of Hong Kong’s population to road traffic noise and whether there is class-biased inequality in this. The socio-economic characteristics of residents of public and private building are taken from census data and the noise exposure levels from 3-D noise mapping. Using decile plots and binary logistic regression analysis, we find that in general the socially deprived groups tend to live in building groups exposed to higher noise levels. This is particularly pronounced in private housing estates where older, less educated, those engaged in craftsman and elementary jobs, and non-owners of their dwellings are exposing to higher levels of traffic noise. Inequality is less conspicuous in public housing estates.     

西部通道影响深港运输

长虹卧波两岸间深港西部通道走线始于蛇口东角头新填海区,横跨具备高生态价值的后海湾,落点新界西北区的鰲磡石,经由后海湾干线衔接到香港元朗公路。回望这座大桥的走势,它流线型身姿,是为减轻海流对桥身的影响,避免司机车速过快;通道上两座斜拉桥的12对斜拉索,呈不     

Physical characteristics of paratransit in developing countries of Asia

Paratransit modes play a significant role in the urban transport sectors of developing countries since in many cities more than half of the total public transport demand are carried by them. Rapid increase in urban population, per capita income, along with inadequate existing transport infrastructures have stimulated their usage as cheap and convenient public transport modes. This paper examines their present role and physical characteristics in a comparative form to provide a basic data for discussion of urban transport issues in developing cities.     

香港典型山区道路汽车行驶工况污染物排放研究

通过安装车载测试系统收集香港港岛山区路段正常行驶工况下尾气中的CO、NOx、HC等污染物和油耗并辅助计算机软件进行分析。研究得出,山区道路设计、地形地貌和驾驶习惯对车辆油耗以及CO、NOx和HC排放有直接关系。可以通过坡道加宽、坡道延长、减少坡道红绿灯等措施减少车辆在山区道路行驶过程中速度变化频率,从而减少油耗以及CO、NOx和HC排放。     

Automation of paratransit reservation,routing, and scheduling

Santa Clara County, California experienced a sharp growth in demand‐responsive paratransit ridership for individuals with disabilities, as a result of the passage of the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). This paper describes an automated paratransit system for the ADA‐type paratransit operation implemented in Santa Clara County. It automated paratransit reservation, scheduling, and routing functions. The key components of this system were a digital geographic database (DGD) and an automated trip scheduling system (ATSS). Empirical evidence after one year of operation indicates numerous benefits of this automation. There were significant reductions in the paratransit operating costs and an increase in the percent shared rides. The savings in operating costs far exceeded the annualized capital cost of automation. A user survey indicates that these improvements were achieved without degradation to service quality such as vehicle on‐time performance, invehicle travel times, vehicle response to open return, and ride comfort.     

Short-term Hourly Traffic Forecasts using Hong Kong Annual Traffic Census

The need for acquiring the current-year traffic data is a problem for transport planners since such data may not be available for on-going transport studies. A method is proposed in this paper to predict hourly traffic flows up to and into the near future, using historical data collected from the Hong Kong Annual Traffic Census (ATC). Two parametric and two non-parametric models have been employed and evaluated in this study. The results show that the non-parametric models (Non-Parametric Regression (NPR) and Gaussian Maximum Likelihood (GML)) were more promising for predicting hourly traffic flows at the selected ATC station. Further analysis encompassing 87 ATC stations revealed that the NPR is likely to react to unexpected changes more effectively than the GML method, while the GML model performs better under steady traffic flows. Taking into consideration the dynamic nature of the common traffic patterns in Hong Kong and the advantages/disadvantages of the various models, the NPR model is recommended for predicting the hourly traffic flows in that region.     

Modelling of the pavement acoustic longevity in Hong Kong through machine learning techniques

Traffic noise emission has long been a pervasive environmental and ecological problem, especially in the metropolitan cities with large-scale traffic network and high population density. Low noise road surface (LNRS) has been actively developed and applied as an effective measure to maintain the quieter environment of mobility service system. However, when LNRS is applied for noise abatement, the relationship between the acoustic performance and degradation of pavement has not been fully understood yet. To this end, this study aims to model the acoustic longevity of asphalt pavement as a function of the thickness, binder content, maximum aggregate size, and air void content of the pavement surface, as well as vehicle speed based on the long-term tyre-road noise data collected from 270 asphalt pavement sections in Hong Kong. Two machine learning techniques, namely artificial neural networks (ANN) and support vector machines (SVM), were employed and compared. It was found that both ANN and SVM could successfully model the pavement acoustic performance with acceptable model performance metrics. A case study showed that the ANN model was more aligned with the aging mechanisms of porous road surface, but the SVM model showed better training performance. The predicted acoustic deterioration rates of the porous surface case varied from −0.1 to 0.28 dB(A)/month rather than keeping a constant linear increasing trend, depending on pavement ageing periods and vehicle speed levels. The two-dimension sensitivity analysis (2D-SA) revealed the relative importance of pavement age and vehicle speed in controlling the acoustic performance.     

Attitudes of Hong Kong residents to cars and public transport: Some policy implications

Hong Kong currently has low levels of car ownership and use due to a combination of good public transport, high population densities and high private transport costs. However, levels are rising, contributing to congestion and environmental problems. A major response by the government is to seek to increase rail's share of public transport journeys from its current level of 33% to 45% by 2016. After reviewing the transport situation in Hong Kong, the paper discusses the appropriateness of these targets as well as questioning whether they are achievable. The results of a questionnaire survey of 595 residents of Hong Kong, designed to elicit people's attitudes to cars and public transport, are analysed. It is concluded that unless the government does more to curb car ownership and use, rail targets will have little chance of being achieved.     

Bus routing strategies in a transit market: A case study of Hong Kong

Conventionally, the objective of transit routing is often set either to minimize the total operational cost, subject to a given level of service quality, or to maximize the service quality at a given acceptable cost. In a deregulated, commercial‐based environment however, such as bus and railway operations in cities of the UK and Hong Kong where several private firms compete in route‐based or area‐based market, routing becomes one of the means for higher returns rather than just for cost saving. In such a case, how do the transit providers set up their routes for profit‐maximization? Will the routing based on the provider's objective meet the user's objective? How do government regulations and policies affect the choice of transit provider's routing strategy? To answer these questions, we first examine the relationship between the objectives of users and transit providers, set up criteria for transit routing quality, and then investigate the possible routing configurations/patterns for a hypothetical case. These criteria include (1) the load factor of transit, (2) the level of route directness, (3) the level of route overlapping, and (4) the total number of routes and (5) the average of route length. These measures are finally applied to a real case in Hong Kong to examine the route changes of Kowloon Motor Bus from 1975 to 1995. The result of the empirical case reveais how key measures such as load factor are controlled by the bus operator and affected by government policies and how the bus routing pattern was adjusted to meet users' need. Facing the dilemma as evident in Hong Kong between the route directness and the efficiency of road use, we suggest that a rational multi‐modal routing structure be put in place if an institutional solution is introduced so that bus and other transit modes can form a sharing program or an alliance.     

A queuing model analysis of the performance of the Hong Kong container terminals

The growth of container‐handling industry and its impact on Hong Kong's economy have aroused considerable attention in recent decades. Within the recent twenty years, the rapid growth of container‐handling industry has led Hong Kong to become one of the world's busiest container port with over 11 million T.E.U. s (Twenty Feet Equivalent Units) container throughput in one year period. Also the container throughput is expected to reach 15.5 million T.E.U. s by year 2004.

As the success of container‐handling industry is significant, many studies have been conducted relating to this subject. In this paper, an application of a queuing theory model to Kwai Chung Container Terminals is developed and described. Specifically, we consider seasonal changes at the Terminals and focus on their effects on inter‐arrival time and service time of container vessel.

A crucial component of the study relates to the empirical data collected. Besides verifying the validity of the model, those data provide guidelines for developing schemes to manage the seasonal fluctuation of container throughput of the Terminals.     

The generators of paratransit trips by persons with disabilities

Identifying the generators of paratransit trips by persons with disabilities is important to comprehend the current demand patterns and forecast future demand. Only a handful of studies have been conducted so far to identify the generators of paratransit trips and most focused on the home end of the trips. Given some of the inconsistencies in past studies and the scarcity of studies on the generators of trips away from home, this study attempts to identify the generators of paratransit trips beginning and ending at clients’ homes and away from home. It uses an extremely large dataset consisting of 1.91 million trips made by NJ TRANSIT’s Access Link clients, socioeconomic data from the American Community Survey, employment data from the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, and establishment data from Dun and Bradstreet. The analytical methods include an ordinary least squares model (OLS) and several spatial generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) to identify the characteristics of census block groups associated with Access Link trip generation at home and away from home, Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis to identify the types of establishments located in the immediate vicinity of drop-offs, and a multinomial logit model (MNL) to examine the relationship between the characteristics of the establishments in the vicinity of drop-offs and the characteristics of the dropped-off clients. Together, the various analyses provide useful insights about paratransit trip generators at the macro and micro levels. Some implications of the findings are discussed.