基于元胞自动机的双车道变道交通流特性研究

在庞杂的城市交通环境下,驾驶员为了寻求更快的速度,常常采用主动的换道行为。由于汽车使用量逐年增长,换道引起的交通事故经常发生。研究车辆变道行为,寻求有效措施减少交通事故的发生,对提高道路安全性具有积极的意义。本文以多车道系统中车辆变道行为为研究对象,以元胞自动机理论为基础,对比分析单向单车道、单向双车道换道行为,并运用MATLAB仿真软件进行分析,获得变道交通流的相关特性曲线。     

The effect of railway local irregularities on ground vibration

The environmental effects of ground-borne vibrations generated due to localised railway defects is a growing concern in urban areas. Frequency domain modelling approaches are well suited for predicting vibration levels on standard railway lines due to track periodicity. However, when considering individual, non-periodic, localised defects (e.g. a rail joint), frequency domain modelling becomes challenging. Therefore in this study, a previously validated, time domain, three-dimensional ground vibration prediction model is modified to analyse such defects. A range of different local (discontinuous) rail and wheel irregularity are mathematically modelled, including: rail joints, switches, crossings and wheel flats. Each is investigated using a sensitivity analysis, where defect size and vehicle speed is varied. To quantify the effect on railroad ground-borne vibration levels, a variety of exposure–response relationships are analysed, including: peak particle velocity, maximum weighted time-averaged velocity and weighted decibel velocity. It is shown that local irregularities cause a significant increase in vibration in comparison to a smooth track, and that the vibrations can propagate to greater distances from the line. Furthermore, the results show that step-down joints generate the highest levels of vibration, whereas wheel flats generate much lower levels. It is also found that defect size influences vibration levels, and larger defects cause greater vibration. Lastly, it is shown that for different defect types, train speed effects are complex, and may cause either an increase or decrease in vibration levels.     

The social context of informal commuting: Slugs, strangers and structuration

Despite considerable interest in the role of social interactions and social context on transportation, there have been very few attempts to explore specific cases of social interaction influencing transportation systems. This paper explores the social practice of slugging, an informal system of carpooling in the Washington, DC area. Slugging emerged in response to the establishment of Virginia’s High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes in the early 1970s, as single drivers picked up riders alongside the road (slugs) in order to meet the requirements for driving in the less congested HOV lanes. Drawing on the work of sociologist Anthony Giddens, as well as the sociological insights of Georg Simmel and Stanley Milgram, we suggest that the practice of slugging highlights the processes of institutionalization and structuration. This paper details how the region’s mass transportation policies and urban culture have combined to result in an institutionalized practice with particular norms and logics of behavior. We conclude that looking at specific cases where social context has affected transportation, like slugging, could provide useful insights on the impact of social context on transportation policies and systems.     

Are we successful in reducing vehicle miles traveled in air quality nonattainment areas?

An important planning and policy question in the transportation, energy, and environment areas is whether or not air quality control and the associated funding preference and mitigation efforts to attain air quality conformity have indeed led to traveler behavior changes such as reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) or VMT growth rates. In this research, we develop statistical models to analyze the relationship between air quality nonattainment designation and VMT between 1966 and 2004 based on observed data. These models employ different statistical methods, including hypothesis testing and simultaneous equations. Findings from these statistical models and datasets are consistent, and suggest there is a statistically significant negative correlation between nonattainment designation and VMT/VMT growth. For instance, the simultaneous equation model in this research, suggests that if a nonattainment area and an attainment area that are similar in all other aspects (population composition, socio-economics, urbanization, fuel price, vehicle stock, etc.) are compared, the VMT in the nonattainment area will be 1.80% less than that in the attainment area in the short run, and 7.61% less in the long run. While these results show strong statistical evidence that efforts in reducing VMT in nonattainment areas have been successful, future research should be conducted to attribute the VMT reduction effects to specific policy instruments for decision-making (e.g. the Congestion Management and Air Quality Improvement program, the conformity regulation in the transportation planning process, etc.).     

The impact of major road developments on the spheres of urban influence of Japanese cities

This study aims to measure the impact of major road developments on the spheres of urban influence of Japanese cities.First, the sphere of urban influence is defined by application of an individual behavior model. The model explains the number of trips to representative cities in regions from the residential place of each individual using the following factors; the attractiveness of cities, the travel time to cities and the individual's free time. Development of major roads shortens the travel time, and this causes the change in the sphere of urban influence. The model we propose has the structure to explain this phenomenon.Second, this method is applied to all of Japan where expressways are now being rapidly constructed and, how they change spheres of urban influence is explained. In the application, as a measure of attractiveness of cities, population, commercial and industrial activity, etc. are considered. From these points of view, the impacts of construction of expressways in Japan are estimated.