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.     

On the electrification of road transportation – A review of the environmental,economic, and social performance of electric two-wheelers

Electrification is widely considered as a viable strategy for reducing the oil dependency and environmental impacts of road transportation. In pursuit of this strategy, most attention has been paid to electric cars. However, substantial, yet untapped, potentials could be realized in urban areas through the large-scale introduction of electric two-wheelers. Here, we review the environmental, economic, and social performance of electric two-wheelers, demonstrating that these are generally more energy efficient and less polluting than conventionally-powered motor vehicles. Electric two-wheelers tend to decrease exposure to pollution as their environmental impacts largely result from vehicle production and electricity generation outside of urban areas. Our analysis suggests that the price of e-bikes has been decreasing at a learning rate of 8%. Despite price differentials of 5000 ± 1800 EUR₂₀₁₂ kW h⁻¹ in Europe, e-bikes are penetrating the market because they appear to offer an apparent additional use value relative to bicycles. Mid-size and large electric two-wheelers do not offer such an additional use value compared to their conventional counterparts and constitute niche products at price differentials of 700 ± 360 EUR₂₀₁₂ kW⁻¹ and 160 ± 90 EUR₂₀₁₂ kW⁻¹, respectively. The large-scale adoption of electric two-wheelers can reduce traffic noise and road congestion but may necessitate adaptations of urban infrastructure and safety regulations. A case-specific assessment as part of an integrated urban mobility planning that accounts, e.g., for the local electricity mix, infrastructure characteristics, and mode-shift behavior, should be conducted before drawing conclusions about the sustainability impacts of electric two-wheelers.     

Cost escalations in the front-end of projects – empirical evidence from Norwegian road projects

This paper investigates an issue largely ignored in the transport literature on cost overruns, namely, cost increases in the early project phase, long before the decision to build is made. This is the phase of project planning that is referred to as the front-end phase in the literature. The rationale of the study is that unless cost estimates during the front-end phase are relatively accurate, the wrong projects may be selected for further development. We first argue for why it is important to address cost escalation during the front-end phase of project planning. We then use Norwegian data to demonstrate the magnitude of cost escalations during the front-end phase of projects and in comparison to the implementation phase. We find that even in a sample of projects with relatively small cost overruns as in the case of Norway, there are substantial cost increases before the formal decision to build was made. This raises the issue of whether decisions and priorities taken at the early stages of project development are based on false information and whether this may lead to the wrong project concepts being selected.     

Determining the number and location of winter road maintenance depots – a case study of the district road network in Serbia

Determining the number and location of depots for winter road maintenance (WRM) represents one of the important strategic decisions while planning WRM activities. However, most organizations dealing with WRM make empirically based decisions. Optimizing the number and location of WRM depots has the potential to achieve considerable cost savings, improve mobility and efficiency, as well as reduce environmental impacts. This paper presents two optimization models. The first model determines the location of WRM depots by minimizing the total distance travelled by maintenance vehicles. The second model determines the optimum number and location of WRM depots by minimizing total transportation costs and capital expenditure and operational expenditure of the depots. The models are then applied to the district road network in Serbia. Results show that their application could lead to significant reductions in WRM costs.     

The effect of time on acoustic durability of low noise pavements – The case studies in Poland

The tyre/road noise depends on type and speed of vehicles and on the characteristics of road pavement. Vehicle traffic load and weather conditions lead to significant changes in the characteristics of the materials used to build the wearing course. This applies especially to road pavements with the increased void contents. Clogging of the pores, changes in the characteristics of the binder and the damage to the wearing course influence changes in the acoustic properties of the road pavement over time. The article presents the results of the studies on noise level carried out in 2011 and 2014 by the Statistical Pass-By method (SPB) on porous asphalt concrete (PAC), very thin asphalt concrete (VTAC) and stone mastic asphalt (SMA). The wearing courses with the increased void contents immediately after building constitute a very advantageous solution compared with traditional road pavements (dense asphalt concrete, stone mastic asphalt). However, the unfavourable location of the road with porous wearing course, lack of systematic cleaning of porous layers or inappropriate maintenance methods in winter lead to the loss of the acoustic durability of low-noise pavements within a few years of their exploitation.     

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.     

The effect of attitudes toward cars and public transportation on behavioral intention in commuting mode choice—A comparison across six Asian countries

This study investigated the contribution of psychological factors in explaining the choice of transportation mode in six Asian countries. Data were collected from 1118 respondents in Japan, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The dependent variable was the intention to use one of three modes for work travel after getting a job: car, public transit, or other modes. The explanatory variables were three attitude factors taken from a previous study, including: 1/symbolic affective, reflecting affective motives of travel mode use; 2/instrumental, referring to functional attributes of travel modes; and 3/social orderliness which represents for environmental friendliness, safety, altruism, quietness et cetera. Several logit model estimates were made using the samples from the six countries separately and together. We obtained three main findings. First, attitude variables about the car were all significant determinants for the entire sample from Asian countries. Second, the social orderliness aspect of public transit was a common concern of respondents from developing countries in selecting this mode for work trips. Third, in countries in which the intent to use a car was not very high, attitude factors about the car were found to be significant determinants of the behavioral intention to commute by car but were less significant in countries in which the desire to use a car was high.     

Compulsory wearing of seat belts in the United Kingdom—the effect on patients and on fatalities

This is a two‐part study. The main part reports on all car occupant patients coming to the accident and emergency departments of 14 hospitals in the United Kingdom in the years immediately before and after the introduction of seat belt legislation. This included about 5% of such casualties in the country. Using the strict methodology of stating expected changes in the form of hypotheses prior to analysis, it was confirmed that a large number of improvements occurred. These included a reduction in the total number of patients, number of bed days, multiplicity of injuries, injuries to the brain and chest, and many facial injuries. It was confirmed that after legislation there was some increase in neck sprains and sternum fractures. Front‐seat passengers obtained much greater benefits than did drivers.

In a much smaller study in fatalities (again covering about 5% of fatalities in the country) it appeared that improvements occurred in head, chest, and abdomen injury, while limb injuries were not greatly changed and spinal injuries increased.     

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.     

What type of road pricing scheme might appeal to politicians? Viewpoints on the challenge in gaining the citizen and public servant vote by staging reform

The greatest hurdle facing road pricing reform is political commitment. With rare exception, efforts to introduce significant reform in road pricing, aimed at raising sufficient revenue to ensure that road investment and ongoing maintenance is secured, without an additional impost to users above current outlays, while at the same time reducing traffic congestion, has fallen largely on politically non-supportive ears. The big challenge is to convince politicians (and their advisers) that it is possible to reform road pricing so that users are made better off (at least the great majority) in terms of time spent travelling and monies outlaid, and that government secures growing levels of revenue, but with at least some funds being used to improve public transport and the existing road network. This paper identifies the major issues that make much of the academic research into road pricing somewhat limited in terms of achieving real change. Staging reform is an appealing way forward, but ensuring the order and timing of events to secure progress is the big challenge. We offer some suggestions, including some ideas on new language designed to increase the level of buy in, and recognise that progress through action will require compromises in respect of an ‘ideal’ economically efficient pricing reform agenda.     

The impacts of time of day pricing on car user behavior: findings from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey��s initiative

This paper discusses the key findings from a research project that assessed the impacts of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey??s Time of Day Pricing Initiative on the behavior of passenger car users. The survey data, comprised of 505 observations, show that 7.4% of passenger trips changed behavior because of the time of day pricing initiative, and that demand is inelastic to tolls with elasticities in the range of ?0.11 to ?0.24. Passenger car users who changed behavior responded to time of day pricing by implementing multidimensional strategies (3.23 different behavioral changes per user on average), involving behavioral responses such as changes in facility usage, changes in time of travel, changes in the payment type, and changes in mode/occupancy. The most frequently cited behavioral response was to shift mode, either to transit or carpool, and maintain the original time of travel (done in 2.55% of trips), instead of changing time of travel and maintaining the use of the passenger car (0.69% of trips). This reluctance to change travel schedules is undoubtedly a reflection of the limited time of travel flexibility that, on average, was estimated to be 20.4 and 12.3 min for early and late arrival for work-related trips. This, in turn, suggests the need for comprehensive policies, possibly involving incentives or regulations to foster employers?? participation in staggered/flexible work hour programs. Such approaches, combined with time of day pricing, are likely to be more effective in balancing car traffic during the day. Other behavioral responses of significance were reduce the number of trips made during the weekday peak-hours (1.65%), and switching to EZ-Pass to take advantage of the toll discounts (0.81%).