Who benefits from transit subsidies? recent evidence from six metropolitan areas

On the basis of detailed case studies of six U.S. metropolitan areas, this paper examines variations among cities in the income-redistributive impact of transit subsidies in 1980. The distribution of subsidies in each city is estimated through analysis of the socioeconomic characteristics of riders on each type of transit service and the degree to which each type of service was subsidized. The estimated distribution of the transit tax burden reflects the tax mix used for transit finance in each city as well as the composition of funding by level of government. The subsidy and tax cost distributions are compared to calculate the distribution of net subsidies in each area. Causes of the variation among cities in redistributive impact are discussed, and recommendations are made for increasing the progressivity of transit finance.     

Future electricity demand from battery‐powered vehicles

An important decision faced by airline schedulers is how to adapt the flight schedule and aircraft assignment to unforeseen perturbations in an established schedule. In the face of unforeseen aircraft delays, schedulers have to decide which flights to delay, and when delays become excessive, which to cancel. Current scheduling models deal with simple decision problems of delay or cancellation, but not with both simultaneously. But in practice the optimal decision may involve results from the integration of both flight cancellations and delays. In Part I of this paper, a quadratic programming model for the integration decision problem is given. The model can formulate the integration of flight cancellations and delays as well as some special cases, such as the ferrying of surplus aircraft and the possibility of swapping different types of aircraft. In this paper, based on the special structure of the model, an effective algorithm is presented, sufficient computational experiments are conducted and some results are reported. These show that we can expect to obtain a sufficiently good solution in terms of reasonable CPU time.     

Severity of injury resulting from pedestrian–vehicle crashes: What can we learn from examining the built environment?

This paper examines the impact of personal and environmental characteristics on severity of injuries sustained in pedestrian–vehicle crashes using a generalized ordered probit model. The data covers 2000–2004 of pedestrian–vehicle crashes taken from police incident reports for Baltimore City and supplemented with local land use, urban form and transportation information specific to the individual crash locations. The results on personal and behavioral variables confirm previous findings. Women pedestrians involved in crashes tend to be injured less frequently than their male counterparts; children have an increased likelihood of sustaining injuries and older persons are more likely to be fatally injured. Pedestrians who cross against the traffic signal, are not in a crosswalk and are involved in a crash after dark are associated with greater injury risk. Of the built environment policy variables of interest, transit access and greater pedestrian connectivity, such as central city areas, are significant and negatively associated with injury severity. These results suggest that the environmental conditions should be given more scrutiny and be an important consideration when evaluating and planning for pedestrian safety.     

A lane-change trajectory model from drivers’ vision view

Car-following and Lane-changing are two fundamental tasks during driving. While many car-following models can be applied, relatively, only a few lane-changing models have been developed. Classical lane-changing models mainly focus on drivers’ lane selection and gap acceptance behaviors, but very limited research has paid attention to formulating detailed lane-changing trajectories. This research aims to fill the gap by proposing a lane-changing trajectory model, which is built directly from drivers’ vision view, to model detailed lane-changing trajectories. A large amount of data of reference angles, defined as the angle changes between the drivers’ vision angle and left or right lane line, were first extracted from the videos recorded by the vehicle traveling data recorders (VTDRs) installed in 11 taxies. A comprehensive data analysis indicates that same drivers show similarity of their daily lane-changing habit but with variety, and different drivers’ lane-change trajectory data show different lane-change “personality” including aggressive or non-aggressive behaviors. Based on these findings, this paper then proposed a hyperbolic tangent lane-change trajectory model to describe drivers’ detailed lane-change trajectories. The model is verified using both real data and simulation. The results show the proposed lane-change trajectory model can successfully describe drivers’ lane-changing trajectories. More importantly, some parameters in the model are directly associated to drivers’ driving characteristics during lane-change. With this unique feature, the proposed model can generate driver-specific lane-change trajectories. Such improvement could contribute to the future development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).     

Is road pricing effective in abating pollution? Evidence from Milan

We estimate the effect of a road pricing policy introduced in Milan in 2008 on concentrations of benzene, carbon monoxide, particulates, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. We found a sizeable effect of the Ecopass on air quality in terms of reduction in the concentration of carbon monoxide and particulates a few days after its introduction, although this effect disappeared after only one week. We interpret these results as indicative of an inefficient policy design: motorbikes were not charged and the treated area is too limited to generate positive outcomes for the whole city. Further evidence from a natural experiment given by a temporary suspension of the charge in 2012 confirms our hypothesis on the incentives for motorbike usage.     

Activity–travel behaviour of non-workers from Bangalore City in India

This paper presents exploratory and statistical analyses of the activity–travel behaviour of non-workers in Bangalore city in India. The study summarises the socio-demographic characteristics as well as the activity–travel behaviour of non-workers using a primary activity–travel survey data collected by the authors. Where possible, the research also compares the analysis findings with the case studies on activity–travel behaviour of non-workers, carried out in developed and developing countries. This gives an opportunity to understand the differences/similarities in the activity–travel behaviour of non-workers across diverse socio-cultural settings. The preliminary exploratory analysis shed light on the differences in activity participation, trip chaining, time-of-day preference for trip departure, and mode use behaviour of non-workers in Bangalore city. Statistical models were developed for investigating the effects of individual and household socio-demographics, land use parameters, and travel context attributes on activity participation, trip chaining, time-of-day choice, and mode choice decisions of non-workers. A few important results of the analysis are the influence of viewing television at home on out-of-home activity participation and trip-chaining behaviour, and the impact of in-home maintenance activity duration on time-of-day choice. Further, based on the findings of the initial analyses, an attempt has been made in this study to develop an integrated model that links time allocation, time-of-day choice, and trip chaining behaviour of non-workers. The study also discusses the implications of the research findings for transportation planning and policy for Bangalore city.     

How does air pollution influence cycling behaviour? Evidence from Beijing

It is widely believed air pollution is an obstacle to cycling as it has negative effects on cyclists’ health outcomes and deteriorates their cycling experiences. However, the empirical studies investigating the impact of air pollution on cycling behaviour remains scarce. The aim of this paper is to fill the gap by looking at Beijing as a case study. The authors conducted a survey of 307 cyclists on the days with different levels of air quality in terms of concentration of PM_2.5 in 2015. The results show that in the polluted weather, those who persist in cycling are more likely to be male, over 30 years old, lower income or those who travel short distances. Specifically, female cyclists have a higher tendency to shift from cycling to public transit than the males and medium and high-income earners are more likely to shift to using a car than low income earners. The residents’ subjective perceptions of safety and comfort have major effects on their cycling behaviour. A higher perception of comfort and safety is related to a higher possibility of continuing cycling when air quality became polluted. Cycling for commuting trips is less likely to be replaced by other modes than cycling for non-commuting trips, such as shopping. Results of this study reveal that improving air quality in a metropolitan area such as Beijing has co-benefits of cycling renaissance. The huge investments into cycling infrastructure should be integrated with policies designed to create an attractive environment for cycling.     

Valuation of environmental externalities: from theory to decision‐making

Valuation of externalities is a condition for correct investment and pricing decisions in transport. This paper provides a brief survey of the main studies achieved in OECD countries in order to get these valuations. Numerical values for the average social cost of transport are presented. The procedures according to which environment is taken into account in France and Italy are analyzed, and the importance of valuation in these procedures is assessed. Finally, prospects for further research and new developments are expressed.     

Constructing Time‐Scaled Maps: Switzerland from 1950 to 2000†

Abstract

The article discusses the construction of a time‐scaled maps series for Switzerland documenting the shrinking of the country since 1950. It describes underlying network models and the mathematical approach employed for the necessary rescaling. In conclusion, it presents the maps and discusses how the country was shrunk by half.     

Waterproofing Underground Structures:Lessons from the Past,Systems for the Future

The paper describes some of the key issues that need to be addressed in the design and execution of underground structures to ensure their long term suitability as watertight units and outlines through practical examples of structures that have not achieved their design requirements which situations need to be considered. Waterproofing is not an exact science but a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience based on the five key factors: Environment, Design, Materials, Application and Use of the Structure.In conclusion the paper outlines the advances in crack control to date that can provide the necessary long term guarantees.The adoption of re - injectable crack inducers permitted the Client to save over 10% on construction costs and reduced the construction time by six months.     

What drives people to accept automated vehicles? Findings from a field experiment

This field study aims at understanding the influence of direct experience of an automated vehicle (AV, Level 3) and explaining and predicting public acceptance of AVs through a psychological model. The model includes behavioral intention (BI) to use self-driving vehicles (SDVs, Level 5), willingness to re-ride (WTR) in our AV (Level 3), and their four potential determinants, namely perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), trust related to SDVs, and perceived safety (PS) while riding in our AV. The last two determinants are largely ignored, but we consider them critical in the context of AVs. Three-hundred students were invited as participants (passengers) to experience the AV. The trust, PU, PEU, and BI of the participants were recorded prior to their experiencing the AV; after this experience, all the constructs of the psychological model were recorded. The participants’ experience with the AV was found to increase their trust, PU and PEU (but not BI), the consistency between PU/PEU and BI, and the explanatory power of BI. The model explained 55% of the variance in BI and 40% in WTR. PU, trust, and PS were found to be steady and direct predictors of both the acceptance measures; PEU predicted BI only after the participants’ AV experience. Mediation analysis showed that trust also can indirectly affect AV acceptance through other determinants. Out-of-sample prediction confirmed the model’s predictive capability for AV acceptance. The theoretical contributions and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Avoidance distance from Qinghai–Tibet Highway in sympatric Tibetan antelope and gazelle

We compare the avoidance distances from Qinghai–Tibet Highway between two sympatric ungulate species, Tibetan antelope and Tibetan gazelle, in June and August of 2010 and July and August of 2011. The results show that Tibetan antelope avoid the road significantly more than Tibetan gazelle. At the times of day when traffic volume is high the avoidance distance in both species unexpectedly decreases. This suggests they are relatively undisturbed by the traffic but that they have a diurnal rhythm that involves resting far from the road in night.     

Train commuters’ scheduling preferences: Evidence from a large-scale peak avoidance experiment

We study the trip scheduling preferences of train commuters in a real-life setting. The underlying data have been collected during large-scale peak avoidance experiment conducted in the Netherlands, in which participants could earn monetary rewards for traveling outside peak hours. The experiment included ca. 1000 participants and lasted for multiple months. Holders of an annual train pass were invited to join the experiment, and a customized smartphone app was used to measure the travel behavior of the participants. We find that compared to the pre-measurement, the relative share of peak trips decreased by 22% during the reward period, and by 10% during the post-measurement. By combining multiple complementary data sources, we are able to specify and estimate (MNL and panel latent class) departure time choice models. These yield plausible estimates for the monetary values that participants attach to reducing travel time, schedule delays, the number of transfers, crowdedness, and unreliability.     

Greenhouse gas emissions from ships in ports – Case studies in four continents

Emissions of GHG from the transport sector and how to reduce them are major challenges for policy makers. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships while in port based on annual data from Port of Gothenburg, Port of Long Beach, Port of Osaka and Sydney Ports. Port call statistics including IMO number, ship name, berth number and time spent at berth for each ship call, were provided by each participating port. The IMO numbers were used to match each port call to ship specifications from the IHS database Sea-web. All data were analysed with a model developed by the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute for the purpose of quantifying GHG emissions (as CO₂-equivalent) from ships in the port area. Emissions from five operational modes are summed in order to account for ship operations in the different traffic areas. The model estimates total GHG emissions of 150,000, 240,000, 97,000, and 95,000 tonnes CO₂ equivalents per year for Gothenburg, Long Beach, Osaka, and Sydney, respectively. Four important emission-reduction measures are discussed: reduced speed in fairway channels, on-shore power supply, reduced turnaround time at berth and alternative fuels. It is argued that the potential to reduce emissions in a port area depends on how often a ship revisits a port: there it in general is easier to implement measures for high-frequent liners. Ships that call 10 times or less contribute significantly to emissions in all ports.     

Should chemical tankers' tank cleaning waters be banned from discharging into the sea?

Entering of chemical substances into aquatic environment occurs either by involuntary accidents or discharging of chemical wastes resulting from tank washing operations of tankers carrying chemicals. MARPOL 73/78 Convention strict regulations on discharging of chemical residues left in their tanks to the sea, but permits the discharging of such residues provided certain conditions are met. In the present study; the period from 1996 to 2016 is examined and the number of new tankers participating in the chemical tanker fleet and the distribution of these tankers according to dwt tonnage is shown. The tanker fleet which consisted of 1.882 ships in 1966 reached 3.923 units in 2016. Accordingly, the volume of chemical merchandise carried by sea was 132 million tons in 1996, but it reached 287 million tons in 2016. According to the order books, it is understood that these figures will increase even more. The increase in the number of tankers and the growth of the capacities means that more chemical substances are transported at the same time and the tonnage of the chemical waste discharged to the sea is also on increase. Based on the scientific background which proves that chemicals cause biological accumulation and acute and chronic toxicity on aquatic life, and the results of chemical tanker development over the last 20 years that has been presented; It is necessary for maritime authorities to reconsider the legal arrangements for allowing chemical tankers to discharge chemical wastes from tank washing waters to the sea.     

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.     

Working from 9 to 6? An analysis of in-home and out-of-home working schedules

The widespread adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) and flexible work arrangements have enabled people to schedule their work activities in more flexible ways. New forms of working have already emerged. However, research about flexible work schedules is still scarce. The aim of this study is to determine the factors impacting the propensity to adopt a flexible work schedule, and establish how and to what extent the timing of work is influenced by ICTs, work, and sociodemographic characteristics. The analysis suggests that work-related characteristics and ICT usage seem to be more important for work-schedule flexibility than sociodemographic characteristics are.     

A new fuzzy approach to estimate the O–D matrix from link volumes

Abstract

Estimation of the origin–destination (O–D) trip demand matrix plays a key role in travel analysis and transportation planning and operations. Many researchers have developed different O–D matrix estimation methods using traffic counts, which allow simple data collection as opposed to the costly traditional direct estimation methods based on home and roadside interviews.

In this paper, we present a new fuzzy model to estimate the O–D matrix from traffic counts. Since link data only represent a snapshot situation, resulting in inconsistency of data and poor quality of the estimated O–Ds, the proposed method considers the link data as a fuzzy number that varies within a certain bandwidth. Shafahi and Ramezani's fuzzy assignment method is improved upon and used to assign the estimated O–D matrix, which causes the assigned volumes to be fuzzy numbers similar to what is proposed for observed link counts. The shortest path algorithm of the proposed method is similar to the Floyd–Warshall algorithm, and we call it the Fuzzy Floyd–Warshall Algorithm. A new fuzzy comparing index is proposed by improving the fuzzy comparison method developed by Dubois and Prade to estimate and compare the distance between the assigned and observed link volumes. The O–D estimation model is formulated as a convex minimization problem based on the proposed fuzzy index to minimize the fuzzy distance between the observed and assigned link volumes. A gradient-based method is used to solve the problem. To ensure the original O–D matrix does not change more than necessary during the iterations, a fuzzy rule-based approach is proposed to control the matrix changes.     

Technical innovation vs. sustainability – A case study from the Taiwanese automobile industry

The impact of global warming and climate change is the most critical challenge of the 21st century. The greenhouse effect caused by technological development and industrial pollution has accelerated the speed of global warming. To effectively reduce global warming and encourage sustainable enterprise development, a comparative analysis approach is used to examine various domestic automotive products which utilize the up-to-date innovative technology. Their contributions to fuel consumption and emissions of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO₂), are then investigated. This study focuses on technical innovation in a conventional engine and output power. The results indicate that innovative engines (such as the Ford turbo petrol/diesel engine, the EcoBoost/TDCi) have improved energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. In addition, an improvement in output power (such as Toyota hybrid vehicles) has also improved energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.     

Do the organizational forms affect passenger satisfaction? Evidence from Chinese public transport service

This paper presents a discussion on the relationship between organizational forms (including the ownership structure and the contractual practices) and passenger satisfaction of Chinese public transport service. To test this proposition, an original rich data set covering 4702 respondents and 58 public transport operators of 13 cities for the period 2013–2014 is used. We firstly estimate the passenger satisfaction based on customer satisfaction theory and PLS-SEM, and then take into consideration the mixed logit model to assess the effect between them. Conclusions drawn from the study are summarized as follows: ① The effect of organizational forms on the passenger satisfaction of public transport service is confirmed. ② Public transport services franchised to public ownership offer higher passenger satisfaction than those franchised to private ownership and mixed ownership. ③ Public transport services regulated by the management contracts incite more passenger satisfaction than those regulated by net cost contracts and gross cost contracts.