Special issue on intelligent transportation systems,big data and intelligent technology

ABSTRACT

Based on the increasing demands of transportation development, the concept of an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) has received increasing attention in both academic and industry arenas. It integrates information, communications, computers and other technologies, and applies them in the field of transportation to build an integrated system of people, roads and vehicles by utilizing advanced data communication technologies. It can establish a large, fully functioning, real-time, accurate and efficient transportation management system. Intelligent transportation systems shift the focus from road managers to road users. In order to achieve this purpose, intelligent transportation systems use advanced technology to provide drivers with convenient information to help reduce traffic congestion and to increase available road capacity. This special issue is dedicated to exploring the most recent advances in intelligent transportation systems and big data based on intelligent technology.     

Managing transportation during highway reconstruction: A recommended process

Major highway reconstruction can cause significant disruptions to existing travel patterns and economic activity. Reducing these impacts on travelers, shippers, businesses and residents requires that innovative and effective transportation management actions be developed and implemented. This paper reports the major findings and recommendations of a research study on managing transportation during highway, reconstruction. The primary objectives of the study were

Total cost analysis: An alternative to benefit-cost analysis in evaluating transportation alternatives

This paper explains the theory in support of total cost analysis (TCA) to compare transportation system alternatives. The full costs of each alternative are first aggregated, including travel time costs and monetizable environmental and social costs. Many costs which are considered on the benefits side of the equation in benefit-cost analysis (BCA) as "cost savings" are brought over to the costs side. Total cost differences among alternatives are then traded off against their estimated non-monetized benefits or impacts, just as a consumer trades off product quality against cost before deciding which product he or she will buy. One advantage of TCA over traditional BCA is that the concept of "total cost" is more easily understood by the public and by political decision-makers than BCA concepts such as "net present worth", "benefit-cost ratio" and "internal rate of return". A second advantage is that there is no suggestion that all "benefits" have been considered; decision-makers are free to use their own value judgements to trade off total cost against non-monetizable social, environmental and economic impacts, just as they trade off quality and convenience against cost when purchasing goods and services in their roles as consumers. The TCA approach is demonstrated in this paper through a case study of two systemwide alternatives for the Baltimore, MD urban area.     

Exploring transportation equity: Development and application of a transportation justice framework

Recent efforts to emphasize social equity in transportation are emerging as local, regional and national governments have set initiatives to identify, existing and potential, disproportionate impacts to low-income and minority populations, also referred to as transportation justice (TJ). Currently, there are suggested methods for identifying transportation justice areas; however, there is no streamlined method instituted across transportation agencies. Each jurisdiction identifies transportation justice (or environmental justice) areas based on their own methodology, typically based on either average regional thresholds, graduated thresholds, or a more unique in-house index methodology. This research explores and evaluates existing methods and develops a rigorous and comprehensive method called the Transportation Justice Threshold Index Framework (TJTIF) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), as well as factors based on demographics, socio-economics, and transportation/land use. The framework is applied to a case study region in Pennsylvania reflective of the Marcellus Shale impact area, highlighting Sullivan County, PA. The methodology and the case study application serve as an example for how transportation agencies throughout the country can promote social sustainability and enhance transportation equity.     

Evaluating alternative scenarios for high-speed rail investment in Greece

Introducing High-Speed Rail services along the two main corridors in Greece is expected to change the total scene of interurban transport. The present paper considers the effects of the high-speed rail investment plan against this background. It applies a three-fold evaluation process in order to assess the transport potential and the economic and other impacts of the investment. Alternative scenarios are considered with respect to construction period and pricing of the new high-speed services.     

Evaluating impacts of coastal flooding on the transportation system using an activity-based travel demand model: a case study in Miami-Dade County,FL

Transportation - Recent climatic disasters have shown the vulnerability of transportation infrastructures against natural hazards. To understand the risk of coastal hazards on urban travel...     

路基边坡坡面冲刷稳定性的模糊综合评判方法

基于边坡冲刷稳定性有较大的随意性和不确定性,文章利用模糊数学理论,对坡面冲刷进行分级模糊综合评判,为边坡坡面冲刷稳定性综合评价提供了一条新的途径。     

Individual versus mass transportation: feasibility of substitution

This paper is addressed to the question of social costs and social benefits (primarily environmental) which might derive from a large‐scale substitution of so‐called mass‐transit for the present, largely private, system of automotive transportation. Energy consumption and emissions are compared for the two basic alternatives and several variants. Varying degrees of physiological tolerance to pollutants are taken into account, in an attempt to develop comparable weight‐factors for different types of emissions. It is suggested that if automobiles succeed in meeting the 1975/76 emission standards set by the Clean Air Act of 1970, rail rapid transit will probably offer no advantage (in environmental terms) unless electric power is available from virtually non‐polluting sources (e.g., natural gas or nuclear plants). Economic implications of large‐scale substitution are examined, and it is noted that such substitution would involve major restructuring of our society as a whole. However, more intensive use of mass transit in central cities, possibly in conjunction with various measures to discourage the use of private automobiles in very congested areas is feasible and likely.     

A justice-theoretic approach to the distribution of transportation benefits: Implications for transportation planning practice in the United States

Transportation improvements inevitably lead to an uneven distribution of user benefits, in space and by network type (private and public transport). This paper makes a moral argument for what would be a fair distribution of these benefits. The argument follows Walzer’s “Spheres of Justice” approach to define the benefits of transportation, access, as a sphere deserving a separate, non-market driven, distribution. That distribution, we propose, is one where the maximum gap between the lowest and highest accessibility, both by mode and in space, should be limited, while attempting to maximize average access. We then review transportation planning practice for a priori distributional goals and find little explicit guidance in conventional and even justice-oriented transportation planning and analyses. We end with a discussion of the implications for practice.     

Freight transportation demand: A survey of recent econometric studies

This paper surveys econometric studies of freight transportation demand which have been published since the mid-1970s. It describes the variables, data sources, and estimation procedures utilized by the studies. In addition, it summarizes their statistical results. The studies included in this survey typically accounted for freight rates and service characteristics (e.g., transit time and reliability). Data sources often varied across the studies.Based on the data they utilized, the surveyed studies are classified as either aggregate or disaggregate. The data in the aggregate studies consist of information on total flows by modes at the regional or national level, while the data in the disaggregate studies pertain to individual shipments. The earlier aggregate studies estimated linear logit models. It has been pointed out that when they are estimated on aggregate data these models are subject to certain shortcomings. To avoid these shortcomings, more recent aggregate studies have estimated flexible forms such as translog functions. The disaggregate studies surveyed in this paper used either logit or probit models.Statistical results often varied with the commodities analyzed, making it somewhat difficult to generalize the findings of the different studies. One finding common to several studies is that freight rates have a significant impact on shipment decisions. This paper discusses certain theoretical and empirical limitations of the surveyed studies. It also offers suggestions for future research in freight transport demand. Freight demand models can be used to examine various effects of the recent deregulation in freight transportation.     

Suburban congestion: Recommendations for transportation and land use responses

Transportation congestion is reaching intolerable levels in many urban and suburban areas in the US. Reliance upon traditional responses, such as transit and new highway capacity, is not working — especially in suburban areas. Although methods for dealing with suburban congestion are often different, there are a number of common features that must be considered in developing short term as well as more permanent and long lasting solutions. In proposing short term solutions, a Menu of Actions is described. It includes transportation actions (the traditional transit and transportation management options) where there are opportunities for getting more out of the existing systems; land use/growth management actions which will result in more rational land use-transportation interactions; financial incentives, to encourage or discourage appropriate actions; more comprehensive and systematic land use and transportation planning; and the organizational and institutional actions required to implement rational solutions.While the Manu of Actions provides a broad array of possible actions to provide relief in the short run, over time the growth in traffic is likely to outpace their effectiveness. Consequently, longer term and often more difficult solutions must be considered and implemented as appropriate. They could include changes in land use development and land use management policies; changes in lifestyle and business practices; improvements through technological innovation; changes in the traditional ways of providing transportation services; and greatly expanded research and development.     

Evaluation,prioritization and selection of transportation investment projects in New York City

Over the last decade, a large number of high capital cost transportation projects have been proposed for the New York City Region. Many have resulted from addressing evolving capacity needs, changes in regional demographics and economics, meeting the improvements necessitated by operating century old subway systems and recognizing the impact of moving freight in a dense region. But the catalyst for bringing all of these projects to the attention of the public and all regional agencies was the tragedy of September 11, 2001. While these projects entail massive investments ($50–$60 billion), little analytical work has been carried out to measure the transportation and economic costs and benefits they entail and to categorize them accordingly. Competition among agencies to secure adequate resources to implement any of the desired projects makes such analysis necessary; yet there still remain political, vested economic interests and agency rivalry barriers to achieving this important planning objective. This paper reports the methodological approach taken by these authors for consistent and transparent project evaluation and then presents results from the ranking and prioritizing methodology. The policy underpinnings and implications of the analysis are discussed in a subsequent paper and thus only briefly touched upon here in the concluding section.     

Granger-causality between transportation and GDP: A panel data approach

This paper investigates the Granger-causality relationship between income and transportation of EU-15 countries using a panel data set covering the period 1970–2008. In the study, inland freight transportation per capita in ton-km (TRP), inland passenger transportation per capita in passenger-km (PAS), and road sector gasoline fuel consumption per capita in kg of oil equivalent (GAS) are used as transportation proxies and GDP per capita is used as measure of income. Our findings indicate that the dominant type of Granger-causality is bidirectional. Instances of one-way or no Granger-causality were found to correspond with countries with the lowest income per capita ranks in 1970 and/or in 2008. Although we conclude that there is an endogenous relationship between income and transportation, this is not observed until after an economy has completed its transition in terms of economic development.     

Toward regional transportation governance: a case study of Greater Vancouver

This paper discusses the evolving institutional structure and governance of transportation planning, policy development and transit delivery within one major North American city-region, the Greater Vancouver area. Various methods of transportation governance are explored from complete independence to full regional integration. The move away from a direct provincial role in transportation management to a greater regional transit authority is discussed and critiqued. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

What transportation modeling needs from a GIS: a conceptual framework

Both the geographic information system (GIS) and transportation modeling environments have seen continually developing analytic concepts and techniques. However, these developments have seldom resulted in the integration of GISs and transportation models. This paper explores the potential inherent in merging of these environments through a systematic investigation of the fundamental basis of integration. To do this, the traditional four step transportation modeling process is extended to include input and output steps. We then define functional components for GIS data handling — data management, manipulation, and analysis. The steps of modeling are matched against the list of GIS data handling functions within a matrix‐based framework. GIS functions that enhance a land‐use based urban transportation modeling process are then categorized. Conclusions are drawn and directions for future developments are discussed.     

Resilience in transportation systems: a systematic review and future directions

ABSTRACT

The Belt and Road (B&R) initiative was introduced by the Chinese government to promote the worldwide economic development and multilateral cooperation between China and the associated countries. As a crucial part of global supply chains, transportation plays a key role to ensure the implementation of the B&R. Safety is one of the issues with great importance in transportation research. However, its foci have been expanded from traditional risk through security to resilience and sustainability. Resilience has attracted considerable interests from both researchers and practitioners across different research domains in recent years. Various studies have been conducted on transportation resilience from different perspectives. Consequently, different definitions have been developed to define and describe resilience. This paper presents a systematic review on transportation resilience with emphasis on its definitions, characteristics, and research methods applied in different transportation systems/contexts. It aims to figure out what transportation resilience is and what kind of essential characters it usually has. More importantly, research challenges are analysed and a future research agenda on the resilience of transportation systems is proposed. This paper will provide comprehensive insights into understanding the transportation resilience, as well as establish new horizons for relevant research topics within the context of the B&R.     

Airport ground transportation management: moving towards the turn of the century

Over the last fifty years ground transportation management (GTM) has slowly evolved into a major function at most larger airports. However, during this time there has been relatively little written discussing the idea, organization structures or duties included within this functional activity. This paper reviews and updates the limited, earlier research. This study replicates initial work done in 1989 and thus provides a short longitudinal view of the airport GTM function. The final results demonstrate the current position of GTM and suggest trends for the future.     

Development of computerized vehicle scheduling system for specialized transportation: delaware case

A computer‐aided vehicle scheduling system is developed for Delaware's state‐wide specialized transportation system for elderly and handicapped persons. This paper presents the model, computer program package, system implementation, evaluation and the lessons learned from the project. The project which spanned two and a half years consists of five phases: (1) examine the manual method of vehicle scheduling (prior to the computerization); (2) develop a scheduling model; (3) develop a computer program package for the operation of the model; (4) install and operate the system; and (5) evaluate the system performance. The scheduling model consolidates passengers by block of time, origin and destination zones and along the direction of vehicle travel, first; second, minimizes the empty vehicle travel; and, lastly, assigns drivers to route considering assignment priority among the types of drivers and passengers. The product of the model is a set of driver log‐sheets which specify the sequence of passenger pick‐ups and drop‐offs. The computer program package includes necessary auxiliary data management functions such as registration of trip reservation, operating statistics and parameter value changes, as well as the execution of the model. It also allows the dispatcher to override the computer generated log‐sheet based on his discretion. The system has been operational for more than one year and it has brought about a number of changes in the operation and the role of the dispatcher. A before‐and‐after comparison of the operation and the lessons learned are also shown.     

Dynamic location: an iconic model to synchronize temporal and spatial transportation data

This paper describes a model to synchronize the management and query of temporal and spatially referenced transportation data in geographic information systems (GIS). The model employs a method referred to as dynamic location, which facilitates spatial intersect queries from geographic shapes without the use of topological relationships. This is the inverse of how dynamic segmentation works in GIS. In contrast to dynamic segmentation, dynamic location stores geometry as an object within a single database field. This is an efficient, precise iconic model superseding the need for data decomposition into a complex set of tables. As an object model, the dynamic location process lends itself to high performance in an Internet, data-intensive, enterprise environment. Linear events are stored as {x, y} features, and not referenced to any route system. Route systems are built from {x, y, m} values (m for measure) and serve as number lines for mathematical operations. Any {x, y} object can then be referenced to either the Cartesian grid or any selected number line. This method offers the benefits of linear referencing, while making full use of a stable geodetic datum. Combinations of any {x, y} events may be placed over any {x, y, m} number line (route) and an intersect determined by looking through stacked {x, y, m} vertices of the coincident shapes. Since both geometry and shape reside in the same record, the use of “begin” and “end” dates facilitates full spatial and temporal version control. From a business process perspective, this creates a spatially enabled database, pulling GIS business functions back into the information technology mainstream.