Contributors to this issue

Contributors to this issue     

Analyzing loss aversion and diminishing sensitivity in a freight transport stated choice experiment

Choice behaviour might be determined by asymmetric preferences whether the consumers are faced with gains or losses. This paper investigates loss aversion and diminishing sensitivity, and analyzes their implications on willingness to pay and willingness to accept measures in a reference pivoted choice experiment in a freight transport framework. The results suggest a significant model fit improvement when preferences are treated as asymmetric, proving both loss aversion and diminishing sensitivity. The implications on willingness to pay and willingness to accept indicators are particular relevant showing a remarkable difference between symmetric and asymmetric model specifications. Not accounting for loss aversion and diminishing sensitivity, when present, produces misleading results and might affect significantly the policy decisions.     

Validation of automatic passenger counting: introducing the t-test-induced equivalence test

Transportation - Automatic passenger counting (APC) in public transport has been introduced in the 1970s and has been rapidly emerging in recent years. Still, real-world applications continue to...     

Comparison of trends in tributyltin concentrations among three monitoring programs in the United States

The results of three national monitoring programs in the United States (U.S.) that measure concentrations of tributyltin (TBT) are compared. Regional and site comparisons are made of changes in TBT concentrations since passage of the Organotin Antifouling Paint Control Act (OAPCA) in 1988. The monitoring programs compared are the U.S. LongTerm Monitoring Program conducted by a consortium of tributyltin manufacturers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Status and Trends Mussel Watch project, and the U.S. Navy's TBT monitoring program. All of the monitoring results demonstrate declining TBT concentrations over time. These declines have occurred rapidly (within a few years) and are considerable (56%–71% decrease in TBT concentrations in water, 47%–55% decrease in sediments, and 40%–82% decrease in bivalve tissues). Mean TBT concentrations in water are generally below the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency marine chronic water quality criterion of 10ng/L. These results indicate that the OAPCA has been effective in reducing TBT concentrations in the aquatic environment.     

An econometric model of vehicle use in the household sector

Vehicle-use modelling at the household level has taken on new importance with the pressures on governments to encourage more efficient utilisation of increasingly scarce nonreplenishible liquid fuels. The fundamental energy equation recognizes two direct influences on consumption—the fuel efficiency of the vehicle and the amount of use. Until recently, the interrelationship between vehicle choice and vehicle utilisation at the household level was acknowledged but ignored. The availability of reliable vehicle-use data at the household level now enables a more serious effort at amending the imbalance of research effort where the reliance has been predominantly on vehicle choice modelling and gross (exogenous) assumptions on utilisation as a basis for predicting fuel consumption. This paper proposes an econometric method for identifying the influences on household vehicle use. It differs from previous empirical work in that vehicle kilometers, fuel cost per kilometer and vehicle fuel efficiency are endogenous, with utilisation of each vehicle endogeneously dependent on the utilisation of each and every household vehicle. The data are drawn from wave 1 of a four-wave panel of 1436 households in the Sydney metropolitan area. The empirical findings expose a set of influences on use hitherto not considered. The model specification provides an appropriate module for integration with household-based discrete choice models of vehicle choice.     

Evaluation of truck configurations based on structural performance of bridges

Contained herein are the results of research which quantifies the effects that various existing and projected truck configurations have as live loadings upon bridges which currently exist on the National Bridge Inventory (NBI). The truck configurations were determined from those actual or proposed vehicles which exhibit the highest GVW and which either are causing or are perceived to cause the highest levels of overstress on bridge superstructure elements. In order to simulate most accurately the actual field conditions, a criterion was defined which contained three major requirements: 1) The bridges utilized within the study shall be defined as being a statistically significant sample and be actual bridges taken from the NBI; 2) The analysis method shall be consistent with those actually used by engineers in designing and rating bridges, and; 3) The criteria utilized in evaluating the various bridge structures under the defined loadings shall be consistent with current practices. The results obtained indicates the acceptability of various truck configurations by GVW, size, and axle deployments, by system for the different criteria now in use.