Application of Inverse Models to Vehicle Optimization Problems

This paper presents a nonlinear inverse model of a road vehicle which simulates combined steering and braking/driving. The inputs to the model are the lateral and longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle's sprung mass center. The simulation returns the steering wheel angle and brake/drive torques required to obtain the desired accelerations. An example is presented which demonstrates the utility of inverse models for optimization purposes.     

A computer model for finding the time-dependent minimum path in a transit system with fixed schedules

This paper describes the development of a computer model and algorithms for finding the time-dependent minimum path between two stations in a multi-route, multi-mode transit system running to fixed schedules. Selection of the minimum path can be based either on journey time or on weighted time. A worked example using a simple transit network is given to illustrate how the model works. The model has several applications in transport planning: it can be used for generating route schedule information to guide transit users, for assisting in route schedule coordination, and for analyzing transit system accessibility.     

A model for the evaluation of some shipping company decisions

This paper describes a model which may be used in the evaluation of the relative effectiveness of policies used in the areas of ship chartering and the switching of combined carriers between the dry-cargo market and the tanker market. The policies for chartering and market switiching are expressed in the form of 'desired proportions' of the fleet operating in a particular charter-mode or a particular market. Graphical illustration of this form of expression of policies can be easily understood, so that alternative policies can be designed with relative case. The effectiveness of a particular from of policy under various freight market conditions can be determined from the model, the use of which is illustrated by its application to the deployment of the fleet of an hypothetical shipping company. It is assumed that the feedback connection between the company's actions and the market-place is negligible.     

Simplifications for single-route transit-ridership forecasting models

The growth in popularity of microcomputers has reemphasized the need for simplified transit-planning techniques. This paper describes and evaluates a single-route ridership forecasting model which is designed to fit within a modest-sized microcomputer. The model is based upon the traditional four-step urban transportation modeling process, but it is simplified by removing the possibility of multiple transfers and by eliminating the highway network. An analysis of model error shows that these simplifications do not appreciably affect the accuracy of the forecasts. A particular advantage of implementing the model on a microcomputer is the user-friendliness that can be achieved by employing interactive color graphics for data input.     

Taxicab operating characteristics in the United States

In 1982, a national survey of U.S. taxicab operators was conducted. This survey sought to assess the economic, operational and organizational status of the industry and to determine how these characteristics have been changing in response to rising costs and an economic recession. Two results of this survey are reported in this paper; the size structure and the organization of the industry. Both of these characteristics show that it has recently been undergoing two fundamental changes. These are the rapid switch away from employees as drivers to independent contractor drivers and decreasing average company size.     

The effects of US shipping regulation on specific aspects of liner conference operation

This paper is the first of two articles by J. E. Davies which seek to explore the incongruities of the USA's current regulatory system. The second paper will cover the overall economic impact of the USA's insistence on open conferences in its trades, whilst the first concentrates on the effects of US regulation on specific aspects of the operation of linear conferences.     

Structural change in the Belgian port system, 1980-1986

Even if market shares of individual ports keep changing every year, structural change in a given port system is generally a slow process. To measure and explain it, tolls such as concentration and specialization indexes, both elementary and generalized, should be used in a temporal prospect.