Factors associated with bicycle ownership and use: a study of six small U.S. cities

As a means of transportation and as a form of physical activity, bicycling generates benefits to the bicyclist as well as to the community as a whole. Bicycling now accounts for less than 1 percent of all trips for all purposes in the U.S., but evidence from other western countries suggests that under the right conditions, bicycling levels can be significantly higher. Indeed, the experiences of some U.S. cities suggest that it is possible to create conditions conducive to higher levels of bicycling even in the U.S. However, the extent to which bicycle investments have contributed to bicycling levels in these communities has not been rigorously assessed. The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of the determinants of bicycle ownership and use as a basis for identifying ways to promote bicycling. A cross-sectional study of six cities was designed to test the importance of bicycle infrastructure and other physical environment factors relative to individual factors and social environment factors, using a nested logit model to examine ownership and use decisions jointly. The results show strong effects of individual attitudes and physical and social environment factors on bicycle ownership and use.     

Extending stated choice analysis to recognise agent-specific attribute endogeneity in bilateral group negotiation and choice: a think piece

This paper is a think piece on variations in the structure of stated preference studies when modelling the joint preferences of interacting agents who have the power to influence the attribute levels on offer. The approach proposed is an extension of standard stated choice methods, known as ‘stated endogenous attribute level’ (SEAL) analysis. It allows for interactive agents to adjust attribute levels off a base stated choice specification that are within their control, in an effort to reach agreement in an experimental setting. This accomplishes three goals: (1) the ability to place respondents in an environment that more closely matches interactive settings in which some attribute levels are endogenous to a specific agent, should the modeller wish to capture such behaviour; (2) the improved ability of the modeller to capture the behaviour in such settings, including a greater wealth of information on the related interaction processes, rather than simply outcomes; and (3) the expansion of the set of situations that the modeller can investigate using experimental data.

Le transport ferroviaire régional de voyageurs : un processus collectif d’apprentissage

Regional passenger rail services are prevalent in France, as opposed to the more marginal role they play elsewhere in the world. It is indeed at the regional level that reforms have been successfully implemented, probably because the process was gradual and cautious. Initially in 1997, seven regions began experimenting with a decentralized system of regional passenger transportation services. By 2002, all metropolitan regions, with the exception of Corsica and Ile-de-France, were involved. Today we have reached a point where this process can be retrospectively and prospectively assessed. This article is first a retrospective assessment of the role of actors and the emerging dynamic between regional passenger rail transport supply and demand. Then, a prospective evaluation is offered since regionalization is best understood as an ongoing learning process that can be discontinuous or continuous.     

The role of paratransit: some reflections based on the experience of residents’ coach services in Hong Kong

Paratransit refers to urban transport services “somewhere between private passenger transport and conventional public transport in terms of cost and quality of service” [Rimmer (1980), Paratransit: A commentary. Environ. Plan. A 12, 937–944]. Since the 1980s, a new form of paratransit—residents’ coach, which provides exclusive transport services to residents living in private housing estates—has emerged in Hong Kong. What was the background underlying the emergence and subsequent growth of residents’ coach services? Also, what was the role of residents’ coach in the public transport system of Hong Kong? With the completion of more railway extensions, should residents’ coach services be replaced? If so, what are the potential impacts on people’s life? This paper addresses the above research questions through a large-scale questionnaire survey that examined not only people’s modal choice but also their residential choice, socio-economic background and attitudes. The findings suggest that transport policy makers should pay more attention to examine new forms of paratransit and the ways of integrating them into the overall public transport system, both spatially and temporally. It is only through the development of an efficient and multi-modal transport system can the maximum potential of paratransit in filling the transport gap between conventional mass transit and private cars be realized.     

H_∞ Autopilot Design for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

The design approach of H∞ autopilot for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is proposed. Comprised by the three sub-controllers,i.e. speed,heading and depth controllers,the designed autopilot has advantage over existing H∞ control of AUVs. The overshoot in speed,heading and depth control systems under step commands is restricted by refining the weighting function for robust stability. The dynamic performance of heading and depth control systems is improved by feeding back yaw rate and pitch angle,respecti...     

Vibration transmission reduction from a centrifugal turbo blower in a fuel cell electric vehicle

This paper presents a multi-body flexible dynamic analysis of a centrifugal turbo blower for a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) based on the application of computer-aided engineering (CAE) to predict the acceleration at the mount position of the blower. This predicted acceleration is validated by using the measured acceleration data. The numerical simulation for the multi-body flexible dynamics of the blower is used not only to identify the most effective mount among four mounts in an FCEV by controlling the complex stiffness of the isolator, but also to suggest the range of complex stiffness of the isolator at the most effective mount. This numerical simulation technology can be useful for the estimation of the variation of vibration transmission for the structural modification of the turbo blower.     

Application of slim A-pillar to improve driver’s field of vision

The importance of vehicle safety cannot be exaggerated in today’s mobile societies. Many manufacturers, associates related to vehicles and universities make an effort to improve vehicle safety by developing new technologies, applying high strength steel to the body structure etc. However, the majority of these efforts are focused on decreasing injury. It is absolutely important to minimize injury, but a more important aspect is coping with vehicle accidents. That is, As undeniably important as it is to minimize potential injuries, it is critical that experts focus on developing ways to keep drivers out of situations likely to lead to crashes in the first place. The purpose of this paper is to determine what the most critical factor is when coping with an unfamiliar driving situation. The answer is to provide a wide-open field of vision, especially for the driver. The driver’s field of vision is obstructed by the vehicle’s A-pillar. To solve this, the A-pillar obstruction angle, which is the angle between the driver’s eyes and the A-pillar should be decreased. This paper purposes three-methods for decreasing this angle structurally and applying a slim A-pillar which is as the best solution to decrease the A-pillar obstruction angle and ensure the drivers field of vision at the same time     

Crash protection of Hybrid Electrical Vehicles for amending the KMVSS No. 91

This paper explores issues related to the electrical safety of Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (HEVs) during and after various crash events. Japanese and American federal regulations regarding occupant protection against high voltages in Electric Vehicles (EVs) and HEVs were surveyed and analyzed in this study. Front, side and rear impact tests for two types of HEVs were conducted to investigate electrolyte spillage, the retention of the propulsion battery system and the electrical isolation of the occupant. The test results met the related criteria. The test procedures and the criteria for occupant protection established through this study were amended to Korean Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (KMVSS) No. 91 to add the crash protection of the EVs and the HEVs.     

Development of electrostatic diesel particulate matter filtration systems combined with a metallic Flow-Through Filter and electrostatic methods

A 3000 cc diesel engine attached to an engine dynamo was used to test three newly developed electrostatic Diesel Particulate matter filtration Systems (DPS 1, 2, and 3) under four steady-state engine operating conditions: idle, 2000 rpm with no load, and 2000 rpm under 25% and 50% loads. Of the two developed alternatives, DPS 1 and DPS 2, DPS 2 comprises an ionization section, electrostatic field additional section and Flow-Through Filter (FTF), which achieved almost 90% removal of particulate matter (PM) under the engine’s operating conditions, and the efficiency of the FTF was maintained between 20% and 50%. Comparing the long-term performance of DPS 2 and DPS 3 (effectively a serial combination of two DPS 2s) with a commercially-available Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), the DPS 2 and DPS 3 achieved almost the same efficiency for removing PM as the DPF but had significantly improved (75%∼90% lower) differential pressure drops.