A practical method to estimate the benefits of improved road network reliability: an application to departing air passengers

This paper develops and applies a practical method to estimate the benefits of improved reliability of road networks. We present a general methodology to estimate the scheduling costs due to travel time variability for car travel. In contrast to existing practical methods, we explicitly consider the effect of travel time variability on departure time choices. We focus on situations when only mean delays are known, which is typically the case when standard transport models are used. We first show how travel time variability can be predicted from mean delays. We then estimate the scheduling costs of travellers, taking into account their optimal departure time choice given the estimated travel time variability. We illustrate the methodology for air passengers traveling by car to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. We find that on average planned improvements in network reliability only lead to a small reduction in access costs per trip in absolute terms, mainly because most air passengers drive to the airport outside peak hours, when travel time variability tends to be low. However, in relative terms the reduction in access costs due to the improvements in network reliability is substantial. In our case we find that for every 1 Euro reduction in travel time costs, there is an additional cost reduction of 0.7 Euro due to lower travel time variability, and hence lower scheduling costs. Ignoring the benefits from improved reliability may therefore lead to a severe underestimation of the total benefits of infrastructure improvements.     

Combining technology development and behaviour change to meet CO2 cumulative emission budgets for road transport: Case studies for the USA and Europe

Global temperature rise over the long term will be proportional to the total amount of CO₂ emitted. Any given probability of exceeding a targeted maximum temperature rise implies a maximum limit on the cumulative total of CO₂ that can be emitted: a CO₂ “budget”. This paper describes an approach to modelling cumulative emissions from light and heavy duty road transport from the present to 2050, focussing on the USA and Europe, and comparing the potential impacts of a range of technological and behaviourally-based abatement measures with such cumulative emissions budgets.The model shows that abatement measures would have a lower effect on cumulative emissions from 2000 to 2050 than on annual emissions in 2050, so that focussing only on annual emissions could be misleading. It shows that technological developments would be insufficient on their own to enable Europe and the USA to meet CO₂ budgets for road transport. Behavioural changes, which potentially can be implemented much sooner, would be essential too. There is potential to keep European light duty emissions very close to CO₂ budgets, and US light duty emissions not far above the least restrictive budget, but the model predicts that heavy duty emissions in both regions are likely to exceed their CO₂ budgets. Deeper emissions reductions in other regions and sectors will be needed to compensate for this. Timing would be critical: for the greatest impact, behaviour change policies and interventions would need to be applied early and deeply.     

2006年美国进口车新技术一览(下)

2006年美国的进口车带着新技术浪潮到达美国海岸。本田(Honda)本田推出了全新的Civic系列——四门、双门、Si双门和混合动力轿车。由于Civic每年销售超过30万辆,你可以想到将来需要多少维护!混合动力车进行了非常聪明的再设计,因此虽然它在结构配置上没有什么实质的改变,但却将     

城乡一体化中发展轨道交通的几点思考

在城乡一体化发展进程中,轨道交通必将以其大容量、快速交通的优势,成为城乡一体化交通体系的骨干,满足新的交通需求.结合30多年来香港新市镇发展中城乡轨道交通发展的实例,从轨道交通在城乡一体化发展中的功能角色、既有铁路在城乡一体化轨道交通中的利用、如何建设节约型的城乡轨道交通以及城乡轨道交通与沿线协调发展四方面,对城乡一体化中轨道交通的发展提出一些建议和思考.     

Optimizing the transportation of international container cargoes in Korea

This paper considers a multimodal transportation problem, which is the problem of determining the transportation flow, i.e. volume of container cargoes, and the transportation mode in each trade route, for the objective of minimizing the sum of shipping and inland transportation costs. The problem takes account of two restrictions: maximum cargo volumes capacitated at each seaport and maximum number of vehicles available at each transportation mode. To solve optimally the problem, this paper employs a mixed integer programming, which is an operations research technique. A case study is performed on the container cargo data in Korea and we draw several implications to improve efficiency in the transportation of international trade cargoes in Korea.     

自动化实时监测系统在中国台湾高速铁路浅埋隧道的应用

中国台湾高速铁路新竹二高隧道以覆土深度9～12m穿越台湾北部第二高速公路。为了考虑高速公路下方隧道穿越施工时的行车安全,采用自动化监测系统,监控隧道施工产生之顶部路面沉降与隧道侧墙土层之变位。监测系统采用捷仪工程科技公司GeoAuto自动化实时监测软件系统,该系统分前端、中端、后端三部分。前端部分在隧道顶部沿隧道方向安装有自动量测水平倾斜计、在隧道两侧各安装有自动量测垂直倾斜计与伸张仪,另沿高速公路方向安装3排路面沉降点以全站仪自动监测,前述各类仪器皆连接至资料集录器;中端部分为ADSL、直接联机与无线传输等方式进行数据传输;后端部分为GeoAuto自动监测软件系统,所有路面沉降、土层变位等现场数据,皆由前端仪器量测、经中端传输,最后将所有现场有关沉降、变位等数据,皆显现于后端电脑显示器上。在自动监测系统配合下,有效协助浅埋隧道凿进,顺利完成隧道施工。     

Transport models, philosophy and language

The aim of this paper is to encourage debate about the nature of transport modelling. It does so firstly by considering the underlying philosophies of science (apparently) adopted by transport modellers, over a period of more than 50 years, from the 1950s until the present day. The conclusion is that a new philosophy of science needs to be developed, which is more in tune with how transport modelling is actually carried out (as opposed to how early transport modellers thought it ought to be carried out). It is recommended that such a new philosophy perceives transport modelling as a linguistic activity within the overall context of transport planning, which is in turn considered as a communication process. The paper outlines three main approaches that could be taken in this respect, analysing transport models from metaphorical, narrative and aesthetic perspectives. Conclusions are drawn upon the possible future research directions that might follow from the analysis provided in the paper, emphasising the importance of bringing formal philosophical thinking into transport modelling research and practice.

American Samoa: Establishing a coastal area management model for developing countries

Abstract

Debate over the appropriateness of U.S. approaches to coastal management procedures for developing countries has increased over the past few years. The coastal management program which was developed for American Samoa offers the opportunity to test the utility of the U.S. approach to CZM for developing nations.

American Samoa represents a blend of traditional and new cultures and thus may be a microcosm of developing countries. American Samoa's development of a CZM plan is examined with emphasis on similarities and differences with U.S. experience. A culture‐oriented framework is presented which can shape programs appropriate to developing countries. Finally, a process and a set of guidelines provide an outline for those attempting the difficult task of applying U.S. environmental planning and management to other countries.     

Evaluating Boating Safety Risk in Intracoastal Waterways

Growth in the number of recreational vessels that use inland and coastal waterways, coupled with the diversity of boating activities, results in increased boating-related conflicts, accidents, and fatalities. This situation has led to numerous requests from boaters, shorefront property owners, waterfront businesses, and local governments for the imposition and enforcement of boating safety speed zones within Florida's Intracoastal Waterways. A decision-support framework that incorporates Geographic Information Systems (GIS)–based risk assessment was developed to assist the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Division of Law Enforcement evaluate requests and applications for the establishment of boating safety zones, pursuant to the Florida Administrative Code Rule 68-D-23.105 “Criteria for Approval of Regulatory Markers.” The risk assessment uses geospatial data compiled from multiple government agencies, survey data from subject matter experts, and public input from participatory workshops. Relevant spatial data includes waterway features and marine infrastructure from field surveys, vessel traffic patterns observed and mapped from aerial reconnaissance, and indicators of boater behaviors extracted from accident and citation reports. The outcome is a characterization of waterway segments according to perceived risk to boating safety. The application was tested in two Florida counties and it helped guide the establishment of new, and the revision of existing, boating regulatory zones within their Intracoastal Waterways. The application design is such that it is adaptable to waterways beyond those in Florida.     

Travel time variability and airport accessibility

We analyze the cost of access travel time variability for air travelers. Reliable access to airports is important since the cost of missing a flight is likely to be high. First, the determinants of the preferred arrival times at airports are analyzed. Second, the willingness to pay (WTP) for reductions in access travel time, early and late arrival time at the airport, and the probability to miss a flight are estimated, using a stated choice experiment. The results indicate that the WTPs are relatively high. Third, a model is developed to calculate the cost of variable travel times for representative air travelers going by car, taking into account travel time cost, scheduling cost and the cost of missing a flight using empirical travel time data. In this model, the value of reliability for air travelers is derived taking “anticipating departure time choice” into account, meaning that travelers determine their departure time from home optimally. Results of the numerical exercise show that the cost of access travel time variability for business travelers are between 0% and 30% of total access travel cost, and for non-business travelers between 0% and 25%. These numbers depend strongly on the time of the day.