The measure of all things: reflections on changing conceptions of the individual in travel demand modeling

Transportation demand modeling has evolved in scope, theory, and practice in the many decades since the US Bureau of Public Roads pioneered home interview transportation studies in metropolitan households in the early 1940s. The major currents of these developments are discussed in the present paper through consideration of the changing role of the individual—as a source of data, as a unit of analysis, and as the intended beneficiary. In addition to reviewing this history we raise, but are unable to resolve, a growing current concern, namely how the public interest can be best served when the transportation data of greatest value is collected by private entities.     

Can bus really be the new tram?

BRT appears to be less expensive to build and operate than tram systems but can it really approach the performance level of a tram system and what is the environmental performance of comparable systems?     

Optimal Control Model Applications and Field Measurements with Respect to Car Driving

The well-known optimal control model has been applied only rarely to car driving, although its structure suits the modelling demands of driving by allowing for a multitask application and providing possibilities for the evaluation of driving in terms of supervisory control. Two series of Supervisory Driver Model predictions are stated for lateral position control in a straight driving scenario with disturbances generated internally by the driver. The first series of model calculations predicts lateral position variations and the time that a driver's vision can be occluded during the observation and control of different combinations of display variables (lateral position, lateral speed, yaw rate, lateral acceleration and yaw acceleration). The second series of predictions concerns two extreme sets of display variables in relation to driving speed and driving experience. Model predictions for the observation and control of all display variables give occlusion times which correspond with data from instrumented car studies with experienced drivers. However, with exclusive observation and control of the lateral position cue, predicted occlusion times are less than found in experimental results of inexperienced drivers. It is suggested that inexperienced drivers are also controlling yaw rate and/or both acceleration cues.     

2003年美国汽车市场进口车型新技术透视

2003年美国汽车市场进口车型中呈现出了一些创新性的技术特征。这些创新性的技术特征,向非连锁经营的独立汽车维修厂提出了新的挑战。因为一般来说他们难于及时充分地获得相应的技术支持。这类创新性的技术特征当中,就包括了性能优良的无级变速器以及W8型发动机。     

Evaluating the pedestrian realm: instrumental rationality,communicative rationality and phenomenology

Following the passage of ISTEA, increased attention to pedestrian planning has led to the development of pedestrian plans, particularly at the metropolitan and municipal levels. This has raised the issue of how cities and metropolitan areas evaluate the walkability of the pedestrian realm and identify improvement projects. Three approaches to evaluating the pedestrian realm are examined: instrumental rationality, communicative rationality, and phenomenology. Case studies demonstrating the application of these approaches to the development of pedestrian plans are examined in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Portland, Oregon, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

150 mL以下摩托车达到欧Ⅲ排放标准面临的技术挑战和解决方案

中国摩托车市场中,排量150 mL及以下采用四冲程单缸发动机的车型占主导地位.这种车由于成本低,使用、维修便利,适合城乡使用,已成为非常流行的基本交通工具.欧洲将于2006年开始实行针对摩托车的欧Ⅲ排放标准,中国将在2008年实施等同该标准的第3阶段标准.摩托车生产企业和正在开发高技术含量摩托车的企业都面临着严峻的技术挑战--必须使他们的产品符合新排放标准要求,同时还必须在成本和功能上保持对顾客的吸引力.     

Switching service types for multi-region bus systems

Conventional fixed-route bus services are generally preferred to flexible-route services at high demand densities, and vice versa. This paper formulates the problem of integrating conventional and flexible services that connect a main terminal to multiple local regions over multiple time periods. The system’s vehicle size, route spacing (for conventional services), service area (for flexible services), headways and fleet sizes are jointly optimized to minimize the sum of supplier costs and user costs. The route spacing for conventional bus services and service area for flexible bus services are also optimized for each region. The proposed solution method, which uses a genetic algorithm and analytic optimization, finds good solutions quickly. Numerical examples and sensitivity analyses confirm that the single fleet variable-type bus service may outperform either the single fleet conventional bus service or the single fleet flexible bus service when demand densities vary substantially among regions and time periods.     

Revisiting port pricing; a proposal for seven port pricing principles

A review of seven large landlord port authorities around the world reveals a notable diversity of pricing structures. While port authorities increasingly act as commercial undertakings, port pricing often seems to be not driven by commercial considerations. In this paper, we argue that ports can be regarded as “business ecosystems” with multiple users. This provides a valuable perspective on pricing and raises the question of whether ports can be regarded as two-sided markets. We argue this is not the case. The business ecosystem perspective provides a basis for deducing seven pricing principles for port authorities that are detailed in the paper and illustrated with cases these principles. These pricing principles are broadly follow a direct user pays approach; capture value from “non-core” tenants; price aggressively for activities with a high strategic value; differentiate pricing based on price elasticity and connectivity improvements; maximize revenue from long-term lease agreements, price port dues competitively; critically consider differentiation of charges based on environmental performance; and finally use incentives to align interests of terminal operators and shipping lines. We conclude that the ecosystem perspective is central to the understanding of pricing decisions of port authorities and that various pricing issues deserve more attention.     

Fatigue in transport: a review of exposure,risks, checks and controls*

Human fatigue continues to threaten safe transport. There are claims that employers of operators should do more to mitigate the risks, and several regulators are promoting fatigue-risk management in the context of safety management systems (SMS). The current paper reviews fatigue-related risk and exposure factors and control measures for operators of land- and sea-based transport forms. Our review identifies 13 types of measures for the monitoring or control of fatigue risks: optimal staffing; optimal schedule design; optimisation of breaks/naps; monitoring of actual hours worked; optimisation of work content; monitoring and feedback of actual sleep; health screening and treatment; promotion of recovery from work; fitness-for-duty testing; monitoring of fatigue symptoms while operating; control of fatigue while operating; performance monitoring and assistance; and fatigue-proofing. We also identify two systemic measures needed to anchor risk mitigation in SMS: organisational learning and training/other. By structuring monitoring and control measures along Dawson and McCulloch’s [Managing fatigue: It’s about sleep. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 9(5), 365–380] fatigue-risk trajectory, a framework is obtained that acts as a guide for fatigue-risk management by transport employers. To inform transport managers further, evaluations are needed of the effectiveness of individual control measures as well as whole fatigue-risk management interventions.     

A review of port devolution and governance models with compound eyes approach

Port devolution and port governance are focal issues in port studies. This paper argues that the previous typology of port devolution and port governance, including port function matrix models, might have to be modified, in particular for Asian port cases, because they have not considered socio, economic, and political systems and historical aspects behind the port devolution continuum. This paper uses the “compound eyes” approach comprising of many similar, closely-packed facets called ommatidia, with a multiple angle view, to revisit and review previous port devolution and governance models. The paper aims to identify the limitations and rectify fallacies in previous port studies by conducting a critical review and taking a couple of Asian container port cases as examples. This paper contributes to the literature of port devolution and governance, illuminating crucial gaps that the previous studies have not addressed.