Do Road Planners Produce More ‘Honest Numbers’ than Rail Planners? An Analysis of Accuracy in Road‐traffic Forecasts in Cities versus Peripheral Regions

Abstract

Based on a review of available data from a database on large‐scale transport infrastructure projects, this paper investigates the hypothesis that traffic forecasts for road links in Europe are geographically biased with underestimated traffic volumes in metropolitan areas and overestimated traffic volumes in remote regions. The present data do not support this hypothesis. Since previous studies have shown a strong tendency to overestimated forecasts of the number of passengers on new rail projects, it could be speculated that road planners are more skilful and/or honest than rail planners. However, during the period when the investigated projects were planned (up to the late 1980s), there were hardly any strong incentives for road planners to make biased forecasts in order to place their projects in a more flattering light. Future research might uncover whether the change from the ‘predict and provide’ paradigm to ‘predict and prevent’ occurring in some European countries in the 1990s has influenced the accuracy of road traffic forecasts in metropolitan areas.     

Accompanied versus Unaccompanied Transport in Short Sea Shipping between Spain and Italy: An Analysis from Transport Road Firms Perspective

Short sea shipping (SSS) is called to play a key role in ensuring sustainable mobility in the European context. In the past years several studies tried to define the SSS requirements and also to identify the SSS lines that were economically viable. However, no studies approach the profile of their users—the road transport firms—and the organizational patterns adopted by them, in order to gain a better understanding of this transport modality. This research, on the basis of a sample of 81 international road transport firms that use SSS between Spain and Italy, analyses the profile of these firms and certain elements inherent to their relationship with the shipping firms, according to the two modalities of organizing their SSS transport operations: accompanied versus unaccompanied.     

Transport Network Design Problem under Uncertainty: A Review and New Developments

This paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art review of the transport network design problem (NDP) under uncertainty and to present some new developments on a bi-objective-reliable NDP (BORNDP) model that explicitly optimizes the capacity reliability and travel time reliability under demand uncertainty. Both are useful performance measures that can describe the supply-side reliability and demand-side reliability of a road network. A simulation-based multi-objective genetic algorithm solution procedure, which consists of a traffic assignment algorithm, a genetic algorithm, a Pareto filter, and a Monte-Carlo simulation, is developed to solve the proposed BORNDP model. A numerical example based on the capacity enhancement problem is presented to demonstrate the tradeoff between capacity reliability and travel time reliability in the NDP.     

Quality indicators and capacity calculation for RoRo terminals

Abstract

Road freight transportation has increased dramatically over recent years along with its impacts such as congestion, noise, and pollution. As a result, European and US governments have started policies to promote alternatives to road transportation, such as logistic chains containing a Short Sea Shipping (SSS) link. Road is, by definition, a more flexible means of transportation than shipping, which is usually cheaper. Therefore, to move traffic to SSS chains, it is necessary to provide fast, frequent, and reliable maritime transportation. In this sense, roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels are the most convenient ships to be used, since they have smaller dwell times in port and, therefore, this is a kind of traffic likely to increase dramatically. The foreseeable increase of this kind of traffic must meet with an increase in the actual capacity by means of either improvement in performance and possible enlargements of existing terminals or the construction of new terminals. In that sense, this paper proposes a simple methodology to calculate the capacity of a RoRo terminal, whether already in operation or during its design process, and relate it to some quality standards by means of quality indicators, which should lead to the definition of Levels of Service similar to those already used in roads and airports. The paper ends by applying the methodology to a real terminal in Barcelona, Spain.     

高危害交通事故形态及致因的灰色分析

高危害交通事故是指在交通事故统计中造成主要人员伤亡及财产损失的事故,为识别高危害交通事故的主要形态,探寻其致因,提出一种基于灰色理论的分析方法.将道路交通事故危害程度划分为4个灰类,构建4个灰类的白化权函数,通过灰色定权聚类系数确定高危害交通事故的主要形态和致因.以深圳市为例,基于全年交通事故数据,识别出深圳市高危害性交通事故的4类主要形态和6种主要致因.研究表明:车辆碰撞是高危害事故的主要形态,驾驶过程中妨碍安全行车的行为、酒驾以及未保持安全车距等是产生高危害事故的主要原因.针对高危害交通事故的主要形态和致因,提出相应的交通安全管理对策,有利于减少高危害交通事故,提升道路安全水平.     

典型川藏高速公路路线动力学分析与运行速度评价

高速公路已成为当前国内的重要出行方式选择,车辆行车的安全性与舒适性也越来越受到社会的广泛关注.利用车辆动力学分析软件,选取雅康高速公路第C3—C14合同段进行建模分析.该模型主要模拟在3种不同天气环境状态下的路面摩擦系数,并进行比较,给出车辆在不同路面环境下的建议行驶速度,以此验证该路线的设计合理性.仿真结果表明:在干燥及雨天路面环境下,车辆的建议行驶速度为100 km/h以内,该速度能使车辆的横向加速度保持在1.83 m/s2以下;在冰雪路面环境下,当车速超过85 km/h时,车辆容易发生侧滑,行车速度建议在80 km/h以内.     

三相永磁同步无感无刷直流电机控制系统设计

三相永磁同步无感无刷直流电机具有快速性、可靠性、可控性、体积小、重量轻、节能、耐受环境和经济性等方面明显的优势。利用无刷电机绕组中的反电动势过零点法检测电机转子的位置,从而实现无位置传感器的无刷电机的控制。硬件设计中,采用MC9S08DZ60微控制器作为智能单元,对反电动势过零检测电路、功率驱动电路进行了设计。软件设计中,根据电机反电动势过零信号控制驱动电路准确换相,结合PID调速控制使电机转速稳定。本系统具有可靠性高、价格低廉等特点,对于实车电机控制具有一定的现实意义。     

基于模糊理论的智能指数平滑行程时间预测算法

在指数平滑算法的基础上,结合模糊理论提出了一种基于模糊理论的智能指数平滑行程时间预测算法。该算法依据指数平滑法的预测误差构造模糊控制器来自适应控制平滑系数,从而自适应修正下一时期的预测值,提高行程时间的预测精度和智能化水平。最后通过实验验证了该算法的可行性、有效性。     

Singapore motorisation restraint and its implications on travel behaviour and urban sustainability

The example of Singapore shows that rapid urban and economic growth does not have to bring traffic congestion and pollution. Singapore has chosen to restrain car traffic demand due to its limited land supply. Transport policy based on balanced development of road and transit infrastructure and restraint of traffic has been consistently implemented for the past 30 years. Combined with land use planning, it resulted in a modern transport system, which is free from major congestion and provides users with different travel alternatives. As the economic growth caused a substantial increase in demand for cars, several pricing policies were introduced with the aim of restraining car ownership and usage. Growth of the vehicle population is now controlled and potentially congested roads are subject to road pricing. These measures help to keep the roads free from major congestion, maintain car share of work trips below 25% and keep the transport energy usage low. Although Singapore conditions are in many aspects unique, its travel demand experience can provide useful lessons for other rapidly growing cities in Asia.

Do changes in neighborhood characteristics lead to changes in travel behavior? A structural equations modeling approach

Suburban sprawl has been widely criticized for its contribution to auto dependence. Numerous studies have found that residents in suburban neighborhoods drive more and walk less than their counterparts in traditional environments. However, most studies confirm only an association between the built environment and travel behavior, and have yet to establish the predominant underlying causal link: whether neighborhood design independently influences travel behavior or whether preferences for travel options affect residential choice. That is, residential self-selection may be at work. A few studies have recently addressed the influence of self-selection. However, our understanding of the causality issue is still immature. To address this issue, this study took into account individuals’ self-selection by employing a quasi-longitudinal design and by controlling for residential preferences and travel attitudes. In particular, using data collected from 547 movers currently living in four traditional neighborhoods and four suburban neighborhoods in Northern California, we developed a structural equations model to investigate the relationships among changes in the built environment, changes in auto ownership, and changes in travel behavior. The results provide some encouragement that land-use policies designed to put residents closer to destinations and provide them with alternative transportation options will actually lead to less driving and more walking.