Bus Priority Using pre-signals

The need to provide efficient public transport services in urban areas has led to the implementation of bus priority measures in many congested cities. Much interest has recently centred on priority at signal controlled junctions, including the concept of pre-signals, where traffic signals are installed at or near the end of a with-flow bus lane to provide buses with priority access to the downstream junction. Although a number of pre-signals have now been installed in the U.K., particularly in London, there has been very little published research into their design, operation and optimisation. This paper addresses these points through the development of analytical procedures which allow pre-implementation evaluation of specific categories of pre-signals. The paper initially sets out three categories of pre-signal, which have different operating characteristics, different requirements for signalling and different impacts on capacity and delay. Key issues concerning signalling arrangements for these categories are then discussed, together with a summary of the analytical approach adopted and the assumptions required. Equations are developed to allow appropriate signal timings to be calculated for pre-signalised intersections. Further equations are then developed to enable delays to priority and non-priority traffic, with and without pre-signals, to be estimated with delay being taken here as the key performance criterion. The paper concludes with three application examples illustrating how the equations are applied and the impacts of pre-signals in different situations.The analyses confirm the potential benefits of pre-signals, where these signals apply to non-priority traffic only. Where buses are also subject to a pre-signal, it is shown that disbenefits to buses can often occur, unless bus detectors are used to gain priority signalling.     

基于自适应遗传算法的路堤边坡稳定性分析方法

基于圆弧滑动面假定,提出了一种用自适应遗传算法搜索最危险滑动面及其对应的最小安全系数的新方法。该方法是一种改进的遗传算法,采用自适应求取适值、动态调整交叉率和变异率、自适应区间收缩。自适应遗传算法有效克服了传统方法易陷入局部极小的缺陷,提高了算法的搜索效率、精度和稳定性。     

The desulphurisation of shipping: Past,present and the future under a global cap

As from January 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is implementing a global 0.5% limit on the sulphur content of fuel, commonly known as the global sulphur cap. This limit is the latest policy in the efforts to reduce sulphur emissions from shipping, following the designation of emission control areas (ECAs) and other regional regulations. In this paper, a literature review is conducted of academic studies that have dealt with issues relating to the reduction of maritime sulphur emissions. Various recurring research themes are identified, spanning the areas of operations research, maritime economics and transport policy. The effects and implications of available compliance options are then analyzed from the perspectives of ship operators, shippers and consumers. Using lessons learned from the enforcement of ECA regulations, this is followed by an appraisal of various potential issues related to the enforcement of these new global regulations. It is found that a homogeneous enforcement regime is required to ensure a level playing field amongst ship operators and that the global sulphur cap may lead to serious market distortion, due to the potential short term rise of fuel prices. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations for future research on sulphur emissions from shipping in the aftermath of the global cap and, looking forward, to its relationship to the IMO strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) shipping emissions.     

Solving the gate assignment problem through the Fuzzy Bee Colony Optimization

In the field of Swarm Intelligence, the Bee Colony Optimization (BCO) has proven to be capable of solving high-level combinatorial problems, like the Flight-Gate Assignment Problem (FGAP), with fast convergence performances. However, given that the FGAP can be often affected by uncertainty or approximation in data, in this paper we develop a new metaheuristic algorithm, based on the Fuzzy Bee Colony Optimization (FBCO), which integrates the concepts of BCO with a Fuzzy Inference System. The proposed method assigns, through the multicriteria analysis, airport gates to scheduled flights based on both passengers’ total walking distance and use of remote gates, to find an optimal flight-to-gate assignment for a given schedule. Comparison of the results with the schedules of real airports has allowed us to show the characteristics of the proposed concepts and, at the same time, it stressed the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

客车捎带模式下高铁快捷货物输送方案研究

以提高高铁快运当日达产品的时效性、收益率为核心,对既有载客动车组捎带模式下的快捷货物输送方案进行优化。借助时空网络以列车运行成本与时间惩罚费用之和最小为目标,同时满足货主时限、列车容量以及列车停站方案等约束,建立输送方案优化模型,通过匈牙利算法,并借助Matlab的Yalmip工具箱求解模型。以兰州西站至天水南站、宝鸡南站及西安北站部分时间段的快捷货物运输需求为背景进行算例分析,验证模型的有效性。结果表明合理估算列车装载容量及货物的延迟时限对输送方案的选择起重要作用。     

基于语义挖掘的快递运输货品风险评价研究

为提高快递运输的风险监测管控能力，降低因快递货品风险导致城市安全事件发生的可 能性，本文基于语义挖掘方法将快递运输货品描述转化为风险的量化表征，为快递运输风险评价 提供可量化的客观指标依据。基于网络大数据资源提供的法院判决书数据，将物品词条与判决 结果相关联，通过隐狄利克雷分布模型挖掘物品风险主题，结合模糊均值聚类方法，实现对快递 货品语义风险的量化表征与柔性划分。与传统方法中依赖检视人员查验既定违禁品清单后的主 观判断方法不同，本文充分挖掘网络文本数据中的可迁移知识，并应用于种类繁多的快递运输货 品，有效避免人工评价造成的漏检、错检情况。研究结果表明，本文方法具有较高的准确率与较 低的误报率，获得的风险评价值不再是0或1的是非判断，有利于开展多样化、针对性的风险预警 及应对措施。     

The identification and empirical characterization of vehicular (Lagrangian) fundamental diagrams in multilane traffic flow

Traditional macroscopic traffic flow modeling framework adopts the spatial–temporal coordinate system to analyze traffic flow dynamics. With such modeling and analysis paradigm, complications arise for traffic flow data collected from mobile sensors such as probe vehicles equipped with mobile phones, Bluetooth, and Global Positioning System devices. The vehicle‐based measurement technologies call for new modeling thoughts that address the unique features of moving measurements and explore their full potential. In this paper, we look into the concept of vehicular fundamental diagram (VFD) and discuss its engineering implications. VFD corresponds to a conventional fundamental diagram (FD) in the kinematic wave (KW) theory that adopts space–time coordinates. Similar to the regular FD in the KW theory, VFD encapsulates all traffic flow dynamics. In this paper, to demonstrate the full potential of VFD in interpreting multilane traffic flow dynamics, we generalize the classical Edie's formula and propose a direct approach of reconstructing VFD from traffic measurements in the vehicular coordinates. A smoothing algorithm is proposed to effectively reduce the nonphysical fluctuation of traffic states calculated from multilane vehicle trajectories. As an example, we apply the proposed methodology to explore the next‐generation simulation datasets and identify the existence and forms of shock waves in different coordinate systems. Our findings provide empirical justifications and further insight for the Lagrangian traffic flow theory and models when applied in practice. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

铁路沿线城市空间物业开发研究——以宝鸡市南客站核心区站前广场工程为例

为了提升铁路沿线城市空间物业开发的设计手法,结合宝鸡市南客站核心区站前广场工程的设计实践,从系统性设计观、工程性质解析、消防设计思路、空间建构方法、无缝接驳、技术要素等方面进行研究分析,展示将铁路与城市系统进行一体化设计、利用自然资源解决消防和投资问题、平层空间中对多种交通体系的有机组织、不同坐标和高程系统背景下分区域构建柱网、各板块交接处的问题解决等技术成果,总结出同类型建筑的设计思路,力求为该领域的建筑设计发展提供有益的借鉴。     

Achieving transport modal split targets at intermodal freight hubs using a model predictive approach

The increase of international freight commerce is creating pressure on the existing transport network. Cooperation between the different transport parties (e.g., terminal managers, forwarders and transport providers) is required to increase the network throughput using the same infrastructure. The intermodal hubs are locations where cargo is stored and can switch transport modality while approaching the final destination. Decisions regarding cargo assignment are based on cargo properties. Cargo properties can be fixed (e.g., destination, volume, weight) or time varying (remaining time until due time or goods expiration date). The intermodal hub manager, with access to certain cargo information, can promote cooperation with and among different transport providers that pick up and deliver cargo at the hub. In this paper, cargo evolution at intermodal hubs is modeled based on a mass balance, taking into account hub cargo inflows and outflows, plus an update of the remaining time until cargo due time. Using this model, written in a state-space representation, we propose a model predictive approach to address the Modal Split Aware – Cargo Assignment Problem (MSA–CAP). The MSA–CAP concerns the cargo assignment to the available transport capacity such that the final destination can be reached on time while taking into consideration the transport modality used. The model predictive approach can anticipate cargo peaks at the hub and assigns cargo in advance, following a push of cargo towards the final destination approach. Through the addition of a modal split constraint it is possible to guide the daily cargo assignment to achieve a transport modal split target over a defined period of time. Numerical experiments illustrate the validity of these statements.     

Policy packages for modal shift and CO2 reduction in Lille,France

This paper proposes different policy scenarios to cut CO₂ emissions caused by the urban mobility of passengers. More precisely, we compare the effects of the ‘direct tool’ of carbon tax, to a combination of ‘indirect tools’ – not originally aimed at reducing CO₂ (i.e. congestion charging, parking charges and a reduction in public transport travel time) in terms of CO₂ impacts through a change in the modal split. In our model, modal choices depend on individual characteristics, trip features (including the effects of policy tools), and land use at origin and destination zones. Personal “CO₂ emissions budgets” resulting from the trips observed in the metropolitan area of Lille (France) in 2006 are calculated and compared to the situation related to the different policy scenarios. We find that an increase of 50% in parking charges combined with a cordon toll of €1.20 and a 10% travel time decrease in public transport services (made after recycling toll-revenues) is the winning scenario. The combined effects of all the policy scenarios are superior to their separate effects.