On the semantic scale problem in stated preference rating experiments

Stated preference (SP) rating experiments are easy to design and conduct. Furthermore, they constitute a generalisation of SP choice experiments in terms of the information about preferences that can be achieved. However, its results are sensitive to the numerical values assigned by the analyst to the semantic scale used by individuals to express their preferences. We consider this problem in depth using a variety of statistical techniques, including ordinal probit and a novel optimal scale linear regression approach.     

TRESIS: A transportation,land use and environmental strategy impact simulator for urban areas

The Institute of Transport Studies has developed a Transportation and Environment Strategy Impact Simulator (TRESIS) as a decision support system to assist planners to predict the impact of transport strategies and to make recommendations based on those predictions. A key focus of the simulator is the richness of policy instruments such as new public transport, new toll roads, congestion pricing, gas guzzler taxes, changing residential densities, introducing designated bus lanes, implementing fare changes, altering parking policy, introducing more flexible work practices, and the introduction of more fuel efficient vehicles. The appropriateness of mixtures of policy instruments is gauged in terms of a series of performance indicators such as impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, accessibility, equity, air quality and household consumer surplus. In this paper we introduce TRESIS to the research community, focussing on the structure of the system and the diversity of applications. Applications are presented to illustrate the diversity and richness of TRESIS as a policy advisory tool.     

库存路径问题的固定分区-整数比周期组合策略研究

针对供应商-物流中心-零售商组成的三层级系统的库存路径问题研究一种组合策略。各零售商对单品种货物的需求率固定,相互独立;物流中心从供应商批量进货,然后配送给零售商,不许缺货或延迟;目标是最小化系统库存及运输总成本。整合固定分区、整数比周期设计一种组合策略,构建了三层级系统的IRP数学模型,将三层级库存路径问题分解为两个子问题,借鉴车辆路径问题求解思路设计了启发式算法;试验结果表明,新策略的求解效率更好。     

铁路行包装运方案编制方法的研究

根据铁路行包办理站行李车日装车计划编制流程,结合中国铁路行包运输实际情况,以车次准装区段限制、行包办理站办理限制、行包作业接续时间标准等为约束条件,给出基于行包发站和到站坐标位置网格图的行包运输径路快速算法,按照先行包直达、后1次中转和2次中转的行包装运方案编制思想,给出了多层据篮式分缀筛选的铁路行包办理站装运方案编制方法.运用结果验证了方法的有效性和实用性,能够提高铁路行包运输组织的水平和运输管理质量,并且实现了铁路行包运输装运方案和日装车计划的计算机编制.     

The Increasing Role of Latent Variables in Modelling Bicycle Mode Choice

The growing interest in promoting non-motorised active transport has led to an increase in the number of studies to identify the key variables associated with bicycle use, and especially those related to the bicycle mode choice problem. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the modelling literature on the choice of the bicycle for utilitarian purposes, and summarises and assesses the evolution of the explanatory variables and methodologies used. We review both the evolution of the incorporation of latent variables in bicycle mode choice models and the critical role they play. The chronological evolution of the studies is divided into three stages —initial, intermediate and late — according to the different ways of introducing attitudinal or perceptual indicators and latent variables into the models. Our review shows that the incorporation of latent variables in bicycle choice models has increased in the last decade, with a progressive use of more sophisticated methodologies until the arrival of complex models that explicitly and properly deal with psychological latent variables. In fact, with the use of hybrid choice models, latent variables have nowadays become the core of bicycle mode choice models. Based on our review, a set of questions is proposed as a uniform measurement scale to identify attitudes towards bicycling. Recommendations for future research are also presented.     

From user equilibrium to system optimum: a literature review on the role of travel information,bounded rationality and non-selfish behaviour at the network and individual levels

Travel information continues to receive significant attention in the field of travel behaviour research, as it is expected to help reduce congestion by directing the network state from a user equilibrium towards a more efficient system optimum. This literature review contributes to the existing literature in at least two ways. First, it considers both the individual perspective and the network perspective when assessing the potential effects of travel information, in contrast to earlier studies. Secondly, it highlights the role of bounded rationality as well as that of non-selfish behaviour in route choice and in response to information, complementing earlier reviews that mostly focused on bounded rationality only. It is concluded that information strategies should be tailor-made to an individual's level of rationality as well as level of selfishness in order to approach system-optimal conditions on the network level. Moreover, initial ideas and future research directions are provided for assessing the potential of travel information in order to improve network efficiency of existing road networks.     

Strategic evacuation planning with pedestrian guidance and bus routing: a mixed integer programming model and heuristic solution

This paper presents a mathematical model to plan emergencies in a densely populated urban zone where a certain numbers of pedestrians depend on transit for evacuation. The proposed model features an integrated operational framework, which simultaneously guides evacuees through urban streets and crosswalks (referred to as “the pedestrian network”) to designated pickup points (e.g., bus stops), and routes a fleet of buses at different depots to those pick‐up points and transports evacuees to their destinations or safe places. In this level, the buses are routed through the so‐called “vehicular network.” An integrated mixed integer linear program that can effectively take into account the interactions between the aforementioned two networks is formulated to find the maximal evacuation efficiency in two networks. Because the large instances of the proposed model are mathematically difficult to solve to optimality, a two‐stage heuristic is developed to solve larger instances of the model. Results from hundreds of numerical examples analysis indicate that proposed heuristic works well in providing (near) optimal or feasibly good solutions for medium‐scale to large‐scale instances that may arise in real transit‐based evacuation situations in a much shorter amount of computational time compared with cplex (can find optimal/feasible solutions for only five instances within 3 hours of running). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effectiveness of differential pricing on route choice

The use of differential pricing as a means of traffic management has been advocated by specialists in the field of transport for quite some time. Because of technical and political reasons, a full-scale pricing scheme for the use of road space has yet to be introduced. Applying the principle to a highly automatic rail system, however, is technologically much more feasible. The Mass Transit Railway Corporation of Hong Kong has implemented a so-called revenue neutral peal pricing policy after the completion of a second cross-harbour route- the East Harbour Crossing — in May, 1990. Passengers travelling from Kowloon to the central business district (including Jordon and Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side and stations from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay on the Island side) during the morning peak hour are confronted with the following choice: either (i) make use of the Nathan Road Corridor and pay 80 cents on top of normal face; or (ii) take the less congested but in general longer route via the East Harbour Crossing and get a 80 cents discount. The present paper attempts to analyse the effectiveness of this differential pricing policy in diverting passengers from the overcrowded section to the less heavily utilized route. A personal interview survey comprising a total of 1094 successful cases was conducted for this purpose. The logit regression model was employed to analyse the route choice. It is found that income, habit and journey time are the most important variables determining the route choice. The effect of cost or fare difference, although large in terms of magnitude, is only marginally significant in the statistical sense. It is suggested that efforts to change the passengers' habit and measures to shorten the train transfer time at the Quarry Bay Station for the East harbour Crossing users would be more effective in achieving this end. This is especially the case given the current political development in Hong King which renders further enlargement of the price difference a highly difficult proposition.     

独立决定条件IIA(S2)下的最小决定集及唯一存在性

研究了当独立决定条件HA（S1）弱化为IIA（S2）时，在非二元性选择环境下，选择函数的最小决定集及其唯一存在性．证明了在k-集可行性条件、无约束域条件、Pareto优化准则和独立决定条件IIA（S2）下，选择函数存在唯一的最小否定集和最小决定集．进而证明了在上述条件下，选择函数满足独立决定条件IIA（S2）的充分必要条件不是独裁者，而是寡头控制.