Transport network criticality metrics: a comparative analysis and a guideline for selection

ABSTRACT

Transport network criticality analysis aims at ranking transport infrastructure elements based on their contribution to the performance of the overall infrastructure network. Despite the wide variety of transport network criticality metrics, little guidance is available on selecting metrics that are fit for the specific purpose of a study. To address this gap, this study reviews, evaluates and compares seventeen criticality metrics. First, we conceptually evaluate these metrics in terms of the functionality of the transport system that the metrics try to represent (either maintaining connectivity, reducing travel cost, or improving accessibility), the underlying ethical principles (either utilitarianism or egalitarianism), and the spatial aggregation considered by the metrics (either network-wide or localised). Next, we empirically compare the metrics by calculating them for eight transport networks. We define the empirical similarity between two metrics as the degree to which they yield similar rankings of infrastructure elements. Pairs of metrics that have high empirical similarity highlight the same set of transport infrastructure elements as critical. We find that empirical similarity is partly dependent on the network’s topology. We also observe that metrics that are conceptually similar do not necessarily have high empirical similarity. Based on the insights from the conceptual and empirical comparison, we propose a five-step guideline for transport authorities and analysts to identify the set of criticality metrics to use which best aligns with the nature of their policy questions.     

Transport resilience and vulnerability: The role of connectivity

This paper aims to adopt a critical stance on the relevance and interpretation of the recently emerging concepts of resilience and vulnerability in transportation studies. It makes a clear distinction between engineering and ecological interpretations of these concepts and offers a systematic typology of various studies in this field. A core element in the study is the linkage between the aforementioned concepts and connectivity/accessibility in transport networks. The methodological findings in the study are put in perspective by addressing also such concepts as robustness, reliability and friability of transport systems.     

Assessment of antenna characteristic effects on pedestrian and cyclists travel-time estimation based on Bluetooth and WiFi MAC addresses

Monitoring pedestrian and cyclists movement is an important area of research in transport, crowd safety, urban design and human behaviour assessment areas. Media Access Control (MAC) address data has been recently used as potential information for extracting features from people’s movement. MAC addresses are unique identifiers of WiFi and Bluetooth wireless technologies in smart electronics devices such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets. The unique number of each WiFi and Bluetooth MAC address can be captured and stored by MAC address scanners. MAC addresses data in fact allows for unannounced, non-participatory, and tracking of people. The use of MAC data for tracking people has been focused recently for applying in mass events, shopping centres, airports, train stations, etc. In terms of travel time estimation, setting up a scanner with a big value of antenna’s gain is usually recommended for highways and main roads to track vehicle’s movements, whereas big gains can have some drawbacks in case of pedestrian and cyclists. Pedestrian and cyclists mainly move in built distinctions and city pathways where there is significant noises from other fixed WiFi and Bluetooth. Big antenna’s gains will cover wide areas that results in scanning more samples from pedestrians and cyclists’ MAC device. However, anomalies (such fixed devices) may be captured that increase the complexity and processing time of data analysis. On the other hand, small gain antennas will have lesser anomalies in the data but at the cost of lower overall sample size of pedestrian and cyclist’s data. This paper studies the effect of antenna characteristics on MAC address data in terms of travel-time estimation for pedestrians and cyclists. The results of the empirical case study compare the effects of small and big antenna gains in order to suggest optimal set up for increasing the accuracy of pedestrians and cyclists’ travel-time estimation.     

高端线材铁路运输装载防护实践

铁路运输线材采用的运输装载加固方式不当会导致产品外包装破损,甚至线材产品表面划伤,严重影响高端线材产品的工厂使用,针对帘线钢盘条铁路运输装载防护问题进行了研究,对现有运输中产品外包装形式、端面侧面防护及加固材料等提出相应的解决方案,以满足更多钢铁高端线材铁路运输安全、稳定、高效的需求。     

美国铁路煤炭运输

介绍美国铁路煤炭运输的发展概况与产销特点：煤炭资源丰富,产地集中,消费的地域集中度不高,但其产业集中度很高。煤炭运输的产销特点决定了美国铁路煤炭的运输组织方式以单元列车为主,技术装备配置以煤炭客户自备车为主。其煤炭运价分为公布运价和合同运价,当燃油价格超过基准价格时,美国铁路运输公司收取燃油附加费。由于煤炭运输市场竞争充分,煤炭供求双方具备强大的市场谈判能力,因此美国铁路煤炭运输的收入率较低。     

电子商务在铁路集装箱运输中的应用

分析电子商务在铁路集装箱运输中应用的必要性,并对铁路集装箱运输电子商务功能进行阐述,指出只有实现商务单证的电子化和费用支付的电子化才能实现真正意义上的电子商务,并论述铁路集装箱运输应用电子商务的优点。     

关于铁路保价运输赔偿法律适用的思考

阐述目前对铁路保价运输赔偿的相关法律、法规的规定,分析由于相关法规冲突导致司法实践中出现的赔偿标准不一、影响司法的统一性、权利救济不及时并造成司法资源的浪费等现象,介绍国外保价运输的立法情况,提出解决铁路保价运输赔偿问题的具体思路。     

对发挥铁路运输企业计量技术机构职能作用的几点思考

在分析铁路计量技术机构职能定位的基础上,从树立“大计量”的观念;实现重心转移,追踪运输生产过程质量监测;巩固计量“溯源”体系,确立在铁路运输各专业检测监控的“源头”地位等3个方面,论述发挥计量技术机构在铁路运输业综合技术监督体系中的“溯源”作用。     

A study of relationships between traffic noise and annoyance for different urban site typologies

The paper intends to analyse the different attitudes of residents in urban areas in regard to annoyance induced by traffic noise, account taken of the effects of the street configuration and of the presence of specific public transport modes in the definition of the dose-response curves.People’s annoyance was investigated through a campaign of noise and traffic measurements and an epidemiological survey, administered to a sample of 830 residents in the buildings close to the measurement points.An ordinal regression model taking into account environmental and urban characteristics was used to identify a dose-response relationship. The cumulative probabilities allowed to define two cut points on the dose-response curves (60 and 75 dB(A)), grouping people in three classes and making the representation of the dose-response relationships different from those traditionally defined that use only the percentage of highly annoyed people.The results show different people’s attitudes towards the annoyance in the urban sites while the dose-response relationship shows that the correlation between annoyance and noise is low. For the same value of day equivalent level, 10% more people are annoyed in L sections (broad streets) than in U sections (narrow streets). Furthermore, all the dose-response curves show a higher sensitivity of people living in L sections; this difference can be measured as a shift of about 4 dB(A). Noise levels are, arguably, a useful indicator, but they are not reliable enough to define the discomfort of the residents, while the site characteristics could shed light on annoyance variability.