基于需求弹性的城市公交票价优化方法及实证分析

城市公交票价是公交系统健康发展的重要因素,票价制定需兼顾公交企业的市场性和公益性双重属性,在保证服务质量的同时,考虑运营成本和最大限度吸引公交需求,实现经济效益和社会效益的双赢.在本文中,根据用户均衡理论,构建了城市多方式交通出行的需求分析模型,采用灵敏度分析方法给出了城市公交价格—需求弹性的计算方法.在此基础上,充分考虑了各种方式的交通特征、公交需求弹性、公交运营成本及政府限价等因素,提出了城市公交票价优化的数学规划模型,并给出了求解算法.最后,以国内某城市居民出行调查及公交运营数据为基础,分析了不同条件下公交客运需求的变化规律及城市公交票价的优化策略.     

城市公交线网的一票制差异化票价策略优化

针对城市公交系统客流空间分布和线网运力配置不均衡问题,提出公交线路间差异化定价策略,通过价格杠杆调节客流需求分布. 针对我国普遍采用的一票制模式,在分析乘客广义出行费用的基础上,利用基于Logit 的线路间客流分配方法,并以总社会成本最低为目标,以满足输送能力和收费额度等为约束,建立了固定需求下的城市公交线网的差异化票价策略优化模型. 根据模型特点,设计了基于模拟退火算法的模型求解方法,综合优化各线路的票价水平和发车频率. 最后,将提出的模型和算法应用到典型公交线网上,算例结果表明,优化方法在较低的收费额度下即可实现较为明显的网络改善效果.     

A comparative analysis of US toll policy

In the US, there is a long tradition of toll roads, beginning with the Lancaster Turnpike that was built at the end of the 18th century connecting Philadelphia and Lancaster. There are currently more than 300 toll facilities in the US, which is probably the largest number of toll facilities in the world. These facilities represent a wide range of conditions, from hypercongested facilities in large metropolitan areas such as New York City to toll highways in rural areas. The toll structures are equally diverse, ranging from multi-tier price structures with frequent user, carpool, and time of day discounts; to simpler structures in which the only differentiation is made on the basis of the number of axles per vehicle. The toll rates are typically set by the agencies that operate or own the toll facilities. The rules or formulas by which these tolls are determined are not generally available to the public, though it is safe to say that toll decisions are made taking into account technical considerations, as well as the all important criterion of political acceptability. However, data on toll rates and how they change by vehicle types and by some other attributes are readily available.The overall objective of this paper is to analyze the toll data from various facilities across the US to gain insight into the overall factors affecting the tolls. A more specific objective is to assess—though in a rather approximate fashion—if the tolls by vehicle type, relative to each other, are appropriate and consistent with economic theory. This is achieved by comparing tolls to approximate indicators of road space consumption and pavement deterioration. The literature review confirmed that this is the first time such research has been conducted which is an important first step toward an analysis of the efficiency of current toll policies.The analyses in this paper are based on a random sample of all toll facilities across the US. The toll dataset, which include toll rates for passenger cars, busses, and three different truck types, is assembled mainly from the available information on the web sites of various toll agencies. After cleaning the data, the authors used econometric modeling to estimate a set of ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models that express tolls as functions of independent variables. Three families of models were estimated: linear models, models based on expansions of Taylor series, and models based on piece-wise linear approximations to non-linear effects. The resulting models were analyzed to identify the salient features of current toll policies towards different vehicle types.     

关于城市征收交通拥堵费的可行性探讨

在分析拥堵收费的内涵基础上,分析征收交通拥堵费的可行性,提出征收交通拥堵费应该遵循公平性、效益性、易操作性和可接受性原则。指出在征收交通拥堵费时应该考虑4个方面的原则,即征收交通拥堵费的法律、法规依据;征收交通拥堵费的具体实施方案;交通拥堵费的分配与使用和公共交通系统是否发达。     

A detailed analysis of how an urban trail system affects cyclists’ travel

Transportation specialists, urban planners, and public health officials have been steadfast in encouraging active modes of transportation over the past decades. Conventional thinking, however, suggests that providing infrastructure for cycling and walking in the form of off-street trails is critically important. An outstanding question in the literature is how one’s travel is affected by the use of such facilities and specifically, the role of distance to the trail in using such facilities. This research describes a highly detailed analysis of use along an off-street facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The core questions addressed in this investigation aim to understand relationships between: (1) the propensity of using the trail based on distance from the trip origin and destination, and (2) how far out of their way trail users travel for the benefit of using the trail and explanatory factors for doing so. The data used in the analysis for this research was collected as a human intercept survey along a section of an off-street facility. The analysis demonstrates that a cogent distance decay pattern exists and that the decay function varies by trip purpose. Furthermore, we find that bicyclists travel, on average, 67% longer in order to include the trail facility on their route. The paper concludes by explaining how the distance decay and shortest path versus taken path analysis can aid in the planning and analysis of new trail systems.

Distance-dependent congestion pricing for downtown zones

A growing literature exploits macroscopic theories of traffic to model congestion pricing policies in downtown zones. This study introduces trip length heterogeneity into this analysis and proposes a usage-based, time-varying congestion toll that alleviates congestion while prioritizing shorter trips. Unlike conventional trip-based tolls the scheme is intended to align the fees paid by drivers with the actual congestion damage they do, and to increase the toll’s benefits as a result.The scheme is intended to maximize the number of people that finish their trips close to their desired times. The usage-based toll is compared to a traditional, trip-based toll which neglects trip length. It is found that, like trip-based tolls, properly designed usage-based tolls alleviate congestion. But they reduce schedule delay more than trip-based tolls and do so with much smaller user fees. As a result usage-based tolls leave most of those who pay with a large welfare gain. This may increase the tolls’ political acceptability.     

部分信息下的欧式未定权益定价及套期保值策略

假设证券价格变动满足一般意义下的泛函随机微分方程，给出了依据证券交易价格对欧式未定权益定价及相应套期保值策略的计算方法．     

When are subsidies to trans-European network projects justified?

The trans-European transport network (TEN-T) encompasses the major planned transport infrastructure in Europe, ranging from high speed rail to port infrastructure. Projects in this category are considered priority projects and receive European subsidies; but these have been insufficient to get these projects off the ground. This paper addresses two research questions. First, it sketches the basic economics of cross-boundary infrastructure projects: what pricing and investment policies can we expect, what is the role of through traffic and high fixed costs of infrastructure? Second, it examines briefly what lessons the EU could draw from the experience of other existing federal funding institutions like the US and Germany. These ideas are used to propose a new subsidy scheme for the TEN-T projects.     

Is road pricing effective in abating pollution? Evidence from Milan

We estimate the effect of a road pricing policy introduced in Milan in 2008 on concentrations of benzene, carbon monoxide, particulates, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. We found a sizeable effect of the Ecopass on air quality in terms of reduction in the concentration of carbon monoxide and particulates a few days after its introduction, although this effect disappeared after only one week. We interpret these results as indicative of an inefficient policy design: motorbikes were not charged and the treated area is too limited to generate positive outcomes for the whole city. Further evidence from a natural experiment given by a temporary suspension of the charge in 2012 confirms our hypothesis on the incentives for motorbike usage.     

Electric vehicle park-charge-ride programs: A planning framework and case study in Chicago

In suburban areas, combining the use of electric vehicles (EV) and transit systems in an EV Park-Charge-Ride (PCR) approach can potentially help improve transit accessibility, facilitate EV charging and adoption, and reduce the need for long-distance driving and ensuing impacts. Despite the anticipated growth of EV adoption and charging demand, PCR programs are limited. With a focus on multi-modal trips, this study proposes a generic planning process that integrates EV infrastructure development with transit systems, develops a systematic assessment approach to fostering the PCR adoption, and illustrates a case implementation in Chicago. Specifically, this study develops a Suitability Index (SI) for EV charging locations at parking spots that are suitable for both EV charging and transit connections. SI can be customized for short-term and long-term planning scenarios. SI values are derived in Chicago as an example for (1) commuter rail stations (for work trips), and (2) shopping centers near transit stops as potential opportunities for additional weekday parking and EV charging (for multi-purpose trips/MPT). Furthermore, carbon emissions and vehicle miles travelled (VMT) across various travel modes and trip scenarios (i.e., work trips and MPT) are calculated. Compared to the baseline of driving a conventional vehicle, this study found that an EV PCR commuter can reduce up to 87% of personal VMT and 52% of carbon emissions. A more active role of the public sector in the PCR program development is recommended.