Implementation of interactive transit information kiosks at New York City transit facilities: Analysis of user utilization and lessons learned

Transit Traveler Information Systems (TTIS) comprise a wide range of technologies that transit agencies use to provide reliable and timely transit-related information to customers. The touch-screen interactive information kiosk is an example of these emerging TTIS technologies. This paper examines the implementation of interactive touch-screen information kiosks, known as “On the Go!” Touch-Screen Travel Stations, at Metropolitan Transportation Authority-New York City Transit (MTA-NYCT) facilities in 2011. It analyzes data from passenger intercept surveys, from the kiosks’ built-in application usage logs and from field observations to understand actual passenger utilization of the kiosks and to assess the implications for transit agencies. The field observations also made it possible to obtain a profile of kiosk users, which sheds light on the concept of the “digital divide.” The findings, presented as lessons learned, can help agencies elsewhere develop guidelines and effective strategies for implementing similar interactive transit information systems.     

Using the built environment to oversample walk,transit, and bicycle travel

Characteristics of the built environment (BE) have been associated with walk, transit, and bicycle travel. These BE characteristics can be used by transportation researchers to oversample households from areas where walk, transit, or bicycle travel is more likely, resulting in more observations of these uncommon travel behaviors. Little guidance, however, is available on the effectiveness of such built environment oversampling strategies. This article presents measures that can be used to assess the effectiveness of BE oversampling strategies and inform future efforts to oversample households with uncommon travel behaviors. The measures are sensitivity and specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and positive predictive value (PPV). To illustrate these measures, they were calculated for 10 BE-defined oversampling strata applied post-hoc to a Seattle area household travel survey. Strata with an average block size of <10 acres within a ¼ mile of household residences held the single greatest potential for oversampling households that walk, use transit, and/or bicycle.     

The perception of Bus Rapid Transit: a passenger survey from Beijing Southern Axis BRT Line 1

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has emerged as a cost-effective transport system for urban mobility. As a relatively new form of Mass Transit, its ability to provide a high-quality transport service and potential to stimulate land development remain largely unexplored. This study intends to investigate the public attitude towards BRT services, as well as respondents’ perception of living near BRT stations, using the Beijing Southern Axis BRT system as a case study. A data-set of responses to 525 questionnaires were assembled and analysed using a combination of statistical techniques. The results show that BRT has gained great popularity among passengers, and brought about a positive impact on the attractiveness of residential property. The data identify that the majority of passengers are work-related commuters and use BRT more than once a day. The captive users have a higher satisfaction than choice users with respect to reliability, comfort & cleanliness and overall satisfaction with the BRT service. It is argued that the BRT has significantly improved the attractiveness of residential property along the BRT corridor.     

城市轨道交通客流密集度指数研究

基于轨道交通物联网监测数据，从点、线、面三个层级，构建不同时间粒度车站、线路、网络的客流密集度指数计算模型和算法。车站客流密集度指数模型综合考虑影响车站密集度指数的关键区域（出入口、站台、楼扶梯、换乘通道）的拥挤程度和拥挤范围因素；线路的客流密集度指数模型综合考虑车站和区间的影响；网络的客流密集度指数模型由各线路的客流密集度指数加权得到。测试结果表明，提出的模型计算结果与实际地铁客流出行规律一致，可较好地反映地铁拥挤程度，为地铁客流运营拥挤状态评价和辅助决策提供技术支持。     

The Downs–Thomson Paradox with responsive transit service

Downs (1962) and Thomson (1977) suggested that highway capacity expansion may produce counterproductive effects on the two-mode (auto and transit) transport system (Downs–Thomson Paradox). This paper investigates the occurrence of this paradox when transit authority can have different economic objectives (profit-maximizing or breakeven) and operating schemes (frequency, fare, or both frequency and fare). For various combinations of economic objectives and operating schemes, the interaction between highway expansion and transit service is explored, as well as its impact on travelers’ mode choices and travel utilities. Further, for each combination, the conditions for occurrence of the Downs–Thomson Paradox are established. We show that the paradox never occurs when transit authority is profit-maximizing, but it is inevitable when the transit authority is running to maximize travelers’ utility while maintaining breakeven. This is because the former transit authority tends to enhance transit service (e.g., raise frequency or reduce fare) when facing an expanded highway; and on the contrary, the latter tends to compromise transit service (e.g., reduce frequency or raise fare). Both analytical and numerical examples are provided to verify the theoretical results.     

京津冀一体化轨道交通协调发展研究和展望

京津冀协同发展上升为国家战略,需要区域轨道交通协调发展来支撑和服务于区域一体化发展。从京津冀协同发展空间布局及产业转移的角度出发,提出各种轨道交通的层次及服务功能,在此基础上对轨道交通协调发展研究提出应抓住规划,处理好既有轨道交通与新增轨道交通、客货运主要通道与交通引导(TOD)、各种轨道交通间协调衔接等方面关系;加快投融资改革,实施同步建设;创新体制,实现管理协调发展;加大政策扶持,达到轨道交通可持续发展等方面进行研究,同时对区域轨道交通进行展望,对京津冀一体化轨道交通协调发展研究方向、研究领域和空间进行了浅议。     

快速公交系统票制票价敏感性分析

快速公交（BRT）因其快速、便捷、高效等优良品质被许多城市采用，近年来，在世界各地发展迅猛。票制票价作为BRT系统的重要组成部分也受到了关注。介绍国际国内城市的BRT票制票价情况，对票制票价的敏感性进行分析。从昆明市的实际情况出发，结合公众意愿调查数据，分析居民公交费用支出对居民收入、出行时耗、舒适度以及拥挤收费的影响情况，为昆明市BRT系统的改造与提升提供基础支撑。     

浅谈香港西铁项目计划管理

香港西铁项目投资规模巨大，工程复杂。为确保工程能按时完工，投入运营，参与各方秉承科学计划管理理念、采用先进技术精心组织实施，业主在招标阶段制定了一套完善的计划管理体系，承包商能够利用先进技术编制了全面、详细、形象的施工计划并加以实施，咨询工程师能够严格把关，协调各方关系，确保了项目顺利完工。     

Passenger railway reform in the last 20 years - European experience reconsidered

It is about 20 years since the rail reform process in Europe began with the separation of infrastructure from operations in Sweden. This paper reviews the entire process, examining the objectives of reform, the different models adopted, and the key elements of separation of infrastructure from operations, competition both through open access and franchising and regulation and infrastructure charging. It is concluded that separation of infrastructure from operations involves costs, but is the most effective way of achieving within mode competition. Where operations do not greatly overlap and open access passenger and freight are unimportant, leasing infrastructure to passenger franchisees may be effective, but the model of vertical integration as separate subsidiaries within a holding company structure makes it difficult to ensure a level playing field for new entrants and is only effective where the vertically integrated operator remains dominant.     

基于GT-Power和Simulink的柴油机各缸不均匀性闭环控制

为改善各缸工作不均匀性,以TBD314V8柴油机为研究对象,基于缸压计算得到的各缸IMEP和CA50作为反馈变量,控制变量为各缸的喷油量和喷油提前角,建立了GT-Power与Simulink联合仿真模型,通过模型分析了轨压、负荷和喷油提前角对爆压、IMEP和CA50不均匀率的影响,并对影响因素进行参数灵敏度量化分析,验证了闭环控制对各缸不均匀性的改善效果。结果表明：轨压对爆压、IMEP和CA50不均匀率影响较小;负荷对IMEP不均匀率影响最大,且随着负荷的增加呈线性下降;喷油提前角对爆压不均匀率和CA50不均匀率影响最大,且CA50不均匀率随着喷油提前角的增大呈线性增加。经过闭环控制后,各缸不均匀性得到明显改善。