“12·7”事故对珠江口区域溢油应急合作的启发

2004年发生于珠江口的“12·7”船舶碰撞溢油事故（以下简称“12·7”事故）被成功处置后,广东海事局在总结该事故处置经验的基础上,于2005年在珠江口开展了代号为“碧洋行动”的溢油应急演练。通过对“碧洋行动”设定的事故场景之一的推演和评估可以看到珠江口区域溢油应急合作对于该区域溢油事故应急处置的重要意义。     

绿色、和谐、以人为本的城市交通规划策略分析

本文章在借鉴、参略出发,综合阐述了土地利用考国内外先进城市交通规划理念的基础上,从绿色、和谐、以人为本的规划策交通结构一体化对城市规划的影响和意义,并从交通需求管理的角度对城市交通规划进行了全方位、深层次分析,对城市交通规划的研究和实施具有一定的借鉴和参考价值。     

Effective environmental marketing of green cars: A nested-logit approach

Using market data, we assess the effectiveness of an eco-marketing campaign on purchases of ‘green’ vehicles. The eco-marketing was designed as a quasi-experiment, having one region exposed to the marketing while the other region was the control. A two-level nested-logit model consistent with utility maximization reveals the campaign had short-term positive effects on green-car sales. Results also indicate green-car buyers come from highly educated communities. Age has a positive but non-linear effect on green car sales.     

Aligning the purchase of green logistics practices between shippers and logistics service providers

This paper explores shippers’ (i.e. logistics buyers) and logistics service providers’ (LSPs) perceptions of green concerns under diverse contractual settings during the key phases of the logistics purchasing process: request for proposal, negotiations, contracting and execution. Accordingly, it derives recommendations that could increase the actors’ inter- and- intra-organisational alignment on green targets throughout these phases. Empirical data are obtained from eight individual cases of three shippers and five LSPs, representing the buyer/seller roles within logistics arrangements. Contrary to previous literature holding the view that setting more green demands by shippers would guarantee green outcomes, the findings show that shippers’ green demands may hinder green logistics applications due to impediments to LSPs’ asset-sharing strategies. Also, a deadlock situation is revealed in the negotiations phase, where both actors await each other to introduce additional demands/offers—calling for further regulatory intervention to release this deadlock. Moreover, this paper shows how a mismatch of interests in contractual periods between shippers and LSPs can obstruct green investments—signalling that the green criterion is not the decisive factor in shaping shippers’ outsourcing strategies. The findings also stress a lack of follow-up efforts by shippers on green measures that were specified pre-contract, attributing this to contrasting intra-organisational objectives within shippers’ firms. This paper contributes to the green logistics purchasing literature by revealing how different contractual settings play an important role in shaping shippers’/LSPs’ perceptions of green concerns during the logistics purchasing process. Further, it is one of the first studies to provide phase-specific recommendations to increase the actors’ alignment on green targets.     

A multi-path progression model for synchronization of arterial traffic signals

To contend with congestion and spillback on commuting arterials, serving as connectors between freeway and surface-street flows, this paper presents three multi-path progression models to offer progression bands for multiple critical path-flows contributing to the high volume in each arterial link. The first proposed model is a direct extension of MAXBAND under a predetermined phasing plan, but using the path-flow data to yield the progression bands. The second model further takes the phase sequence at each intersection as a decision variable, and concurrently optimizes the signal plans with offsets for the entire arterial. Due to the competing nature of multi-path progression flows over the same green duration, the third model is proposed with a function to automatically select the optimal number of paths in their bandwidths maximization process. The results of extensive simulation studies have shown that the proposed models outperform conventional design methods, such as MAXBAND or TRANSYT, especially for those arterials with multiple heavy path-flows. The research results from this study have also reflected the need to collect more traffic pattern data such as major path-flow volumes, in addition to the typical intersection volume counts.     

Characterising Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory trajectories for platoon-based optimisation

Conceptually, a Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (GLOSA) system suggests speeds to vehicles, allowing them to pass through an intersection during the green interval. In previous papers, a single speed is computed for each vehicle in a range between acceptable minimum and maximum values (for example between standstill and the speed limit). This speed is assumed to be constant until the beginning of the green interval, and sent as advice to the vehicle. The goal is to optimise for a particular objective, whether it be minimisation of emissions (for environmental reasons), fuel usage or delay. This paper generalises the advice given to a vehicle, by optimising for delay over the entire trajectory instead of suggesting an individual speed, regardless of initial conditions – time until green, distance to intersection and initial speed. This may require multiple acceleration manoeuvres, so the advice is sent as a suggested acceleration at each time step. Such advice also takes into account a suitable safety constraint, ensuring that vehicles are always able to stop before the intersection during a red interval, thus safeguarding against last-minute signal control schedule changes. While the algorithms developed primarily minimise delay, they also help to reduce fuel usage and emissions by conserving kinetic energy. Since vehicles travel in platoons, the effectiveness of a GLOSA system is heavily reliant on correctly identifying the leading vehicle that is the first to be given trajectory advice for each cycle. Vehicles naturally form a platoon behind this leading vehicle. A time loop technique is proposed which allows accurate identification of the leader even when there are complex interactions between preceding vehicles. The developed algorithms are ideal for connected autonomous vehicle environments, because computer control allows vehicles’ trajectories to be managed with greater accuracy and ease. However, the advice algorithms can also be used in conjunction with manual control provided Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication is available.     

Development of signal optimization models for asymmetric two-leg continuous flow intersections

Despite extensive studies have been reported to address the operational issues of full Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI) in the literature, the asymmetric two-leg CFI, which is more applicable in practice, has not received adequate attentions yet. To satisfy such need, this study develops two signal optimization models for asymmetric CFI based on its unique geometric features. The first proposed model, following a two-step procedure, determines the cycle length, phase design and sequence, and green split in the first step and optimizes intersection offset in the second step. To benefit both intersections’ capacity maximization and signal progression design by optimizing phase plan and sequence, the second proposed model takes the Mixed-Integer-Linear-Programming (MILP) technique to concurrently optimize all signal control variables. With extensive case studies on a field site in Maryland, the simulation results prove that the proposed models can effectively provide signal progression to critical path-flows and prevent the potential queue spillover on the short turning bays/links. Further comparisons between the two proposed models reveal that the second model is more flexible in designing phase plan but the first model performs better in reducing link queue length.     

The multi-port berth allocation problem with speed optimization and emission considerations

The container shipping industry faces many interrelated challenges and opportunities, as its role in the global trading system has become increasingly important over the last decades. On the one side, collaboration between port terminals and shipping liners can lead to costs savings and help achieve a sustainable supply chain, and on the other side, the optimization of operations and sailing times leads to reductions in bunker consumption and, thus, to fuel cost and air emissions reductions. To that effect, there is an increasing need to address the integration opportunities and environmental issues related to container shipping through optimization. This paper focuses on the well known Berth Allocation Problem (BAP), an optimization problem assigning berthing times and positions to vessels in container terminals. We introduce a novel mathematical formulation that extends the classical BAP to cover multiple ports in a shipping network under the assumption of strong cooperation between shipping lines and terminals. Speed is optimized on all sailing legs between ports, demonstrating the effect of speed optimization in reducing the total time of the operation, as well as total fuel consumption and emissions. Furthermore, the model implementation shows that an accurate speed discretization can result in far better economic and environmental results.     

The design of an in-vehicle assistance system to support eco-driving

This driving simulator study was the second of two studies investigating the most effective and acceptable in-vehicle system for the provision of guidance on fuel efficient accelerator usage. Three eco-driving interfaces were selected for test (a second-order display visual display with auditory alerts and two haptic accelerator pedal systems) following a pilot study of 12 different interfaces. These systems were tested in a range of eco-driving scenarios involving acceleration, deceleration and speed maintenance, and assessed through their effects on fuel economy, vehicle control, distraction, and driver subjective feedback. The results suggest that a haptic accelerator pedal system is most effective for preventing over-acceleration, whilst minimal differences were observed between systems in terms of the effect of the assistance provided to prevent under-acceleration. The visual–auditory interface lowered the time spent looking towards the road, indicating a potential negative impact on driver safety from using this modality to provide continuous green driving support. Subjective results were consistent with the objective findings, with haptic pedal systems creating lower perceived workload than a visual–auditory interface. Driver acceptability ratings suggested a slight favouring of a haptic-force system for its usefulness, whereas the more subtle haptic-stiffness system was judged more acceptable to use. These findings offer suggestions for the design of a user-friendly, eco-driving device that can help drivers improve their fuel economy, specifically through the provision of real-time guidance on the manipulation of the accelerator pedal position.     

Bunker levy schemes for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in international shipping

A fuel levy is one of the market-based measures (MBMs) currently under consideration at the International Maritime Organization. MBMs have been proposed to improve the energy efficiency of the shipping sector and reduce its emissions. This paper analyses the economic and environmental implications of two types of levy on shipping bunker fuels by means of an analytical model built on the cobweb theorem. A unit-tax per ton of fuel and an ad-valorem tax, enforced as a percentage of fuel prices, are examined. In both cases, a speed and fuel-consumption reduction equivalent to an improvement in the energy efficiency of the sector would be expected as a result of the regulation enforcement. The speed reduction in the unit-tax case depends on fuel prices and the tax amount, whereas in the ad-valorem case it relies upon the enforced tax percentage.Both schemes lead to industry profit decline, the extent of which depend on the structure of the levy and market conditions. Since there is concern that the costs resulting from the policy will be passed from shipping companies to their customers along the supply chain, the paper dwells on how the costs arising from the enforcement of the levy will be actually allocated between ship-owners and operators, and cargo-owners. In a market characterised by high freight rates and with no or limited excess capacity, a higher percentage of the total tax amount is transferred from ship-owners to shippers. In case of a recession the opposite happens.