On the morning commute problem with bottleneck congestion and parking space constraints

Morning commuters choose their departure times based on a combination of factors—the chances of running into bottleneck congestion, the likely schedule delays, and parking space availability. This study investigates the morning commute problem with both bottleneck congestion and parking space constraints. In particular, it considers the situation when some commuters have reserved parking spots while others have to compete for public ones on a first-come-first-served basis. Unlike the traditional pure bottleneck model, the rush-hour dynamic traffic pattern with a binding parking capacity constraint varies with the relative proportions of the two classes of commuters. It is found that an appropriate combination of reserved and unreserved parking spots can temporally relieve traffic congestion at the bottleneck and hence reduce the total system cost, because commuters without a reserved parking spot are compelled to leave home earlier in order to secure a public parking spot. System performance is quantified in terms of the relative proportions of the two classes of commuters and is compared with those in the extreme cases when all auto commuters have to compete for parking and when none of them have to compete for one.     

Hierarchical network-based equilibrium model and algorithm for a mixed-traffic urban transport system

Abstract

Many equilibrium models and algorithms based on homogeneous motorized traffic have been devised to model urban transport systems in developed countries, but they are inadequate when it comes to represent mixed-traffic urban transport systems, including automobiles, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians, in developing countries such as China or India. In these cases, traffic flow on a road segment is an aggregated result of travellers' combined mode/route choices and corresponding interactions. Therefore, a special assignment model and algorithm are needed for modeling these distinct behaviors. In this article, the structure of a mixed-traffic urban transport system is analyzed and then expanded and represented using a hierarchical network model based on graph theory. Based on the analysis of travelers' combined mode/route choices, generalized travel cost functions and link impedance functions for different modes are formulated, where the interferences between different modes on the same road segments are taken into account. Due to the ‘asymmetric’ nature of these functions, a variational inequality model is proposed to represent the equilibrium assignment problem in a mixed-traffic urban transport system. The corresponding solution algorithm is also presented. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the practicality of the proposed model and algorithm.     

Game-theoretical models for competition analysis in a new emerging liner container shipping market

This paper develops three game-theoretical models to analyze shipping competition between two carriers in a new emerging liner container shipping market. The behavior of each carrier is characterized by an optimization model with the objective to maximize his payoff by setting optimal freight rate and shipping deployment (a combination of service frequency and ship capacity setting). The market share for each carrier is determined by the Logit-based discrete choice model. Three competitive game strategic interactions are further investigated, namely, Nash game, Stackelberg game and deterrence by taking account of the economies of scale of the ship capacity settings. Three corresponding competition models with discrete pure strategy are formulated as the variables in shipment deployment are indivisible and the pricing adjustment is step-wise in practice. A ɛ -approximate equilibrium and related numerical solution algorithm are proposed to analyze the effect of Nash equilibrium. Finally, the developed models are numerically evaluated by a case study. The case study shows that, with increasing container demand in the market, expanding ship capacity setting is preferable due to its low marginal cost. Furthermore, Stackelberg equilibrium is a prevailing strategy in most market situations since it makes players attain more benefits from the accommodating market. Moreover, the deterrence effects largely depend on the deterrence objective. An aggressive deterrence strategy may make potential monopolist suffer large benefit loss and an easing strategy has little deterrence effect.     

The evening commute with cars and transit: Duality results and user equilibrium for the combined morning and evening peaks

This paper extends Vickrey’s (1969) commute problem for commuters wishing to pass a bottleneck for both cars and transit that share finite road capacity. In addition to this more general framework considering two modes, the paper focuses on the evening rush, when commuters travel from work to home. Commuters choose which mode to use and when to travel in order to minimize the generalized cost of their own trips, including queueing delay and penalties for deviation from a preferred schedule of arrival and departure to and from work. The user equilibrium for the isolated morning and evening commutes are shown to be asymmetric because the schedule penalty in the morning is the difference between the departure and wished curves, and the schedule penalty in the evening is the difference between the arrival and wished curves. It is shown that the system optimum in the morning and evening peaks are symmetric because queueing delay is eliminated and the optimal arrival curves are the same as the departure curves.The paper then considers both the morning and evening peaks together for a single mode bottleneck (all cars) with identical travelers that share the same wished times. For a schedule penalty function of the morning departure and evening arrival times that is positive definite and has certain properties, a user equilibrium is shown to exist in which commuters travel in the same order in both peaks. The result is used to illustrate the user equilibrium for two cases: (i) commuters have decoupled schedule preferences in the morning and evening and (ii) commuters must work a fixed shift length but have flexibility when to start. Finally, a special case is considered with cars and transit: commuters have the same wished order in the morning and evening peaks. Commuters must use the same mode in both directions, and the complete user equilibrium solution reveals the number of commuters using cars and transit and the period in the middle of each rush when transit is used.     

Transport deregulation and the economy wide implications of the wheeler‐Gilmour hypothesis

This paper focuses on the effects of deregulation of motor carriers in Australia. It is particularly concerned with the implications of regulatory reform beyond the transport sector and uses a general equilibrium approach to examine the economy wide effects of deregulation. Among other things the paper shows that the effects of deregulation are not evenly distributed across all types of industries. Furthermore it concludes that the magnitude of the effects from deregulation in any given industry is not necessarily correlated with the share of total costs devoted to the purchase of transportation services.

     

转体施工转动体系不平衡力矩测试方法研究

桥梁转体施工中保证转动体系重心位于转轴中心较小的范围以内对顺利转体十分重要,表现为转动体系以转轴中心的刚体不平衡力矩尽量小。然而实际施工中不可能做到转轴中心两侧完全对称,特别是转体前采取支架现浇方式施工的桥梁均存在不同程度的不平衡力矩,需要通过一定方法进行不平衡力矩测试,用于转体前的配重设计。探讨了转动体系不平衡力矩的测试方法,提出了利用墩柱应变（应力）检测不平衡力矩的方法,并以实际某转体桥梁为实例,采用上述测试方法与转动体系称重试验结果进行了对比,结果显示利用墩柱应变（应力）检测不平衡力矩方法可以准确地获得转动体系偏心大小。方法简便易行,可大大减少称重所需的人力物力投入,节省施工时间,为今后转体施工不平衡力矩测试提供借鉴。     

预应力钢绞线伸长量的准确计算与量测方法

预应力钢绞线伸长量偏差作为校核预应力施加是否达到设计控制张拉力的一个重要指标,其理论伸长量的准确计算与实际伸长量准确量测、计算是保证伸长量偏差的准确性的根本。对预应力钢绞线理论伸长量的准确计算方法,实际伸长量量测、计算方法作较系统的介绍,可供从事工程技术人员参考。     

关于出纳人员基本职业技能训练方法的探讨

本文根据出纳岗位对从业人员的职业能力要求,对出纳人员基本职业技能的训练方法进行了探讨并是结合自己从事出纳工作多年经验提出一些体会。     

非圆弧滑面滑坡中满足平衡条件的预应力锚索设计拉力的确定方法

近20年来预应力锚索广泛用于加固滑坡或高边坡,但在以往的设计计算中,为简化起见,对非圆弧滑坡预应力锚索的设计一般采用指定设计外力而根据力的投影来确定锚索根数,并认为锚索作用力以集中荷载作用在滑面上。实际上,由于作用在地面的荷载经滑体传递后发生了很大的扩散作用,不满足力及力矩的平衡条件,其公式具有一定的缺陷,因而不尽合理,甚至由于锚设置不当造成其超载受荷而发生破坏,引起严重后果。本文根据其受力特点采用Morgenstern-Price法的基本假定从平衡条件出发,导出了确定锚索设计外力的迭代算法公式,对工程实际具有较大的理论意义。     

一维可压缩欧拉方程组解的爆破

在假设某些初始数据较大的条件下,研究由可压缩欧拉方程描述的多方气态理想流体.利用对称双曲型方程组解的存在性结论,将该方程组化为对称双曲型方程组,得到一维空间中可压缩欧拉方程的Cauchy问题的经典解关于时间的局部存在性;并通过构造适当的泛函,得到了其经典解在有限时间内必定发生爆破的结论.