Are French millenials less car-oriented? Literature review and empirical findings

Generation effects play a key role in shaping long-term trends in travel behaviors. Though cohorts born until the 1970s have been increasingly car-focused, a reversal of this trend was noticed among the millenials. Determining whether this break-in-trend resulted from changes in living conditions and economic difficulties, or demonstrates a shift in attitudes away from the car, is critical to future travel trends. We bring a contribution to this debate in the French context, through a literature review followed by empirical findings, using the French Base of Local Household Travel Surveys. Through age-cohort analysis, we find evidence of changing travel patterns among the millenials, taking the form of a shift from driving to transit, along with a decline of car ownership. However, travel attitudes of the millenials play little role, as they do not differ substantially from their elders. Besides, we show that generation effects disappear once a large number of structural factors are controlled for. It looks like the main driver of change in travel behaviors comes from a shift in residential patterns, in relation with longer studies and a delayed entrance into the workforce, and possibly because of increasing work pressure, degraded transport conditions and changes in residential attitudes and desired lifestyles. In the end, these assumptions should be further explored, along with complementary research tracks, including the role of economic factors, the effects of learning experience, as well as heterogeneity in travel patterns, in relation with issues of social and spatial equity.     

A carbon footprint-based closed-loop supply chain model under uncertainty with risk analysis: A case study

The management of products’ end-of-life and the recovery of used products has gained significant importance in recent years. In this paper, we address the carbon footprint-based problem that arises in a closed-loop supply chain where returned products are collected from customers. These returned products can either be disposed of or be remanufactured to be resold as new ones. Given this environment, an optimization model for a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) in which carbon emission is expressed in terms of environmental constraints, i.e., carbon emission constraints, is developed. These constraints aim to limit the carbon emission per unit of product supplied with different transportation modes. Here, we design a closed-loop network where capacity limits, single-item management and uncertainty on product demands and returns are considered. First, fuzzy mathematical programming is introduced for uncertain modeling. Then, the statistical approach to the possibility to synthesize fuzzy information is utilized. Therefore, using a defined possibilistic mean and variance, we transform the proposed fuzzy mathematical model into a crisp form to facilitate efficient computation and analysis. Finally, the risk caused by violating the estimated resource constraints is analyzed so that decision makers (DMs) can trade off between the expected cost savings and the expected risk. We utilize data from a company located in Iran.     

Commuter ride-sharing using topology-based vehicle trajectory clustering: Methodology,application and impact evaluation

This paper illustrates a ride matching method for commuting trips based on clustering trajectories, and a modeling and simulation framework with ride-sharing behaviors to illustrate its potential impact. It proposes data mining solutions to reduce traffic demand and encourage more environment-friendly behaviors. The main contribution is a new data-driven ride-matching method, which tracks personal preferences of road choices and travel patterns to identify potential ride-sharing routes for carpool commuters. Compared with prevalent carpooling algorithms, which allow users to enter departure and destination information for on-demand trips, the proposed method focuses more on regular commuting trips. The potential effectiveness of the approach is evaluated using a traffic simulation-assignment framework with ride-sharing participation using the routes suggested by our algorithm. Two types of ride-sharing participation scenarios, with and without carpooling information, are considered. A case study with the Chicago tested is conducted to demonstrate the proposed framework’s ability to support better decision-making for carpool commuters. The results indicate that with ride-matching recommendations using shared vehicle trajectory data, carpool programs for commuters contribute to a less congested traffic state and environment-friendly travel patterns.     

盾构法施工单机核算管理模式的应用

近年来盾构机越来越多地应用于各种隧道工程中,其中地铁应用的数量最多,约占80%。现代盾构已演变成为一种高度智能化的大型工程机械装备,对其控制的好坏将直接影响到整个工程的施工成本和企业的经营效益,而通过单机核算降低机械成本是降低施工成本、提高企业效益的有效手段,因此推行盾构法施工单机核算显得尤为重要。文章结合地铁2222标施工项目,重点介绍了盾构法单机核算管理模式及其在施工中的应用。     

Hitting the sweet spot: Variability in commute lengths and vehicle emissions across a diverse state

In this paper we consider travel across Virginia and identify sustainability “sweet spots” where commute lengths and vehicle emissions per mile combine to maximize green travel in terms of total CO₂ emissions associated with commuting. The analysis is conducted across local voter precincts (N = 2373 in the state) because they are a useful proxy for neighborhoods and well-sized for implementing policy designed to encourage sustainable travel behavior. Virginia is especially appropriate for an examination of variability in sustainable travel behavior and technologies because the state’s transportation, demographic, and political patterns are particularly diverse and have been changing rapidly. We identify four Virginia precinct-based sustainability clusters: Sweet Spots, Emerging Sweet Spots, Neutral and Non-sustaining. A model of demographic differences among the clusters shows that sustainability outcomes, understood in terms of both local commute behavior and vehicle emissions, are significantly associated with the diverse demography and politics of the state. We also look at changes in transportation sustainability and socio-demographic trends within the clusters over the past half-decade, showing that differences in sustainability and demographic metrics are actually accelerating within the state over time. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of the differences among the clusters for developing and implementing effective transportation sustainability policies across the state.     

The impact of land-use mix on residents' travel energy consumption: New evidence from Beijing

Policies that encourage mixed land use are widely believed to make transport more energy efficient. However, few studies have directly examined the impacts of land-use heterogeneity on travel energy consumption at the individual level. Moreover, the definition and measures of land-use heterogeneity are debated. This paper aims to fill these gaps using the large city of Beijing, China, as a case study. Three types of land use are examined in terms of their effects on individual residents’ travel energy consumption. The results suggest that high land-use diversity and a good jobs-housing balance significantly reduces commuting travel. Interestingly, highly heterogeneous retail and housing areas may have high travel energy use, as residents are more likely to go shopping. There are obvious spatial variations in these effects. Residents of suburban ‘newtowns’, where the jobs-housing balance is particularly good, consume less travel energy. The results suggest that decreased use of conventional planning patterns, such as the socialist danwei system, and increasing urban sprawl, bring new challenges to achieving transport efficiency. Mixed land-use policies can be an effective solution to these challenges.     

乾元公司铁路专用线场站模式探讨

目前,传统的铁路专用线建设模式是铁路专用线自接轨站接轨,通过区间正线引入厂区的建设模式,这种模式的区间正线受地形条件、厂区位置和沿线规划影响较大,这些影响将不可避免地导致铁路专用线建设工程投资的增加,如能根据运输性质考虑缩短区间正线长度,在接轨站旁边设装车作业站,将大大减少专用线工程投资.以乾元公司铁路专用线建设模式为例来研究铁路专用线场站模式,就如何在接轨站旁边设装车作业站,实现接轨站设备与铁路专用线共用进行探讨.     

基于OWA与灰色聚类的城市轨道交通PPP融资风险评价方法研究

针对城市轨道交通PPP融资成本高、投资回收期长、不确定性因素多等特点导致整个融资过程充满风险,且难以进行科学的评价,进而增加风险评价难度的问题,提出基于OWA与灰色聚类的城市轨道交通PPP融资风险评价方法。首先从全寿命周期角度构建城市轨道交通PPP融资风险指标体系。然后基于OWA算子对专家决策数据按照降序的方式重新排序,消除极值带来的不利影响,加权得出指标的权重值。最后考虑指标的灰色性、信息不完整性,构建灰色白化权函数实现指标信息的透明化,完成对PPP融资风险的聚类分析。应用构建的模型对郑州地铁1号线一期工程PPP融资风险进行评价,认为该地铁工程PPP融资风险等级高,应重点关注前期策划、社会资本、政策环境、设计质量、成本超支、建设质量、残值7个主要风险指标的控制,以期为该项目融资风险管理提供建议,并进一步丰富城市轨道交通PPP融资风险的评价方法。     

复杂地形条件下桥隧相连隧道洞口结构设计研究

蒙华铁路坪桥1号隧道进口洞顶基岩外凸、洞顶以下岩面高且直立、洞顶上部地形偏压高陡,地形条件极其复杂。营盘山大桥与坪桥1号隧道进口紧密相连,存在桥台与隧道洞门结构相互干扰以及边坡防护、隧道出洞和洞口场地布置等一系列难题,设计难度极大。为解决这些难题,通过对现场实际地形、地质情况进行研究,对比分析"整体式"与"分离式"桥隧相连结构的优缺点,提出桥台与隧道相结合的"整体式"桥隧相连结构方案;同时,针对地形偏压高陡,提出非对称结构设计方案,实现了隧道"零"仰坡出洞,解决了洞口边坡防护的难题;最后,提出架立临时贝雷梁的方案,解决了隧道出洞及洞口场地布置的难题。     

A receding horizon sliding control approach for electric powertrains with backlash and flexible half-shafts

Active control of electric powertrains is challenging, due to the fact that backlash and structural flexibility in transmission components can cause severe performance degradation or even instability of the control system. Furthermore, high impact forces in transmissions reduce driving comfort and possibly lead to damage of the mechanical elements in contact. In this paper, a nonlinear electric powertrain is modelled as a piecewise affine (PWA) system. The novel receding horizon sliding control (RHSC) idea is extended to constrained PWA systems and utilised to systematically address the active control problem for electric powertrains. Simulations are conducted in Matlab/Simulink in conjunction with the high fidelity Carsim software. RHSC shows superior jerk suppression and target wheel speed tracking performance as well as reduced computational cost over classical model predictive control (MPC). This indicates the newly proposed RHSC is an effective method to address the active control problem for electric powertrains.