An analysis of rail freight operational efficiency and mode share in the British port-hinterland container market

The growth in container shipping poses considerable challenges to efforts to reduce the negative externalities associated with freight transport. There are particular concerns about the impacts of the associated port-hinterland freight flows. Through empirical research, this paper examines trends in the operational efficiency of the British port-hinterland container rail freight market and to assess the impacts of any changes on the overall sustainability of this market. Original survey work conducted in 2007 and 2015 has allowed longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis of the characteristics of this market.The survey findings reveal that rail’s mode share of port container throughput (in TEU) has increased from 14.7% in 2007 to 16.6% in 2015 and it is likely that its share of the associated hinterland activity has also risen. Rail was carrying 25% more TEU by 2015 without an increase in train service provision. Increases in mean train capacity and mean load factor were observed, leading to growth in the mean train load from 44 TEU in 2007 to 55 TEU in 2015. This considerable improvement in operational efficiency is expected to have reduced the negative externalities per unit of transport activity associated with the rail-borne hinterland container flows, though scope is identified for further improvements in sustainability.     

美国市场汽车准入制度研究

美国的汽车认证制度作为全球车辆产品主要认证制度之一,在汽车产品认证制度中具有典型的代表性,并引领了全球的认证制度发展和进步.本文通过对美国汽车市场准入制度介绍,使中国车企能够了解进入美国市场需要注意和准备的事项.     

协商民主视域下统一战线发挥作用面临的问题及对策

社会主义协商民主建设是一个过程,统一战线在这一过程中发挥着举足轻重的作用。按照《关于加强社会主义协商民主建设的意见》的要求,目前统一战线还面临着在广泛性、多样性和制度化三个层面与协商民主的要求有一定差距的问题。解决这些问题,需要进一步扩大统一战线的群众基础,进一步丰富协商内容、完善协商形式,进一步完善制度建设,以此来推动统一战线在建设社会主义协商民主进程中发挥更大的作用。     

Stakeholder Perspectives on the Value of Marine Spatial Planning Towards Advancing Offshore Wind in the U.S.

The United States contributes only 0.2% of the 18,814?MW of global installed offshore wind capacity. Lack of development has been attributed in part to a cumbersome regulatory process that includes the evaluation of environmental impacts. Assessments are based on biological, social, and technical data that are often incomplete. Marine spatial planning (MSP) may help fill data gaps. We conducted semi-structured interviews with key informants to understand (1) whether a lack of biological data impedes offshore wind environmental assessments, (2) whether MSP could mitigate these impediments, and (3) whether MSP could advance offshore wind development in the U.S. in other ways. Most informants stated that a lack of biological data in offshore wind environmental assessments was problematic due to incomplete data, uncertainty of data, and mismatched scales. Data issues may be mitigated by creation of data products and increased communication, outcomes of MSP that may benefit the regulatory process by increasing data availability, resolving conflicts among users, and providing a common operating picture. Challenges remain in integrating MSP into the processes of siting and permitting offshore wind, but it provides a strategic framework for the systematic identification, collection, collation, analyses, application, and management of data in the offshore wind environmental regulatory process.     

Choice of parking: Stated preference approach

Over recent years, parking policy has become a key element of transport policy in many countries. Parking policy measures can affect many different dimensions of travel behaviour but are likely to be most significant in terms of travellers' choice of parking type and location. This dimension of travel choice has, to date, received comparatively little attention, yet is of vital importance if we are to properly understand and predict the effects of parking policy measures.This paper presents two studies addressing this issue carried out in the United Kingdom and Germany. Both studies used a stated preference approach in order to collect disaggregate data on travellers responses to changes in parking attributes and used these data to build simple logit models of parking type choice. The studies were designed in order to allow comparable choice models to be estimated from the two datasets. The results obtained strongly indicate the need to separately identify the costs associated with different components of the parking activity (e.g., general in-vehicle time, parking search time, egress time) and also point to the existence of significant differences in the relative valuation of these components across different journey purposes. Where possible, the results of the choice modelling exercises are also compared with existing revealed and stated preference results and are found to be generally in line with prior expectations.     

Bicycling renaissance in North America? An update and re-appraisal of cycling trends and policies

This paper reviews trends in cycling levels, safety, and policies in Canada and the USA over the past two decades. We analyze aggregate data for the two countries as well as city-specific case study data for nine large cities (Chicago, Minneapolis, Montréal, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington). Cycling levels have increased in both the USA and Canada, while cyclist fatalities have fallen. There is much spatial variation and socioeconomic inequality in cycling rates. The bike share of work commuters is more than twice as high in Canada as in the USA, and is higher in the western parts of both countries. Cycling is concentrated in central cities, especially near universities and in gentrified neighborhoods near the city center. Almost all the growth in cycling in the USA has been among men between 25-64 years old, while cycling rates have remained steady among women and fallen sharply for children. Cycling rates have risen much faster in the nine case study cities than in their countries as a whole, at least doubling in all the cities since 1990. They have implemented a wide range of infrastructure and programs to promote cycling and increase cycling safety: expanded and improved bike lanes and paths, traffic calming, parking, bike-transit integration, bike sharing, training programs, and promotional events. We describe the specific accomplishments of the nine case study cities, focusing on each city’s innovations and lessons for other cities trying to increase cycling. Portland’s comprehensive package of cycling policies has succeeded in raising cycling levels 6-fold and provides an example that other North American cities can follow.     

美国水道港口疏浚物的处理管理与利用

为维护发达的水运系统,美国每年从水道港口水域中疏浚2.0亿m3左右的沉积物,由此引发的巨量疏浚物处置问题并不亚于我国。从疏浚物的处理现状出发,总结美国在疏浚物管理机制和处理技术等方面的主要进展,分析疏浚物的有益利用及其工程案例。调查表明,美国疏浚物管理体系权责清晰,美国陆军工程兵团(USACE)和环境保护署(USEPA)在疏浚物处置管理过程中扮演了重要角色,疏浚物多数以栖息地营造、湿地修复、海滩养护、农业和水产养殖等多种方式得到有益利用。我国目前正处在疏浚土有益利用的研究和探索阶段,美国疏浚物处置管理的成功经验值得借鉴。     

国外公路工程标准的法律地位研究

公路工程标准的法律地位是近年来公路工程标准化工作者和一些司法人士热议的问题之一.鉴于此,通过分析美国、日本、欧盟等国家和组织的技术标准和技术法规之间的关系,介绍国外公路工程相关法律法规体系,探讨公路工程标准的法律地位,可为我国公路工程行业标准规范的管理提供参考.     

驼峰自动化控制系统的改进

驼峰自动化控制系统对铁路编组能力的提高有重要作用。分析了驼峰自动化控制系统在使用中暴露出的一些问题及采取的有效措施，指出了亟待解决的问题和改进方向。     

中美教育理念的对比分析

面对一个全球化的新经济时代,随着社会、经济、政治、文化、科学技术的快速发展,人们越来越深刻地感受到教育的潜在作用力。世界许多国家纷纷研究其他国家的教育优势来弥补本国教育的不足。教育改革成为一种时代的趋势。中美两国的教育有着极为不同的传统,中国的教育注重对知识的积累和灌输,注重培养学生对知识和权威的尊重,注重对知识的掌握和继承,以及知识体系的构建。相比较,美国则更注重培养学生运用知识的实际能力,注重培养学生对知识和权威的质疑、批判精神,注重对知识的拓展和创造。这两种教育表达了对待知识的不同态度。中国的教育表达的是对知识的静态接受,美国的教育则表达的是对知识的动态改变,这一＂静＂一＂动＂之间,反映了两国教育不同的知识观。