A Review of the Evolution of Shared (Street) Space Concepts in Urban Environments

Abstract

This paper aims to clearly establish the origin and evolution of the shared space concept from a New Zealand perspective by reviewing the literature in the disciplines of both urban design and transportation engineering. The review process involves investigating the use and function of a public road space in the context of the changing of public expectations and how this can relate to a number of interconnected street design approaches (e.g. traffic calming and self-explaining roads (SERs)). These approaches have been used to minimise the influence of motor vehicles since the beginning of the automobile era. The shared space concept, when applied in public road environments in activity centres, has increasingly been embraced by urban planners, transportation engineers and regulatory agencies. A shared space diverges from a conventional road where all road users are encouraged to legitimately occupy the same road space with little physical separation. To achieve this in a safe and efficient manner, the design aims to reduce the dominance of the motor vehicle by promoting pedestrian and cycling activity and utilising the road space as a ‘place’ in addition to its ‘transport’ mobility and access purposes. Given the fundamental conceptual differentiation between a traffic-calmed street and a shared space, the paper argues that there are certain design elements, constituting a shared space, and without them, it would be difficult for a public street to function as a genuine shared space for all road users.     

Monopoly,Subsidies and the Mohring Effect: A Synthesis

Abstract

This paper provides a unifying framework to analyze whether a monopoly transit provider will under or over-supply frequency. To this end we couch the problem in term of Spence [(1975). Monopoly, quality and regulation. The Bell Journal of Economics, 6, 417–429] who analyzed the incentives to provide quality by a monopolist. We show that all of the results of a recent academic exchange discussing this topic are special cases of Spence [(1975). Monopoly, quality and regulation. The Bell Journal of Economics, 6, 417–429], albeit with an adjustment in order to take into account the cost structure of frequency provision in the case of public transport. In theory then, there are cases when a monopolist may offer optimal or above optimal levels of frequency without requiring subsidies. However, public transport is rarely provided by an unregulated monopolist. Rather, these services are usually provided either by an exclusive operator under regulated fares or by a group of competing operators, with or without fare regulation. We show that in the first case frequency will always be below the social optimal level.     

Bus Rapid Transit System in Istanbul: A Success Story or Flawed Planning Decision?

Abstract

There is a growing tendency in cities around the world to invest in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in an attempt to improve the capacity and quality of public transport services. The appeal of BRTs is based on their ability to combine the service level of rail transit systems with the flexibility of buses at relatively lower investment costs, and this was the motivation behind the opening of such a system in the Turkish city of Istanbul in 2007. This system has attracted mixed opinions as to its performance, as while passenger ridership figures are extremely high, proving the effectiveness of the system, there is an argument that the corridor should have been developed with rail technology, and that the BRT is failing to meet the demand. The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of this system, assessing its planning and performance through a comparative analysis of a number of BRTs in the world and Istanbul's metro and tram systems. The analysis confirms the success of the system in terms of passenger statistics, but also highlights a number of problems in certain planning decisions that should be addressed, thus taking the discussion beyond a simplified comparison of bus and rail technologies.     

重庆市主城区交通方式结构演变与预测分析

交通方式结构演变主要受到各种宏观与微观因素的综合影响。本文以重庆市主城区为例,总结了过去五年的步行、小汽车、地面公交、轨道交通、出租车等五种交通方式结构演变规律,并从供给侧和需求侧出发,揭示了影响交通方式结构演变的各种因素,实现了对出行者交通方式决策过程的刻画。同时,以平均增长率法和随机效用最大化模型为基础,综合考虑重庆市主城区的社会经济发展水平、小汽车和出租车的发展规模、地面公交和轨道交通的服务水平,对2025年、2035年的五种交通方式的出行量和分担率进行了预测。预测结果表明,随着机动化出行比例的不断升高,轨道交通的骨干作用将日益显现,地面公交的保障作用也得到增强,预计2035年,轨道交通和地面公交在重庆市主城区居民出行交通结构中的比例将分别达到24.41%、18.72%,成为最主要的机动化出行方式。     

突发公共卫生事件持续期居民中长距离出行方式选择行为研究

为剖析突发公共事件持续期风险感知属性对居民中长距离出行方式选择行为的影响,基于非集计理论,构建风险感知差异的居民出行方式选择多元Logit模型.在2020年3月新冠肺炎疫情持续期,通过网络采集1 643份有效调查问卷,运用SPSS软件标定模型参数,获取突发公共事件持续期,影响居民出行选择的主要风险感知因素,并进行敏感性分析.结果表明：防控措施和防控措施了解程度对居民出行方式选择有显著影响;以航空运输为参考,途径站点暴露率增加对铁路运输方式的选择概率有负向影响,对公路运输方式的选择概率有正向影响;保持疫情持续期航空的低票价,以及加大航空运输防控措施的宣传可提高居民选择航空出行的概率.     

停车许可证的动态最优供给策略

考虑可预约和不可预约公共停车设施共存情况,制定停车许可证动态最优供给策略.构建随机最优控制模型以实现系统总时间损失期望值最小化,利用动态规划原理推导出最优性条件,即哈密尔顿-雅克比-贝尔曼方程,采用一种预设最优值函数方法得到动态最优供给策略的解析解.结果表明：动态最优供给策略为一个反馈控制,即车辆排队时间的函数;依据排队时间是否存在,动态最优供给策略分为两种情况.以北京市国贸地区为例进行蒙特卡洛实验可知：相较停车许可证完全供给策略,动态最优供给策略可节约时间0.45~1.94 min/veh;随着停车许可证用户行为不确定性增加,动态最优供给策略节约时间的平均值上升,变异系数下降.     

网约共享出行研究综述

网约共享出行是智慧城市交通系统的重要组成部分,作为新兴的移动互联出行方式,产生 了海量庞杂、异质多源、大尺度时空关联的交通大数据,蕴含能够描述复杂交通系统供需态势的 丰富信息。从网约共享出行行为机理、平台管理优化、政府监管政策、系统仿真优化等4个方面, 综述了国内外网约共享出行研究的基础理论前沿和交通运输管理实践成果,归纳总结了其中存 在的问题。通过移动互联交通大数据,分析网约车乘客和司机的出行行为影响因素、特征辨识及 外部性,追踪城市个体和群体的出行行为演变规律,揭示网约共享出行系统供需平衡和网络均衡 机理。研究解决网约共享出行供需的时空效应及短时预测问题,优化网约共享出行平台定价策 略,提高平台匹配和调度效率,实现供需时空资源的优化配置。利用智能体仿真、基于活动的仿 真、数据驱动的仿真等技术手段对理论结果进行模拟推演和优化验证,为政府制定相关监管政策 和平台优化运营管理策略提供理论依据和工具支持。并面向复杂动态移动互联环境,展望了亟 须开展的若干重点研究方向。     

时间阈值对公交不平等评价结果的影响

时间阈值对公交可达性计算结果的影响,是否进一步影响到公交不平等评价结果,尚不明 确。以浙江省海宁市为例,用一种改进的两步移动搜索法(E2SFCA)计算公交可达性,得到 10~90 min共9个时间阈值下研究区域的总体、市区和农村公交服务的基尼系数,比较了不同时间 阈值下的基尼系数差异;按市区和农村两个群组对总体基尼系数进行分解,分析在时间阈值下群 组内和群组间不平等对总体公交不平等的影响。结果发现：随时间阈值增大而基尼系数逐渐减 小,公交不平等评价由“差距悬殊”变为“相对合理”;总体公交不平等的主要来源为群组内不平等 且贡献率在10~40 min时逐渐下降,在50~90 min时逐渐上升。研究表明,不同时间阈值会使公交 不平等评价结果出现偏差甚至得到相反的结论,有必要进一步研究消除时间阈值影响的方法。     

公共白行车租赁站点调度需求量模型研究

为降低城市公共自行车调度过程中调度员凭经验确定各站点调度需求量的盲目性,提高调度科学性并缩减调度时间和成本,将城市公共自行车租赁站点调度需求量模型描述为最优化整数规划问题,考虑系统的稳定性和调度触发时间,以高峰时段系统的整体稳定性最强、调度启动时间最晚为目标建立公共自行车租赁站点调度需求量模型.针对该模型特点设计了十进制编码、二人竞赛选择、算术交叉、非均匀变异的遗传算法对模型进行求解.通过调度实例验证模型和算法的可行性,得到各租赁站点的最优调度需求量.结果表明,按照该模型求解出的调度需求量进行调度能够延迟高峰时段的调度启动时间至1.33h,较站点均一化存放率调度延迟0.67h,极大地延缓了调度启动时间并缩减调度工作量.      

基于层次聚类分析的城乡公交线路诊断倡——以安宁市为例

合理设置城乡公交为城乡居民出行提供优质的公交服务,是打破城乡二元分割的重要手段之一。分析城乡居民出行特征和城乡公交服务特性,从公交乘客及公交企业2个角度,构建表征城乡公交线路物理、运营和公交客流特性的诊断指标体系。以安宁市15条城乡公交线路为例,对选取样本的8类指标数据进行主成分分析,经定量分析各成分贡献率后,确定出3个主成分(贡献率累计为92%)。将主成分作为城乡公交线路层次聚类分析的变量,作出线路的聚类关系图,构建判别函数定量诊断四类线路。结合实际验证了指标体系的合理性及诊断方法的有效性。提供了1种较准确高效的城乡公交线路诊断方法,并为城乡公交线路的优化与运营调整提供决策依据。