Is it expensive to be poor? Public transport in Sweden

Transportation - One of the reasons to subsidise public transport is to improve the mobility of low-income groups by providing affordable public transport; however, the literature describes a...     

Consistency in preferences for road safety: An analysis of precautionary and stated behavior

This study analyzes stated willingness to pay (WTP) for traffic safety, the use of traffic safety equipments, and the consistency between the two. Using data from a Swedish contingent valuation study we find that the estimated value of a statistical life (VSL) based on the respondents' rear-seatbelt usage is similar to the estimate found using the respondents' stated WTP. However, when estimating VSL based on the respondents' use of bicycle helmets we find a significantly higher VSL; the VSL from bicycle-helmet usage is 7 times higher than the estimate based on seatbelt usage. Moreover, we do not find any strong relationship between risk perception and usage, or individual stated WTP and usage. Hence, the main conclusion, based on our analysis, is that stated and observed WTP are not consistent.     

Large-eddy simulation of cross-flow around ship sections

The present work is motivated by phenomena occurring in the flow field around ship-like bodies with an incoming lateral flow (cross-flow, 90 ° drift angle). Three-dimensional unsteady flows around different ship sections are investigated by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) tools with large-eddy simulation (LES) subgrid-scale turbulence model. The simulation results are compared to measurements at several Reynolds numbers in the 90–200,000 range. Focus in our investigation is on the characterization of the motion of vortex structures generated by the separated flow. Another target in the study is to obtain better knowledge of the hydrodynamic forces acting on the sections. Computed pressure and drag coefficients are compared with experimental measurements. The comparison between simulations and measurements shows that an LES model can predict the flow field around ship sections in detail and the hydrodynamic forces acting on the sections.     

Creative nodes,logistical networks,and the future of the metropolis

A paradigmatic shift away from traditional quantitative methods towards qualitative dynamic analysis is proposed in order to fully comprehend the future of the metropolis. Over the last millennium the great structural changes of production, location, trade, culture and institutions have most likely been triggered by slow but steady changes to those logistical networks which are responsible for the movement of key factors of production. Nonlinear dynamic methods such as catastrophe theory and synergetics can help to provide the necessary analytical insights. Creativity and accessibility to logistical networks are portrayed as important catalysts of qualitative change. requests for offprints     

The flight perturbation problem

Airlines spend considerable time, effort and financial resources on planning. It is essential to create a competitive timetable and construct a fleet and a crew schedule that utilizes these resources to the maximum. Unfortunately, it is all too common that an airline is faced with the necessity of reconstructing their schedules due to some unforeseen event, for example an aircraft breakdown or a crew member that is indisposed. In this paper, an application that can help airlines solve the complex problem of reconstructing aircraft schedules is presented. A mixed integer multicommodity flow model with side constraints is developed and further reformulated into a set packing model using the Dantzig—Wolfe decomposition. Cancellations, delays and aircraft swaps are used to resolve the perturbation, and the model ensures that the schedule returns to normal within a certain time. Two column generation schemes for heuristically solving the model are tested on real problem data obtained from a Swedish domestic airline. The computational tests show that the application is capable of presenting high quality solutions in a few seconds and therefore can be used as a dynamic decision support tool by the airlines.     

Out-of-round railway wheels—a study of wheel polygonalization through simulation of three-dimensional wheel-rail interaction and wear

The objective of this study is to develop a tool for investigation of wheel tread polygonalization with radial irregularities including 1 to 20 wavelengths around the circumference of the wheel. Therefore, an existing multibody system model for simulation of general three-dimensional train-track interaction (accounting for frequencies up to several kHz) is extended with rolling contact mechanics according to FASTSIM. Furthermore, the model is also modified to allow for general wheel-rail profiles. The numerical model uses the concept of an iteration scheme including simulation of dynamic train-track interaction in the time domain coupled with a long-term wear model. A demonstration example including a bogie of a subway train travelling on a straight track is presented. In the example, an initial wheel out-of-roundness (OOR) is applied to the wheels. This irregularity is based on an amplitude spectrum derived from measurements on new wheels. Simulation results show that the most important wavelength-fixing mechanisms of the wheel OOR are (i) the vertical resonance of the coupled train-track system at approximately 40 Hz (the P2 resonance) and (ii) the frequency region including the lowest vertical track antiresonance at 165 Hz, where the dynamic track stiffness is high. Only a straight track is studied, but the model allows for asymmetric train motion on such a track.     

Optimal toll locations and toll levels in congestion pricing schemes: a case study of Stockholm

As congestion pricing has moved from theoretical ideas in the literature to real-world implementation, the need for decision support when designing pricing schemes has become evident. This paper deals with the problem of finding optimal toll levels and locations in a road traffic network and presents a case study of Stockholm. The optimisation problem of finding optimal toll levels, given a predetermined cordon, and the problem of finding both optimal toll locations and levels are presented, and previously developed heuristics are used for solving these problems. For the Stockholm case study, the possible welfare gains of optimising toll levels in the current cordon and optimising both toll locations and their corresponding toll levels are evaluated. It is shown that by tuning the toll levels in the current congestion pricing cordon used in Stockholm, the welfare gain can be increased significantly, and furthermore improved by allowing a toll on a major bypass highway. It is also shown that, by optimising both toll locations and levels, a congestion pricing scheme with welfare gain close to what can be achieved by marginal social cost pricing can be designed with tolls being located on only a quarter of the tollable links.     

Estimating the marginal cost of railway track renewals using corner solution models

Economic theory advocates marginal cost pricing for efficient utilisation of transport infrastructure. A growing body of literature has emerged on the issue of rail marginal infrastructure wear and tear costs, but the majority of the work is focused on costs for infrastructure maintenance. Railway track renewals are a substantial part of an infrastructure manager’s budget, but in disaggregated statistical analyses they cause problems for traditional regression models since there is a piling up of values of the dependent variable at zero. Previous econometric work has sought to circumvent the problem by aggregation in some way. In this paper we instead apply corner solution models to disaggregate (track-section) data, including the zero observations. We derive track renewal cost elasticities with respect to traffic volumes and in turn marginal renewal costs using Swedish railway renewal data over the period 1999–2009. This paper is the first attempt in the literature to apply corner solution models, and in particular the two-part model, to disaggregate renewal cost data in railways. It is also the first paper that we are aware of to report usage elasticities specifically for renewal costs and therefore adds important new evidence to the previous literature where there is a paucity of studies on renewals and considerable uncertainty over the effects of rail traffic on renewal costs. In the Swedish context, we find that the inclusion of marginal track renewal costs in the track access pricing regime, which currently only reflects marginal maintenance costs, would add substantially to the existing track access charge. EU legislation requires that access charges reflect the ‘costs directly incurred as a result of operating the train service’, which should include a marginal renewal cost component. This change would also increase the cost recovery ratio of the Swedish infrastructure manager, thus meeting a policy objective of the national government.