Happy or liberal? Making sense of behavior in transport policy design

Appropriate microeconomic foundations of mobility are decisive for successful policy design in transportation and, in particular, for the challenge of climate change mitigation. Recent research suggests that behavior in transportation cannot be adequately represented by the standard approach of revealed preferences. Moreover, mobility choices are influenced by factors widely regarded as normatively irrelevant. Here we draw on insights from behavioral economics, psychology and welfare theory to examine how transport users make mobility decisions and when it is desirable to modify them through policy interventions. First, we explore systematically which preferences, heuristics and decision processes are relevant for mobility-specific behavior, such as mode choice. We highlight the influence of infrastructure on the formation of travel preferences. Second, we argue that the behavioral account of decision-making requires policy-makers to take a position on whether transport policies should be justified by appealing to preference satisfaction or to raising subjective well-being. This distinction matters because of the (i) influence of infrastructure on preference formation, (ii) health benefits from non-motorized mobility, (iii) negative impact of commuting on happiness and (iv) status-seeking behavior of individuals. The orthodox approach of only internalizing externalities is insufficient because it does not allow for the evaluation of these effects. Instead, our analysis suggests that transport demand modeling should consider behavioral effects explicitly.     

百色低碳物流发展浅析

文章阐述了百色发展低碳物流的必要性,分析了百色低碳物流发展所面临的问题,提出了针对性的低碳物流发展思路及建议。     

“低碳经济”背景下公路隧道照明节能策略

目前我国公路隧道运营照明存在的突出问题主要表现在:照明设计参数有待完善、照明控制方式较为落后、照明节能理念存在误区、照明设施养护未得重视。文章基于建设"环境友好型"公路隧道理念,从系统工程角度提出公路隧道照明节能的15项重要措施,包括准确测试洞外亮度、优化照明设计参数、选择使用节能光源等,基本涵盖公路隧道照明技术性节能、结构性节能、管理性节能的各个方面。工程实践表明,这些技术和措施可实现公路隧道照明综合节能20%以上的总体目标,具有较好的生态效益、经济效益和社会效益。     

基于绿色交通理念的深圳市盐田区交通规划探索与实践

绿色交通已经成为建设低碳社会的有效抓手,是当今世界城市交通发展的必然趋势。首先介绍了绿色交通的内涵与基本特征,提出了绿色交通的发展内容与模式;在借鉴国内外绿色交通发展经验的基础上,并在深圳市绿色交通体系及模式的指引下,对深圳市国家生态城区——盐田区进行了绿色交通规划的探索。结合盐田区城市土地空间不足、生态资源受约束的现实条件,采取了空间差异性交通发展模式,并着重分析了地区公共交通系统、自行车、山海步行系统的发展规划思路。     

论低碳经济与集装箱铁路运输发展

在阐述低碳经济的概念及发展方式的基础上,从节能环保、降低物流成本等方面分析了集装箱铁路运输的优势,提出了加强信息化建设、积极推进以铁路为骨干的集装箱多式联运体系建设、打造集装箱班列运输产品、大力提升装备现代化水平等促进集装箱铁路运输发展对策。     

低碳经济推动车用工程塑料的研发与应用

汽车工业的发展离不开汽车塑料化的进程,随着我国汽车工业的进步,车用塑料制品也开始全面发展。在我国石油化工迅猛发展和加快汽车材料国产化进程的带动下,汽车塑料制品的用量迅速增长。根据工程塑料在现代汽车制造中的广泛应用和巨大的市场潜力,文章详细介绍了工程塑料的性能特点及适用于汽车零部件领域里的工程塑料的种类,并指出汽车以塑代钢的轻量化急待研发。     

基于低碳理念的城市慢行交通发展模式研究

慢行交通系统发展模式是城市交通发展模式研究的重要内容,也是低碳交通、可持续发展交通的重点研究领域。文章介绍了慢行交通的特点、定位及研究现状,并结合我国当前城市发展实际,提出了一系列基于低碳理念的城市慢行交通发展新模式。     

A two-sided market platform analysis for the electric vehicle adoption: Firm strategies and policy design

This study explores how to facilitate the electric vehicle (EV) diffusion from a two-sided market platform competition. We develop a stylized model depicting the platform competition between electric and gasoline vehicles by combining indirect network effects of consumer and energy supplier sides as well as vehicle manufacturers’ profits. The findings of this study provide several meaningful strategic and policy implications for EV manufacturers and policymakers who wish to enhance EV diffusion. First, EV sales are significantly influenced by indirect network effects from the energy supplier side to the consumer side, and vice versa. This implies that EV manufacturers who wish to boost EV diffusion should implement a strategy providing energy suppliers with incentives to willingly join the EV platform. Second, the dynamic nature of the effects of energy costs on platform competition might render counter-intuitive evidence that the drop in oil prices does not always negatively influence EV sales. This requires EV manufacturers to prepare a contingent strategy adjusting to such unexpected conditions. Third, governments should consider the energy supplier side as well as the consumer side in designing EV diffusion policies. When governments have a very challenging EV diffusion target, a balanced policy, which treats both gasoline and electric vehicle technologies fairly, may be more effective than a consumer subsidy policy.     

Influence of avenue trees on traffic pollutant dispersion in asymmetric street canyons: Numerical modeling with empirical analysis

The dispersion of traffic-related pollutants in urban street canyons is of importance for the health and quality of lives. To reveal the inherent principle, researchers have performed a lot of investigations; many dispersion phenomena have also been assessed during recent years. However, the presence of avenue trees in street canyons and their capacity for pollutant dispersion remains partly addressed. In this study, we investigated the effects of avenue trees in urban street canyons on traffic pollutant dispersion. The dispersion of CO concentration in asymmetric street canyons was simulated under varied situations. The computational results showed a good agreement with the experimental data, and the numerical model was validated to be adequate for investigating the pollutant dispersion in street canyons. Then, the numerical simulations were extended to explore the impacts of the effects of avenue trees on CO dispersion; the results indicated that avenue trees generally increase CO concentrations in asymmetric street canyons. When the wind direction is perpendicular to the street axis, a terraced building raises pollutant concentrations at the windward wall and reduces concentration at the leeward wall on the pedestrian levels. Findings of this study are expected to provide significant insight into urban road design and strategy making for avenue tree planting, particularly under the existing worldwide sustainable low-carbon urban development.