Busiest Routes Research Articles

Lessening of Delay by Optimization and Coordination of Several Signals on a Busy Route

Lessening of Delay by Optimization and Coordination of Several Signals on a Busy Route

Analysis of Air Traffic Density using GIS, Case Study: Jakarta-Surabaya

The growth of air transportation is encouraged by high demand to travel fast. Jakarta-Surabaya route is placed as the fourth busiest traffic in the world. This busy route still possible to increase, unless there is an alternative mode of transport to serve the demand of this route. Aircraft flies at a certain flight level that is influenced by the flight distance and the type of aircraft. Jakarta-Surabaya route is served by aircrafts with different types. This means that some flight levels between Jakarta and Surabaya are occupied by these serving aircrafts. On the other hand, at the same flight level, there will be some other planes for other routes. This research attempts to picture the density of the flight level of Jakarta-Surabaya route. The density value will be useful to predict the air quality and the available air space to add the flight frequencies. Data collection of Jakarta-Surabaya flights was aimed to identify the occupied flight level by this route. For other routes that may be crossed or in line with the Jakarta-Surabaya route, are derived from International Civil Aviation (ICAO) Charts. Incorporating the route volume resulting the traffic derivation from the charts and scheduled flight into the network attribute of GIS. Data histories of the flight density from ICAO Charts are used to predict the future density utilizing the GIS. The horizon year for this research is year 2030 where some airports will be improved into higher level airport groups, according to PM No. 69 year 2013.

Can harmonized regulation overcome intra-European differences? Insights from a European Phase III stem cell trial.

Harmonized regulation of research with human stem cells in Europe has shaped innovation in regenerative medicine. Findings from a Phase III academic clinical trial of an autologous cell procedure illustrate the obstacles that a multinational trial faces. A typology of the obstacles encountered, may help other teams embarking upon trials. The findings throw light on the situation of clinician-scientists in clinical innovation, as the expertise to run scientific trials is very complex. The innovation route of clinical translation takes insufficient account of the interdependencies between multiple social and cultural factors from outside the laboratory and the clinic. For ethical reasons, however, academic and business routes to stem cell treatments ought to be enabled by the regulators. Suggestions arise, how academics can prepare for trials, that academic research needs better institutional support and that new models of medical innovation may need to be developed for regenerative medicine.

Impactos de uma taxação ambiental sobre a demanda no transporte aéreo brasileiro

Nos últimos anos, o tema das emissões de gases do efeito estufa e seus efeitos potencialmente danosos sobre o planeta entrou definitivamente na pauta de governos ao redor do mundo, com destaque aos encontros internacionais realizados que visaram acordar entre os países formas de equacionar o problema. Em se tratando de aeronaves, sabese que a queima do combustível as tornam fontes emissoras importantes de tais gases. Sabe-se que a taxação das passagens aéreas, por afetar diretamente a geração de viagens aéreas, tem potencial de atuar como instrumento arrefecedor de demanda e, por decorrência, do número de viagens e voos e, em última instância, do consumo de combustível. O presente trabalho visa quantificar essa relação, simulando a inserção de um imposto ambiental sobre o preço do querosene de aviação e seu impacto indireto sobre a demanda por transporte aéreo. Estimou-se, utilizando modelagem econométrica, que a demanda cairia frente a um aumento nos preços decorrente do imposto, mas que a reação ocorre de forma assimétrica conforme o mercado. Observou-se que rotas com perfil mais turísticos sofreriam uma redução de 6,06% para uma taxa de 10EUR, enquanto uma rota com perfil mais corporativo sofreria queda de 2,35% para mesma taxa.

On‐road experimental study on driving anger identification model based on physiological features by ROC curve analysis

Road rage is a serious psychological issue affecting traffic safety, which has attracted increasing concern regarding driving anger intervention. This study proposed a method for driving anger identification based on physiological features. First, 30 drivers were recruited to perform on-road experiments on a busy route in Wuhan, China. The drivers’ anger could be inducted on the study route by elicitation events, e.g. vehicles weaving/cutting in line, jaywalking, traffic congestion and waiting at red light if they want to finish the experiments ahead of basic time for extra pay. Subsequently, significance analysis was used to determine that five physiological features including heart rate, skin conductance, respiration rate, the relative energy spectrum of θ and β bands of electroencephalogram were effective for driving anger identification. Finally, a linear discriminant model was proposed to identify driving anger based on the optimal thresholds of the five features which were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The results show that the proposed model achieves an accuracy of 85.84% which is 7.95 and 5.71% higher than the models using back propagation neural network and support vector machine, respectively. The results can provide theoretical foundation for developing driving anger detection devices based on physiological features.

Optimal Threshold Determination for Discriminating Driving Anger Intensity Based on EEG Wavelet Features and ROC Curve Analysis

Driving anger, called “road rage”, has become increasingly common nowadays, affecting road safety. A few researches focused on how to identify driving anger, however, there is still a gap in driving anger grading, especially in real traffic environment, which is beneficial to take corresponding intervening measures according to different anger intensity. This study proposes a method for discriminating driving anger states with different intensity based on Electroencephalogram (EEG) spectral features. First, thirty drivers were recruited to conduct on-road experiments on a busy route in Wuhan, China where anger could be inducted by various road events, e.g., vehicles weaving/cutting in line, jaywalking/cyclist crossing, traffic congestion and waiting red light if they want to complete the experiments ahead of basic time for extra paid. Subsequently, significance analysis was used to select relative energy spectrum of β band (β%) and relative energy spectrum of θ band (θ%) for discriminating the different driving anger states. Finally, according to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the optimal thresholds (best cut-off points) of β% and θ% for identifying none anger state (i.e., neutral) were determined to be 0.2183 ≤ θ% < 1, 0 < β% < 0.2586; low anger state is 0.1539 ≤ θ% < 0.2183, 0.2586 ≤ β% < 0.3269; moderate anger state is 0.1216 ≤ θ% < 0.1539, 0.3269 ≤ β% < 0.3674; high anger state is 0 < θ% < 0.1216, 0.3674 ≤ β% < 1. Moreover, the discrimination performances of verification indicate that, the overall accuracy (Acc) of the optimal thresholds of β% for discriminating the four driving anger states is 80.21%, while 75.20% for that of θ%. The results can provide theoretical foundation for developing driving anger detection or warning devices based on the relevant optimal thresholds.

Selecting tram links for priority treatments - The Lorenz Curve approach

Road and public transport authorities often have a difficult task in deciding which road links to select for investment in preferential traffic and public transport measures to improve public transport service performance. This paper presents a new approach which adopts the economic concept of the Lorenz Curve to compare link performance in terms of transit operations as well as weighted passenger volume of travel. The paper explores if, and how, these metrics can be re-interpreted to help with targeting improvements for on-road public transport and priority mitigations. The approach collates operational performance data, in this case link speed and also link public transport travel volume to plot the cumulative distribution of link speed/ridership performance as a curve. Two sets of test applications are presented; on a route level basis and secondly a network level analysis. The network level results present the most powerful results with the Lorenz Curve analysis able to quickly identify links that justify greater attention for preferential treatments since they have the worst 20th percentile of operational performance but the highest 40th percentile of relative link ridership. Mapping shows the problem links to be busy routes leading into the central city. Implications for wider application of these methods are discussed.

Parcels and mail by high speed rail–A comparative analysis of Germany, France and China

As rail freight reform develops further, parcels transport by the high speed rail network is expanding in China. We explore the optimal operational method through case studies. Both France and Germany have operated parcels trains on their high speed networks, at a speed of 270 km/h and 160 km/h respectively; following the literature we consider both as high speed freight trains. The business model, transportation organization and performance are compared between Germany, France and China. The findings of our analysis suggest dedicated high speed freight trains are better than mixed trains at exploiting advantages of high speed railways and achieving economies of scale. However, the sensitivity analysis tells us the dedicated high speed freight train in China will require at least 5% mode share on the busiest routes like Beijing-Shanghai and Guangzhou-Shanghai and over 30% on less busy routes like Chengdu-Changsha. From German and French experience, volume guarantees seem crucial for the operation of high speed freight trains. Competitive price is also important to attract enough volume. The construction of a limited high speed rail freight network on key routes will permit exploitation of economies of scale. Also night trains are a better choice for parcels and mail delivery companies.

Assessment and strengthening of a Melbourne toll-way viaduct

Yarra Bridge and Gardiners Creek viaduct together form a major elevated structure in the Melbourne CityLink toll-way: the busiest route in the Victorian freeway system. Originally constructed in the 1960s, they have been twice widened and modified extensively. The original structures recently required to be upgraded to withstand current and anticipated future loading. This paper discusses the viaduct's load rating by way of a combination of analytical assessment and observation of the structures' actual condition followed by the development of preferred strengthening concepts in conjunction with the contractor and asset owner. The methods used, including concrete infill, carbon-fibre strengthening and external post-tensioning, were designed to be flexible so they could be modified where ‘as-constructed’ details were found to differ from the original design drawings. Remedial works were also designed to be carried out below deck level, avoiding disruption to toll-way traffic while minimising the impact on stakeholders below.

Upgrade of London Underground Bridge D70: Chiswick Park

Bridge D70 is a single-span steel plate girder bridge dating from the 1930s. It carries four tracks of London Underground's District and Piccadilly lines, the latter being one of the capital's main rail links to Heathrow Airport. Situated next to Chiswick Park tube station the bridge spans over a busy traffic route. This paper describes the project as part of the public private partnership contract to modernise the London Underground system. The paper describes the reasons why upgrading of the existing structure was chosen over complete renewal. The primary aims during the works were to avoid unnecessary closure of the railway line, to minimise the risk of unplanned disruption and to protect the safety of the travelling public. The paper explains the method of construction and the constraints on carrying out work to an existing bridge while in service to passenger trains. This required the extensive use of temporary works to support the tracks. It also describes the challenges in refurbishing a bridge in a residential area in terms of access to the site and reducing the environmental impact of the work. The designer and project manager was Metronet Rail SSL, and the main contractor was Edmund Nuttall (BAM Nuttall).

Price dispersion, competition, and the role of online travel agents: Evidence from business routes in the Italian airline market

In this article, using data from the Italian airline market, we study the role of online travel agents (OTAs) in driving price dispersion as compared to the effect of airlines’ websites. Specifically, we investigate how distinctive factors between OTAs and airlines’ direct channels influence price dispersion. We find that after controlling for OTAs’ features related to airline competition, price dispersion should be lower in the OTA channel relative to airlines’ direct channels. On the other hand, we also find that OTAs’ features related to the presence of airline competition play in favor of higher price dispersion in such indirect channel.

A Study of Business Process: Case Study Approach to PepsiCo

The case study narrates different phases of the business that occur in a diverse product portfolio. Pepsico being a conglomerate tries to balance its business and channelize different routes to balance the effectiveness and efficiency in their operations. This case study uses multiple methodologies like SWOT analysis and Balance scorecard approach to analyze Pepsico’s business approach.

Multiagent Reinforcement Learning for Integrated Network of Adaptive Traffic Signal Controllers (MARLIN-ATSC): Methodology and Large-Scale Application on Downtown Toronto

Population is steadily increasing worldwide, resulting in intractable traffic congestion in dense urban areas. Adaptive traffic signal control (ATSC) has shown strong potential to effectively alleviate urban traffic congestion by adjusting signal timing plans in real time in response to traffic fluctuations to achieve desirable objectives (e.g., minimize delay). Efficient and robust ATSC can be designed using a multiagent reinforcement learning (MARL) approach in which each controller (agent) is responsible for the control of traffic lights around a single traffic junction. Applying MARL approaches to the ATSC problem is associated with a few challenges as agents typically react to changes in the environment at the individual level, but the overall behavior of all agents may not be optimal. This paper presents the development and evaluation of a novel system of multiagent reinforcement learning for integrated network of adaptive traffic signal controllers (MARLIN-ATSC). MARLIN-ATSC offers two possible modes: 1) independent mode, where each intersection controller works independently of other agents; and 2) integrated mode, where each controller coordinates signal control actions with neighboring intersections. MARLIN-ATSC is tested on a large-scale simulated network of 59 intersections in the lower downtown core of the City of Toronto, ON, Canada, for the morning rush hour. The results show unprecedented reduction in the average intersection delay ranging from 27% in mode 1 to 39% in mode 2 at the network level and travel-time savings of 15% in mode 1 and 26% in mode 2, along the busiest routes in Downtown Toronto.

Evolution of the business air travel network in the US from 1993 to 2011: A descriptive analysis using AIRNET

Despite recent attention focused on business air travel, most existing analyses rely on cross-sectional data drawn from a single year or season. To address this gap, this paper provides a descriptive portrait of business passengers' movements among 108 US metropolitan areas in each year from 1993 to 2011. The business air travel networks are examined at three levels: the node, the dyad, and the system. Node-level analysis reveals small fluctuations among historically dominant business cities, but also the recent rise of smaller emerging business cities. Dyad-level analysis highlights the continued importance of traditionally high-volume business routes (e.g. New York–Los Angeles), but that economic complementarity between smaller cities can also be a source of high-volume business traffic. Finally, system-wide analysis suggests that business travel among US cities is becoming more symmetric and evenly dispersed. The paper concludes with a discussion of these findings implications for managerial practice and their contribution to scholarly knowledge.

Research on the Influence of Natural Factors to Ro-Ro Passenger Ship in Weihai-Dalian Route and Countermeasures

The Weihai-Dalian route is a busy route, in which many ro-ro passenger ships sail. It takes an important part in the economy development of North China. Based on the special weather conditions and geographical conditions, some statistical data are analyzed to find the elements which can influence the navigation safety, and problems in weather forecast. Some countermeasures are put forward to ensure the safety of navigation.

Integrated Multimodel Evaluation of Transit Bus Emissions in Toronto, Canada

This paper investigates transit bus emissions in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by linking the results of a microsimulation transit assignment model, MILATRAS (microsimulation learning-based approach to transit assignment), with emission factors derived from Mobile6.2C. Emissions were estimated at the level of individual buses during idling conditions at bus stops and on roadway links between stops during the morning peak period. The busiest routes were associated with the highest total emissions as a result of a combination of high ridership and lower speeds; this association confirmed the common wisdom that newer, low-emitting buses should be first allocated to these routes. The highest dwell emissions occurred at intermodal transfer stations (bus to subway and vice versa). On a passenger kilometer basis, the highest-emitting routes were not the busiest, but rather were those with the lowest ridership. In fact, the highest emissions per passenger kilometer were associated with the Airport Rocket, a route that provided service to the airport and was characterized by low ridership in the morning peak period. On average, bus trips in Toronto were about three times more fuel efficient than were private car trips and created 20 times less carbon monoxide pollution. The effects of changing fuel types and fleet age on transit bus emissions were assessed. Implications for bus operations are discussed relative to fleet allocation to minimize total emissions.

Ultrafine Particles Inside Cars in Busy Traffic—Developing an Empirical Model

PP-30-051 Background/Aims: NIWA has developed a mobile monitoring platform that includes the capability for indoor/outdoor measurements while driving. We have begun an iterative campaign of measurements with the aim of creating a generalizable model of in-vehicle exposure. Methods: Initial trials were used to build a simple first-order model to predict in-vehicle particle concentrations from measured external concentrations as a function of speed and ventilation settings. This model was prone to over-estimation following sudden jumps in external concentration, suggesting the lack of aerosol dynamics and variable sink terms in the model as a weakness. Extra sink and lag terms were empirically added based on drive-throughs of a busy road tunnel in Wellington. In August 2009, an improved experimental platform, incorporating CPCs with different size cuts (TSI 3007 and TSI PTrak) and measurements of carbon monoxide, made multiple peak-time journeys over 3 busy routes between suburban and central Auckland. Instrument sampling locations were varied to investigate internal aerosol mixing and sink processes within the vehicle. An additional campaign capturing measurements of CO and PNC (using a TSI 3007) in a car, on buses, and on a bicycle was conducted at peak-time over 20 days along one of the study routes. Results: These campaigns identified that external concentrations varied largely with the proximity of road junctions and congested traffic, with certain intersections providing consistent “hot-spots.” Interior PNC principally responded to exterior PNC in a manner indicative of the cabin acting like a buffer, smoothing external variability. Conclusion: The “trapping” phenomenon was very apparent, with brief encounters with a single gross-emitting vehicle leading to extended high interior exposure lasting many minutes after the encounter. Concentrations at the back seat were lower than and, lagged those in the front indicating either inhomogeneous mixing or deposition processes—or a combination of the 2.

A principal components analysis of the factors effecting personal exposure to air pollution in urban commuters in Dublin, Ireland

Principal component analysis was used to examine air pollution personal exposure data of four urban commuter transport modes for their interrelationships between pollutants and relationships with traffic and meteorological data. Air quality samples of PM2.5 and VOCs were recorded during peak traffic congestion for the car, bus, cyclist and pedestrian between January 2005 and June 2006 on a busy route in Dublin, Ireland. In total, 200 personal exposure samples were recorded each comprising 17 variables describing the personal exposure concentrations, meteorological conditions and traffic conditions. The data reduction technique, principal component analysis (PCA), was used to create weighted linear combinations of the data and these were subsequently examined for interrelationships between the many variables recorded. The results of the PCA found that personal exposure concentrations in non-motorised forms of transport were influenced to a higher degree by wind speed, whereas personal exposure concentrations in motorised forms of transport were influenced to a higher degree by traffic congestion. The findings of the investigation show that the most effective mechanisms of personal exposure reduction differ between motorised and non-motorised modes of commuter transport.

The Ganzstein tunnel 1971 to 2008 – from preliminary design to completion

AbstractAsfinag Baumanagement GmbH has been commissioned to construct the second tube of the Ganzstein tunnel. After completion, it will be possible to travel the entire length of the S6 expressway on dual carriageway. This investment will improve the connection of the industrial area of the Upper Steiermark with the Vienna Basin and also improve the traffic safety of the busy route. The article describes the current state of the construction works and also makes comparisons with the first tube of the tunnel, which was opened in 1980.

Aircraft Contrails Contribute to Climate Change: Whole Tourism Systems are Appropriate Contexts for Research on Sustainable Tourism

Environmental activists and concerned scientists have suggested since the 1970s that jet aircrafts' contrails, also known as vapor trails, might be having undesirable effects on the environment. In 2001, an unusual but scientifically rigorous research project, testing this hypothesis, found that contrails do have an environment impact. On busy routes the effects are significant and serious, similar to the effects of greenhouse gases, resulting in climate change. The present article discusses implications of this for sustainable tourism and ecotourism. Almost all research to date on these linked topics has focused exclusively on destinations. Knowledge about the effects of contrails adds weight to the evidence and belief that sustainable tourism and ecotourism cannot be achieved by attempts to sustain destinations if other elements in whole tourism systems are being damaged by tourism. A comprehensive understanding of tourism's environmental impacts and research on sustainability requires, as the unit of analysis, whole tourism systems.