Corridor Improvement Research Articles

URBAN DESIGN QUALITIES OF EMBONG MALANG CORRIDOR, SURABAYA CITY

The Embong Malang Corridor is located between Kedungdoro District and Genteng District, Surabaya City. Jalan Embong Malang is a secondary arterial road that has strategic significance in the context of city development where this corridor features several commercial buildings on both sides of the road. Pedestrian paths on the Jalan Embong Malang Corridor are available along the north and south sides, becoming a vital means for people visiting the Embong Malang Corridor to move between buildings. However, there are problems related to the qualities of the urban design in this corridor, which directly impacts the walkability and functionality of the pedestrian path for pedestrians. This research aims to find out the condition of urban design qualities in the Embong Malang Corridor. This research method uses observations made to evaluate the existing condition of the corridor, relying on descriptive analysis to explain various related aspects. The results of the analysis show that there are still deficiencies in several aspects of urban design qualities, especially in the enclosure, complexity, and coherence variables. This evaluation provides important insights into corridor improvement and development efforts and encourages further attention to aspects of urban design to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment.

Quantifying the Impact of Development of the Transport Sector in Pakistan

An efficient transport system is not only a pre-requisite for economic development but is also important to achieve the objective of economic integration in the world economy. Insufficient transport infrastructure results in congestion, delay delivery time, fuel waste, pollution and accident1 which built inefficiencies in the economy and costs the economy 4 to 6 percent of GDP each year [Shah (2006)and World Bank (2007)], which can be saved by investing in transport services. Realising its importance, the government of Pakistan has initiated National Trade Corridor Improvement Programme (NTCIP) in 2005 to improve logistic and transport infrastructure so that it can fulfill the demand of economy more efficiently. This five years programme includes all sectors that improve performance of corridor-high way namely, road transport, railways, airports, and ships etc. The objective of the programme is to reduce the cost of doing business and improve quality of services. The study quantifies the efficiency of transport sector by evaluating the impact of public investment to improve transport services on the economy in general and on cost of land transportation in particular; i.e., cost of freight and passenger movement and cost of externalities such as congestion, air pollution and accident. The outcome of the study depends on how improved facility is achieved, i.e., who bears the cost and who benefits etc. This paper assumes tax financed public investment that not only change domestic price and demand, but also welfare and poverty. The issue is analysed in computable general equilibrium framework taking into account inter linkages of transport sector with rest of the economy. First, a social accounting matrix (SAM) is developed with a detailed transport module. Then, a dynamic CGE model is developed around this SAM and simulations are conducted for short run and long run analysis of public investment in trans port sector.

Quantifying the Impact of Development of the Transport Sector in Pakistan

An efficient transport system is not only a pre-requisite for economic development but is also important to achieve the objective of economic integration in the world economy. Insufficient transport infrastructure results in congestion, delay delivery time, fuel waste, pollution and accident1 which built inefficiencies in the economy and costs the economy 4 to 6 percent of GDP each year [Shah (2006)and World Bank (2007)], which can be saved by investing in transport services. Realising its importance, the government of Pakistan has initiated National Trade Corridor Improvement Programme (NTCIP) in 2005 to improve logistic and transport infrastructure so that it can fulfill the demand of economy more efficiently. This five years programme includes all sectors that improve performance of corridor-high way namely, road transport, railways, airports, and ships etc. The objective of the programme is to reduce the cost of doing business and improve quality of services. The study quantifies the efficiency of transport sector by evaluating the impact of public investment to improve transport services on the economy in general and on cost of land transportation in particular; i.e., cost of freight and passenger movement and cost of externalities such as congestion, air pollution and accident. The outcome of the study depends on how improved facility is achieved, i.e., who bears the cost and who benefits etc. This paper assumes tax financed public investment that not only change domestic price and demand, but also welfare and poverty. The issue is analysed in computable general equilibrium framework taking into account inter linkages of transport sector with rest of the economy. First, a social accounting matrix (SAM) is developed with a detailed transport module. Then, a dynamic CGE model is developed around this SAM and simulations are conducted for short run and long run analysis of public investment in trans port sector.

Getting Off Track: the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project in an International Context

The Northeast Corridor Improvement Project aimed to upgrade the most important passenger route in the country so that it could support high-speed trains. By the early 1970s, North America's rail network had been in decline for decades. However, the energy crisis and strong congressional support prompted a policy of reinvestment. Execution of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project was plagued with problems owing to both lack of experience delivering major rail projects and a counter-productive, complex administrative structure resulting from conflicts between Congress and the White House. The project's original scope, which was necessary to achieve high-speed operations, was reduced over time as budgetary limits were exceeded. Compared to the coeval Paris–Lyon high-speed rail project, Northeast Corridor Improvement Project history demonstrates the importance of continuous infrastructure investment to maintain the expertise necessary to effectively deliver major capital projects.

Analysis of moose-vehicle collisions countermeasures in northern climates

Abstract This research investigates the reliability of two measures intended to reduce moose-vehicle collisions (MVCs): continuous lighting and clearing/grubbing of roadway corridors. Individual analyses and a combined regression analysis were conducted to measure the effects of several combinations of variables on MVC rates, including clearing and grubbing, continuous lighting, clearing without grubbing, moose population, precipitation, snowfall, and maximum snow depth. Nine corridor improvement projects were analyzed based on the variables present. In previous studies, it has been hypothesized that MVC rates are influenced by environmental conditions such as snowfall and daylight. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) has performed many studies on MVCs along several corridors. Some corridors showed a significant drop in the number of MVCs after the installation of continuous lighting. The results show there is a consistent drop in MVCs after clearing and grubbing, with the exception of one corridor. The combined clearing/grubbing and continuous lighting projects also resulted in a consistent drop in MVCs. The projects with clearing and grubbing as a component had varying trends in MVCs, which may indicate that DOT&PF Maintenance and Operations performed clearing of re-vegetated areas, or that older growth is less of an attractant for moose.

Unique Aspects of Flexible Pavement Design and Asset Management for P3 Design-Build-Finance-Operate Projects

With increasing frequency, roadway corridor development and improvement projects are being procured through Design-Build-Finance-Operate (DBFO) Public Private Partnerships (P3s). In these procurement environments the nature of the pavement design and engineering requirements change in several significant ways compared with the traditional Design-Bid-Build (DBB) in that the consequence of poor pavement performance (risk) in most aspects is transferred from the owner to the DBFO partners: designer, constructor and operator/concessionaire. A performance-based design approach is required which is founded on the principle that the design and construction of an asset is completed to achieve a set of prescribed performance results. This paper discusses the design and pavement management process for DBFO P3 flexible pavements and presents a case study of a project highlighting a particularly complex distribution-based roadway condition performance specification.

INTEGRATING CA4PRS V.3 ROAD WIDENING SCHEDULE MODULE INTO US HIGHWAY EARLY CONSTRUCTABILITY PROCESS: CALIFORNIA SR-91 CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM CASE STUDY

Performing Constructability Review Processes (CRPs) during the highway design development has been found to save transportation agencies twice their input costs. However, existing literature has identified three areas of CRP improvement: reduction of required agency resources, incorporation of Road User Cost (RUC) scheduling constraints, and integration of assessment visualizations. The authors propose to fill this gap by integrating the Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies (CA4PRS) v.3 software into the CRP. This module provides agencies with road widening project schedule capabilities, which enhances CRPs by providing accurate RUC-constrained critical path schedules using minimal resources. The module was developed through interviews with subject matter experts from six public and two private California transportation organizations. Said experts also tested the CA4PRS v.3 alpha and beta pre-release versions using data collected from eight Caltrans road widening projects. The potential value-adding of integrating the CA4PRS v.3 software with existing CRPs has been tested through its application on the California State Road 91 (SR-91) Corridor Improvement Program (CIP), resulting in 24-months of construction acceleration. The findings and presentation of the schedule model within this paper provide practitioners an accurate and resource-efficient tool to estimate the schedule impacts of road widening constructability options.

Incorporating Road User Costs into Integrated Life-Cycle Cost Analyses for Infrastructure Sustainability: A Case Study on Sr-91 Corridor Improvement Project (Ca)

Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a decision-making tool that allows governing agencies the ability to assess several long-term alternative investment options. This paper presents a LCCA analysis process which integrates the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) program, RealCost (a road user cost calculation program), the FHWA-endorsed Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies (CA4PRS) and Caltrans specific design tools (CalFP and CalAC), into the existing Caltrans LCCA process (a modified version of the FHWA LCCA process). In using tools backed by the FHWA and validated through previous agency use, the presented process has a potential to be replicated on urban corridor improvement projects across the US while aiding agencies in achieving economical sustainability throughout the infrastructure maintenance phases. This paper also fills the gap identified by Ozbay et al. in 2004, incorporating road user cost calculations into the LCCA process. Validation was achieved through the execution of the recently completed $1.4 B US California SR-91 Corridor Improvement Project. The SR-91 team used the presented tool to choose one of the two alternatives (maintain HOV SR-91 lane and add I-15 HOV lane using long-life Portland Cement Concrete Pavement or add Express Lane to SR-91 and I-15 using long-life Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement and Asphalt Concrete Pavement), equating to an estimated life-cost savings of $32 M.

Tools for the Wider Economic Impact Assessment of Corridor Improvements: Lessons Learned from the FHWA Implementation Assistance Program in Indiana

AbstractIn an effort to assist transportation professionals with the evaluation of wider economic benefits (WEB) of highway improvements, this paper provides important insights into the open-source...

Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: Setting Policy and Precedence: CREATE in Motion

The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program is a nationally prominent rail-infrastructure program. It is managed by the unique partnership of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, Metra, Amtrak, Association of American Railroads, and six of the nation’s Class I freight railroads. The CREATE 75 th Street Corridor Improvement Project (CIP) received a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Record of Decision in September 2014. As a result of 75 th Street CIP and other completed preliminary engineering and project environmental reviews within the 70 rail-improvements program, CREATE has set a national-policy example with regard to mitigation under the environmental justice Executive Order (EO) 12898. This article provides some background on the CREATE Program and examines the development of the CREATE Environmental Justice Policy. It describes the impetus for creating the policy, namely noise impacts on low-income and minority populations resulting from the 75 th Street CIP and other CREATE Program rail projects. This article also discusses the extensive coordination among Federal and State agencies, among the public and private CREATE partners, and among Community Advisory Groups and residents, all of which led to the specific mitigations addressed in the CREATE environmental justice policy. The result of these encompassing efforts, led by Federal Highway Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Public and Intermodal Transportation, is a precedent-setting framework for analyzing and, when necessary, mitigating the potential environmental justice impacts of the CREATE Program rail projects. The CREATE Environmental Justice Policy is precedent setting in a few ways: (a) it establishes policy where none currently exists and where existing highway-oriented policies do not seem appropriate or applicable; (b) it provides greater specificity with regard to what mitigation measures are “practicable” to address predicted noise impacts of CREATE Program rail projects on low-income and minority populations; (c) it clarifies the lead agencies’ intent to maintain the transportation linkage and focus when developing and evaluating practicable mitigation measures for other (i.e., non-noise) impacts; and (d) it helps assure the equity of the transportation investment by better balancing the distribution of burdens and benefits at the project level. This article identifies the steps, when considering disproportionately high and adverse impacts to low-income and/or minority populations, on how to evaluate other practicable mitigation measures with merit under EO 12898. This article also describes the lessons learned and the dialogue necessary to receive broad support from the CREATE partners for both needed rail improvements and additional mitigations to provide offsetting benefits and opportunities to enhance Chicago-area communities, neighborhoods, and residents’ quality of life. Environmental Practice 17: 256–269 (2015)

Context Sensitive Solutions: A Case Study of Jamestown Corridor Improvements in Virginia

Context Sensitive Solutions: A Case Study of Jamestown Corridor Improvements in Virginia

Prioritizing Pedestrian Corridors Using Walkability Performance Metrics and Decision Analysis

Recent sustainability initiatives have shown that targeting pedestrian infrastructure improvement programs can enhance walkability and reduce traffic volume. Smart growth planning supports the need not only to build additional nonmotorized facilities, but also to improve the planning, prioritization, and funding process. Identifying pedestrian infrastructure needs through the development of an index can resolve inconsistencies and inequities regarding funding sustainable transportation infrastructure. This research investigates how transportation planning agencies can improve the process of prioritizing pedestrian improvement projects through two objectives: (1) the development of the pedestrian corridor improvement index (PCII); and (2) the application of PCII to pathways in Union County, Pennsylvania, as a case study. The PCII integrates pedestrian performance metrics with the analytic hierarchy process to assist in the prioritization of pedestrian pathway improvements. In order to test the applicability and relevance of the index to a real world network, four pathways in Union County, Pennsylvania, are evaluated and recommendations on the implementation process are provided. The PCII serves as a tool for agencies to enhance the decision-making process for planning pedestrian improvement projects.

Is the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa extinct in Taiwan, and could it be reintroduced? An assessment of prey and habitat

AbstractDuring 1997–2012 we conducted a nationwide camera-trapping survey and assessed the availability of prey and habitat for the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa in Taiwan. We surveyed 1,249 camera-trap sites over 113,636 camera-trap days, from the seashore to an altitude of 3,796 m and covering various types of vegetation. No clouded leopards were photographed during 128,394 camera-trap days, including at 209 sites in other studies, confirming the presumed extinction of clouded leopards in Taiwan. Assessment of the prey base revealed altitudinal distribution patterns of prey species and prey biomass. Areas at lower altitudes and with less human encroachment and hunting supported a higher prey biomass and more of the typical prey species of clouded leopards. Habitat analysis revealed 8,523 km2 of suitable habitat but this was reduced to 6,734 km2 when adjacent areas of human encroachment were subtracted. In the absence of hunting and large mammalian carnivores the major prey of clouded leopards in Taiwan, such as Formosan macaques Macaca cyclopis, Reeves's muntjacs Muntiacus reevesi, Formosan serow Capricornis swinhoei and sambar Rusa unicolor, could become over-abundant. Thus, it is important to address the cascading effect of the disappearance of top-down predator control. Our assessment indicated that, with proper regulation of hunting, habitat restoration and corridor improvement, it may be possible to reintroduce the clouded leopard.

Bus Rapid Transit Systems in Latin America and Asia

This paper summarizes technical, financial, and performance information regarding bus system improvements in 11 cities in Latin America and Asia. The cities selected in this review improved their transport conditions either through citywide bus reorganizations (São Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile) or through improvements in selected corridors and areas of the city (Beijing; Bogotá and Pereira, Colombia; Curitiba, Brazil; Jakarta, Indonesia; León and Mexico City, Mexico; and Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador). Both citywide reorganizations and corridor improvements included the introduction of bus rapid transit (BRT) elements. The reviewed systems improved the transport conditions for the commuters served and had other benefits, particularly the reduction of pollution and accidents. The BRT corridors implemented show high performance (carrying 3,000 to 45,000 passengers per hour per direction) and have generally been well received by the users, with relatively low capital investments ($1.4 million/km to $8.2 million/km) and small or no operational subsidies. The systems have faced problems related to planning, implementation, and operations, mostly as a result of institutional and financial constraints. Most problems were solved in the initial months after implementation. The experiences in developing cities show the potential of BRT for a wide range of applications, from medium-demand to very-high-demand corridors. Lessons learned from these applications are useful for the development of similar projects.

Perceptions of urban stream corridors within the greenway system of Sapporo, Japan

Many rivers and streams have disappeared through flood control, drainage works and urban development in Sapporo, Japan. Also, accessibility to and naturalness of the streams have deteriorated. Newer river and stream corridor improvement technologies such as nature-oriented construction, and public involvement methods are emphasized in the Sapporo General Green Space Plan. The purpose of this study is to make clear the perceptions of stream corridors and to show some factors which are important for integrating them into the Urban Greenway Plan. After consideration of landforms, stream corridor land uses and location, five stream corridors which have been improved in the Sapporo urban areas were selected. Neighborhood residents’ perceptions of the stream corridors were surveyed using a questionnaire, and a census of the vegetation along the stream banks was also taken. The results showed that improvement of the stream corridors in question had been supported by nearby residents. After the factor analysis, five important factors of stream corridor perception, namely, “recreational use,” “participation,” “nature and scenery,” “sanitary maintenance,” and “water safety” were identified. Based on these factors, stream corridor features including vegetation that may affect preference were discussed as variables for integrating the stream corridors into the Greenway Plan. Furthermore, using the factor scores, respondents were classified into three groups: the Passive Group, the Recreation Interested Group, and the Participation Oriented Group. Corresponding to these groups, a number of programs facilitating participation in or support of greenway planning are suggested. In conclusion, it is suggested that (1) enhancing the ecological environment; (2) creating a recreational circulation system; and (3) making full use of the natural and cultural characteristics of the local areas are important to the integration of stream corridors in urban greenways.

Provisional Typology of Highway Economic Development Projects

Past efforts to analyze and select promising highway economic development projects for implementation and to evaluate implemented projects for effectiveness have not progressed as much as they could partly because not all projects are the same type. Projects that improve local access to employment sites are inherently different from those that improve connectivity between two cities (sometimes called corridor improvements) and will properly merit different analysis and evaluation. The different types of projects were categorized, and the methods that will be required in analysis, evaluation, and selection are discussed.

Planning Railway Construction

The problems encountered in the major reconstruction of an active passenger railway are examined. The requirements of the transportation department are for highly controlled construction operations; however, construction is most economical when the contractor is provided with maximum scheduling flexibility. These seemingly incompatible demands can only be accommodated by an integrated, i.e., construction and transportation, planning effort, similar to that initiated by Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project. Amtrak’s experience may prove useful where railway construction must be accomplished under critical train service constraints, particularly in the upgrading of rail lines into high-speed commuter or regional rail system.

Environmental noise impact assessment of the introduction of high speed trains in the Northeast Corridor

The Northeast Corridor Improvement Program (NECIP) which affects eight states and the District of Columbia, serves the most heavily urbanized section of the country and passes through some of the nation's largest cities and some of the most environmentally sensitive areas, including a number of sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Assessment of the overall effects of the NECIP is provided by a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to indicate whether or not the NECIP will spawn a massive public outcry against noise on a systemwide basis. The PEIS also identifies types of locations throughout the Corridor that may have noise problems. Site Specific Environmental Impact Statements (SEIS) provide assessment of environmental problems in specific locations. In a SEIS, a location where noise is expected to be a significant problem is assessed in detail, with noise controls designed to minimize impact. Specific noise controls are described in a mitigation chapter.

Soil-structural interaction and concrete tie design : Raymond, G P J Geotech Engng Div ASCE, V104, NGT2, Feb 1978, P249–265

Remarks are made on rail seat loading, the effect of speed, bending moments for ties in tangent track, dynamic considerations, and curved track. Although reflection of moments occurs under dynamic loading, full reflection does not occur under heavy loads. The authors suggestion that concrete ties be designed with a uniform prestressed section of constant cross-sectional area seems unjustified. A shallower section at tie center enables better utilization of materials in a prestressed concrete tie. It is noted that Amtrak recently awarded a contract for manufacturing over a million concrete ties to be installed on 400 track miles of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Program.