Cost Of Transit Research Articles

The ambivalent relationship of e-scooters and public transport: Evidence from France

This paper aims at assessing competitiveness of shared e-scooters relative to public transport proposing a methodology that uses empirical data at the individual trip level and comparing e-scooter trips with the alternative public transit route available to the traveler at the time of the trip, as estimated by a navigation and public transit application. This allows us to obtain information at the individual transit trip level, such as in-vehicle time, walking, waiting, and other. We then explore the competitiveness between the two alternatives using two performance measures – travel time (TT) and an estimation of the generalized cost (GC) of a trip – for different levels of aggregation. Results show that in general, e-scooters are more competitive in terms of travel time. However, due to the higher pricing, generalized cost of transit is generally lower than that of e-scooter. In 60% of the cases users would lower their generalized cost by using public transport instead of e-scooter. On average, e-scooter is a better option for trips up to 15min, while public transit is better for longer trips. They are also more competitive during hours when transit frequency is reduced, as well as in areas with reduced service. Finally, we also find that one in five trips complement public transport service offering transportation outside of transit service hours or between areas with no connectivity. Further research should include surveys in order to obtain more details on the psychological constructs of the users.

Оптимизация логистических маршрутов в целях сохранения безопасности поставки товаров в Российскую Федерацию в контуре параллельного импорта

In the context of economic uncertainty, it is difficult to control the business processes of organizations depend-ent on the import component in order to minimize risks in many (if not all) industries. Nowadays, the activities of organizations have become affected by negative factors, which include the implementation of sanctions policy by unfriendly countries, violation of foreign trade logistics routes, refusal of counterparties-importers to fulfill contractual obligations, withdrawal of foreign companies from the Russian market, and many others. Such phenomena as parallel imports, indirect and gray imports, new logistics chains and creative economic solu-tions have become a response to the challenges of the external environment. The aim of the article is to con-sider not only opportunities, but also limitations associated with the use of parallel import resources. In search of optimal solutions, an analysis of logistics routes for the supply of goods to the Russian Federation as part of parallel imports was carried out using the DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis – data convolution analysis) meth-od to confirm the effectiveness of individual directions. Delivery times, customs clearance costs, and the cost of transit through the EAEU were selected as input parameters, and rating, service, and supply volumes were se-lected as weekends.

SECURITY OF NATURAL GAS SUPPLY TO CONSUMERS IN UKRAINE AND POLAND IN THE FACE OF OPEN RUSSIAN MILITARY AGGRESSION IN 2022 (COMPARATIVE STUDY)

Security of natural gas supply to consumers in Ukraine and Poland in the face of open Russian military aggression in 2022 (comparative study).
 Military operations, including Russian attacks on natural gas production sites controlled by Ukraine and network restrictions, have led to a 7 % year- on-year decline in natural gas production and the temporary loss of natural gas access for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian consumers. In 2022, 18,5 bcm of natural gas is likely to have been produced. The autumn suc- cesses on the frontline allowed Ukraine to start clearing damage on reco- vered territories and increase the number of new drillings.
 The extensive damage to companies using natural gas in production that was caused by Russian attacks and the scale of emigration reduced natural gas consumption in Ukraine by a quarter. Nevertheless, imports were ne- cessary. It was most profitable for the government in Kyiv to bypass transit costs and buy part of the natural gas supplied from Russia via Ukraine to the EU.
 Due to the cost of transit, a smaller part of the gas acquired by Ukraine was from other countries (e.g. Norway). The amount of natural gas (owned and owned by foreign companies) in storage in Ukraine at the end of October was 14,2 bcm. In the end, from its western partners Ukraine probably im- ported a total of only 1,5 bcm. Likely, some of the natural gas owned by foreign counterparties stored in Ukrainian storage facilities was purchased. As of 2021, the demand for Polish customers was lower than for Ukrainian needs. According to preliminary data, some 16,15 bcm of natural gas was sent to Polish consumers in 2022. Probably mainly due to the authorities’ protective moves towards households, natural gas transmission to domestic consumers in Poland fell by only less than 17,5 % compared to 2021. Indus- trial use of natural gas has decreased more.
 The Polish authorities have completed many investments (or made progress in this area) in natural gas infrastructure long postulated by experts. The degree of depletion of deposits and the high capital intensity of natural gas exploration and production requires a significant increase in investment in natural gas exploration and production to stop the further decline in natural gas production in both countries.

A Case Study on Indore BRTS with Reference to Other Indian Cities

Abstract: Bus Rapid Transit refers to a set of coordinated changes to a transportation system's facilities, working conditions, efficiencies, and technologies that prioritise bus transportation on city streets. This article provides an overview of the Delhi and Pune BRT systems, also identifies some similar challenges in operating both systems, and offers some solutions to assist improvements in Indore BRTS significantly and effectively, avoiding the bottlenecks that plague Delhi & Pune BRTS. The main objective is to increase the speed of transportation by lowering the cost of public transit and making it accessible to individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds. It alleviates traffic congestion and promotes public transportation and lessens reliance on private cars to enhance the city's traffic management and reduce pollutants thus enhancing environmental conditions.This paper attempts to review implementation of BRTS in Indore. The suggestions are given based on the research's analysis and findings.

Bus Rapid Transit: A Viable Alternative?

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) presents a significant opportunity for the public transit industry to enhance the set of transportation investment options that can be brought to bear on the mobility problems experienced by urban areas across the country. As new Census data are released, the picture of strong population growth in dispersed patterns, growing congestion levels, and stubbornly modest transit use levels emerges. This paints a compelling picture that merits serious consideration by transportation planners with regard to the full range of transportation investment options available for urban areas.This article addresses several specific characteristics of BRT that differentiate it from other public transit modes and supports the explicit consideration of BRT as an alternative in Major Investment Studies (MIS). Clearly, the high cost of rail transit limits the possible role it can play in urban mobility even under radical changes in modal spending priorities. The pursuit of more moderate costing infrastructure transit options increases the chances of public transit being able to make more meaningful contributions to urban mobility. A key characteristic of BRT is the prospect that it can offer a lower-cost method of providing better performing public transit service (not yet fully verified) that is able to both retain current and attract new customers as well as garner political and taxpayer support. Evidence provided by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) in its recent report on BRT indicated that the BRTprojects reviewed cost less to build than the light rail transit (LRT) projects reviewed, on a per-mile basis. In addition, the GAO also points out that ridership was comparable between the BRT and LRT systems reviewed and that five of the six BRT projects had higher overall system operating speeds than the LRT projects.This article also addresses the definition of BRT and the implications of the various definitions on branding of the mode. An interesting perspective on the BRT branding is offered by looking at it from the perspective of various user groups. In addition, the article explores the prospects of BRT becoming attractive to the public transit industry and with customers, decision-makers, and taxpayers. It continues by addressing certain aspects of BRT that differentiate it from LRT and the comparative impacts on land use by BRT and LRT. The article concludes by offering thoughts regarding the opportunities presented by BRT concept.

Demand Response Transit Scheduling Research Based on Urban and Rural Transportation Station Optimization

To reduce the operating cost and running time of demand responsive transit between urban and rural areas, a DBSCAN K-means (DK-means) clustering algorithm, which is based on the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) and K-means clustering algorithm, was proposed to cluster pre-processing and station optimization for passenger reservation demand and to design a new variable-route demand responsive transit service system that can promote urban–rural integration. Firstly, after preprocessing the reservation demand through DBSCAN clustering algorithm, K-means clustering algorithm was used to divide fixed sites and alternative sites. Then, a bus scheduling model was established, and a genetic simulated annealing algorithm was proposed to solve the model. Finally, the feasibility of the model was validated in the northern area of Yongcheng City, Henan Province, China. The results show that the optimized bus scheduling reduced the operating cost and running time by 9.5% and 9.0%, respectively, compared with those of the regional flexible bus, and 4.5% and 5.1%, respectively, compared with those of the variable-route demand response transit after K-means clustering for passenger preprocessing.

Collaborative optimization of energy-efficient train schedule and train circulation plan for urban rail

It is of great practical significance to save train traction energy for reducing the operation cost of urban rail transit. The energy-efficient train scheduling without combining with train circulation planning may inadvertently increase the other cost of rolling stocks, and finally lead to an increment of the total operation cost. This paper studies the integrated problem of energy-efficient train scheduling and train circulation planning for urban rail, and aims to reduce the total operation cost of rolling stocks including energy consumption. Its main challenge is to simultaneously solve three subproblems, namely the saving of train's traction energy in each rail section, the utilizing of regenerative braking energy and the optimizing of train circulation plan. We construct an optimization model to simultaneously optimize schedule and train circulation plan. Based on the designing of a strategy to create the train circulation plan for each train schedule, an efficient particle swarm algorithm is formed to solve our proposed model. The numerical experiments based on Guangzhou Metro Line 9 of China illustrate that the collaborative optimization can reduce the total operation cost of trains by 4.48% compared with the initial train schedule.

Battery electric buses charging schedule optimization considering time-of-use electricity price

Purpose This paper aims to optimize the charging schedule for battery electric buses (BEBs) to minimize the charging cost considering the time-of-use electricity price. Design/methodology/approach The BEBs charging schedule optimization problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model. The objective is to minimize the total charging cost of the BEB fleet. The charge decision of each BEB at the end of each trip is to be determined. Two types of constraints are adopted to ensure that the charging schedule meets the operational requirements of the BEB fleet and that the number of charging piles can meet the demand of the charging schedule. Findings This paper conducts numerical cases to validate the effect of the proposed model based on the actual timetable and charging data of a bus line. The results show that the total charge cost with the optimized charging schedule is 15.56% lower than the actual total charge cost under given conditions. The results also suggest that increasing the number of charging piles can reduce the charging cost to some extent, which can provide a reference for planning the number of charging piles. Originality/value Considering time-of-use electricity price in the BEBs charging schedule will not only reduce the operation cost of electric transit but also make the best use of electricity resources.

Management and Control of Operation Cost of Urban Rail Transit

Management and Control of Operation Cost of Urban Rail Transit

A bi-level optimization framework for charging station design problem considering heterogeneous charging modes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to optimize the design of charging station deployed at the terminal station for electric transit, with explicit consideration of heterogenous charging modes. Design/methodology/approach The authors proposed a bi-level model to optimize the decision-making at both tactical and operational levels simultaneously. Specifically, at the operational level (i.e. lower level), the service schedule and recharging plan of electric buses are optimized under specific design of charging station. The objective of lower-level model is to minimize total daily operational cost. This model is solved by a tailored column generation-based heuristic algorithm. At the tactical level (i.e. upper level), the design of charging station is optimized based upon the results obtained at the lower level. A tabu search algorithm is proposed subsequently to solve the upper-level model. Findings This study conducted numerical cases to validate the applicability of the proposed model. Some managerial insights stemmed from numerical case studies are revealed and discussed, which can help transit agencies design charging station scientifically. Originality/value The joint consideration of heterogeneous charging modes in charging station would further lower the operational cost of electric transit and speed up the market penetration of battery electric buses.

Состояние и перспективы сотрудничества в сфере сельского хозяйства китайской провинции Хэйлунцзян и России

The Heilongjiang Province is the province of China that pioneered agricultural cooperation with Russia. After many years of development in the field of agriculture between the Heilongjiang Province and Russia, great results have been achieved, such as diversification of economic entities, diversification of forms of cooperation, constant and continuous expansion of areas of cooperation, etc. However, there are also the following problems: the first is the limited transit of labor and technical personnel; the second is the high cost of transit of agricultural machinery and auxiliary agricultural implements; the third is the difficult obtaining of financing for Chinese enterprises for the development of agriculture in Russia. Agricultural cooperation between the Heilongjiang Province and Russia has been hit hard since the start of the global epidemic of coronavirus pneumonia. However, against the backdrop of joint construction by Russia and China of the «Belt and Road» cooperation between two countries is a general trend, cooperation in the field of agriculture is still important for two countries to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results, and the field of action and prospects are very broad.

Regional Mobile Telecommunications Performance

Mobile Telecommunications is an essential service that fundamentally affects quality of life by improving communication, the ability of business and industry to improve productivity and for the nation to compete successfully in the global digital economy. There are three fundamental and measurable parameters that, when combined, provide the basis upon which judgements about mobile telecommunications can be made. The parameters are cost, access and performance. Information is readily available about the first two parameters. Quantifiable information is not available about performance. Regional mobile telecommunications is further complicated by factors including population density, the cost of transit or backhaul and infrastructure subsidies. This paper provides a discussion on regional mobile telecommunications performance and focuses on throughput (capacity). The paper recommends that regional mobile telecommunications performance data be collected and that minimum performance standards for regional mobile telecommunications be legislated.

Modal choice analysis for a linear monocentric city with battery electric vehicles and park-charge-ride services

The limited endurance mileage of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) affects mode choice of commuters inevitably. To help facilitate BEV charging and improve accessibility of transit stations, the park-charge-ride (PCR) services have been implemented in some cities. This study develops a deterministic continuum equilibrium model for a monocentric city to analyze the modal choice behavior of commuters in a transportation system with BEVs and PCR services. Theoretical analysis is conducted for the model and some equilibrium properties are presented. The positive influence for setting PCR facilities is confirmed from theoretical point of view. It is also found that in the transportation systems with PCR services, a location exists that commuters living closer to CBD should choose railway as their only transportation mode. By deploying the discrete approximation approach, numerical examples are given to demonstrate the model. The impact of factors including initial state of charge of the battery electric vehicles, in carriage crowding cost of the railway transit are studied via numerical analysis.

User Perception on Urban Light Rail Transit

Public transport is a shared passenger transport service available for public use. Increased population is accompanied by the increased demand for private vehicles. The exponential growth in the number of private vehicles will result in negative impacts such as air pollution, excessive noise, and traffic congestion. Additionally, customers’ perceptions on different aspects include safety, operation or time, comfortableness and cleanness of public transportation that are also essential in affecting their mode of choice when travelling. The public transport that is discussed in this paper is light rail transit. This paper intends to investigate the main purpose of using light rail transit and elucidate the public perspective of the light rail transit via factor analysis and correlation analysis. A questionnaire with five-point Likert scale was designed, and data were randomly selected from 200 light rail transit users in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The results revealed that the majority of the customers use light rail transit to school or university. Moreover, most of the users satisfy with the safety, operation, cost, comfortableness and cleanness of the light rail transit. This can be concluded that light rail transit provides mobility and choice for everyone in the context of efficiency, health and safety, affordability, accessibility, and environmental friendliness. © 2019 by authors, all rights reserved.

An Energy-Efficient Timetable Optimization Approach in a Bi-DirectionUrban Rail Transit Line: A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Model

The quick growth of energy consumption in urban rail transit has drawn much attention due to the pressure of both operational cost and environmental responsibilities. In this paper, the timetable is optimized with respect to the system cost of urban rail transit, which pays more attention to energy consumption. Firstly, we propose a Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) model including the non-linear objective and constraints. The objective and constraints are linearized for an easier process of solution. Then, a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model is employed, which is solved using the commercial solver Gurobi. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of system cost, we present an alternative objective to optimize the total operational cost. Real Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) data from the Changping Line of Beijing urban rail transit is applied to validate the model in the case study. The results show that the designed timetable could achieve about a 35% energy reduction compared with the maximum energy consumption and a 6.6% cost saving compared with the maximum system cost.

Diving Behavior and Fine-Scale Kinematics of Free-Ranging Risso's Dolphins Foraging in Shallow and Deep-Water Habitats

Air-breathing marine predators must balance the conflicting demands of oxygen conservation during breath-hold and the cost of diving and locomotion to capture prey. However, it remains poorly understood how predators modulate foraging performance when feeding at different depths and in response to changes in prey distribution and type. Here, we used high-resolution multi-sensor tags attached to Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) and concurrent prey surveys to quantify their foraging performance over a range of depths and prey types. Dolphins (N=33) foraged in shallow and deep habitats [seabed depths less or more than 560m, respectively] and within the deep habitat, in vertically stratified prey features occurring at several aggregation levels. Generalized linear mixed-effects models indicated that dive kinematics were driven by foraging depth rather than habitat. Bottom-phase duration and number of buzzes (attempts to capture prey) per dive increased with depth. In deep dives, dolphins were gliding for >50% of descent and adopted higher pitch angles both during descent and ascents, which was likely to reduce energetic cost of longer transits. This lower cost of transit was counteracted by the record of highest vertical swim speeds, rolling maneuvers and stroke rates at depth, together with a 4-fold increase in the inter-buzz interval, suggesting higher costs of pursuing and handling prey compared to shallow-water feeding. In spite of the increased capture effort at depth, dolphins managed to keep their estimated overall metabolic rate comparable across dive types. This indicates that adjustments in swimming modes may enable energy balance in deeper dives. If we think of the surface as a central place where divers return to breathe, our data match predictions that central place foragers should increase the number and likely quality of prey items at greater distances. These dolphins forage efficiently from near-shore benthic communities to depth-stratified scattering layers, enabling them to maximize their fitness.

Impact assessment of autonomous DRT systems

Abstract The market entrance of shared autonomous vehicles (SAV) may have disruptive effects on current transport systems and may lead to their total transformation. For many small and medium-sized cities, a full replacement of public transport services by these systems seems to be possible. For a transport system operator, such a system requires a bigger fleet of vehicles than before, however, vehicles are less expensive and fewer staff is needed for the actual operation. In this paper, we are using a simulation-based approach to evaluate the service quality and operating cost of a demand responsive transit (DRT) system for the city of Cottbus (100 000 inhabitants), Germany. The simulation model used is based on an existing MATSim model of the region that depicts a typical work day. Results suggest, that the current public transport system may be replaced by a system of 300 to 400 DRT vehicles, depending on their operational mode. Compared to previous, schedule based public transport, passengers do not need to transfer, and their overall travel times may be reduced significantly. Results for the cost comparison are preliminary, but results suggest that an autonomous DRT system is not necessarily more expensive than the current public transport system.

Is the Era of Public Urban Transport Over?

The article tackles new technologies impact on urban transportation and gives some projections on how the future of urban passenger transit and urban goods transportation would look like. The research is centered mainly on the impact of those technologies on modal choice and explains how the impact of new theologies will contribute to the obsolescence of the public urban transport. Several factors are taken into account to support this idea. Projections on decrease in urban transport are based on major challenges of labor market (automation and teleworking), as well as ecommerce development, which will cut the demand for public transport ridership by half. Those trends will also substantially reduce the car ownership, and thus contribute to traffic decongestion. At the same time, shared-ridership platforms (Uber, etc.) have significantly decreased the cost of transit by private means of transport, equal to some fares of public transport, whereas driverless and electric cars will further decrease the cost of transit by private means of transport up to making public transport unnecessary.

The Effect of Transportation and Housing Subsidies on Urban Sprawl

Abstract This paper analyses theoretically the effect of transportation and housing subsidies on urban sprawl, modal choice decisions and urban spatial structure using a spatial general equilibrium model in a monocentric city with two transport modes. Our analysis shows that public transit subsidy leads to urban shrink, whilst subsidizing automobile and housing make the city sprawl. We also find the effects of the other factors on urban sprawl, such as households income and demand, rural land rent, the income tax rate, the total fixed cost of public transit and automobile and the travelling marginal cost of public transit and automobile. Furthermore, this paper also studies how to maximize the urban-area-wide spatial equilibrium utility level.

System modeling of demand responsive transportation services: Evaluating cost efficiency of service and coordinated taxi usage

This paper presents a continuum approximation model for the operating cost of demand responsive transit (DRT) systems in large urban networks. Applications of the proposed model shed light on ways demand and characteristics of the DRT system affect major components of cost: fleet, vehicle hours, and vehicle miles traveled. Verifying the relationship with empirical data, results show an accurate approximation of the operating cost for the paratransit system in New Jersey. Furthermore, we develop a systematic approach for evaluating the efficiency of policy implementations for DRTs. Finally, the circumstances where coordinated taxis could be a cost reduction strategy are identified.