Ferry Terminals Research Articles

Two-stage energy management framework of the cold ironing cooperative with renewable energy for ferry

The cold ironing system is gaining interest as a promising approach to reduce emissions from ship transportation at ports, enabling further reductions with clean energy sources coordination. While cold ironing has predominantly been applied to long-staying vessels like cruise ships and containers, feasibility studies for short-berthing ships such as ferries are limited. However, the growing demand for short-distance logistics and passenger transfers highlights the need to tackle emissions issues from ferry transportation. Incorporating electrification technology together with integrated energy management systems can significantly reduce emissions from ferry operations. Accordingly, this paper proposes a cooperative cold ironing system integrated with clean energy sources for ferry terminals. A two-stage energy management strategy combining sizing and scheduling optimization is employed to reduce the port’s emissions while minimizing system and operational costs. The proposed system configuration, determined through the sizing method, yields the lowest net present cost of $9.04 M. The applied energy management strategy managed to reduce operational costs by up to 63.402 %, while significantly decreasing emissions from both shipside and shoreside operations. From the shipside, emissions reductions of 38.44 % for CO2, 97.7 % for NOX, 96.69 % for SO2, and 92.1 % for PM were achieved. From the shoreside, the approach led to a 28 % reduction across all emission types. Thus, implementing cold ironing powered by clean energy sources is a viable solution for reducing emissions generated by ferry operations. The proposed energy management approach enables emissions reduction and delivering cost-effectiveness at ferry terminals.

Port Call Optimization at a Ferry Terminal with Stochastic Servicing Time and Additional Visits

Ferry shipping is an indispensable method of public transportation, especially in areas with well-developed river systems or coastal areas. The increasing demand for transport requires additional visits and introduces the problem of ship visit schedule engineering at ferry terminals with stochastic servicing time. In this paper, we propose a ferry visit planning problem to maximize the total profit, in which the berthing time, berthing location, and servicing time for each ferry visit are optimized. Then, a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model is proposed to formulate the focal problem. We propose a tailored solution method to convert the mixed-integer nonlinear programming model to a mixed-integer linear programming model. We further devise an inserting algorithm to test the performance of our model. A comparison between the results of the basic instance yielded by our model and those of the inserting algorithm validates our model and solution method. We then conduct sensitivity analyses of the impacts of different numbers of existing ferry visits and added ferry visits, different expectations of the real time taken by all the ferry visits, and different distribution patterns of existing ferry visits, to further validate the performance of our model.

Understanding Interface Criticality in Large Infrastructure Projects

AbstractUnderstanding and effectively managing interfaces has been recognised as key to mitigating the risk of project failure since the 1960's and is becoming more prominent in infrastructure as projects become more complex. This paper reviews how interfaces in infrastructure projects are traditionally identified, defined, owned, assessed, and managed. It provides recommendations on how to better align this traditional viewpoint with a whole‐of‐system approach to Interface Management through an assessment of interface criticality and shows the application of these through a case study on the redesign of two rail‐enabled ferry terminals.

Time-optimal coordination of multiple entering and departing ferries in terminals based on decentralized learning model predictive control

In large cities with harbors or rivers, ferry services have been an important part of public transport. In practice, many ferry terminals are subject to geographical and environmental conditions, limited space resources of the terminal pool, and restricted navigable waters of ships, which leads to constrained operations and increases the difficulty of docking when multiple ferries enter and depart from the terminal. Because of the distributed, real-time and dynamic characteristics of multi-ferry maneuvering, this paper proposes a decentralized, time-optimal control strategy to coordinate the maneuvering of multiple entering and departing ferries in restricted terminals. It combines nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) with an iterative learning control (ILC) framework. Based on the states and maneuver data of previously successfully performed trajectories, the coupled constraints among multiple ferries are decomposed with support vector machine (SVM). Therefore, it also does not require real-time information exchange during ferry operations and has the merits of low communication demand, as only local information is required in each ferry controller. Simulations are carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The local socio-economic impact of improved waterborne public transportation. The case of the New York City ferry service

This paper looks into the recent actions of the New York City government to connect its five boroughs over water and the consequential impact on the socio-economic conditions of local coastal neighborhoods. The predictions from the Comprehensive Citywide Ferry Study (CFS2013) are contrasted with actual data and observations of the transformations that have taken place in the direct surroundings of a selection of ferry terminals, both in terms of spatial changes, as well as economic growth or decline.The paper starts with an illustration of how different modes of waterborne transportation steered urban transformation processes and coastal land uses over time. Next, the paper explains the rise of the NYC ferry network as a contemporary answer to a growing demand for public transportation that connects coastal neighborhoods. A comparative analysis between a selection of ferry landings reflects upon the impact that improved accessibility has on neighborhoods’ spatial, social, economic, and environmental conditions. The paper studies several parameters, including the neighborhoods’ property prices, employment rates, daily commutes, development interest, demographics, and tourism.What distinguishes this paper from other studies is the direct link between the quantitative data and the social, economic and environmental characteristics of the surroundings of the ferry landings. Instead of providing a mere technical analysis, the paper studies the transformation of neighborhoods in proximity to the ferry stops and reflects upon hypothetical future impact of new ferry stops. A link is made between the quantitative results of existing studies to a case analysis of the concerned neighborhoods. Whereas the methodology used in this paper is a combination of both a theoretical and an empirical analysis of New York City's waterfront, the main goal is to provide a theoretical contribution by notion of a case study approach.

Do small overwater structures impact marine habitats and biota?

Small overwater structures (SOWS) such as residential docks are common along marine shorelines. Large overwater structures like ferry terminals and commercial piers cast shadows that impair submerged aquatic vegetation and habitat, and alter salmon behaviour and migration. Because of large overwater structure impacts, it is possible that SOWS may also impact marine habitats and organisms. Here, we review the evidence for marine SOWS impacts, finding that relatively little research has been dedicated to the topic. Outside of reducing light and causing well-documented impacts on seagrasses in multiple parts of the world, there is inconsistent or inconclusive evidence for impacts on macroalgae or fish. There is insufficient research on SOWS to draw robust conclusions about these structures’ overall impacts on nearshore environments or how to mediate any possible impacts. Unfortunately, freshwater SOWS or large marine structures are imperfect analogues for inferring marine SOWS impacts. However, we emphasise that an absence of evidence is not evidence for an absence of impacts by SOWS. We outline critical research questions and the relevant study approaches that would address data gaps surrounding SOWS impacts and management.

Analyzing the Passenger Traffic Demand Patterns of Greek Ferry Terminals.

Greece is a country with more than 200 inhabited islands, in which almost 17% of population live. Sea transport is the only available connection for the vast majority of these islands. The major ferry network of Greece consists of 155 ports, which are handling on an annual basis more than 35 million passengers. This study uses a panel of secondary data for 155 Greek ports, which were collected for the development of the database of ENIRISST (Intelligent Research Infrastructure for Shipping, Supply Chain, Transport and Logistics) project in order to determine demand patterns. At first, STL decomposition is performed for the throughput timeseries of each port. Afterwards, Gini Index Analysis for Seasonality is performed for all ports. Results are useful for planning of decision-makers and constitute an important addition to currently existing traditional econometric models.

Ship Berthing and Unberthing Monitoring System in the Ferry Terminal

This paper presents a monitoring system designed to increase the safety of the quay structure in ferry terminals, in which, during berthing and unberthing maneuvers, propeller and thruster-generated jets may damage the seabed protection, threatening the stability of the berth structure. Direct measurement of flow velocity on the seabed is not possible due to the possibility of its damage, therefore dynamic pressure measurement of the quay wall was used within the system. The relationship between the pressure on the quay wall and flow velocity on the seabed was determined using real-scale CFD simulation of the flow field generated during berthing and unberthing maneuvers. The paper focuses on the computations of the pressure distribution generated by bow thrusters. These computations made it possible to determine the velocity field in the time domain. Their results, verified using real-scale measurements, are in line with generally accepted empirical methods.

EV Charging on Ferries and in Terminals—A Business Model Perspective

Ferry operators in Sweden provide transportation for tens of millions of people annually. As electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more commonplace, ferries and ferry terminals seem like suitable places for providing charging services. However, high costs and low occupancy rates means that it is challenging to design profitable business models for charging services in general. This paper reports on a market review of the charging services that ferry operators in Sweden provide and a case study of suitable business model design elements for operators that intend to offer charging on board or in terminals. While only two of fifteen ferry operators offer EV charging on board, four more operators indicated that they were planning to provide such services in the near future. Nine operators offered charging in or close to ferry terminals. The results also indicate that business model design focuses primarily on safety, leading to higher costs for onboard charging due to hardware and staffing costs. Investments also tend to incorporate costs which are not specific to onboard charging but rather the general safety requirements associated with EVs. Finally, poor profitability makes future development dependent on managerial efforts to reduce costs and improve revenue as well as supportive policies such as investment subsidies.

Soundscape Approach in the Seaport of Ancona: A Case Study

Today, the art of knowing how to listen is more urgent than ever. The perceptive sound system of the human being is stimulated daily by countless artificial sounds that dominate natural ones. When it comes to the idea of the soundscape, the terminology was initially referred to by composer and environmentalist Raymond Murray Shafer, who defined “soundscape” as a relationship between the ear, humans, built environments, and society. This paper aims to apply the sound landscape approach in the seaport area of Ancona (Italy); a large area, frequented daily by many people, which is divided into passenger and ferry terminals, container terminals, plants for solid bulk, and commercial and recreational activities. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the perception that a human has of the urban layout of the port area by correlating the parameters of traditional acoustics with psychoacoustics. To evaluate the subjective parameters, a questionnaire was developed and applied, enabling the analysis of demographic and behavioral factors such as age, visit frequency, and length of stay of the participants in the clusters of the seaport. This way, it was possible to give an indication of the sound quality of the different clusters of the port area, from an acoustic and emotional point of view, and this information could be particularly helpful in the planning phase of new attractions for the Ancona seaport.

Characteristic Analysis of the Built Environment of Ferry Terminals: A Case Study of Mokpo, South Korea

Ferry terminals are an essential facility for those frequently commuting between islands or towns ashore. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure a smooth and efficient flow of passengers and vehicles while guaranteeing safety and convenience at the ferry terminal. This study investigates and evaluates the walking path environment and determines the passengers’ walkability and walking satisfaction of ferry terminals in Korea. As a case study, to measure the passenger’s overall perception and satisfaction of the built environment of the ferry terminal, we conducted an importance–performance analysis for two ferry terminals located in Mokpo city of Korea. The segments of the poor built environment in terms of walking were found. Furthermore, the ANOVA and t-test results confirmed that the satisfaction level of the built environment varied by age and residential location of passengers. There was a significant difference in satisfaction between the groups (age and residential location) in the walking path segments while embarking and disembarking the ferry. Passengers’ perceptions and walking satisfaction were different depending on the features of the built environment, including public transport accessibility, layout, distance, and surface condition of the walking path of the ferry terminal. As a limitation of the study, the case study was conducted only in the Mokpo region due to the impact of COVID-19, and the sample survey was also conducted in a short period of time. In addition, further studies are needed on the generalization of passengers’ walkability in ferry terminals.

Traffic crashes in Dhaka, Bangladesh: analysing crashes involving unconventional modes, pedestrians and public transit

Road safety is a global concern; particularly, in developing countries due to the significantly high collision occurrences and subsequent deaths. This study presents a spatial and temporal analysis of collision frequency and injury severity of crashes in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The focus is to understand the spatio-temporal trend of collisions involving pedestrians, public transit and unconventional modes, which are the key collision factors in Dhaka. This research utilizes the police-reported collision record for Dhaka for the years 2011–2015. In temporal analysis, temporal trends (monthly, daily and hourly) of injury severity of different vehicle occupants (pedestrians, public transit and unconventional modes) have been explored using descriptive analytics. Daily distribution suggests that a higher share of severe injuries involving pedestrians (16.6%) and unconventional modes (20.5%) occur on Fridays and Thursdays, respectively. The hourly distribution suggests that pedestrians are more vulnerable from 11:00am to 12:00pm on weekends. Unconventional mode users are vulnerable from 7:00am to 8:00am on weekdays. Spatial analysis is performed adopting a Kernel density estimation (KDE) technique. The results suggest that the major activity locations of Dhaka such as central business district (CBD), airport and ferry terminals are collision prone areas. Interestingly, the density of public transit collisions is skewed around the major transit hubs of the city.

The Cost of Hosting a Ferry Port: Assessing Baltic Ferry Ports’ Negative Impact on Urban Areas and their Strategies to Mitigate it

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to assess the negative impact of the leading Baltic ferry ports on the urban areas where ferry services are provided, as well as the strategies adopted to mitigate this impact. Design/Methodology/Approach: Several research methods were applied: literature review, data exploration method, desk research and comparative analysis. As this is a pilot study, the comparison is limited to: (a) the ferry ports with the largest turnover of wheeled cargo units; (b) selected criteria i.e., location, access infrastructure, investments in modern eco-friendly solutions. Findings: (1) almost all leading ferry ports within the BSR have developed solutions aimed at reducing the negative impact of their cargo operations on the port city and environment; (2) some ferry ports have actively responded to the IMO's call to cooperate with shipowners subsumed in Resolution MEPC.323(74). Practical Implications: This study allows to highlight the best practices to minimize the negative impact of ferry ports on urban areas, as well as indicate examples of effective cooperation with ferry operators in the BSR, which can be a model for other ferry ports. Originality/Value: So far, no research has been conducted on the activities undertaken by the ferry terminals to eliminate the externalities of their activities, which causes a research gap in this area.

Simulation-based logistics planning for the optimization of ship occupancies

One of the main concerns of maritime shipping today is to reduce fuel costs and emissions while ensuring the estimated time of arrival. For ships with a tight schedule, such as ferries, the only way to save money and decrease fuel consumption is to efficiently plan and manage port operations. This paper describes an approach to handle efficient simulation based allocation planning for ro-ro ferries and their ferry terminals on daily business. Therefore, a logistics simulation module is introduced where planning takes place in 3D environment. The functionality of the approach is proven on an allocation planning example.

Diagnosing And Forecasting Port Services On The Example Of Świnoujście Ferry Terminal

The paper proposes tools for diagnosing and forecasting port activities related to vehicle ferry transport on the example of the largest terminal located in the southern part of the Baltic Sea. It is a methodological proposal for a decision support system (DSS), subsequently used in practice. Diagnosing and forecasting port activities by entities managing ports is an obligation stemming directly from the Act on Ports and Harbours. Due to the size of operations, it is also necessary to undertake actions leading to accurate diagnoses and forecasts (e.g. concerning cargo volumes). Port authorities do not have specialized units within their structure to deal with this issue and while the analysis and reporting of cargo handling activities is carried out properly, the diagnosis and forecasting is usually done without a scientific approach. The article describes selected research tools (diagnoses and forecasts) based on statistical-econometric inference. The purpose of this paper is to propose specific tools for diagnosing and then forecasting the operation of ferry terminals for the need of decision support (DSS). The reason for undertaking the research was an inquiry of the ferry terminal in Świnoujście concerning the rationale for launching a new ferry (new supply).

The influence of waiting time on the value of headway time on a ferry service in Norway

The value of headway time is travellers willingness to pay for a reduction in the length of the time intervals between departures on public transport services. As such, it is an important number when departure frequencies on such services are determined. Because waiting, according to the literature, gives rise to the emotions of anger and uncertainty it can be assumed that waiting time influences travellers willingness to pay for reduced headway. As such, it is the aim of this study to investigate the relationship between respondents waiting time at ferry terminals and their willingness to pay for reduced headway. The main finding is that the value of headway increases concavely with waiting time. That is, a marginal change in waiting time influences the valuation of headway positively. However, the effect is diminishing. This result implies that, all else equal, the welfare effect of reducing the length of the time interval between departures is greater on services with a long average waiting time than on those where the average waiting time is short.

Can marketing create destination personality? The case of Macau

Purpose The paper aims to study Macau’s brand and destination personality. The data are derived from 91 semi-structured interviews with visitors to Macau at points of departure such as the airport and ferry terminals. Macau is perceived as hospitable and friendly, but complexities and ambiguities exist as the city is a fusion of Western and Asian cultures and locates gaming with a Portuguese heritage. Indeed one informant described the city as an “old person with a young spirit”. Given this, the final discussion is concerned with the concepts of anthropomorphic attributes associated with destination personality when applied to a destination, whereas managerial implications are identified with reference to a need to overcome some deficiencies in a perceived coldness in interactions with industry personnel.

Appraisal of Ferry Terminals Design Compliance to Guidelines for Universal Accessibility in Lagos State Nigeria

Accessibility of public buildings has been an issue of global interest and importance in the society in recent times. It has been promoted by the need to ensure universal equality and end discrimination of persons either based on size, ability and mobility disorder. Given the important role of water transportation in aiding mobility, movement of goods and services in coastal cities such as Lagos, this study reviewed the compliance of design, construction and operation of Ferry Terminals towards accessibility of users. The research adopts the case study approach and interviews in appraising the three existing Ferry Terminals in Lagos State, Nigeria for accessibility compliance. The case study involved observation and evaluation of the facilities, and the interviews focused on 18 of the ‘facilities operators and passengers’ about their experiences of associated facilities. Findings from the study revealed poor compliance to accessibility in both the external and internal environments. As such, there is a high degree of limitation in use of the facilities for all facets of water travel; from building approach; waiting, boarding and disembarking areas. Existing facilities have inadequate accessibility and are below standards to ensure use by all and without discrimination or segregation of users. It is therefore imperative for Ferry terminal buildings and amenities to be accessible in effectively enabling all users achieve true mobility in barrier-free environments that foster user-comfort through the adoption and application of universal design principles.

Managing uncertainty in ferry terminals: a machine learning approach

Ferry service across the Gibraltar Strait usually faces with the congestion problem at ferry terminals. Recognising the need to manage this problem, port managers must be prepared in advance to reduce waiting times, give space in the car park, coordinate ferry departures, etc. With this aim, we propose a machine learning methodology based on a classification and regression tree (CART) model. Thus, by means of the CART model, port managers can predict (with a certain error) the number of vehicles (or passengers) that will use the ferry terminal in the future. The accurate prediction that the model provides is crucial not only for port managers, but also for ferry operators. Our CART gives the predicted value and the measure of the expected error. Both are presented in sunburst graphs.

Managing uncertainty in ferry terminals: a machine learning approach

Ferry service across the Gibraltar Strait usually faces with the congestion problem at ferry terminals. Recognising the need to manage this problem, port managers must be prepared in advance to reduce waiting times, give space in the car park, coordinate ferry departures, etc. With this aim, we propose a machine learning methodology based on a classification and regression tree (CART) model. Thus, by means of the CART model, port managers can predict (with a certain error) the number of vehicles (or passengers) that will use the ferry terminal in the future. The accurate prediction that the model provides is crucial not only for port managers, but also for ferry operators. Our CART gives the predicted value and the measure of the expected error. Both are presented in sunburst graphs.