Improvement Of Transport Infrastructure Research Articles

High-Speed Rails, Labor Mobility and Within-Firm Pay Gap

ABSTRACT The intrafirm pay gap plays a significant role in firm outcomes and prior research focuses on examining its determinants based on firm characteristics and institutional factors, with limited understanding of how labor mobility, driven by improvements in transportation, affects the pay gap. This study utilizes the opening of high-speed rails (HSRs) as an exogenous shock of the improvement of transportation infrastructure and finds that HSRs substantially increase the within-firm pay gap, especially for firms located in small cities. Mechanism tests reveal that the widening pay gap can be attributed to the decreased employee’s wages, driven by the increased supply of low skilled labors. The effect is more pronounced in labor-intensive firms, and those with weaker employee bargaining power. Overall, we provide implications for regulators and management who are concerned about pay inequity.

Measuring the impact of COVID-19 policies on local commute traffic: Evidence from mobile data in Northern California

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the world economy and significantly altered how people work by imposing limits on in-person interactions. The policy response in places like California illustrate a range of scenarios that are applicable more broadly, from stringent restrictions on travel to flexible directives. This study focuses on the impact of various policy instruments the State of California implemented on morning peak hour and home-based work traffic volume in the San Francisco Bay Area and California’s Central Valley. Previous studies have not been able to measure COVID-19′s impact on commute traffic at a sufficiently local level, nor have they tested the impact of policy instruments on local commute traffic. We fill this gap by using mobile-derived morning peak hour traffic volume data from StreetLight Insights along with census-based neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics to model neighborhood-level variation in morning traffic volume and distance traveled. Remote work, a policy the private sector initiated, had a more significant and lasting effect than state policy. Morning traffic volume did not recover in response to policies aiming to provide businesses and people greater flexibility and predictability, and while vaccination was associated with a recovery of morning peak hour and home-based traffic, that recovery was short of pre-COVID levels. The effect of remote work undergirds inequities in commute burden. Economic sectors deemed essential and lower-income workers saw the lowest decreases in commute traffic and fastest recovery. Policymakers and planners ought to consider the occupation mix as a key ingredient in understanding the impact of telework ability and takeup on future transportation infrastructure improvements across various regions.

Analyzing the Connectivity of Combined Statistical Areas in Different Census Regions Using ArcGIS

The study aims to analyze the spatial relationship between critical infrastructure and socioeconomic regions in Texas cities, identify areas at risk, and develop effective emergency response strategies. It also focuses on analyzing the connectivity of Combined Statistical Areas (CSAs) in different census regions through various modes of transportation, identify areas that require infrastructure upgrades, and inform policy decisions aimed at improving transportation infrastructure and increasing connectivity. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between critical infrastructure, emergency response, and transportation infrastructure in Texas cities, and inform policy decisions aimed at addressing disparities and improving connectivity.

Adolescents' travel behavior in Germany: Investigating transport mode choice considering destination, travel distance, and urbanization

This study comprehensively describes travel behavior to various destinations among adolescents from Germany aged 11–15 years and how this varies according to residential location type and adolescents' socio-demographics. Overall, more than a half of adolescents use active transport modes to reach school and non-school destinations. Prevalence of passive transport modes was higher in girls compared to boys, on the way to and from school compared to non-school destinations, and for longer distances. Adult accompaniment occurred predominantly to non-school destinations, was higher in girls compared to boys and was associated with passive travel. In the future, active travel promotion programs should especially consider girls' needs to prevent low levels of active travel. Additionally, improvements in the public transport infrastructure are recommended to enable a shift to a healthy and sustainable travel behavior in adolescents.

Spatial pattern and influencing factors of land border cultural heritage in China

This paper provides an analysis of China’s land border cultural heritage, aiming to offer guidance for its protection and development. The study compiled a comprehensive database of heritage sites and analyzed their mathematical characteristics based on quantity, type, and quality. The spatial pattern of the cultural heritage was described using kernel density analysis, spatial variability, and spatial correlation, while the driving mechanism was measured based on Geo-Detector model. The findings revealed that the land border areas of China have a total of 1227 cultural heritage, comprising two main types and 18 subtypes. National cultural heritage accounted for 22.74%, with ancient city ruins being the largest type of cultural heritage. The Southwest and Northeast regions of China exhibited high-high clusters and low-low clusters, respectively. Moreover, the study identified history of administrative succession, evolution of historical and cultural, altitude, distance from the city, population density, minority population ratio, urbanization process, and per capita GDP as significant factors impacting the spatial pattern of land border cultural heritage in China. Based on these findings, the study suggests that the government should invest more in border cultural heritage, improve transportation infrastructure in border areas, ensure dynamic inheritance and protection of cultural heritage, and promote the joint development of different types of cultural heritage. The research results will provide data support and decision-making reference for the sustainable development of cultural heritage in land border areas, and can provide a new perspective for the management of cultural heritage in similar areas.

FORMATION OF FOOD SECURITY OF UKRAINE IN THE CONDITIONS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

The problem of food security in Ukraine today is more urgent than ever. Due to the intervention of the aggressor country in the socio-economic and political processes of Ukraine, the constant displacement of the population within the country and large-scale migration abroad, the destruction of infrastructure and other reasons, there is a negative impact on the production and stability of commodity agriculture and agro-industrial complex, including the impact on production of agricultural machinery and equipment, processing of agricultural raw materials, production of fertilizers, agrochemicals and other materials necessary for agriculture and providing citizens with food in general. The article examines the current problem of food security formation in Ukraine in the context of European integration. The current state of the food security system in the country was analyzed and the main challenges faced by Ukraine in the process of integration with the European Union were revealed. Particular attention is paid to the risks and technical aspects associated with the formation of food security in the context of European integration. The influence of the European integration process on the development of agriculture, in particular, the increase in export opportunities and the use of modern technologies, is considered. Strategies for improving food security in Ukraine through legislative changes and training of relevant specialists are proposed. It is recommended to introduce the effective agricultural methods that would reduce the impact on the environment and contribute to the preservation of the soil fertility, efficient use of water resources, improvement of transport and logistics infrastructure, investment to scientific research, development of scientific and technical development programs, etc. The article highlights the standards and requirements that are relevant in the EU in the formation of food security, and examines their impact on the Ukrainian economic system. The need to adapt national legislation to European standards was considered, and recommendations were made for improving the system of quality control and food safety.

How much is accessibility worth? Utility-based accessibility to evaluate transport policies

There is now a long tradition of accessibility research, with an increasingly rich set of frameworks and methods from a distributional perspective. Despite such a positive outlook, many accessibility metrics deployed in research and practice do not consider (dis)utility, which may resonate more clearly with mainstream transport decision-making and planning. This paper seeks to contribute to debates about using utility-based measures as inputs for accessibility assessment of transport infrastructure investments in the Global South using discrete choice modeling and its potential as a bridging language between socially nuanced and economics-driven transport planning practices. This paper uses mixed revealed preferences and stated preferences data collected in Bogotá, Colombia. Then, it uses a logsum accessibility metric to estimate the differentiated impact of a set of infrastructure interventions on the accessibility of residents with different income levels and other socioeconomic conditions. Particularly, the logsum accessibility metric analyses future and structural additions to Bogotá public transport networks, reflecting their effect on the accessibility and consumer surplus in the next 20 years. The proposed approach captures the benefits derived from the transport infrastructure improvements, which has relevance for debates about transport policy and practice in this and similar urban contexts in the Global South. These accessibility gains could be assigned a monetary value to include in project cost-benefit assessments.

ANALISIS KEBUTUHAN PENANGANAN SIMPANG EMPAT JALAN KARANGAWEN KM-18 DI KABUPATEN DEMAK

The development of transportation in Demak Regency has an impact on increasing the movement of people, goods, and services. This is also very demanding for the improvement of transportation facilities and infrastructure in Demak Regency. This study aims to determine the performance of the uncited intersection of field conditions based on the 1997 MKJI guidelines, from the results of research in the field and the calculation of the Karangawen interchange interchange km 18 that the busiest traffic occurred on Sundays at 17.30-17.45 with a total traffic flow value of 1269 smp / hour, and obtained analytical data With an intersection capacity value of 1372.8 width of the interchange approach 2,821 fak tor road median adjustment with value 1, faktor city size adjustment with value 1, faktor road environment type adjustment by 0.85 faktor left turn adjustment by 1.170 faktor turn right adjustment by 0.233 Minor road ratio misrepresentation factor of 0.726 with a saturation degree of 0.924 interchange traffic delay of 56.54 seconds/smp, main road traffic delay of 13.66 seconds/smp, minor road traffic delay of 61.67 seconds/smp, interchange geometry delay of 4, interchange delay of 60.54 Seconds/smp and queue opportunity for lower limit of 21.26 And queue opportunity for upper limit of 34.249.So the Karangawen km 18 intersection needs improvement at the intersection because it is seen from the value of the degree of saturation based on MKJI guidelines if the saturation value > 0.75 then there is a need for interchange improvement.

The Itacoatiara Archaeological Site, Ingá, PB, Brazil: main physical characteristics and tourist potential

The Itacoatiara Archaeological Site, located in the geographical area of the municipality of Ingá (7°16′ S, 35° 36' W and 163 m), in the intermediate region of Campina Grande, PB, is the main monument of indigenous tradition, with engravings and cave inscriptions. Given the importance of this historical heritage, a diagnosis of the main characteristics and potential of archaeological tourism was made, with these determinations being the main objectives. The methodological procedures consisted of applying a semi-structured questionnaire, with questions related to the social profile, evaluation of public management, tourist attractions, among others, in addition to documentary data. The main results indicated that the referred archaeological site is constituted by a group of rocky panels, with mysterious characters. Tourist activities are managed by the Municipal Secretary of Tourism and there is little participation by society. Engraved inscriptions show that it was an unusual place, although it required investment in improving transport infrastructure, signage, accommodation, tourist routes, in order to encourage archaeological and cultural tourism, with rock engravings.

Exploring the spatiotemporal relationships between search flows and travel flows

AbstractNumerous studies attempted to associate search engine data with travel behaviors. However, most existing studies focus on the destinations of search and travel, while ignoring the origins, which embed critical information of where the search requests were initiated and where the travelers came from. In this study, we explore the relationships between two types of intercity origin–destination flow data, namely travel flows and search flows, which, respectively, record the number of travelers and search requests from one city towards another. By comparing the two flows during holiday and non‐holiday, we examine their complex spatiotemporal relationships from multiple perspectives, including time‐lag effect, distance decay effect, spatial autocorrelation, network community, cities' rankings, and important factors of search and travel activities. The findings can deepen our understanding of search and travel behaviors, hence they can help decision makers to develop targeted strategies to enhance city's attractiveness, improve transportation infrastructure, and promote tourism.

Проблемы управления лесными ресурсами в Арктической зоне Российской Федерации

The study exposes the issues with managing land and forest resources in the Arctic region. Among them are the inability to estimate the cost of forest resources, the conversion of forestry lands into industrial lands, the consequences of renting forest lands, an insufficient forestry inventory, a small number of employees of the State Forest Protection Service, and underdeveloped infrastructure. The main statements of the Arctic Hectare Program are reviewed, which give the possibility of granting land plots primarily located in forest areas. The program is discussed in comparison with the analogous Far Eastern Hectare Program. The development of the Arctic Hectare Program is expected to preserve and increase the popularity of the Arctic region in the future. However, the efficient use of the land requires the improvement of transport infrastructure. The internet site, Geoportal, is used for an analysis of the primary disadvantages of geoinformation systems for selecting land plots in the Arkhangelsk region, which is a part of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The website was established within the Arctic Hectare Program. The article provides suggestions for additional functions of the public cadastral map. It also reveals the reasons for the absence of a methodology for estimating forest resources, including Arctic tundra vegetation. Furthermore, the difficulties with the forest land delegation are observed in relation to the implementation of investment projects in mining, fuel, and energy areas, the development of transportation infrastructure, and the formation of environmental protection zones. The cases of renting out forest lands are discussed. For citation: Kovyazin V.F., Lepikhina O.Yu, Demidova P.M., Kolesnik O.A., Shobairi S.O.R., Nguyen A.T. Problems of Forest Resource Management in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation. Lesnoy Zhurnal = Russian Forestry Journal, 2023, no. 3, pp. 185–194. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.37482/0536-1036-2023-3-185-194

Sustainable transport modes, travel satisfaction, and emotions: Evidence from car-dependent compact cities

This study investigates how the use of sustainable transport modes relates to travel satisfaction (general evaluation of travel) and travel affect (emotions during travel) in car-dependent compact cities. Thereby, the study provides evidence on sustainable mobility and travel-related well-being in a context of compact urban form but inadequate provisions for public transport, walking, and cycling. A mixed-methods approach was applied comprising quantitative and qualitative analyses of data from the two major cities of Greece, i.e., Athens and Thessaloniki. Travel satisfaction and travel affect are found to be highest for those who walk for commuting, independently of travel time and other factors. Conversely, travel satisfaction and travel affect are lowest for public transport users, largely due to very long travel times but also poor public transport services in one of the two cities. Results indicate that the experience of traveling by public transport, car, and motorcycle within urban areas greatly depends on transport provision and policies. Overall, findings support the idea that to shift to pleasant, satisfying, and sustainable mobility in car-dependent compact cities, car restrictions should be accompanied by massive improvements in public transport, high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure, and an integrated coordination of different modes.

Study of Structural Failure of Road after Widening and its Remedial Measures

Abstract: Road widening projects are undertaken to accommodate increased traffic volume and improve transportation infrastructure. However, in some cases, structural failures can occur in the widened road sections, leading to safety hazards and increased maintenance costs. This study aims to investigate the causes of structural failure in road sections after widening and propose remedial measures to mitigate the issues. The research methodology involved field inspections, data collection, and analysis of failed road sections. Various factors contributing to structural failures were identified, including inadequate design considerations, improper construction techniques, and insufficient soil stabilization measures. The study also examined the effects of increased traffic loads and environmental factors on road performance. Based on the analysis, several remedial measures were proposed to address the structural failures. These measures include retrofitting the road sections with additional reinforcements, improving drainage systems to prevent water accumulation, and implementing proper soil stabilization techniques. Additionally, recommendations for enhanced quality control during construction, such as strict adherence to design specifications and regular monitoring, were suggested. Furthermore, the study emphasized the importance of considering longterm maintenance requirements during the road widening process. Establishing a comprehensive maintenance plan that includes periodic inspections, timely repairs, and proactive maintenance strategies can significantly prolong the service life of the widened road sections

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ И ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ ЭЛЕКТРОБУСОВ В ИРКУТСКЕ

The issues of environmental and economic efficiency of the use of electric buses in the city of Irkutsk are considered, the possibility of using such transport for the qualitative improvement of the urban transport infrastructure is determined

Quantitative Urban Models: From Theory to Data

Economic activity is highly unevenly distributed within cities, as reflected in the concentration of economic functions in specific locations, such as finance in the Square Mile in London. The extent to which this concentration reflects natural advantages versus agglomeration forces is central to a range of public policy issues, including the impact of local taxation and transport infrastructure improvements. This paper reviews recent quantitative urban models, which incorporate both differences in natural advantages and agglomeration forces, and can be taken directly to observed data on cities. We show that these models can be used to estimate the strength of agglomeration forces and evaluate the impact of transportation infrastructure improvements on welfare and the spatial distribution of economic activity.

Exploration of the Adaptive Capacity of Residents of Remote Mountain Villages

It is important to understand how residents in highly vulnerable natural and social environments, e.g., remote mountain villages, adapt to extreme climate shocks. Taking Shenmu Village in Xinyi Township, Nantou County, central Taiwan, as an example, this study examined the adaptive capacity of residents in this remote and mountainous area from the perspective of social capital and institutions. The empirical data for this study were collected from two sources: the Public Participation Geographic Information System Workshop and in-depth interviews with the residents of Shenmu Village. The results of the study reveal that the residents of Shenmu Village adopted agricultural adaptation strategies by switching crop types and utilizing diversified crop production spaces. Their adaptive capacities are based on mutual assistance and reciprocity, networks, local knowledge, mountain area and land management policies, and improvements in transportation and communication infrastructure in central Taiwan. This study can provide a reference for the sustainable development of remote mountain villages.

High-speed railway and urban construction investment bond yield spreads: a quasi-natural experiment

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how high-speed railway (HSR) development affects urban construction investment (UCI) bond yield spreads based on China’s background.Design/methodology/approachThis study constructs a quasi-natural experiment and adopts regression analyses to empirically examine the relation between HSR development and UCI bond yield spreads. The empirical analysis is based on a Chinese sample of 15,109 bond offering observations from 2008 to 2019.FindingsThe results show that HSR development reduces UCI bond yield spreads. Mechanistic analysis shows that HSR development increases land prices and the level of urbanization, which in turn lowers the UCI bond yield spreads. In addition, the impact of HSR development on UCI bond yield spreads is more significant at higher marketization levels and lower degrees of dependence on land finance cities where UCI corporations are located.Research limitations/implicationsThe results imply that transportation infrastructure improvement, such as HSR development, helps to enhance the credit of local governments and the solvency of UCI corporations and ultimately reduces the financing cost of UCI bonds.Originality/valueThis paper provides theoretical support and empirical evidence for the impact of transportation infrastructure construction on the implicit debt risks of local governments in China, which enriches the research on the “HSR economy” from a micro perspective and expands the research on the influencing factors of local governments’ debt risk.

High-speed railway and shadow banking: evidence from finance leases

ABSTRACT This paper empirically investigates the effect of improved transportation infrastructure on finance leases, a representative form of China’s shadow banking sector, using a sample of Chinese listed companies. We find robust evidence that there is a significant decline in firms’ finance leases after the opening of the high-speed railway (HSR). Furthermore, HSR brings more favourable contract terms of leasing, including larger financing size, longer maturity, and lower cost. The heterogeneity analysis shows that HSR mainly reduces the costly nonbank-affiliated leases, and finance leases are reduced primarily in state-owned enterprises.

Making a Market: Infrastructure, Integration, and the Rise of Innovation

AbstractWe exploit exogenous variation arising from the historical rollout of the Swedish railroad network across municipalities to identify the impacts of improved transport infrastructure on innovative activity. A network connection led to a local surge in patenting due to an increased entry and productivity of inventors. As the railroad network expanded, inventors in connected areas began to develop ideas with applications outside the local economy, which were subsequently sold to firms along the network. Our findings suggest that reductions in communication and transportation costs were an important driver of the historical emergence of a market for ideas.

1930년대 중후반 강원도 개발계획과 삼척지역의 식민지 공업화

This study deals with the development process, its characteristics and limitations of Gangwon-do focusing on the Samcheok area from the mid-late 1930s to the early 1940s. Until the first half of the 1930s, Gangwon-do had ample room for development in forestry, fishery, and mining, but was recognized as an unexploited space due to transportation and geographical limitations. Then, after the mid-1930s, the possibility of development in Gangwon-do expanded in the policy of promoting agriculture and industry by the Japanese Government-General of Korea along with improving transportation infrastructure. At the same time, the Gangwon-do Development Committee was held in 1937, when Japan Empire demanded resource development and productivity expansion after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. The Gangwon-do Development Committee was a meeting where it was declared that Gangwon-do could no longer remain an unexploited area, and it was a space where various interests of the people who would promote development overlapped.
 Samcheok was the area where Gangwon-do’s development plan was most symbolically revealed. With the promotion of anthracite mining, chemical and cement industries, the industrialization of the Samcheok area was accelerated. However, the development and industrialization of the Gangwon region, centered on Samcheok, was a development from above centered on the empire and capital, revealing the limits of development that did not consider the lives of local residents.