Light Rail Transit Research Articles

Working Period Relationship, Safety Knowledge, and Safety Performance among the Construction Workforce of Light Rail Transit

Introduction: Safety performance refers to an individual safety behavior that can be determined by two groups of factors, environmental and individual. Each company has its own safety performance program for its employees. The company's role in occupational health and safety is to create a positive organizational climate by implementing an occupational safety and health management system. This relates to the organization's commitment to prevent accidents and occupational diseases, and to improve the level of work productivity. This research aims to analyze the relationship between the Working Period, safety knowledge, and safety performance among the workforce of the LRT construction project. Method: This research used the quantitative research approach which emphasizes data in the form of numbers and processing by statistical methods. The research design was observational with a cross-sectional approach. The population of this research was 97 respondents who filled in the questionnaires. The independent variables were Working Period relationship and safety knowledge while the dependent variable was safety performance. Result: The results show that the Working Period has a negative relationship with safety performance. Safety knowledge has a positive relationship with safety performance. The individual characteristics of the Jabodebek LRT station construction project are based on a Working Period of < 1 year for 38 people. Conclusion: Working Period has a weak relationship with safety performance and has criteria which relate to negative relationships. However, the relationship between safety knowledge and safety performance has a positive and significant relationship because the broad knowledge of safety of the employees improves their safety performance.

Impact of a light rail transit line on physical activity: Findings from the longitudinal Travel Assessment and Community (TRAC) study

IntroductionIncreasing transit infrastructure could increase transit use and result in higher physical activity if users actively travel to access transit. Few studies have rigorously examined transit use and physical activity change from before to years after among residents living close versus farther away from new transit options. MethodsAn initial sample (n = 722) of residents living either close (<1 mile network distance; exposed) or farther away (>1 mile network distance; unexposed) from future new light rail transit (LRT) stops in the Seattle/King County area were recruited and assessed prior to LRT opening and again 1-2 and 3–4 years later. At each assessment timepoint, residents wore an accelerometer and GPS data logger for 7 days and completed a 7-day travel log and demographic and attitudinal survey. Difference-in-difference analyses examined longitudinal change between those exposed versus unexposed to LRT in physical activity, walking (both utilitarian and recreational), and transit-related walking, and transit use. ResultsThere was no differential change by LRT exposure in overall physical activity (including or not including light intensity physical activity), recreational walking, or utilitarian walking, with most decreasing significantly in both exposure conditions through follow-ups. There was a differential change in transit-related walking, with those exposed to LRT slightly increasing such physical activity to the most distal follow-up, but the difference from the unexposed condition was modest (<2 min/day). There was no substantial differential change over time in transit use by LRT exposure. ConclusionsExposure to a new light rail line did not markedly change the frequency of transit use of nearby residents, but did result in a small increase in transit-related walking relative to those unexposed. This did not differentially change the amount of overall physical activity or time spent walking compared to residents living farther away from the new LRT.

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.

Characteristics of Light Rail Travel Time: Examples from France

The total journey time of Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) is made up of running time, dwell time (station stops for passenger boarding and alighting), and signal delay (delay of LRVs being stopped by the regular traffic signals). Data from operational surveys of six modern light rail systems in France has shown that LRV running time was 65-71 percent of the total journey time and dwell time was 22-27 percent, while signal delay was 7 to 8 percent of the total journey time. The average operating speed of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) ranged from 17.7 to 22.8 km/h and has an approximate linear relationship to passenger stop frequency (stops/km).Light rail dwell time has been found to follow a log-normal distribution, although the values differed significantly between different LRT systems. The means of the dwell time distribution have the range of 16 to 31 seconds in off-peak periods and 21 to 37 seconds in peak periods. Factors that influence light rail dwell time include the number of passengers at the stops, the number of standees in the vehicles, vehicle design (number of doors, door size, low floor or high floor vehicle, etc.), fare collection system, and the location of LRT stops.The findings in this paper could be used by LRT planners and operators directly in developing and assessing operating and service changes and in providing input to long-range planning procedures. The results can also be used in microscopic simulation modeling studies of LRT in an urban network, such as the TRGMSM model.

Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction: A Study of MyRapid in Malaysia

MyRapid is the dominant player in Malaysia's public transportation industry. It innovates and drives public transportation systems in the country while providing public transportation services such as light rail transit (LRT), monorail, and bus services to connect millions of people from different states. This paper examines if the service quality of the public transport services influences customer satisfaction in Penang, Malaysia. The five dimensions of service quality include assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness, and tangibles. A total of 150 MyRapid users participated in the survey. Findings revealed that the only two dimensions of service quality, which are reliability and tangibles were significantly related to customer satisfaction whereas the other three dimensions are not supported. The findings provide insight into the public transportation industry to improve the public transportation system in Malaysia, given that service quality is a critical driver of customer satisfaction. Keywords: Customer satisfaction, Penang, Public transportation, Service quality, Malaysia

Transit Station Area Land Use/ Site Assessment with Multiple Criteria: An Integrated GIS-Expert System Prototype

This article is intended to assist decision-makers confronted with the problem of determining the suitability of a site with a proposed light rail transit (LRT) stop as a transit supportive (re)development by exploring a prototype, integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) and decision-support system. An inclusive concept of a hierarchy is presented in which the multiple, diverse dimensions of the land-use/site assessment problem—from goal, criteria, to alternatives—can be embedded in deciding suitability of a site as a transit-supportive development.Framed as a multicriteria procedure, and integrated with a GIS, the decision-support system provides the flexibility to account not only for the configurational or physical features of the built environment and the patterns of growth (or decline) of the population and employment in the region, but also the socioeconomic, demographic, and trip-making characteristics of the targeted population. The joint effects of the population (demand) characteristics and the features of the built environment of land use/transportation (supply) are reflected in the scores of the site assessment. Furthermore, the prototype facilitates decision making by deriving the relative importance of the multiple “supply” and “demand” factors strategically and adaptively vis-a-vis the site-specific constraints and opportunities. Finally, criteria-weighted land-use suitability scores are computed and displayed to indicate the suitability of the site as a transit-supportive development. The multicriteria part of this prototype is implemented with a C++ program as an interactive, expert decision-support system integrated with a GIS.

Transit-Oriented Development Suitability Analysis by the Analytic Hierarchy Process and a Geographic Information System: A Prototype Procedure

A prototype procedure is illustrated to assess the suitability of land use around proposed light rail transit stations of a metropolitan area, with an example of a focus on one station area land use pattern. Transit oriented development (TOD) guidelines provide the criteria for an assessment. The procedure for assessment is facilitated by a geographic information system (GIS), and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multicriteria methodology that is increasingly employed in conjunction with geographic information systems. The weights of the criteria are determined through paired comparisons (relative measurement), and a ratings intensity scale is used to determine the scores of land units (absolute measurement). This flexibility in measurement is helpful in situations where land use criteria, such as TOD guidelines, as suitability factors and with certain desirable thresholds of intensity are known, but must be considered strategically and adaptively, responsive to local priorities and site-specific conditions. The scores of land uses on a scale of zero to 100 percent are determined, which indicate the degrees of the suitability of a transit station area as a potential TOD. As well, the proportions suggest changes that target particular parcels—individually and as a group—so as to bring about a desirable mix of the public, core/employment, and housing uses for an urban TOD. This prototype application highlights the versatile properties of the AHP, particularly when used in the specific context of a development paradigm (TOD) in conjunction with a geographic information system that has not been previously addressed in the literature on applications.

Benefits of Proximity to Rail on Housing Markets: Experiences in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County, California, home to both light- and commuter-rail services, has turned to transit-oriented development as a means to both reduce traffic congestion and redress severe shortages of affordable housing units. This article exanimes the degree to which proximity to two forms of rail transit—light rail and commuter rail—confer benefits to residential properties in terms of sales values. Hedonic price models are estimated that show job proximity over the transit network as well as nearness to rail stops substantially add value to residential parcels. All else being equal, large apartments within a quarter mile of a light-rail station commanded land-value premiums as high as 45 percent. Such market profits not only lure developers to station sites, but also provide a potential source of revenues to local agencies that have set up the kinds of value-recapture programs that allow them to participate in land-appreciation benefits that accrue.

Learning Multimodal Transportation Before and After Covid-19 Pandemic

This study aims to look at the trend of Light Rail Transit (LRT) mass transportation during the covid-19 pandemic as a lesson for multimodal transportation courses. The type of qualitative research that becomes a research instrument is the researcher himself (the author) who is directly involved in the research. The determination of informants in this study uses purposive techniques where only certain people or parties will be used as research objectives as a source of information, namely Informant I: Head of the Section on the Utilization of Facilities and Infrastructure, Informant II: Officials making committees of public service agencies, Informant III: Managers of Passenger Numbers and Revenues, Informant IV: Train Travel Organizers. The results of the study are expected to be able to measure the level of understanding of cadets in the Multiomoda Transportation course. Through the pre-test as the average basis for cadets' knowledge of the Multimodal Transportation course of 87.00, then an intervention was carried out through education and material training based on the results of a research study of light rail transit (LRT) mass transportation trends before and after the Covid-19 Pandemic and a reassessment was carried out to obtain the average post-test results and the results changed to 91.86. Through the Paired Sample T-Test test, the significance value of the pre-test and post-test can be tested, a significance value of 0.000 is obtained, which means that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test values. Furthermore, it can be seen the Correlation value of 0.525 which shows the strength of the relationship of the 2 variables tested, namely pre-test and post-test.

Effects of Light-Rail Transit on Traffic in a Travel Corridor

An important debate is taking place over the value of transit in easing traffic congestion. This study sought to quantify the effect of light rail transit (LRT) on traffic in a travel corridor and provide quantitative data that can be used to shape future transportation policies aimed at reducing traffic congestion, energy consumption, and air pollution. Using a quasi-experiment design and data before and after the University of Utah’s TRAX LRT line was opened, we estimated that traffic on the street with LRT (400/500 South) decreased by 7,500 to 21,700 due to the availability of a high-quality transit serving destinations along the line, and, most important, the University of Utah. Traffic on 400/500 South decreased despite significant development in the corridor and expansion of the university. Based on our estimates, LRT along 400/500 South saves about 362,000 gallons of gasoline and prevents about 7 million pounds of CO2 from being emitted each year.

Making a Successful LRT-Based Regional Transit System: Lessons from Five New Start Cities

This paper examines five metropolitan areas where light rail transit (LRT) lines serve as regional transit backbones. The paper defines a successful LRT-based regional transit system as one with high riding habit and productivity for all combined modes in each metropolitan area, and as also having high LRT ridership and productivity. Based on these criteria, Portland emerges as a successful LRT-based regional transit system. Our analysis reveals three characteristics that explain the Portland transit system’s strong performance: the network’s dispersed nature, the overlay of a higher-speed, high-frequency regional LRT network atop the local bus system, and the use of transfers to provide passengers easy access to a diverse array of destinations. We examine the performance of all five metropolitan areas with respect to these characteristics using a combination of agency data and insights from interviews with key informants.

Light Rail and Land Use Change: Rail Transit’s Role in Reshaping and Revitalizing Cities

Planners and policymakers often cite the tangible objective of land use change as a primary motivation and justification for an investment in light rail transit (LRT). But how has light rail performed with respect to achieving this goal? This paper reviews and synthesizes the previous literature on LRT and other rail rapid transit systems in North America, demonstrating that rail transit alone is not a primary driver of land use change and that six beneficial factors affect the ability of these systems to have a measurable impact on reshaping and revitalizing cities.

Optimization of Main Public Transport Paths Based on Accessibility—Case Study: Mashhad, Iran

Transport planning is an important aspect of urban planning. In this regard, enhancement of public transport systems and guiding urban travels towards them has found a crucial role in traffic improvement, preventing capital waste, and achieving sustainable cities. Mashhad, Iran, the second largest city in Iran, with a population of three million, has two main systems of public transport, light rail transit (LRT) and bus rapid transit (BRT). In designing these lines, not enough attention was paid to urban sustainability principles and maximizing access. The aim of this study was to redesign the main public transport lines using the approach of accessibility enhancement. The meta-heuristic method of Ant Colony Optimization was applied for this purpose. To compare the redesigned paths with the current paths, access indicators were defined and computed in the case of two alternatives. The results show that the access indicator in the modified alternative is significantly higher than the current one.

Exploring Comparative Ridership Drivers of Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail Transit Routes

A major research gap is the relative ridership performance of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), and streetcar (SC). This paper assesses ridership influences of 101 routes in Australia, Europe, and North America using multiple regression examining the influence of transit mode, vehicle capacity, service level, employment/residential density, car ownership, speed, stop spacing, right-of-way, vehicle accessibility, and integrated fares on ridership (boardings/vehicle km; BVK). Average ridership is higher for LRT/SC routes than for BRT routes, and although service levels vary greatly, they are lower on BRT systems. Residential/employment density is higher for LRT/SC routes compared to BRT. A regression model predicting BVK was significant (R2 = 0.83) with six predictors: being in Europe, speed, vehicle capacity, employment density, service level, and integrated ticketing. Results suggest that the transit mode does not directly impact ridership but rather acts through vehicle size and service levels. Limitations and opportunities for future research are identified.

Public Transportation Decision-Making: A Case Analysis of the Memphis Light Rail Corridor and Route Selection with Analytic Hierarchy Process

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) New Starts process involves multiple criteria to assess funding eligibility for local public transit investments. In this article a multicriteria method–Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)—is used to assess light rail transit (LRT) corridor and route alternatives. Although the focus is on the current LRT corridor and route selection process in Memphis, Tennessee, the AHP-aided procedure is intended to facilitate the public transportation decision-making process generically, reflective of federal New Starts guidelines as well as local priorities and preferences. Each alternative corridor and route is assessed functionally with respect to site-specific ratings of the criteria and subcriteria in a unified framework. This framework contains the goal, participant groups, criteria, subcriteria, and alternatives as various elements of a public transportation decision process with relative influence on the outcome. The best corridor and route alignment alternative is identified by a composite score on the AHP ratio scale. Finally, with sensitivity analysis, it is shown how a change on the importance of the criteria or participant group priority influences the trade-offs among the criteria and the outcome. The article concludes with a retrospective, reflective discussion of the planning process as a whole.

Project NPV, Positive Externalities, Social Cost-Benefit Analysis— The Kansas City Light Rail Project

The Heartland Light Rail project represents Kansas City’s biggest infrastructural investment in decades. The ballot initiative for the light rail project was voted down three times until it was finally approved in November 2006. Using best estimates of construction costs, operating expenses and federal funding, I estimate the net present value (NPV) of the project to be negative $343 million. From a standard NPV perspective the Kansas City light rail transit (LRT) system is unlikely to break even. However, if the negative externalities of auto travel and the positive externalities associated with light rail are properly accounted for in a comprehensive social cost-benefit framework, investment in the Kansas City LRT system becomes an increasingly feasible option.

A Bridge Too Far? The Staten Island/Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Missed Connection

Few urban areas are as economically and socially integrated as the New York City borough of Staten Island and the New Jersey communities of Bayonne and Jersey City just across the Hudson River. These strong links are illustrated by travel patterns across a north-south corridor from Staten Island up into Bayonne. Yet transit planning and development policy and implementation have been radically different in the two areas, with slow and, right now, stunted development of transit in Staten Island, New York City, as contrasted with the muscular and systematic approach taken in Bayonne and Jersey City, New Jersey. This paper analyzes the links between the two areas, describes the different transit policies taken in each, assesses the outcomes of these different policies, and offers suggestions for ways in which transit and development links could be improved, in particular an extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) into Staten Island. The paper also discusses the interim use of buses as a pre-development phase for light rail (LRT) or bus rapid transit (BRT), focusing on the relatively new S89 route in Staten Island that now links directly to the HBLR and which immediately attracted strong ridership.

Impacts of New Light Rail Transit Service on Riders’ Residential Relocation Decisions

Using the rider survey data collected from Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System in New Jersey, this paper investigated the residential relocating decisions of the riders who have been riding the LRT for a period of time. Using the Heckman’s sample selection model, the paper extends the current mobility literature by describing not only a rider’s likelihood to move as a result of the new LRT service but also the movers’ orientation toward their residence distances to LRT stations. Information on the socio-economic characteristics of the movers and their residence distances to LRT stations would help planners and developers identify areas where housing growth associated with specific characteristics of the riders will occur, and plan for these areas to provide affordable housing and amenities for relocating residents.

Failure’s Severity Affecting Railway Operation Based on Sensitivity Analysis: A Case Study of Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit (AALRT)

Operation delays and trip cancelations affect the reliability of the operation and customer’s satisfaction. This review work adopts a case study of AALRTS operation system employing operation data and incident records of AALRTS. The purpose of this paper is assessing the failures frequency and the time it takes to get back to its operation aiming that how sensitive it is for the reliability of the operation. An extensive literature review has been used to approach the problem in which the sensitive failure`s analysis methods have been identified. The method that has been used to investigate the failure`s magnitude was sensitivity failure analysis by considering the case study of AALRTS. The method has been implemented to identify different failure modes through the analysis of the case how sensitive the failures are to the normal operation. The results that have been discovered from the analysis are: - the safety incidents and equipment failures are the major groups that affect the normal operation of AALRTS. When we go to the depth level-crossing incidents and power outages are the major sensitive failures (from safety incidents and equipment failures) that can reduce the reliability of the operation dramatically. Finally the researcher would like to recommend that giving a due attention for those sensitive failures might improve the reliability of the railway operation.

Design and optimization of anti-climber device for light rail transit crash energy management system

The study of a new anti-climber structural concept for a light rail transit crash energy management system is intended to improve passive safety performance that reduces the risk of overriding during a car-to-car collision. The anti-climber design and configurations are optimized to achieve the best crashworthiness performances. Several model variations are created, to which design factors are assigned based on the L16 orthogonal array. The optimum configuration is estimated using Taguchi’s Robust Parameter method. The controlled variables’ influence on the performance is analyzed using the Analysis of Variance method. The results show that the optimum configuration for the system’s crash energy absorption and crashbox deformation performances are toothed ends-Al6061-T6-30 mm-lower offset with 1.5 dB gain and toothed ends-Al6061-T6-20 mm-lower offset with 3.3 dB gain, respectively. The most influential parameter is the anti-climber material (29.79%) for the system’s crash energy absorption performance and teeth thickness (50.26%) for the crashbox deforming performance.