Light Rail Research Articles

Evaluation of active travel using with the health and economic assessment tool (HEAT): The case of Samsun/Turkey

IntroductionThe widespread use of fossil fuel vehicles in transportation, which is one of the most basic needs of societies, has negative effects on air pollution and traffic congestion. In order to reduce the negativities of the usage of motor vehicles in transportation, countries are trying to expand the use of active travel paths and electric vehicles. However, to increase the use of active travel in transportation, the cities' active travel infrastructure, the traffic density, and the distance for active travel are essential. Active travel path's investment in Turkey is less than in European countries. In this study, planned active travel path investment in Atakum/Turkey has been evaluated from different perspectives in order to provide useful data to decision-makers. MethodHealth Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) was used to analyze the benefits of planned investment. As a result of new investment, four scenarios of the walking and cycling time were assumed as input to HEAT. HEAT outputs compromise premature deaths prevented, physical activity (PA) time, carbon emissions avoided and a benefit/cost ratio for each scenario. In addition to HEAT outputs, the net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) of the planned investment have also been calculated for different scenarios. ResultsIn the Atakum, there is an about 9 km active travel path built on a line parallel to the coast to increase the use of bicycles and the level of walking mobility of the citizens. In addition to that, a new active travel path is planned. The length of the planned active travel path is about 22 km long and is designed to be interconnected with the light rail system. In this study, benefit/cost ratios have been estimated for expected different physical activity (PA) time due to the new active travel path. The highest benefit/cost (B/C) ratio was obtained as 8 with an expected 117 min of PA time for scenario4. The least PA time is 22 min for scenario1 provides B/C ratio of 1. The prevented premature death is 6 for scenario1 and 69 for scenario2. The IRR is estimated to be 83% for 117 min of PA and 6% for 22 min of PA.

When and Where Do Home Values Increase in Response to Planned Light Rail Construction?

This paper examines the effects of an investment in light rail transit on single-family property values in Montgomery County, Maryland, with a focus on when and where such capitalization takes place and with intent to inform efforts to promote equitable transit-oriented development. We employ both hedonic price and repeat-sales estimation techniques to assure the results are robust. The findings indicate that housing prices, after the light rail transit went into the engineering phase, rose with proximity to anticipated new rail stations but not with proximity to existing metro stations. For planners and policymakers and advocates in Montgomery County, the results provide critical information about where and when value capture and anti-displacement policies are most needed and potentially effective.

Analysis of the Impacts of Passenger Demand on the Profitability of Different Types of Urban Rail Transit

With the rapid development of urban rail transit (URT) in China, a contradiction between high costs and low passenger demand becomes prominent. Complete analysis of the impacts of passenger demand on the profitability of URT can be difficult to conduct, due to the multifaceted impact of passenger demand with multidimensional characteristics. To this end, we propose a strategy that helps to analyse the profitability of different types of URT, taking into account the spatial and temporal characteristics of demand. Based on data of the Shunde (SD) district in China, the profitability of metro, light rail transit (LRT), monorail and tram was evaluated. Results show the profitability under different demand levels. Tram might be the best choice at low demand levels. At medium demand levels, LRT and monorail are competitive. At high demand levels, LRT with medium to high capacity and low cost is a good alternative to metro, though the capacity of metro is higher. Utilizing the URT with high capacity under insufficient demand can aggravate the burden of depreciation, and make it hard to achieve profit. The spatial characteristics of the demand described in this paper reflect the problem of insufficient demand in marginal areas due to the diversified construction of URT.

Influence of Axle Load on the Wear of Railway Wheel Material

This study investigated the influence of axle load on the wear rate of railway wheel material. Excessive wear of wheel/rail materials and reduced service life of the wheel/rail system might be caused by the increase in axle load and traffic volume. Two kinds of rail and wheel steels have been studied against different axle load steps, simulating them for wear performance analysis using multibody simulation software (SIMPACK) and MATLAB programming. The simulation model results are validated against the vehicle’s specifications and wear depth measured on Ethiopia—Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit (LRT), and experimental results from the literature. The result shows that the wear rate increases proportionally with the increasing of applied load and that the proportionality coefficient is 0.1393, which has a very good agreement with the experimental results from the works of literature. Likewise, the estimated total tread wear amount after a mileage of 52,000 km is 2% larger than the measured one in LRT, which is indeed an excellent result taking into account the inaccuracy of the wheel diameter gauge used to measure the wheel transversal profile. In normalized UIC 50 kg/m rail and S1002 wheel profile, the wear rate increases linearly from 5110.02, 9997.87, and 18990.17 mm3/km on 11, 21, and 30 tones applied load, respectively. Apparently, on the hardened UIC 60 kg/m and S1002 wheel profiles, the wear rate has been improved by 14.5%, 10.8%, and 7.5% on 11, 21, and 30 tones applied load, respectively, in comparison to normalized rail/wheel match. Briefly, the wheel wear rate is highly influenced by the increasing applied load, referring proportionality coefficient of 0.1393.

Thermal imaging of the wheel-rail interface

The paper presents the use of a new method of imaging of the wheel-rail interface wear adopting thermal imaging techniques. Based on the heat generated at the point of contact, coming from the friction and strain of the mating materials, it is possible to identify the type and location of the wheel-rail interface. This work presents the usability of the method with reference to the typical conditions of operation of light rail vehicles (small-radius curves – from 22 m, wheel diameter around 0.6 m, lower standard of track maintenance than in the case of regular railways, use of shallow-grooved frogs, etc.). Thermal imaging presents a big potential in terms of monitoring the wheel-rail interaction and can also be used to identify flange climbing, rolling noise generation or longitudinal creepage during traction or braking.

Noise limits and indicators for intermittent indoor low frequency noise

In Denmark indoor low frequency (LF) noise is measured with the indicator LAeq, 10 min in the frequency range 10-160 Hz. Recent complaints related to short intermittent low frequency noise events (sounds from underground metro, light rail, neighbouring fitness centre...) could indicate that the correlation between measurements of LAeq and the experienced annoyance is poor. A literature study for LF descriptors and noise limits in other countries has been made. Listening tests on annoyance of various types of intermittent indoor LF noise types is ongoing and the results will be correlated with alternative relevant noise indicators. The results of the literature study and the listening tests are presented in this paper.

Inspection, structural analysis, and assessment of the existing condition of the tunnel beneath the National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria

The current paper considers and summarize the elaborated inspection of the existing condition and operational capacity of the structure of a tunnel beneath the National Palace of Culture and together with the collected data and conclusion concerning the capacity of the top slab of the structure to undertake an additional load from a secondary track from a light rail load. It also includes an assessment concerning the durability of the structure and the compliance with the regulation requirements. The report includes - review and analysis of the available design and other documentation for the site; Surveying and scanning of the main structural elements, incl. localization and registration of visible defects of the structure; performing static and dynamic field testing; structural analysis and calculation of the actual bearing capacity of the reinforced concrete slab of the tunnel according to the regulatory requirements.

An example of a digital engagement platform for large scale community engagement using auralization.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in social distance restrictions that have limited the ability for transport authorities to undertake in-person community engagement activities and consult on proposed local infrastructure developments. Potential increases in noise levels or change in acoustic environment can often be a key concern for residents living close to a proposed development. This paper documents the approach taken to engage with local stakeholders regarding a proposed new light rail metro line in Toronto, Canada, using an innovative online web-based auralization tool. The tool allows the existing trains and planned new metro trains to be compared interactively in an environmental context and with and without acoustic mitigation interventions. The paper discusses the benefits, challenges and limitations associated with the approach and provides an overview of the auralization approach of the proposed new metro line.

Design and Construction of Elevated Multispan Bridge Structure for Light Rail Transit in Jakarta, Indonesia

The Greater Jakarta Light Rail Transit Project (LRT Jabodebek) is an infrastructure project that utilizes lead rubber bearings (LRBs) to reduce seismic demand on structures. This seismically isolated system shall provide operational performance levels under design earthquakes. Nonlinear time-history analysis was used to evaluate the structural performance. Five pairs of scaled ground motions were used as the input motions for the time-history analysis. The ability of the lead rubber bearing to isolate the structures and dissipate earthquake energy will determine its effectiveness in achieving the targeted structural performance level. From this exercise, the targeted performance was achieved. In the last part of the paper, the construction documentation of the elevated structures is presented.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation on Multi-module Coupling Vibration Performance of Light Rail Vehicle

Experimental and Numerical Investigation on Multi-module Coupling Vibration Performance of Light Rail Vehicle

Infrastructure development, human development index, and CO2 emissions in China: A quantile regression approach

This study investigates the relationships between infrastructure development, human development index (HDI), and CO2 emissions in China. Infrastructure has played an essential role in achieving social and economic developmental goals in China, but environmental pollution has significantly increased in the country in the last two decades. Our analysis uses time series data from 1990 to 2021 and quantile regressions, and we find that infrastructure has positive and statistically significant relationships with HDI, CO2 emissions, and GDP in all quantiles. Recent infrastructure upgrades improve living standards and increase HDI but damage the environment, and infrastructure is the main source of CO2 emissions in the country. Therefore, the government should invest in sustainable infrastructure to mitigate CO2 emissions. The government may consider infrastructure options such as low carbon transportation, including railway infrastructure, urban metros, and light rail.

Quantifying the Impact of Light Rail Transit on Commercial Property Values: New Evidence From Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Evidence shows that improving accessibility through investment in public transport, such as urban rail transit, can have a positive impact on land values and subsequently on property values. This paper, therefore, presents empirical results on the impact of proximity to the nearest Kelana Jaya light rail transit (LRT) station on commercial property values in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Using the hedonic pricing model, the paper attempts to quantify these effects. The sample consists of 399 office transaction data for the years 2014 and 2018, marking more than a decade of Kelana Jaya LRT line operation in the region. The results show that an office unit located within a 400 m radius of the nearest Kelana Jaya LRT station enjoys the highest premium, reaching about 0.637%, which, at the mean, is MYR802,620 (USD200,655). However, the premium appears to decrease rapidly for an office unit located within a radius of 401–800 m from the nearest Kelana Jaya LRT station, reaching 0.232% (MYR292,320 or USD73,080 of the mean office price). From the results of this study, it can be concluded that this paper contributes to the growing literature on the positive relationship between urban rail transit and commercial property values. More importantly, this paper provides the necessary evidence for the potential implementation of a land value capture policy as an alternative source of revenue to fund or partially fund urban rail transit in Greater Kuala Lumpur, which is presently absent.

Adaptive rail transit network operations with a rollout surrogate-approximate dynamic programming approach

This paper presents an adaptive optimization framework for dynamic rail transit network operations with use of a rollout surrogate-approximate dynamic programming method. The optimization algorithm derives coordinated decisions of service schedules and train unit deployment with respect to prevailing passenger demand. Considering the computational effectiveness needed for real-time applications, a state-dependent surrogate function is incorporated to approximate the costs associated with operational decisions over future stages. The surrogate approximation is updated iteratively via a temporal difference learning process with feeding of observations made from the transit network. The proposed framework is implemented and tested on a real-world scenario in Hong Kong Light Rail Transit (LRT) network. The results reveal that the proposed framework is able to reduce significantly the total passengers’ waiting times over existing plans with reasonable computational time via use of the surrogate approximation. This suggests the potential of the proposed optimizer for real time applications in large-scale rail transit networks.

A compensation mechanism for air pollutants generated by tourism-related land-based transportation: An exergy-based case study from Macao

This paper discusses the compensation standard for exhaust pollution and devises a compensation mechanism for Macao's tourism-related transport sector based on an integration of chemical exergy and universal exergy, using data on gasoline consumption by automobile sector retrieved from the transportation industry. The results reveal that: (1) the exergy values of air pollutant emissions increased from 1.53 × 1012 kJ in 2010 to 2.03 × 1012 kJ in 2019 (an increase of 1.33 times), and the exergy of CO, NOx, and SO2 emissions accounted for 77.5%, 20.4% and 2.1% of total exhaust emissions in Macao respectively. (2) In 2019, the monetary value of emission exergy, and the environmental costs of air pollution, were 1.7 times greater than in 2010. (3) If Light Rail Transit is compensated for, then the mean interval's values of the upper and lower limits of the compensation standard are 0.55 USD and 0.05 USD, respectively. When gasoline tax is used as a means of compensation it is necessary to raise its rate by about 8% based on the tax rate. A three-stage bargaining game model is used to provide evidence that this compensation standard is practical and acceptable.

Modal shift behavior of car users to light rail transit, some evidence from the field

Growing population and car dependency in developing countries have led to congestion that adversely affects the environment, travel time, trip cost, accidents, and public transportation reliability. Through implementation of travel demand management (TDM) policies, governments and policymakers aim to reduce private vehicle dependency and encourage people to use public transportation. Light rail transit is an important part of an attractive public transport. Rail transportation systems, though offer many potential benefits, are a major financial challenge for governments because of the high capital and operation costs. Therefore, passenger behavior must be determined before a new system is introduced. Using a stated preference (SP) questionnaire, private car users' behavior in Tehran's universities has been investigated to determine the explanatory factors affecting the modal shift to urban light rail transit (LRT). A binary logit model estimation results showed that men are less likely than women to shift toward LRT because they rely more on their private cars. It was the provision of free on-street parking at destinations and the frequency of using private cars on a weekly basis that had the most negative effect on LRT modal shift, demonstrating the critical role that implementation of TDM policies could play. Moreover, reduction in travel time by LRT has the most positive impact on modal shift toward LRT among private car users. As an interesting finding, marginal effect values indicate that a 10% reduction in travel time (0.32) has a greater impact than the possibility of sitting 50% of the travel time (0.25) on the likelihood of modal shift to LRT. Furthermore, the probability of modal shift to LRT will be reduced by 0.12 units for each unit increase in car ownership. In addition, owning a driver's license was also negatively correlated with LRT modal shift and decreased the likelihood by 0.27. This research will facilitate the decision-making and planning for future transportation systems to increase LRT's utility for potential users.

Research on wheel wear of the light rail transit based on a modified semi-Hertzian contact model

PurposeWhile the normal wheel–rail contact model cannot be accurately used for light rail transit (LRT) wheel wear analysis with large wheelset lateral displacement and wheelset yaw angle, a modified semi-Hertzian contact model (MSHM) is proposed in the paper.Design/methodology/approachMSHM was first proposed to consider the wheelset motion with the lateral displacement and the yaw angle. Then, a dynamic model of an LRT was established and the influence of some key factors on wheel wear is analyzed. At last, after operating for a certain mileage, the predicted wheel wear is compared with the tested wheel wear.FindingsCompared with the tested wheel wear, the predicted wheel wear shows a good agreement with the measured result, verifying the accuracy of MSHM.Originality/valueConsidering larger wheelset lateral displacement and yaw angle, MSHM can be used to calculate the wheel wear of the LRT with high accuracy.

Analysis of determination Transit Oriented Development areas (TOD) at Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations in Palembang City Review on environmental aspects

<p>The concept of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) at the Light Rail Transit (LRT) station in Palembang City in terms of Environmental Aspects. This study discussed the city of Palembang which already has several transit-based transportation such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) as a solution to overcome existing congestion. The several areas that still have congestion points and have not been able to be minimized, namely; (1) Bumi Sriwijaya, (2) Cinde Market, (3) 16 Ilir Market, and (4) Jakabaring. At this location, there were several problem phenomena that are still faced in the implementation of the existing TOD where the community does not use an integrated transportation system, This research used Process Hierarchy Analysis (AHP) method. This research was the preparation of evaluation and analysis of the determination of the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) area in the city of Palembang in terms of environmental aspects based on the AHP decision-making method. The research locations reviewed in this study are densely populated areas. In this study using a quantitative research approach. A quantitative approach used to analyze the determination of the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) area in Palembang City in terms of environmental aspects using AHP decision-making analysis techniques in compiling research discussions. The potential as location of the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) area in Palembang City was the Pasar 16 Ilir area (location 3). This area had the highest potential from other areas after the AHP data processing was carried out against the three main criteria for determining the TOD area.</p>

EVALUATION OF FACTORS THAT ENCOURAGE PUBLIC TRANSIT USAGE: A CASE STUDY OF LAHORE

Mass Transit System is considered as one of the important parameter in reducingPublic Transport (PT) problem worldwide. Commonly used systems under the umbrella of MassTransit are Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and Light Rail Transit System (LRTS). BRTS isconsidered better in urban transport planning because of its lesser construction cost and higheraccessibility over LRTS. PT in Lahore is inadequate as compared to actual travel demand. This study /project aims at estimating the choice of informal transport as well as own-vehicle (private vehicle)users and also to identify encouraging factors which facilitate them to shift to BRTS. A StatedPreference (SP) approach was used to collect data about travel time, cost, distance, mode choice alongwith some socio-economic attributes, such as gender, age and occupation. Binary logistic regressionwas performed for creation of regression models. It was found that BRTS has a potential to attractmotorcycle users. However, car users prefer their own vehicles. Modal shift of people was founddependent on travel time and trip cost.

The development of numeracy problems using light rail transit context

The emergence of this research is due to the low numeracy skills of students in Indonesia. It is due to the soft critical thinking skills of students. One of the strategies that can be done is to develop PISA-type questions and activities. This study aims to produce PISA-type questions and activities using a valid and practical context using Light Rail Transit. This research is a design research type of development research which consists of a preliminary evaluation stage and a formative evaluation stage. This study involved students of eighth-grade junior high school students in Palembang City, totaling 34 students with various skills. The analysis of the results of this study was qualitatively based on data from the field received in the form of interviews, document reviews, observations, and tests to see student activities in solving questions and activities. The result of this research is the development of PISA-type questions and activities, namely four student activities and six evaluation questions using the Light Rail Transit context. In conclusion, PISA-type questions and activities in the context of Light Rail Transit can be used in classroom learning to improve students' numeracy skills.

Combining Urban Fleet Vehicle Operation with Reducing Energy Wastage in Light Rail Systems

Fleet electric vehicles offer excellent potential for vehicle-to-grid operation, as a result of their predictable use patterns. This paper investigates the potential for linking up urban fleet electric vehicles with wasted energy from urban light rail networks. Vehicle-to-grid charging could be deployed to reduce energy wastage from regenerative braking, while serving as temporary energy storage on the light rail system to reduce energy requirements during acceleration and providing an energy supply for fleets of electric vehicles based in urban areas. This paper uses GPS data from real light rail journeys to estimate regenerative braking energy availability for Edinburgh's light rail network. Findings indicate that electric vehicle charging linked to Edinburgh's light rail network would be beneficial for both parties.