Major Activity Centers Research Articles

The Traffic Assessment of the Adjacent Arterial Streets Close to Gates of the Main Campus of the University of Mosul, Iraq

Like many university campuses, University of Mosul Main Campus (UOMMC) a major activity center and focus of traffic generator. The UOMMC surrounded by segments of four major arterial streets that form the outer limits of the campus At segments close to the campus gates of these streets, many traffic problems and congestion conditions occur due to the significant traffic volumes and movements with high vehicles and pedestrians conflicts, frequent parking turnover, increasing passengers loading and unloading operations throughout the campus working days. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the current and future traffic congestion situation at the main campus gates and its effect on the multilane streets segments around the main campus, near its gates. The methods of data collection included site visits, personal observations, questionnaire survey, measurements, and imaging techniques. The current and future traffic operational state of these segments concerning the traffic stream characteristics or level of service is defined by three primary measures (according to HCM 2016): traffic flow rate, traffic speed, and traffic density. Finally, the study provided suggested and proper solutions for the existing and future traffic problems simulate the benefit of the campus community to provide the protection of life and property, optimum use of campus gates and, acceptable and safe traffic flow on the multilane streets around the main campus.

Private Car Users’ Willingness to Pay for Designated Parking Spaces in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The study examined the private car users’ willingness to pay for designated parking spaces in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. This is with a view to providing information for sustainable provision of car park and its inherent facilities in major activity centers of the urban environment. Data were obtained from 167 private car users in major activity centers of the study area through purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Relative Willingness Index (RWI) in the study area showed that the car users were most willing to pay for ‘surface car park’ and ‘shared car park’ with indices of 4.47 and 3.39 respectively. The basic car park attributes preferred were: car washing service, toilet facilities, security service and surveillance cameras among others. It was also established that the willingness to pay (WTP) for parking space varied directly with the education (primary RWI= 2.97; secondary RWI= 3.44; tertiary RWI= 4.15) and income statuses (low RWI= 2.72, middle RWI= 3.61; high RWI= 3.94) of the users. The minimum, maximum and average amount of money that the users could afford and willing to pay after using parking space and inherent facilities were respectively N50, N250 and N175 (US$1 = N365). The study concluded that the information obtained on the car owners’ WTP for parking space and associated facilities could be effective device in the hands of policy makers and private investors at ensuring that the problems of the unavailability of car parks in the urban environment are curbed.

Identifying primary public transit corridors using multi-source big transit data

ABSTRACTEffective public transit planning needs to address realistic travel demands, which can be illustrated by corridors across major residential areas and activity centers. It is vital to identify public transit corridors that contain the most significant transit travel demand patterns. We propose a two-stage approach to discover primary public transit corridors at high spatio-temporal resolutions using massive real-world smart card and bus trajectory data, which manifest rich transit demand patterns over space and time. The first stage was to reconstruct chained trips for individual passengers using multi-source massive public transit data. In the second stage, a shared-flow clustering algorithm was developed to identify public transit corridors based on reconstructed individual transit trips. The proposed approach was evaluated using transit data collected in Shenzhen, China. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach is a practical tool for extracting time-varying corridors for many potential applications, such as transit planning and management.

Transit system design and vulnerability of riders to heat

Abstract In the United States public transit utilization has increased significantly in the last decade and is considered a critical component in reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas. Despite public transit׳s climate change mitigation potential, the use of transit necessitates environmental exposure which may be a health hazard during periods of extreme heat. Transit system design, which includes stop location and schedules, is shown to contribute to environmental exposure resulting from access and waiting. Using Los Angeles Metro (Los Angeles County, CA) and Valley Metro (Maricopa County, AZ) as case studies of systems operating in extreme heat conditions, the research demonstrates how system design contributes to heat exposure times that vary significantly between neighborhoods. Household level access (walking) time estimates are developed using a shortest path algorithm to nearby transit stops. Waiting time estimates for individual transit stops are derived from published transit schedules and on-board survey responses. The results show that transit users from areas with low residential density, limited high capacity roadways and irregular street networks, and not located along direct paths between major activity centers are likely to experience prolonged access and/or waiting times. Public transit may help mitigate climate change impacts but transit proponents, agencies and planners should be cognizant of the impact an uncertain climate future may have on a growing base of transit riders. These insights can allow us to proactively govern and adapt transit systems to protect people from a growing health concern.

Roundabouts as a Form of Access Management

Transportation engineers and planners are becoming more interested in using roundabouts to address capacity and traffic operations, access management, and safety concerns in the transportation system. Roundabouts are preferred as a form of intersection by some communities because they allow for continuous flow of traffic and they can be less expensive to maintain and operate. However, the operational characteristics in the functional area are less well understood than other types of intersections. Therefore, although roundabouts are being used in a variety of contexts, existing research does not provide detailed guidance on how to evaluate the use of roundabouts as a form of access management. This paper provides an operational analysis of selected roundabouts in Florida and South Carolina. The operational analysis identifies four areas of concern: corner clearance, including stopping site distance and intersection sight distance; the flow of traffic and the queuing of vehicles in the functional area near roundabouts, including driveway and intersection spacing, and the use of medians; access to major activity centers; and safety of vulnerable road users, especially bicyclists and pedestrians.

Regional boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation over Indian Ocean and Western Pacific: comparison and predictability study

The boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) has two major activity centers, the northern Indian Ocean and tropical Western North Pacific, which dominate the monsoon intraseasonal variability over South Asia and East Asia, respectively. The spatial–temporal structures of BSISO over the Indian Ocean (10°S–30°N, 60°–105°E) (IOISO) and Western Pacific (10°S–30°N, 105°–150°E) (WPISO) are examined by corresponding the leading modes of daily OLR and 850-hPa zonal wind (U850). The IOISO features a northeastward propagation with a 30–45 days energy peak and the first principal component (PC1) has maximum variance in May, while the WPISO propagates northward with a broad spectral peak on 10–60 days and the PC1 has maximum variance in August. Because of the large regional differences, two regional indices, the IOISO index and WPISO index, are defined by their corresponding first two leading PCs. The combined IOISO–WPISO index captures about 30 % (10 %) of U850 (OLR) daily variance over the entire IO–WP region (10°S–30°N, 60°–150°E), which doubles that captured by the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) index (Wheeler and Hendon 2004) and is 50 % higher than that captured by the BSISO index (Lee et al. 2013). The combined index also shows superior performance in representing biweekly and pentad-mean variations in the Asian-Pacific summer monsoon region (north of 10°N). The predictability/prediction skill and simulated principal modes of two regional BSISO indices are explored by using data derived from the Intraseasonal Variability Hindcast Experiment project. The major regional modes are reasonably well captured, but the forecasted fractional variances of the leading modes and variability center’s locations exhibit significant deficiencies. The multi-model mean estimate of the predictability is 40–45 days for the IOISO index, whereas 33–37 days for the WPISO index. The less predictable WPISO is likely due to the existence of its significant biweekly component. The multi-model mean prediction skill is significantly higher with large initial amplitude (~20 days for two indices) than that with small initial amplitude (~11 days), suggesting that the prediction for development of BSISO is much more difficult than the prediction for mature BSISO disturbances’ propagation.

Using Brownian bridges to assess potential interactions between bald eagles and electrical hazards within the upper Chesapeake Bay

One of the most effective means of minimizing mortalities of large raptors from collisions with hazards is to locate hazards away from major activity centers. A reliable means of delineating bird activity centers on the landscape has been a significant impediment to progress in proactive infrastructure planning. We used Brownian bridge movement modeling to develop a population-wide, utilization probability surface for bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) within the upper Chesapeake Bay. We used locations (n = 320,304) for individuals (n = 63) tracked with global positioning system (GPS) satellite transmitters between 2007 and 2011 in the analysis. We intersected the electrical network on the probability surface within Aberdeen Proving Ground, a 350-km2 military installation to identify overlap between power lines and eagle activity centers. We also overlaid locations of eagle mortalities attributed to the lines (n = 67) on the installation to assess the relationship between mortality rates and utilization probabilities. Areas of high bald eagle use were relatively rare on the landscape with only 0.1% and 5% of the area accounting for 10% and 30% of estimated utilization. Most electric lines were along roads and distributed away from eagle activity centers, with only 0.3% of lines located within areas with the highest estimated eagle use. Eagle mortalities were highly skewed to lines that overlapped with eagle activity centers. Eagle mortality rates (birds/100 km/yr) were 42 times higher along lines associated with the highest 10% of eagle use compared to lines associated with the lowest 10% use, suggesting that estimated utilization may be an effective proxy for mortality risk associated with electric line hazards. The majority (71.9%) of high-use bald eagle areas delineated within the study area have no existing electric lines. Utilization probabilities may be a potential tool for site-specific infrastructure planning. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Impacts of low-speed vehicles on transportation infrastructure and safety

There are increasing numbers of low-speed electric vehicles (LSV) on public roadways. These vehicles are designed to be used within protected environments and on roadways with a maximum posted speed of 25 mph. Currently these vehicles are not subject to the same federal requirements for occupant protection as passenger cars. The research reported in the paper investigated safety standards, operating regulations, and LSV manufacturer materials from sources around the world. The purpose of the research was to determine positive and negative impacts that LSV, including Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) and Medium Speed Electric Vehicles (MSEVs), are likely to have for the states such as Oregon, and whether adjustments in state regulations are needed to ensure that LSV do not negatively impact road safety and traffic operations, or expose the LSV operators to undue risk. The U.S. and Canadian federal motor vehicle safety agencies have harmonized their regulations and stipulated the maximum operating speed of these vehicles, however state and local roadway authorities have regulated the maximum speed of roadways and intersection characteristics on which these vehicles can operate. The significant recommendations of this research are: (i) appropriate state statues for LSV should be amended such that LSV are limited to public roadways with a maximum operating speed of 25 mph, and they are restricted to crossing higher speed roadways at four-way Stop or signal controlled intersections, (ii) local transportation authorities should develop parallel or secondary low-speed roadway networks that connect residential neighborhoods with major activity centers.

Planning Secondary Road Network for Low-Speed Vehicles in Small or Medium-Sized City with Google Earth

The use of low-speed vehicles (LSVs) on public roadways has gradually increased in recent years as a short-range alternative to fossil-fueled vehicles. Primarily designed for protected environments and gated communities, LSVs have a maximum speed limit of 25 mph and are not held to the same Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards required for passenger cars. This paper presents a comprehensive planning methodology for developing a secondary low-speed roadway network primarily for use by LSVs in small or medium-sized cities with closely located activity spaces. Because small or medium-sized cities typically have limited planning or construction resources, the objective was to base the low-speed network on the existing city road system, with minimal infrastructure modifications. The city of Corvallis, Oregon, was selected for the study area because of its size and need for a road network to accommodate safe movement of LSVs. Corvallis had a number of LSVs, other electric vehicles, and nonmotorized vehicles using the public roadways and is a city with no urban sprawl. A survey of the city's residents provided valuable insight on users’ route choice behavior. A roadway inventory that used the Corvallis transportation plan along with the program Google Earth helped evaluate the city's actual transportation infrastructure and analyze the factors that influence LSV users’ route-preference behavior. The developed low-speed roadway network is expected to provide LSVs safe and efficient connectivity from neighborhood areas to major Corvallis activity centers while minimally affecting the safe operation of regular vehicles.

Los Angeles, California, Metro Green Line

The Los Angeles, California, Metro Green Line opened for service in 1995 and was immediately branded by critics as the “line to nowhere” because it did not directly serve the central business district or any other major activity center. It was located close to the Los Angeles International Airport but did not quite reach it. The line was located close to the principal Amtrak north–south rail corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego, California, but did not quite reach that. In fact, the line was so controversial in 1995 that the television program 60 Minutes did an exposé of the Los Angeles Metro System and specifically identified the project as an example of poor planning and management. Despite these criticisms, the Metro Green Line has been surprisingly successful in attracting relatively high ridership during its first decade of operation. Average weekday boardings on the Green Line have grown from 13,600 to more than 37,000 per day. Many Green Line riders use the line as a feeder route to the heavily used Metro Blue Line, which directly serves downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. This connection seems to have benefited both lines, and during the past decade, Blue Line ridership has more than doubled from 39,600 to 80,400. Further extensions of the Green Line are now being considered as a part of Los Angeles transit plans. Perceived failures of the original project are reviewed and some of the reasons for the relatively high levels of ridership growth on the line are explored. The overall theme of the paper concerns light rail transit projects that serve nontraditional markets.

Design of Personal Rapid Transit Circulator for Major Activity Center

The design of a comprehensive mobility system for a suburban San Francisco, California, East Bay Area office park exposes a number of new transit circulator implementation challenges. Original system design perspectives are provided for many aspects. These include horizontal mixed use and how resident out-commuters will generate more trips than do employee in-commuters; line-haul transit capacity constraints that loom as an obstacle to rapid spread of personal rapid transit (PRT) circulators; PRT station placement challenges with office park superblocks; design methodology to allocate PRT stations to workers and residents; and ideal office park characteristics for PRT alignments. Also considered are problems with generating too much PRT circulator ridership (solved by semi-independent loops); multimodal transit hubs at the edges of the PRT alignment; PRT alignment style choices; and the need for folding grocery carts and other solutions when the car is left at home.

Spatiotemporal Structures and Mechanisms of the Tropospheric Biennial Oscillation in the Indo-Pacific Warm Ocean Regions*

Abstract The observed structure and seasonal evolution characteristics of the tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO) in the warm ocean areas of the Indo-Pacific region are explored using a seasonal-sequence EOF analysis approach. The major convective activity centers associated with the TBO appear in the southeast Indian Ocean (SEIO) and western North Pacific (WNP), accompanied by anticyclonic (or cyclonic) circulation patterns with a first-baroclinic-mode structure. The convection and circulation anomalies have distinctive life cycles in the SEIO and WNP: the former have a peak phase in northern fall and the latter persist from northern winter to subsequent summer. The mechanisms of the TBO in this region are investigated with a hybrid coupled GCM. Numerical results show that air–sea interaction in the warm ocean alone can support TBO variability that has many observed characteristics. Key processes involved in the TBO include the WNP monsoon variability and associated cross-equatorial flows, convective activity over Southeast Asia/the Maritime Continent and associated anomalous Walker circulation, and ocean dynamic responses to anomalous wind stress curl in the western Pacific. The coupled model experiment demonstrates that the essential element of the TBO in this region arises from the monsoon–warm ocean interaction. A possible connection between the TBO and ENSO variability is further studied in another model that excludes the delayed oscillator dynamics. The key in causing the biennial variability of ENSO arises from teleconnections between the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, with three “atmospheric bridges”: 1) the north–south teleconnection that connects the WNP monsoon and the SEIO, 2) the east–west teleconnection that connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific cold tongue, and 3) the El Niño–WNP monsoon teleconnection.

A generalized and efficient algorithm for estimating transit route ODs from passenger counts

An algorithm is presented for transit passenger OD estimation. The algorithm, like some other existing OD estimation techniques, generates estimates based upon passenger boarding and alighting counts at each stop along the route. The algorithm is distinct in that it does not only estimate an OD matrix for the vehicle trip from which the boarding and alighting counts were taken. Rather, it further estimates the passenger alighting probabilities at every stop on the route and these are more apt to remain fixed across transit trips. Therefore, when coupled with projected boarding counts, the alighting probabilities better characterize OD patterns on the route. These probabilities, moreover, are estimated in such way as to reflect the passengers’ latent tendencies to travel to and from “major activity centers” where trip-making is induced. The algorithm is therefore a more general-use method than is the estimation technique proposed by Tsygalnitsky. Since the algorithm does not require a seed matrix, and since the number of iterations required for generating estimates is specified a priori, the algorithm is easier to apply and more computationally efficient than the balancing method of OD estimation.

Network flow-based strategies for identifying rail park-and-ride facility locations

Many cities are considering introducing or expanding rail service in an effort to diversify their modal splits. Park-and-rides are integral to this strategy because they represent private auto users’ access points to the system. Proper placement of such facilities is a strategic location decision, as it can conceivably decrease vehicular traffic on congested roadways while benefiting users. This paper models the decision to locate park-and-ride facilities in a network flow-based framework. From this perspective, optimal placement occurs at locations where vehicles will encounter facilities early during their journeys to a centralized area or major activity center. Locating park-and-rides in this fashion maximizes the chances of removing users from the network. These elements are demonstrated in three hypothetical placement scenarios that make use of synthetic network and traffic flow data. Results illustrate the functionality of our approach for identifying park-and-ride candidate locations. Lastly, implications of our work are discussed in light of broader planning concerns and practical demands on rail facility location.

Part 3: Light Rail and Major Activity Center Circulation Systems: Innovative Design for Safe and Accessible Light Rail or Tram Stops Suitable for Streetcar-Style Conditions

Tram stops in streetcar environments present safety, accessibility, and transport efficiency challenges. With 245 km (152 mi) of track, Melbourne, Australia, has one of the world's largest tram systems. Some 68% is operated in streetcar conditions, and 1,200 of Melbourne's tram stops are curbside stops, where passengers wait at the curb. Road traffic stops when trams arrive so that passengers can get to and from trams operating in the center of mostly two-by-two-lane roads. Some 25 road accidents per year result because no pedestrian protection from traffic is provided. These stops have no platforms or lifts and thus act as a barrier to access by persons with disabilities. Providing platforms would be expensive and is not feasible in most cases. Passenger access also temporarily closes streets and causes traffic queues. Tram and road traffic speeds are reduced by 8% to 12% as a result. An alternative to tram stop design is clearly required. This paper describes a new tram stop design termed “the easy access stop.” The design incorporates a speed hump or cushion that serves as a platform to enable level boarding access to low-floor trams and that also slows passing traffic. The design has proved a cost-effective means of enabling safe tram stop access in streetcar-style conditions. The paper reviews international experience with streetcar-style stops and identifies the context for tram stop design. It describes the new design and outlines its effect and performance.

Part 4: Major Activity Center Circulation Systems: Learning from a Failed Innovation Process: Personal Rapid Transit for a Dutch City

The technological and institutional innovation process in public transport is slow and difficult to control. Because many forces work on this process, predicting its outcomes is difficult. This was demonstrated in a project in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, where a pilot was prepared to demonstrate the potential of personal rapid transit. The pilot was part of an innovation process to lead to a more sustainable urban transport system. The guidelines of the bureau for sustainable technological development were followed to guarantee the long-term feasibility and effectiveness of the process. Although the process was designed carefully with concern for the predictable risks, the pilot had to be stopped because of unforeseen political problems. A change of policy priorities and key people caused the project's failure. In addition, strict regulations for tendering bids slowed the process and favored bidders without project knowledge. This paper analyzes the different risk factors and gives conclusions for improving chances for success in future similar innovation projects. Checklists provide a tool to make an ex ante analysis of an innovation project's feasibility and to give guidance for optimal conditions for success.

Submillimeter Continuum Observations of NGC 7538

We present high-resolution millimeter and submillimeter maps (1.3 mm and 850, 800, 450, and 350 μm) of the molecular cloud southeast of NGC 7538, obtained on the IRAM 30 m telescope at Pico Veleta, Spain and the 15 m James Clerk Maxwell Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. These maps show filamentary dust ridges extending from and connecting to the three major activity centers (IRS 1-3, NGC 7538 S, and IRS 9) in this high-mass star-forming cloud. In addition to the three already known star formation centers, we also find a fainter extended submillimeter source near the 20 μm source IRS 4, at the boundary of the optical H II region. Our high spatial resolution images resolve the young, hypercompact H II region IRS 1 and show that it coincides with a compact (<10'') elliptical dust source with a mass of ≥70 M☉. It is surrounded by a cluster of submillimeter sources, none of which have near- or mid-IR counterparts. Three of the submillimeter sources are associated with H2O masers, suggesting that protostars or young stars have formed in these cloud cores. We find IRS 9 to be an extended elliptical source with a size of 13'' × 6'' at a position angle of -80°, with a second, fainter but more extended source about 20'' south of it. The mass of the IRS 9 submillimeter source is ~150 M☉, while the southern source has a mass of ~90 M☉. The third activity center, NGC 7538 S, is ~80'' south of IRS 1. Here we find a strong, elliptical submillimeter source of 12'' × 7'', with a position angle of 58°. This source coincides with OH and H2O masers and a faint VLA 6 cm source, but it shows no near- or mid-infrared emission. We find NGC 7538 S to have all the characteristics of a Class 0 source; i.e., it is a high-mass protostar. It is cold, Td ~ 35 K, has a disklike geometry, drives a very young outflow, and is extremely massive, M ~ 400 M☉. Yet it has a luminosity of only 104 L☉.

New Approach to Effective and Sustainable Urban Transport

An effective and sustainable transport system has been devised to meet public transport demand. Urban light transport (ULTra) is an innovative form of personal rapid transit. In contrast to other forms of public transport, there is no waiting, stopping, or transferring. In many situations, the new system can offer better transport than available by other means. ULTra has been designed to demanding sustainability requirements. Typically, ULTra reduces energy use and emissions by a factor of three compared with existing transport systems and also complements those systems. By providing a network link to major rail and bus stations, ULTra can make current transport services more attractive to passengers. The new system is also well suited for other major activity centers such as airports. In essence, ULTra replaces the old mass transit paradigm for transport with a new paradigm based on just-in-time transit. ULTra is now undergoing engineering development funded by the U.K. Department for Transport on a 1-km test track in Cardiff, Wales. The Cardiff County Council has received funding commitments by the National Assembly of Wales that could lead to system implementation by 2005. The system offers a new approach to public transport, with a real prospect of significant gains in effectiveness and sustainability.

Railroads in the City: Overlooked Rail Transit Opportunities

Transportation officials today are under pressure to deliver attractive rail transit at affordable prices. Although rail rights-of-way are often the least costly on a unit basis, planners frequently prefer other alignments that can better serve major origins and destinations. Yet occasionally rights-of-way built for railroads connect major activity centers with one another. In these cases, using rail alignments offers the dual benefits of economy and effective service to markets. A survey examines four existing and two proposed operations that link the region’s largest downtown with at least two other major destinations within, or adjacent to, the central city along rail rights-of-way. These systems cover a full range of operating technologies and metropolitan sizes. The opportunities for using railroad rights-of-way to provide rail transit between major urban activity centers are not widespread and vary widely from city to city. Nevertheless, some possibilities do exist, and their potential has yet to be fully tapped.

Enhancing Transit Circulation in Resort Areas: Operational and Design Strategies

Many resort areas and other major activity centers are facing transportation challenges as rising traffic congestion erodes the quality of a visitor’s experience. Many resort areas have turned to public transportation as an alternative strategy for visitor circulation, but these services often become enmeshed in the same traffic jam that they were intended to circumvent. The city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, undertook an aggressive, long-term effort to establish and enhance an effective transit circulation in its beachfront resort area through a combination of physical design improvements and operational management. The development and implementation of the combination strategy are described, and lessons learned that are relevant to other resort-area transit-circulator services are outlined.