Major Roads Research Articles

Development Of Trainer Learning Media Kit Solar Cell Public Road Lighting System in Electrical Light Installation

This research studies to develop instructors of electric lighting installation instructor media learns the feasibility of learning media for electrical installations trainers, learns the feasibility of worksheets for electric lighting installation learning media, and studies the effectiveness of learning media for electrical installations. Development (R&D) using the ADDIE model (analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation). By citing: (1) Analyzing (containing: analysis of design and needs, analysis of learning, analysis of students and obtaining difficulties there is no learning media for electrical installations), (2) Design (includes: large component trainers of electric contents, electricity, and trainer design), (3) Development (including making learning media broadcast by media experts and material experts), (4) Implementation (including conducted in class XI TL 2 SMK Negeri 2 Kota Serang starting with a pretest to find out where to find students IPL and then apply the learning media that has been developed) and (5) Evaluation (provided: done by providing a post-test to determine the effectiveness of the media that has been made). Based on the results of research that has been done, obtained data on the feasibility of instructional media with an average score of 82 categories "Very Eligible" and a learning media worksheet with an average score of 78 in the category of "Very Eligible". Both of these learning media get a value of "Very Effective" for learning with an average n-gain calculation score of 0.76.

A neglected terrible triad of the elbow: A report case

Background: The terrible triad of the elbow was described in 1996 by Hotchkiss and is defined by severe trauma involving posterior dislocation of the olecrana, fracture of the radial head and coronoid process. Management has been a therapeutic challenge in recent decades due to its difficult treatment and poor prognosis. We report a case of a neglected terrible triad of the elbow in a 68-year-old patient following a road accident that occurred 1 month before admission. Methods: Mr B.M, 68 years old, presented to the emergency department for a closed trauma to his left elbow one month after his admission following a public road accident, it was a motorcyclist hit by a car, resulting in trauma to multiple points of impact including the skull, spine and left elbow. On the radiograph of the elbow face, there was a fracture of the radial head associated with a fracture of the coronoid process and posterior humeroolecranial dislocation. CT imaging made it possible to better visualize the fracture traits and classify them confirming the diagnosis of a terrible neglected triad of the elbow. Results: The patient received surgery under general anesthesia, with a lateral first of the elbow, a fracture of the radial head with a fracture of the coronoid process in cal, after removal of the cal, reduction of the fracture of the head with installation of a mini T-plate, reduction of the olecrane and arthrodesis of the ulno-humeral joint by 02 pins in cross. Post-operative immobilization by a brachio-antebrachio-palmar splint was recommended. Conclusion: The delay in taking charge of an unfortunate triad of the elbow engages the functional prognosis of the limb. Neglected fractures are still seen in our context and pose a real public health problem.

The Influence of Location on The Decision to Stay at Swiss- Belhotel Harbor Bay

This study investigates the influence of hotel location on guests' decisions to stay at Swiss-Belhotel HarbourBay, a well-known hotel in Batam, Indonesia. The hotel offers all of the necessary amenities, and its workersprovide excellent service. The hotel's position, in a row of commercial shophouses in Harbor Bay and remotefrom major roads, is thought by hotel management to have an impact on the number of tourist visits, which isless than ideal. The study's goal is to research the relationship between hotel location and guest decision toremain, identify the important factors that influence guest decision to stay, and determine the impact on hotelroom sales. The study used a quantitative techniques methodology. The findings indicate that hotel location iscritical in deciding hotel location, with elements such as access, visibility, traffic, parking, and environment allinfluencing guests' decisions to stay. The study also identifies the factors that influence a guest's decision tostay, including product selection, brand selection, dealer selection, purchase timing, purchase quantity, andpayment method. The study's findings have major significance for hotel management, emphasizing thenecessity to shift hotel locations to boost overall hotel room sales. The alternative hypothesis is proven wherehotel location influences guest’s decision to stay with the formulation Y = 45.546 + 0.756X with a coefficient ofdetermination of 64.9%. This research suggests that hotels need to consider the location of a hotel beforebuilding a hotel so that it is easily accessible to potential guests.Keywords: Hotel Location, Guest’s Decision to Stay, Accessibility

Implementasi Peraturan Walikota Nomor 16 Tahun 2021 Tentang Tarif Retribusi Parkir di Tepi Jalan Umum

Ambon City residents, who park their vehicles at Amplaz, are subject to parking fees in accordance with Ambon Mayor Regulation Number 16 of 2021 concerning Parking Retribution Tariffs on Public Roads. Amplaz is subject to progressive parking rates, as it is a zone. So that the tariff for four-wheeled vehicles is no longer RP3000, and two-wheeled vehicles are no longer Rp2000 as in the implementation of the previous Ambon Mayor Regulation. The party who manages parking at Amplaz always urges Ambon City residents to have awareness in paying parking rates according to Ambon Mayor Regulation Number 16 of 2021 concerning Parking Retribution Tariffs on Public Roads. There are many cases when Ambon City residents pay less retribution, arguing that there is no small money and only big money. Even reluctant to pay at all. However, it is advisable to have awareness in paying parking fees. The party who manages parking at Amplaz prioritizes parking service satisfaction. This is done by providing optimal services, namely; directing vehicles in an orderly manner into and out of the parking area, protecting the vehicle from loss of goods, damage due to bumps, and theft of spare parts. Likewise, the friendly behavior of the parking employees. As a result, Ambon City residents cooperatively pay parking fees, according to Ambon Mayor Regulation Number 16 of 2021 concerning Parking Retribution Tariffs on Public Roads.

Performance of Shading Against West Glass Facades to Optimise Daylight, Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency of Office Buildings

In tropical urban areas, the vertical facades of buildings often play a crucial role in capturing solar radiation and heat, especially for office buildings facing west during the afternoon. In Dhaka, a tropical city, the construction of major arterial roads connecting the northern and southern regions of the city has led to the emergence of numerous commercial buildings along these roads, predominantly facing in east or west directions. This research investigated the efficiency of different existing fenestration types (glass curtain walls, glass windows with horizontal and vertical louvres, overhangs, vertical fins, and egg crate shading) of west-facing office buildings in Dhaka in terms of daylight, thermal comfort and energy efficiency, and explore strategies to enhance existing performance. From the field survey, a 'case office building' was selected, and simulations were carried out with the six different fenestrations, as mentioned above, while keeping other aspects constant as found during the survey, e.g., floor plan, equipment and number of occupants. In this research, the simulation process encompasses daylighting simulation, energy simulation, and multi-objective optimisation. The study utilised a case model created with Rhinoceros and ClimateStudio, while performance metric optimisation was achieved using Grasshopper and Octopus. Multi-objective optimisation techniques were employed to improve the shading configurations. The TT toolbox facilitated data exportation and Design Explorer assisted in data visualisation. The window with egg crate shading was found to be the most effective fenestration type among the studied shading configurations. Further parametric simulation was conducted to develop an optimised egg crate shading design configuration. It was found that egg crate shading with a 1.0 m depth provided optimum daylight and solar heat gain inside the office building among the studied configurations in the context of Dhaka. A comparison was also made between the optimised egg crate option and a customised egg crate with some detailing (popularly known as brise soleil). Brise soleil showed better performance with 12.2% higher sDA and 98 lux additional average illuminance compared to the previous optimum one. The findings underscore the significance of employing optimisation methodology to devise shading configurations while also revealing substantial opportunities to enhance performance further by tailoring details on the optimised design recommended from simulation analysis.

Reliability Evaluation of Electric Power Generation PLTS System on Public Street Lighting Tarakan City

Reliability Evaluation of Electric Power Generation PLTS System on Public Street Lighting Tarakan City

Safe Tractor Operations: Road Safety for Tractors and Farm Machinery

The Safe Tractor Operations series contains six articles devoted to tractor safety. This publication discusses practical tips to help prevent collisions involving tractors and other farm machinery on public roads. Written by Serap Gorucu, Carol J. Lehtola, and Charles M. Brown and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, June 2024.

Quantifying City- and Street-Scale Urban Tree Phenology from Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, and PlanetScope Images: A Case Study in Downtown Beijing

Understanding the phenology of urban trees can help mitigate the heat island effect by strategically planting and managing trees to provide shade, reduce energy consumption, and improve urban microclimates. In this study, we carried out the first evaluation of high spatial resolution satellite images from Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, and PlanetScope images to quantify urban street tree phenology in downtown Beijing. The major research goals are to evaluate the consistency in pixel-level spring–summer growth period phenology and to investigate the capacity of high-resolution satellite observations to distinguish phenological transition dates of urban street trees. At the city scale, Landsat-8, Sentinel-2, and PlanetScope show similar temporal NDVI trends in general. The pixel-level analysis reveals that green-up date consistency is higher in areas with medium (NDVI > 0.5) to high (NDVI > 0.7) vegetation cover when the impacts of urban surfaces on vegetation reflectance are excluded. Similarly, maturity date consistency significantly increases in densely vegetated pixels with NDVI greater than 0.7. At the street scale, this study emphasizes the efficacy of NDVI time series derived from PlanetScope in quantifying the phenology of common street tree genera, including Poplars (Populus), Ginkgos (Ginkgo), Chinese Scholars (Styphnolobium), and Willows (Salix), in downtown Beijing to improve urban vegetation planning. Based on PlanetScope observations, we found that the four street tree genera have unique phenological patterns. Interestingly, we found that the trees along many major streets, where Chinese Scholars are the major tree genus, have later green-up dates than other areas in downtown Beijing. In conclusion, the three satellite observation datasets prove to be effective in monitoring street tree phenology during the spring–summer growth period in Beijing. PlanetScope is effective in monitoring tree phenology at the street scale; however, Landsat-8 may be affected by the mixture of land covers due to its relatively coarse spatial resolution.

Comparative Sensitivity Analysis on Intersection Crash Prediction Models by Control Type: Highway Safety Manual Approach

A comprehensive, in-depth investigation into the comparative safety of different intersection control types is presented, specifically signalized and minor road stop-controlled intersections across facility types. Employing a rigorous sensitivity analysis, the study scrutinizes intersection crash prediction models (CPMs) rooted in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) methodology. Through meticulous data analyses and thorough comparisons of predictive models across a range of major and minor road traffic volumes, the paper critically examines the portrayal of signalized and stop-controlled intersections within the default HSM Part C CPMs. Additionally, the study delves into the effects of certain crash modification factors on CPMs, further exploring the impacts of calibration factors and locally developed models on crash prediction results. CPMs for signalized intersections do not uniformly lead to fewer crashes compared with stop-controlled intersections, especially under certain traffic volumes and when considering fatal and injury crashes. Therefore, the choice of intersection control should be based on more nuanced criteria than traffic volume alone. Additionally, the research emphasizes the role of intersection geometry and operations, for example, the benefits of adding turn lanes and varying left-turn phasing, in influencing safety outcomes. This study significantly contributes to the understanding of intersection safety and HSM modeling approaches, providing a valuable resource for transportation professionals dedicated to advancing intersection safety. Examining strengths and limitations of existing models provides valuable input for researchers developing future intersection CPMs, and offers essential insights for transportation planners and engineers, informing decision-making for optimizing intersection control strategies and enhancing overall intersection safety and traffic management.

EBUDGET System and Engas: Lived Experiences of Finance Services Personnel in DPWH Surigao Del Norte Province, Philippines

The Electronic Budget (eBUDGET) and Electronic New Government Accounting System (eNGAS) were digital platforms designed to automate and streamline financial management processes within government departments, aiming to enhance efficiency, accuracy, transparency, and decision-making. This study explored the lived experiences of nine (9) finance personnel in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Surigao del Norte province, focusing on implementing eNGAS and budget systems. The Philippine government has adopted these systems to enhance financial management transparency, efficiency, and accountability. The researcher purposively sampled nine (9) finance services personnel and coded them from A to I to protect their identities. Key themes emerged from the categories and meaning units produced from the verbatim data, with 175 psychological meaning units classified into 14 concepts and six categories for the eBUDGET system and 162 psychological meaning units classified into 15 concepts and five categories for eNGAS. This study shed light on the challenges and benefits realized during the implementation process by exploring the lived experiences of nine selected finance personnel from the DPWH Surigao del Norte Province. The findings stressed the transformative power of the eBUDGET system and eNGAS in improving accountability, streamlining procedures, and enabling informed decision-making. Despite initial obstacles, such as learning curves and technological difficulties, continuous support, and adaptable strategies facilitated successful implementation. The study's implications extended to DPWH administrators, finance personnel, and future researchers, emphasizing the importance of embracing technological advancements, adaptability, ongoing training, and capacity-building initiatives. Reflecting on the experiences shared, it became evident that while the journey towards implementing the budget system and ENGAS may have been challenging, the resulting improvements in efficiency, accuracy, transparency, and decision-making justified the efforts invested, promising a brighter future for public financial management.

HeMoDU: High-Efficiency Multi-Object Detection Algorithm for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles on Urban Roads.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based object detection methods are widely used in traffic detection due to their high flexibility and extensive coverage. In recent years, with the increasing complexity of the urban road environment, UAV object detection algorithms based on deep learning have gradually become a research hotspot. However, how to further improve algorithmic efficiency in response to the numerous and rapidly changing road elements, and thus achieve high-speed and accurate road object detection, remains a challenging issue. Given this context, this paper proposes the high-efficiency multi-object detection algorithm for UAVs (HeMoDU). HeMoDU reconstructs a state-of-the-art, deep-learning-based object detection model and optimizes several aspects to improve computational efficiency and detection accuracy. To validate the performance of HeMoDU in urban road environments, this paper uses the public urban road datasets VisDrone2019 and UA-DETRAC for evaluation. The experimental results show that the HeMoDU model effectively improves the speed and accuracy of UAV object detection.

Measurement of black carbon exposure in urban classrooms during rush hours

Traffic-related air pollutants are predominantly emitted in urban environments; therefore, analyzing their impact on indoor air quality (IAQ) is important. Effectively managing IAQ is vital, given the extensive duration individuals, particularly students, spend indoors. This study conducted a quantitative assessment of black carbon (BC) and indoor and outdoor particulate matter (PM2.5, particles with diameter ≤2.5 μm) concentrations in five South Korean classrooms to determine the root cause and effects of traffic-related air pollutants on indoor environments. The research specifically focused on indoor BC levels during rush hours, that is, periods marked by increased traffic volume. The analysis revealed that the mean indoor and outdoor BC concentrations in the five classrooms were measured at 1.03 (95% CI: 0.69, 1.36) and 1.38 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.96) μg/m3, respectively, while the mean PM2.5 concentrations were measured at 17.07 (95% CI: 12.92, 13.62) and 29.89 (95% CI: 10.88, 48.89) μg/m3, respectively. The indoor-to-outdoor (I/O) ratio of BC in the five classrooms during the occupied period was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.84) and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.72) for PM2.5. During the unoccupied period, the I/O ratio of BC was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.63, 0.72) and 0.53 (95% CI: 0.42, 0.63) for PM2.5. The rise in urban traffic increased the BC outdoor level by 47% and the PM2.5 concentration by 13%. Classrooms situated closer to roadways had higher BC levels than those located at a greater distance. During rush hours, the BC concentration in the classroom closest to the major road was 2.03 (95% CI: 1.78, 2.27) μg/m3, while the furthest classroom recorded a concentration of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.79, 0.96) μg/m3. During commuting times, classroom BC concentrations increased by up to 5.86 μg/m3 owing to student door-opening activities, increasing the I/O ratio by approximately 20%. Consequently, the average BC concentration in classrooms during rush hours was approximately double that recorded during non-rush hours (0.73 μg/m3). These findings are instrumental in developing strategies to enhance IAQ in educational settings and guiding urban planning decisions regarding the location of schools.

Identifying emerging hot spots of road traffic injury severity using spatiotemporal methods: longitudinal analyses on major roads in Ghana from 2005 to 2020

BackgroundAlthough road traffic injuries and deaths have decreased globally, there is substantial national and sub-national heterogeneity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Ghana is one of few countries in Africa collecting comprehensive, spatially detailed data on motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). This data is a critical step towards improving roadway safety, as accurate and reliable information is essential for devising targeted countermeasures.MethodsHere, we analyze 16 years of police-report data using emerging hot spot analysis in ArcGIS to identify hot spots with trends of increasing injury severity (a weighted composite measure of MVCs, minor injuries, severe injuries, and deaths), and counts of injuries, severe injuries, and deaths along major roads in urban and rural areas of Ghana.ResultsWe find injury severity index sums and minor injury counts are significantly decreasing over time in Ghana while severe injury and death counts are not, indicating the latter should be the focus for road safety efforts. We identify new, consecutive, intensifying, and persistent hot spots on 2.65% of urban roads and 4.37% of rural roads. Hot spots are intensifying in terms of severity and frequency on major roads in rural areas.ConclusionsA few key road sections, particularly in rural areas, show elevated levels of road traffic injury severity, warranting targeted interventions. Our method for evaluating spatiotemporal trends in MVC, road traffic injuries, and deaths in a LMIC includes sufficient detail for replication and adaptation in other countries, which is useful for targeting countermeasures and tracking progress.

Analysis of the potential for increasing water retention in road pavements on public roads in cities: a case study based on the Old Town of Płock

Współczesny rozwój miast wymaga zastosowania nowoczesnych systemów, szczególnie w zakresie odprowadzania wód opadowych i roztopowych z powierzchni pasów drogowych. W związku z dużą ilością nawierzchni utwardzonych na obszarach zurbanizowanych niezbędne jest szukanie rozwiązań pozwalających na zatrzymanie wody w miejscu jej opadu. Bardzo ważnym zagadnieniem są tu powierzchnie biologicznie czynne. Projektując konkretne rozwiązania, w pierwszej kolejności należy dokonać przeglądu obowiązujących przepisów wodnych i drogowych. Na ich podstawie przeprowadzono analizę możliwości zwiększenia retencji wody w pasach buforowych drogi dla pieszych na obszarze Starego Miasta w Płocku.

Host population structure and rare dispersal events drive leptospirosis transmission patterns among Rattus norvegicus in Boston, Massachusetts, US.

Leptospirosis (caused by pathogenic bacteria in the genus Leptospira ) is prevalent worldwide but more common in tropical and subtropical regions. Transmission can occur following direct exposure to infected urine from reservoir hosts, such as rats, or a urine-contaminated environment, which then can serve as an infection source for additional rats and other mammals, including humans. The brown rat, Rattus norvegicus , is an important reservoir of leptospirosis in urban settings. We investigated leptospirosis among brown rats in Boston, Massachusetts and hypothesized that rat dispersal in this urban setting influences the movement, persistence, and diversity of Leptospira . We analyzed DNA from 328 rat kidney samples collected from 17 sites in Boston over a seven-year period (2016-2022); 59 rats representing 12 of 17 sites were positive for Leptospira . We used 21 neutral microsatellite loci to genotype 311 rats and utilized the resulting data to investigate genetic connectivity among sampling sites. We generated whole genome sequences for 28 Leptospira isolates obtained from frozen and fresh tissue from some of the 59 Leptospira -positive rat kidneys. When isolates were not obtained, we attempted Leptospira genomic DNA capture and enrichment, which yielded 14 additional Leptospira genomes from rats. We also generated an enriched Leptospira genome from a 2018 human case in Boston. We found evidence of high genetic structure and limited dispersal among rat populations that is likely influenced by major roads and/or other unknown dispersal barriers, resulting in distinct rat population groups within the city; at certain sites these groups persisted for multiple years. We identified multiple distinct phylogenetic clades of L. interrogans among rats, with specific clades tightly linked to distinct rat populations. This pattern suggests L. interrogans persists in local rat populations and movement of leptospirosis in this urban rat community is driven by rat dispersal. Finally, our genomic analyses of the 2018 human leptospirosis case in Boston suggests a link to rats as the source. These findings will be useful for guiding rat control and human leptospirosis mitigation efforts in this and other urban settings.

High Traffic Roads and Adverse Birth Outcomes: Comparing Births Upwind and Downwind of the Same Road.

Traffic related air pollution is a major concern for perinatal health. Determining causal associations, however, is difficult since high-traffic areas tend to correspond with lower socioeconomic neighborhoods and other environmental exposures. To overcome confounding, we compared pregnant individuals living downwind and upwind of the same high-traffic road. We leveraged vital statistics data for Texas from 2007-2016 (n=3,570,272 births) and computed hourly wind estimates for residential addresses within 500 m of high-traffic roads (i.e., annual average daily traffic greater than 25,000) (10.9% of births). We matched pregnant individuals predominantly upwind to pregnant neighbors downwind of the same road segment (n=37,631 pairs). Living downwind was associated with an 11.6 gram (95% CI: -18.01, -5.21) decrease in term birth weight. No associations were observed with low term birth weight, preterm birth, or very preterm birth. In distance-stratified models, living downwind within 50 m was associated with a -36.3 gram (95% CI: -67.74, -4.93) decrease in term birth weight and living 51-100m downwind was associated with an odds ratio of 3.68 (95% CI: 1.71, 7.90) for very preterm birth. These results suggest traffic air pollution is associated with adverse birth outcomes, with steep distance decay gradients around major roads.

A low-carbon route optimization method for cold chain logistics considering traffic status in China

In the paper of cold chain logistics, it is necessary to consider both traffic status and carbon reduction simultaneously. In this paper, an improved BPR (Bureau of Public Roads) road impedance function is designed, which reflects the traffic status in China under congested status more accurately. A low-carbon cold chain logistics route optimization model considering the traffic status in China is constructed, considering the multiple impacts of traffic status on total delivery cost, freshness of fresh products, and carbon emissions. To address the challenges posed by this multidimensional and discrete model, an improved discrete firefly algorithm (IDFA) is proposed. The numerical result demonstrates that IDFA has higher solving efficiency and better quality of the obtained solutions. Moreover, this paper also analyzes the impact of traffic status, vehicle types, and carbon trading prices on cold chain logistics delivery, as well as the comprehensive impact of traffic status and carbon trading prices. The proposed model is suitable for cold chain logistics enterprises with a single delivery center, active emission reduction willingness, and mostly delivering in congested road sections with high traffic volume. It offers valuable guidance for decision making and management in low-carbon cold chain logistics delivery.

Flexible Permeable-Pavement System Sustainability: A Methodology for Stormwater Management Based on PM Granulometry

Permeable-pavement design methodologies can improve the hydrologic and therefore the environmental benefits of rural and urban roadway systems. By contrast, conventional impervious pavements perturb the hydrologic cycle, altering the relationship between the rainfall loading and runoff response. Impervious pavements create a hydraulically conductive interface for the transport of traffic-generated chemicals and particulate matter (PM), deleteriously impacting their proximate environments. Permeable-pavement systems are countermeasures to mitigate hydrologic, chemical, and PM impacts. However, permeable pavements are not always equally implementable due to costs, PM loadings, and design constraints. A potential solution to facilitate environmental benefits while meeting the traffic load capacity is the combination of two filtration systems placed at the pavement shoulders and/or pedestrian sidewalks: a bituminous-pavement open-graded friction course (BPFC) and an aggregate-filled infiltration trench. This solution is presented in this manuscript together with the methodological framework and the first results of the investigations into designing and validating such a combined system. The research was conducted at the laboratories of the Polytechnic University of Bari and the University of Florida, while an operational and full-scale physical model was constructed in Bari, Italy. The first results presented characterize the PM deposition on public roads based on granulometry (particle size distributions (PSDs) and particle number densities (PNDs)). Samples (n = 16) were collected and analyzed at eight different sites with different land uses, traffic, and pavements from different cities (Bari and Taranto, Italy). The PM analysis showed similar distributions (PSDs and PNDs), except for two samples. The gravimetric-based PSDs of the PM had granulometric distributions in the sand-size range. In contrast, the PNDs, modeled by a Power Law Model (PLM) (R2 ≥ 0.92), illustrated an exponentially increasing number of particles in the fine silt and clay-size range, representing less than 10% of the PSD mass. Moreover, the results indicate that PM sourced from permeable-pavement systems has differing impacts on the pavement service life.

Major Traffic Safety Reform and Road Traffic Injuries Among Low-Income New York Residents, 2009-2021.

Objectives. To evaluate the effects of a comprehensive traffic safety policy-New York City's (NYC's) 2014 Vision Zero-on the health of Medicaid enrollees. Methods. We conducted difference-in-differences analyses using individual-level New York Medicaid data to measure traffic injuries and expenditures from 2009 to 2021, comparing NYC to surrounding counties without traffic reforms (n = 65 585 568 person-years). Results. After Vision Zero, injury rates among NYC Medicaid enrollees diverged from those of surrounding counties, with a net impact of 77.5 fewer injuries per 100 000 person-years annually (95% confidence interval = -97.4, -57.6). We observed marked reductions in severe injuries (brain injury, hospitalizations) and savings of $90.8 million in Medicaid expenditures over the first 5 years. Effects were largest among Black residents. Impacts were reversed during the COVID-19 period. Conclusions. Vision Zero resulted in substantial protection for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations known to face heightened risk of injury, but the policy's effectiveness decreased during the pandemic period. Public Health Implications. Many cities have recently launched Vision Zero policies and others plan to do so. This research adds to the evidence on how and in what circumstances comprehensive traffic policies protect public health. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(6):633-641. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307617).

Intermodal Transportation Challenges in Eastern Europe: Case Study of Romania

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to analyze data from the Romanian intermodal transportation sector and provide an overview of its main terminals (sea, river, road and rail) and the operational challenges faced by its most important logistics service providers. Intermodal transportation (by rail) is encouraged at EU level as a sustainable alternative to current predominant truck haulage. Most research articles outline issues with connectivity, terminal handling infrastructure and cost efficiency as factors hindering large scale adoption. Other authors tend to emphasize the more reliable delivery schedules, reduced road congestion and emissions as drivers of cost competitiveness on medium term. Relevant cargo volume traffic (tons, TEU and ITU) is analyzed at Romania’s main intermodal hubs in the last 10 years (2014-2023) using quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive overview of its overall competitiveness in this sector. Most Eastern European countries are faced with the same challenge in terms of intermodal transportation: the shortcomings of their supporting network due to insufficient public investment, highlighted by the results from Romania (case study method). Main results show Constanta Port had record cargo traffic in 2023, but its throughput is hindered by constant congestion issues, similar to the highly competitive road sector where intense truck traffic creates bottlenecks on the major roads leading to Western Europe. Cargo is also shipped via the Danube and freight trains, but to a limited extent due to low average speeds and inconsistent reliability along most sectors. The paper highlights the importance of a country’s strategic hubs and their connectivity (sea and/or river ports, main railway lines and road sectors) as a source of future growth and development perspectives, for terminal operators as well as neighboring regions (EU and EEA) through increased business activity.