Major Transportation Corridors Research Articles

Wood and iron exploitation in the Pyrenean highlands during the Visigothic period: the case of the Puymorens pass and the Carol valley, France

The Puymorens iron mine is located at an altitude of between 2,100 and 2,200 m at the western edge of the Pyrénées-Orientales department (France), which is bordered by the Ariège department in France and Andorra to the west and Spain to the south. It is the highest-altitude iron ore exploitation in the Pyrenees mountains. A major transportation corridor facilitating the north to south crossing of the Pyrenean massif passes by the foot of the mine, from the Ariège valley to the Carol valley. The mine is known to have been in operation from the seventeenth century to the end of the 1960's, and it supplied ore to many modern smelting sites in Andorra, Catalonia and Ariège. New data acquired from the FEDER FERMAPYR and PCR FERAPO programs have enabled the identification of older ironworks in the neighboring Carol valley, which also used this ore and have been radiocarbon dated between the fourth and the sixth centuries. By placing this series of Visigothic smelting sites in their environmental context, we will be able to describe their technical specificities and the impetuses for the early exploitation of iron ore and wood at high altitudes in the Pyrenees. The study will be based as much on the results of archaeological excavations and surveys as well as on anthracology studies to understand the relation between iron ore smelting and the forest exploitation for charcoal production.

A Study on the Current Status and Future Prospects of EV Automotive Market

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) projections, the total number of electric vehicles in the world is expected to reach 250 million in 2030 and 525 million in 2035. As a result, more than one in four cars running on the streets is expected to be electric by 2035. In addition, annual sales of electric vehicles are expected to reach about 45 million in 2030 and close to 65 million in 2035. The penetration rate of electric vehicles is expected to exceed about 40% in 2030 and 50% in 2035. In addition, the number of EV chargers in the world is expected to exceed 15 million by 2030, which is four times the current number. With the spread of electric vehicles worldwide, the need for public EV chargers in each country is increasing. As of 2023, there are 3.9 million public EV chargers worldwide. The country with the highest number of installations is China, with 1.5 million regular chargers and 1.2 million high-speed chargers installed as of 2023. China is leading the introduction of EV chargers, accounting for more than 85% of the world's high-speed chargers and about 60% of ordinary chargers. In Europe, 590,000 regular chargers and 110,000 high-speed chargers are installed as of 2023. In the second half of 2023, the European Union adopted the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), making it mandatory to install public high-speed chargers every 60 km along the EU's major transport corridors. Through this, EV charging infrastructure in Europe is expected to expand rapidly in the future. This EV evolution can be said to be a big inflection point for transportation due to climate change. At this point, it can be said that it is very important to accurately recognize the current status and future of EVs. This paper aims to examine the current status of electric vehicles and forecast the future from this perspective.

Exploring the dynamic impact of the Northern Sea Route on China-Europe multimodal transportation competition in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative

As Arctic sea ice continues to melt, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is anticipated to become the third major China-Europe transportation corridor, alongside the Suez Canal Route (SCR) and China Railway Express (CRE). This study investigates the integration of the NSR into the Belt and Road multimodal transportation network and analyzes its dynamic competition with traditional corridors across heterogeneous regions and markets in China. To achieve this, we developed a novel hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework to evaluate the NSR's potential as an alternative China-Europe trade route. This framework introduces a new criteria utility function (CUF) and integrates the Bayesian best-worst method (BBWM) and measurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution (MARCOS) method. This approach evaluates and prioritizes routes based on cost, time, reliability, safety, sustainability, and convenience, thereby detailing the NSR's market advantages and business prospects. The findings suggest that simply increasing the frequency of transportation services is insufficient to attract Chinese customers to the NSR. Instead, the route's competitiveness is primarily determined by transportation costs. In future scenarios, the NSR will offer additional route options for China-Europe containerized intermodal transport, potentially serving as a complementary corridor to the SCR and CRE under certain conditions. Coastal and sub-coastal regions north of Fujian Province are potential markets for the NSR, while inland regions far from seaports are better suited for connections via the CRE. Notably, time-insensitive containerized cargoes, such as industrial accessories, mechanical equipment, and metal crafts, exhibit higher potential demand for the NSR. In contrast, time-sensitive commodities like fashion apparel, electronics, and medical devices are more likely to be transported by cross-border railroads due to their urgency. Stakeholders, including government agencies, shipping companies, and exporters, can utilize these insights to optimize China-Europe transport organization and effectively commercialize the NSR.

Case study of noise intrusion into glass facade residential building

A combined residential and hotel building with a glass facade adjacent to a major transportation corridor provided challanges for the owner and designers in selecting an appropriate quantitative metric for evaluating the subjectively acceptable level of noise intrusion. Surveys at a series of buildings with similar proximities were evaluated to compare subjective impressions to quantitative projections.

Modelling landslide susceptibility along major transportation corridor in Darjeeling Himalayas using GIS-based MCDA approaches

Modelling landslide susceptibility along major transportation corridor in Darjeeling Himalayas using GIS-based MCDA approaches

Land suitability analysis in monocentric post-socialist city: Case of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Urban expansion has been rapidly increasing and is projected to be tripled in 2030 in worldwide. The impact of urbanization has adverse effects on the environment and economic development. Residential lands consist of almost one-third of the urban area and heavily affect the city's inhabitants. The capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, has been significantly expanded, particularly in the urban periphery where poor living conditions and a lack of essential urban services were identified. The paper aims to conduct a suitability analysis of residential areas in Ulaanbaatar city based on three main categories (livability, affordability, and accessibility) of fifteen criteria using the fuzzy logic. Through the study, we have identified some potential suitable residential areas for further development, such as apartment residential area located in the southern part of the city and four low-rise ger areas were distributed along major transport corridors. Moreover, the results indicated that the spatial structure of the whole town might be in transition to a polycentric pattern. However, a concentric ring pattern in the 'city's periphery displayed a concerning uncontrolled ger area expansion, which may increase low living conditions in the area. This study recommends better urban sprawl control policies and more property market investment in the ger area to ensure sustainable development goals in Ulaanbaatar.

Mechanisms of Block Instability at the Toe of a Slowly Deforming Rock Slope

Steep alpine rock slopes undergoing deformation may give rise to concurrent landslide hazards of different type and magnitude. The underlying mechanisms of instability are often challenging to investigate due to their inherent complexity; furthermore, they can occur on poorly accessible terrain, preventing the collection of data by means of traditional field techniques or even inhibiting awareness of hazards. This paper focuses upon one such case, in which a major transportation corridor running along the floor of the Aosta Valley (Western Italian Alps) is affected by significant—and until recently unknown—rockfall hazards promoted by a previously collapsed rockslide still deforming slowly at elevations almost 600 m above the road. In particular, two large discrete blocks (volume > 103 m3) lie precariously at the toe of the slide and could fall downslope at extremely rapid velocity. The design of countermeasures for the stabilization or removal of these blocks would require the assessment of their mechanical interaction with the bedrock and degree of internal fracturing (i.e., possible pervasive damage within the blocks). We perform this task by first exploring potential kinematic styles and damage patterns at failure according to a series of preliminary finite-element models. We then use detailed displacement measurements from remote sensing and in situ monitoring, in conjunction with repeat topographic surveying from a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and a drone laser scanner (DLS), to reconstruct the actual kinematics of the blocks. The results substantiate the hypothesis that instability is primarily controlled by transient degradation of friction on a through-going basal rupture surface. Development of a large tensile fracture in one of the two blocks is inferred to be conditioned by increased non-planarity of the slipping joint in comparison with the other block. We highlight that optimized integration of cutting-edge rock slope investigation tools can help address otherwise unresolved key aspects of complex instabilities in steep mountainous areas.

The China -Pakistan Economic Corridor: A Critical Analysis of Gulf- Crisis

The Chino-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), initialed in 2013, is among China’s biggest foreign policy and investment commitments. It links China's Xinjiang Province with the Arabian Sea overland through Pakistan by three major new transportation corridors, supplemented by new power plants fueled by both renewables and coal, and establishing new industrial parks and trade zones. The project could transform Pakistan, but it also has clear implications for the Gulf States and after the outbreak of the Qatar crisis in 2017, CPEC became an arena of competition for the Gulf States. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part of a strategic geopolitical move that promises not only augment the strategic position of Pakistan but also unleashing socio-economic potentials of Qatar and China. The research is an effort to highlights the interest of china and Pakistan regarding CPEC. Keeping in view the geo-strategic location of Gwadar port It also provides an insight into the challenges regarding CPEC It also endorses why Qatar is keenly interested to join the CPEC and how its involvement boosts its economy? The proposed research is based on descriptive and analytical research methods where the researcher consults primary and secondary sources to support their argument. So, in this way, the results suggest that strategically CPEC would provide a supported system to Qatar to transform its move into a truly interconnected world. This project can potentially strengthen the macroeconomic cooperation connectivity peace, and growth among different countries through trade and business opportunities which will further generate revenues for Qatar.

ПІДХІД ТА ВИМОГИ ДО СТВОРЕННЯ ЗАРЯДНОЇ ІНФРАСТРУКТУРИ В КИЄВІ ТА КИЇВСЬКІЙ ОБЛАСТІ

The article shows two different approaches to the development of charging infrastructure. The first ap-proach of expanding charging network proposes an average use of the charging point of about 5 percent. This approach focuses on the rapid creation of slow AC charging points (5-22 kW). However, low network utilization is not economically viable in the long term and limits investment by private companies. The second approach to network development is more usage-oriented, where charging points should be used with-in 15%. Also, the difference is fast charging with direct current (50-300 kW). Such a network develops more slowly, being restricted to major transport corridors; but in the future it looks more attractive, and this approach is currently domi-nant in the countries of the European Union. Methodology. The article uses the approach of comparing two ways of deploying the charging infrastructure at dif-ferent loads of one charging point and different power of the charging device. Goal. Possible creation of a charging network under the conditions of an acceptable load of one charging point. Originality. The article proposes an approach that allows using a charging station as a tool for increasing the de-mand for electric vehicles. Practical value. Existing legislation of the European Union on increasing environmental safety of vehicles, pro-vides possible background for installing chargers within the largest roads of the Kyiv region. It is necessary, because number of electric vehicles could stay low without charging infrastructure available. Keywords: motor vehicle, electric vehicle, charging point, charging infrastructure, location of charging station, power of charging point, the cost of connecting a charging station.

Landscape changes in the Tombstone Territorial Park region (central Yukon, Canada) from multilevel remote sensing analysis

Northern ecosystems are vulnerable to surface disturbances caused by warming climate and human activities. The Ogilvie Mountains in central Yukon are an important region that should be monitored, as it is a major transportation corridor connecting northern communities. This study aims to characterize 35 years of landscape changes in the Tombstone Territorial Park and the surrounding region of the Ogilvie Mountains by detecting and interpreting landscape changes using a Landsat-derived trend analysis and multilevel image interpretation. Statistically significant spectral changes occurred in 24% of the study area between 1986 and 2021, and most of these changes are gradual and associated with vegetation succession and hydrological processes (i.e., erosion and deposition). Other landscape changes included wildfires, slumps, changes to riverbanks and lake shores, earlier melting of icings in the summer, degradation on the peripheries of some ice-wedge polygonal terrain, and potential insect damage to forests. Our investigation reveals that the extent and magnitude of landscape changes in the study area are influenced by climate, geomorphic setting, ecological succession, and glacial history of the region. Given a varied combination of ecotypes, spatial and temporal variations are to be expected in terms of the response of the landscape to climate and anthropogenic disturbances.

Factors affecting the development of a healthy city in Suburban areas, Thailand

Pathum Thani Province is one of the provinces surrounding the Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA) that has received the spillover growth and expansion of the city of Bangkok. However, this has resulted in urban changes into sprawling characterized by clusters of peri-urbanization interspersed along major transportation corridors that has absorbed provincial municipal centers within almost a hundred-kilometer radius from the center. The results of this uncontrolled, unplanned sprawl with weak or ineffective land use or transportation planning have detrimental effects on the overall well-being of the residents and the quality of life in the metropolitan area. This study uses the healthy city concept to analyze the factors that affect the health of the population by using Pathum Thani Province as the case study of 1055 structured questionnaires in face-to-face interviews. After data collection, the data was used in a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to analyze the factors that affect the health of the population in this highly urbanized province. The result of the study showed that factors affecting urban health have components relative to health issues, social and economic, physical, and environmental factors. Finally, this approach could help to quantify the complex interactions involved in health and wellbeing in relation to the constantly changing urban environment of sprawling areas to help guide policy decisions for achieving the development of a healthy city.

Using an Inventory of Unstable Slopes to Prioritize Probabilistic Rockfall Modeling and Acid-Base Accounting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Abstract An important first step in the geotechnical asset management of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) is the creation of an unstable slope inventory along major transportation corridors. Slope-stability problems are frequent in GRSM, often initiated in highly weathered and fractured metasedimentary rocks. In this study, an unstable slope inventory was created using the Unstable Slope Management Program for Federal Land Management Agencies protocols. Hazards and risks were evaluated for 285 unstable slopes along 243.67 km of roadway. Kernel density estimation was used to identify unstable slope hotspots and establish 14 sites for site-specific investigations to evaluate potential impacts of discrete unstable slopes along major roadways. Two-dimensional probabilistic rockfall simulations and acid-base accounting tests were used to predict rockfall pathways and evaluate the acid-producing potential of rocks. Simulations indicated that rock material would likely enter the roadway at all 14 sites. Acid-base accounting test results indicated that slaty rocks of the Anakeesta Formation and graphitic schist of the Wehutty Formation are primary acid-producing rocks in rockfall-prone areas. This research illustrates an approach for prioritizing areas for site-specific investigations towards the goal of improving safety in GRSM, including developing mitigation strategies for rockfall by widening ditches, installing barriers, and encapsulating acidic rockfall material.

The costs and challenges of installing corridor DC Fast Chargers in California

A national network of DC Fast Charging infrastructure (DCFC) corridors can facilitate connectivity and long-distance travel using battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Optimal locations of such facilities are where BEV drivers have easy access to charging where drivers will not have to make any deviation from their pre-planned trips. Such optimally located corridor DCFCs are usually in remote, underserved communities and immediately next to a highway where they lack the advantages of shared utility infrastructure in an urban setting. Therefore, we find that other studies and industry knowledge of infrastructure investments do not apply to corridor DCFC locations. This study evaluates the full project costs of installing and commissioning 54 DC Fast Chargers in 36 sites located in major transportation corridors in California and finds significant variation in costs between them. While existing studies show costs ranging from $20,000 - $150,000, we find costs range anywhere between $122,000 and $440,000. This data is critical for new investment in the U.S. to construct a national charging network of DC Fast charging corridors. We find that a significant proportion of the full project costs are taken up by on site “make-ready infrastructure” costs that vary greatly due to site-specific factors and design choices. DCFC installations should be considered civil construction projects with significant electrical infrastructure planning and installation that requires the cooperation of many local stakeholders. We find that costs can be greatly reduced by working with local electrical utilities early in the design and site selection stages when possible. Our study finds that some cost shift towards utility side costs can greatly reduce overall construction costs for sites along highways. We also find that grid-connected DCFC design are substantially cheaper than off-grid solar powered DCFC with onsite storage.

Modeling expected air quality impacts of Oregon's proposed expanded clean fuels program

The public health burden of traffic-related air pollution falls most heavily on the population living closest to major transportation corridors, which leads to exposure disparities between different socio-economic groups across the United States. The state of Oregon has adopted climate policies to reduce transportation fuel carbon intensity (CI). These climate policies have the potential co-benefit of reducing air pollution exposure disparities for different socio-economic groups. Here we analyze the emissions and air quality outcomes of three future year (2035) scenarios for transportation fuels in Oregon: (i) a Business as usual (BAU) scenario, (ii) a Clean Fuels Program (CFP) scenario that represents adoption and successful achievement of a proposed 25% reduction in carbon intensity in 2035; and (iii) a maximum ambition scenario (CFP MAX) that builds on the CFP scenario to achieve a 37% CI reduction by adopting low carbon fuels more aggressively, especially for heavy duty vehicles. Transportation emissions under all scenarios were estimated using the MOVES model for every county in Oregon. Detailed emissions with 4 km spatial resolution were then developed for each scenario by scaling the National Emissions Inventory (NEI) for the year 2017 based on the emissions derived from the MOVES analysis. Air quality in 2035 was simulated using the UCD/CIT chemical transport model that enables a detailed analysis of PM2.5 and PM0.1 components and sources. Exposure fields were analyzed using the BenMAP model to predict public health outcomes. Environmental justice analysis was conducted by race/ethnicity categories and income categories obtained from the American Community Survey (ACS). Results suggest that adoption of low-carbon transportation fuels will improve air quality in Oregon, yielding public health benefits equivalent to approximately $80M/yr. Adoption of low carbon transportation fuels will also reduce disparities in exposure to transportation-related air pollution between residents in different race/ethnicity categories by ∼14% in Portland and ∼20% in Salem. Adoption of low-carbon fuels reduces PM2.5 mass disparity by 10% in Salem, but does not have a significant effect in Portland, because on-road mobile sources contribute to less than 3% of the total PM2.5 mass disparity in this city. The analysis reveals that the spatial distribution of each race/ethnicity group in each city is the primary factor that determines the impact of low carbon fuel adoption on exposure disparity.

Measures for Pedestrian Safety Management in Major Transport Corridors: The Case of Kinondoni in Dar es Salaam

Measures for Pedestrian Safety Management in Major Transport Corridors: The Case of Kinondoni in Dar es Salaam

Assessing Transit Station Area Redevelopment: A Case Study of the Lindbergh Station in Atlanta

This article assesses the land-use, demographic, circulation, and economic development attributes of transit station area development. Findings from this assessment are applied to the Lindbergh Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Station area in Atlanta, Georgia, for which a private-public partnership is currently being negotiated. Recommendations for the redevelopment of the Lindbergh Station area are provided, including a schematic design that integrates those recommendations. The resulting recommendations are intended to maximize the likelihood for transit ridership and economic benefit while offsetting traffic congestion and vehicle emissions—in keeping with the objectives of the Federal Transit Administration’s Livable Communities Initiative. A safe and inviting walking environment throughout a station area—extending well beyond the area of physical redevelopment itself—is fundamental to achieving these objectives. Existing barrier effects and lack of pedestrian connectivity associated with major transportation corridors within the Lindbergh Station area will significantly offset transportation and environmental benefits on which public investment in the redevelopment is predicated. Solutions are required that provide not only safer street crossings, but a larger proportion of rights-of-way devoted to pedestrian movement and the development of a “street life. “ Priority should be given to pedestrian improvements that increase access to transit for traditionally underserved populations. Finally, open space is required to effectively compete with other more auto-dependent areas and to draw higher income populations to transit station areas.

The importance of the New Silk Road for the development of rural and municipal commune of Terespol

One of the key factor for local development is an advantageous localization in terms of transportation, especially along or on the crossroads of major transport corridors. One of such corridor on the Eurasian continent is the New Silk Road which crosses Polish-Belarusian border in Terespol, where in Małaszewicze complex of intermodal terminals is located. The aim of this study was to verify the impact of this corridor on the evolution of the TFL sector in the Terespol rural and municipal communes in relation to theirs socio-economic growth. Conducted analysis confirmed sings of that the New Silk Road may be consider as a driving force for development in local scale.

The Evolution of the Spatial Patterns of Startup Firms in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China in the 21st Century

It is increasingly recognized by policymakers and the academic community that startup firms play an important role in enhancing national and regional economic competitiveness. Existing studies have focused mainly on developed countries and highly marketed city-regions in developing countries, lacking sufficient attention to underdeveloped regions. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is the poorest province in post 1949 ‘New China’. In recent years, the TAR’s government has released a series of policies to encourage the establishment and development of startup firms, but understanding how to promote social development and economic growth through the creation and development of startup firms is still a significant issue for the TAR’s government. Therefore, taking Tibet as a case area, this article discusses the evolution of the spatial patterns of startup firms in underdeveloped regions in China. The findings include: ① The past two decades have witnessed tremendous growth in the number of startup firms; however, the number and rate of growth are not geographically even. ② In terms of geographical distribution, startup firms in the TAR have concentrated on or around key nodes along major transport corridors (place dependence); however, with the development of transportation infrastructure and development zones, they have also been established in new localities (place creation). ③ Although all subregions of the TAR have spatial agglomerations of startup firms, they are different in agglomeration characteristics. Finally, after acknowledging shortcomings in its research, this article calls for multi-sited research to investigate the diversity of the spatial patterns and dynamics of new firm formation in the underdeveloped regions of China.

Transportation Infrastructure Decision Flexibility in Response to Climate Change and Demand Uncertainties: The Mackenzie Valley Highway in Canada’s Northwest Territories

AbstractBarge transport operations on the Mackenzie River, a major transportation corridor in the Northwest Territories, are impacted by multiple sources of uncertainties. In particular, the impact...

Rainfall Triggering of Post-Fire Debris Flows over a 28-Year Period near El Portal, California, USA

ABSTRACT Wildfires frequently affect the steep hillslopes near El Portal, California (United States), a small community established during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s. In addition to the historical significance of El Portal, State Route 140 (SR 140) is a major transportation and economic corridor connecting the San Joaquin Valley to Yosemite National Park (YNP). In 2019, an estimated 4.5 million tourists visited and accessed YNP via SR 140. In the years after wildfires, the burned watersheds produced debris flows during intense rainfall, impacting the El Portal community and motorists traveling on SR 140 and local roads. The steepness of the hillslopes and confinement of the valley limit options for mitigating debris-flow risk. As such, emergency managers are left with evacuation orders or temporary road closures as the best options for risk reduction. The effectiveness of these options is highly dependent on establishing an accurate local rainfall intensity-duration threshold that officials can use to guide emergency response actions and timing. We present an overview of the rainfall conditions that initiated 12 post-fire debris-flow events near El Portal from 1991 to 2018 and objectively define rainfall intensity-duration thresholds from triggering rainfall rates. Our results highlight the modest rainfall rates that triggered debris flows in these steep watersheds, while radar data from more recent events (2012–2018) portray the spatial variability of intense rainfall in the area. Additional rainfall monitoring is needed to provide a robust rainfall threshold that will effectively mitigate risk for residents and motorists while minimizing the impact of road closures and evacuations.