Metro Station Research Articles

Exploration of the Impact of Built Environment Factors on Morning and Evening Peak Ridership at Urban Rail Transit Stations: A Case Study of Changsha, China

<div>To identify the influences of various built environment factors on ridership at urban rail transit stations, a case study was conducted on the Changsha Metro. First, spatial and temporal distributions of the station-level AM peak and PM peak boarding ridership are analyzed. The Moran’s I test indicates that both of them show significant spatial correlations. Then, the pedestrian catchment area of each metro station is delineated using the Thiessen polygon method with an 800-m radius. The built environment factors within each pedestrian catchment area, involving population and employment, land use, accessibility, and station attributes, are collected. Finally, the mixed geographically weighted regression models are constructed to quantitatively identify the effects of these built environment factors on the AM and PM peak ridership, respectively. The estimation results indicate that population density and employment density have significant but opposite influences on the AM and PM peak ridership, which can be attributed to the opposite travel directions of commuters in the AM and PM peak. The recreational facility density, road density, and 10-min walking accessibility could significantly positively affect the PM peak ridership, and their influences vary greatly over space. Besides, the operating time of stations significantly positively affects both the AM and PM peak ridership, transfer stations have significantly larger PM peak ridership and terminal stations have significantly larger AM peak ridership. The findings are expected to provide new insights for agencies to formulate appropriate measures to improve the ridership of urban rail transit.</div>

Could free-floating bikeshare weed out station-based bikeshare? Analyzing the relationship between two bikeshare systems from bivariate flow clustering

Against the backdrop of the strong market expansion of free-floating bikeshare systems (FFBS), the future of government-funded station-based bikeshare system (SBBS) is a matter of controversy. Merely relying on point density analysis proves to be inadequate in reflecting the flow characteristic, this paper employs a flow clustering analysis to investigate the relationship between SBBS and FFBS. To recognize both bikeshare flow clusters with inhomogeneous density and shape in less time, we propose a two-step network-constrained bivariate flow clustering method that organically combines multiplex-network community detection and bivariate flow clustering method. The performance and applicability of the method in flow clustering detection is exemplified by the SBBS and FFBS systems in Nanjing. The results indicate that though FFBS outnumbers SBBS in terms of bikes, there are still specific flow clusters where SBBS performs better. Spatiotemporal patterns of flow clusters reveal that about one-third of flow clusters dominated by FFBS move from the metro station to the business district during the morning peak, while more SBBS-dominated flow clusters (55.4%) move from the residence to the metro station. Conversely, during the evening peak, flow clusters are observed in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, if the difference in bike numbers is significant, SBBS will be at a disadvantage. It is necessary for SBBS to prioritize resource allocation towards target groups and advantageous areas to prevent decentralized development. Our findings contribute to a more profound comprehension of the interplay between SBBS and FFBS, thereby offering more informed recommendations for strategically aligning the functions of bikeshare systems.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristic of bike-sharing systems near metro and bus stations

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on various modes of mobility as it spread rapidly worldwide, leading to changes in the landscape of transportation. This research focuses on comparing the usage of bike-sharing and the shifts in cycling behaviour before (2019) and after (2020) the pandemic outbreak in Daejeon, South Korea. Additionally, it examines the role of bike-sharing as a supplementary mode of transport for public transportation systems such as buses and metros during these periods. Our analysis revealed that bike-sharing has become a more prominent mode of transport after the pandemic. We developed a model to calculate the demand ratio of bike-sharing within the catchment areas of bus and metro stations to assess its impact as a supplementary mode. The results indicate an increase in the usage of some dockless bike stations in the catchment areas of buses and metros by 0.22% and 7.29%, respectively. We also conducted a correlation analysis using Point of Interest (POI) data to understand the factors influencing bike-sharing usage. The findings suggest that travel behaviours have shifted towards commercial and recreational destinations. Given its cost-effectiveness and flexibility, bike-sharing could be a sustainable option for urban mobility. Therefore, city planners in Daejeon can use the results of this study to promote bike-sharing and cycling as viable transportation alternatives.

Climate-adaptive fire smoke ventilation strategies for atrium-type metro stations: A NSGA-II multi-objective optimisation study

This study explores the impact of climate variability on the operation of sustainable ventilation systems in urban infrastructure, with a focus on smoke movement in metro stations under varied external climatic conditions. Smoke characteristics and ventilation strategies in an atrium-type metro station are investigated using numerical simulations. The simulations reveal the influence of external climate on smoke movement through the atrium and roof windows, with particular attention to outdoor temperature and wind velocity. The study designs different ventilation strategies for smoke control that incorporate meteorological data, evaluating smoke visibility, CO distribution, and smoke extraction efficiency. The findings indicate that under severe external climates of low temperatures and high wind velocities, smoke extraction from roof window outlets is challenging. The adverse effects of external climate decrease the natural smoke extraction efficiency, increase the CO concentration, and reduce the safe visibility area. However, improved ventilation measures, such as the platform make-up air system and roof mechanical extraction system, can significantly enhance smoke control performance and facilitate safe evacuation. The study also employs the NSGA-II multi-objective optimisation method to obtain optimal ventilation strategies for different climates, balancing three optimisation objectives of operating energy consumption, safe visibility area, and smoke extraction efficiency. The outcomes show that the recommended values of Vp are 20%–30 % (0 °C ≤ To≤40 °C) and 40 % (−40 °C ≤ To<0 °C), vr are 0.3 (10 °C ≤ To≤40 °C) and 0.4 (−40 °C ≤ To < −10 °C), and Vc are all lower than 4 %. As wind velocity increases, the recommended values need to be enhanced. This research contributes to sustainable urban development by offering a framework for managing public safety and energy efficiency in the context of climate variability.

Research on Intelligent Prefabricated Reinforced Concrete Staircase Lifting Point Setting Method Considering Multidimensional Spatial Constraint Characteristics

Prefabricated reinforced concrete staircases (PC staircases) are prefabricated components that are widely used in prefabricated buildings and are used in large quantities. During the production and construction of a PC staircase, the lifting point setting directly affects the construction safety, construction efficiency, and construction quality. In this paper, we analyze the quality problems and safety risks in the design, production, and construction of PC staircases under the constraints of multidimensional spatial characteristics, clarify the key technical difficulties of prefabricated staircase lifting under the multidimensional spatial and temporal constraints, and analyze the factors that should be considered in the setting of lifting points. In this paper, a prefabricated staircase lifting point setting database is established and a thin-plate spline interpolation algorithm is introduced to expand it. Based on the support vector machine algorithm, the process of optimization is carried out for the kernel function scale parameter and penalty factor, and it is concluded that for every increase of two in the number of cross-validation folds, the percentage reduction in minimum RMSE is 9.4%, 17.8%, and 4.2%, respectively, the percentage increase in the optimization time is 39.7%, 61.8%, and 27.3%, respectively, and a PC staircase lifting point setup method based on the small-sample database is proposed. The number of lifting points and lifting point locations of the PC staircase satisfying the multidimensional spatial feature constraints can be obtained by inputting the five design parameters of the PC staircase, namely, the number of treads, the height of the treads, the width of the treads, the width of the staircase, and the weight of the staircase, into the lifting point setup method proposed in this paper. The reliability of the precast reinforced concrete staircase lifting point setting method proposed in this paper when considering the multidimensional spatial constraint characteristics is verified by the precast staircases in deep shafts for assembly construction at the Chongqing metro station.

Understanding the Competition and Cooperation between Dockless Bike-Sharing and Metro Systems in View of Mobility

The advent of dockless bike-sharing (DBS) represents an effective solution to enhance public transportation usage. However, despite growing interest in integrating DBS with metro systems, comprehensive studies on their competitive and cooperative relationships remain limited. This study aims to analyze the spatial, temporal, and mobility characteristics of metro-related DBS to explore integration opportunities. Initially, three modes of interaction between DBS and metros are identified: strong competition, weak competition, and feeder relationships. Subsequently, based on these relationships, the analysis focuses on distance, spatio-temporal patterns, and the scope of DBS activities. Results from Beijing indicate that metro-associated DBS primarily serves as “last-mile” solutions without significant short-range competition with metro systems. Strongly competitive relationships, on the other hand, are interaction patterns due to the dense overlay of metro stations and inconvenient transfer facilities and are mainly used for non-commuting purposes. Furthermore, weakly competing and feeder DBS systems exhibit similar commuting patterns, highlighting bicycling as a viable alternative to walking within metro catchment areas and that metro catchment areas should be adapted to bicycling. Mobility communities, identified as tightly integrated cycling hubs, are proposed as strategic dispatch zones to manage peak demands and reduce operational strain on DBS fleets. These findings deepen our understanding of DBS and metro system interactions, offering insights to optimize public transport operations and enhance urban mobility solutions.

Spatial Characteristics of Multidimensional Urban Vitality and Its Impact Mechanisms by the Built Environment

Urban vitality, intricately connected to urban morphology, has long been a cornerstone of urban planning and design. The accelerated pace of urbanization has created abundant living and working spaces, but it has also brought about a series of issues such as traffic congestion, environmental pollution, insufficient public spaces, and uneven urban development, leading to a decline in urban vitality. The spatial distribution patterns of urban vitality and their influencing factors are diverse and vary across different cities, necessitating a multidimensional exploration of the relationship between urban vitality and the built environment. Utilizing the central urban area of Beijing as a case study, this research leverages multi-source urban spatial data to delineate the spatial characteristics of social, economic, cultural, and comprehensive vitality. Furthermore, a comprehensive set of built-environment indicators is developed across five dimensions to analyze their correlation with urban vitality. The results indicate: (1) There is a significant spatial clustering of various vitality types in Beijing, with a pronounced correlation between high-density population aggregation and vigorous economic activities. (2) Subdistricts exhibiting high social vitality display an “n”-shaped distribution around the Second Ring Road. In contrast, those with high economic vitality are concentrated along Chang’an Street and various district commercial centers. High cultural vitality subdistricts are distributed in a northwest–southeast trajectory from the Fourth Ring Road to the Second Ring Road, and subdistricts with high comprehensive vitality exhibit a concentric distribution radiating outwards from the center. (3) Social vitality is most closely related to comprehensive vitality, and the various vitality types in Beijing’s central urban area develop relatively evenly. (4) The built environment significantly affects all types of urban vitality. Factors such as floor area ratio, POI density, POI mixing degree, and intersection density are fundamental to enhancing urban vitality, whereas the greening rate somewhat inhibits it. (5) Future spatial planning should utilize the radiating effect of high-vitality subdistricts to optimize population distribution, enhance POI mixing, increase metro station density, and strengthen critical urban structures for synergistic economic and cultural development. This study provides a foundation and promotion strategies for optimizing the layout and enhancing vitality at the subdistrict scale within Beijing’s central urban area.

Investigating urban mobility through multi-source public transportation data: A multiplex network perspective

The integration of multi-source and diverse spatio-temporal travel data provides a comprehensive insight into urban mobility. Using data from Shenzhen's public transportation system, this study presents an analytical framework based on multiplex networks to examine variations in multi-mode public transportation usage (metro, bus, taxi, and shared bike) and their correlation with the built environment. This framework encompasses the analysis of network topological characteristics, centrality, and communities. The examination of network topological characteristics reveals that the multiplex transportation network exhibits high global accessibility and local connectivity. Network centrality analysis, focusing on weighted outdegree centrality, captures the patterns of public transportation ridership. Centrality modeling, employing the light gradient boosting machine, demonstrates a nonlinear relationship between ridership and the built environment. Factors including population density, residential land use percentage, entertainment service density, restaurant density, and metro station density consistently exhibit positive correlations with ridership across different times of the day. The community structure analysis, using consensus community detection, indicates that distinct urban areas exhibit clustering behavior based on public transportation demand patterns, forming distinct communities that closely align with the functional zoning of urban planning. These findings could provide valuable insights for the strategic planning of transportation services and the built environment.

Prediction of land use around urban metro stations using the CA-Markov model

ABSTRACT Analyzing how rail transit stations affect the land use changes around them in space and time is important for forecasting the future interaction between new stations and land use and for adjusting and optimizing planning schemes. Based on the design concept of station-city integration, this paper uses Zhongshanba Station of Guangzhou Metro as a case study. It examines the land use evolution around the station and predicts the future land use changes around the double-track transfer station of Line 5 and Line 11, using the POI kernel density and the passenger flow heat map of the existing station in the old city. The results show that the POI and passenger flow heat map are innovative driving variables that can increase the simulation accuracy of the CA-Markov model to 91.86%. The prediction results also show that public management-service land and residential land will increase while industrial land will decrease. Although garden land will expand, the surrounding ecological area is still inadequate. Finally, this paper provides some strategies for optimizing subway stations and planning urban land use.

Robustness Assessment of the Metro System: A Case Study of Bucharest, Romania

Metro network systems play an important role in urban transportation but they are vulnerable to various risks and disruptions. Having a comprehensive understanding of these risks is essential for their operation. In this paper, we aimed to assess the operational robustness of the Bucharest metro system. We employed graph theory and concepts. Using available data specific to the Bucharest metro system operation, we analyzed the type of disruptions across metro lines and stations. As expected, the two subway lines that sub-cross the city center experienced the greatest number of disruptions. Several stations on Line M1, that sub-cross the central urban area, were found to be particularly vulnerable. In our analysis, the results are as follows: the robustness indicator for the metro network, rT, is 0.1538, and the effective graph conductance (CG) is 0.1. These reveal that the Bucharest metro network can withstand up to 45% of node failures before collapsing. This indicates moderate robustness, suggesting that while the network can handle specific disruptions, targeted improvements are necessary to enhance overall resilience.

Green Infrastructure in Urban Settings: Bringing Together the Forest and Concrete Jungle

Landscape is a crucial part of any breathing space an urban area has. In this research paper, we go through a new wayof looking at landscapes integrating landscape at various levels in the urban fabric integrating vegetation on upperlevels which are accessible by escalators and lifts just like a metro station. Since most of the ground space has alreadybeen utilized the higher levels of urban space will be used for landscaping. these structures will be created of RCC andmodern precast units. where nature will take over and vegetation will be planted. They can be worked out to imitateforests and agriculture. So there will be no bias between the prehistoric world and the modern concrete jungle. Thiswill act as an overlap between the natural and manmade world. i.e. it will fall between the living and nonliving. Theimportance of research is to guide the traditional practices in a new way of looking at providing landscaping in urbanareas. It will no longer be a monotonous horizon. In some places sky will be visible and in some places it won’t be.there will be levels to it. Most visibility will be at the higher levels.

SPATIAL PARAMETERS FOR MULTIMODAL INTEGRATION AT METRO STATIONS: A CONDUCIVE CASE STUDY OF METRO STATIONS IN DELHI

Urban public transit contributes to the multisector growth of a developing economy and is an essential component of sustainable urban development. Public transit has seen considerable upsurge in ridership over the past decade. In order to make public transportation more appealing to regular commuters than private automobiles, the current infrastructure in the majority of India's metropolitan cities must be modernized in a sustainable way. The Delhi Metro was designed with an identical objective in consideration, anticipating the increasing concern over traffic in and around the Delhi region, and after being implemented, it significantly reduced the number of individual vehicles on the road. Delhi Metro operates within the framework of the citywide multi-modal integrated transportation system, reinforced by other modes such as buses and IPT. It is the lifeline of Delhi's urban transit system. This research paper aims to study numerous aspects of multimodal integration at metro stations in order to increase the passengers' comfort and convenience. Convenient transitions in a multimodal transportation system are greatly aided by station amenities like the physical infrastructure, which includes the parking space, transfer area, metro ridership data, pedestrian network, cycling facilities, feeder shelter, taxi stands (IPT Stands), etc. Furthermore, it intends to promote walkability by establishing a high-quality public realm that is both welcoming and secure for anyone to use. This research is centered around Delhi Metro stations on the Yellow line. An extensive inventory of the station area and a commuter travel time questionnaire were used to evaluate the current state of affairs. Several standards of design were analyzed to optimize the output of research. The inferences yield specific recommendations and modifications for the present system, in addition to identifying several best practices that could be reiterated across all stations.

User satisfaction-based prioritisation of attributes influencing walk accessibility to metro stations: A multi-attribute decision making approach

The current study suggests a user satisfaction-based approach to prioritise attributes influencing walk accessibility to metro stations in Delhi, India. The target user group of the present study includes metro users who access the metro stations by walking. Responses from 466 such users are collected using smart tablets through face-to-face interviews. User satisfaction ratings towards twelve walk accessibility influencing attributes identified in the study are recorded on a six-point Likert-type ordinal rating scale. The study engages a comparative Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) approach comprising three prominent techniques, viz., Relative to an Identified Distribution Integral Transformation (RIDIT), Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for analysing the collected perception database and prioritising the attributes based on user satisfaction. The study outcomes identify ‘Extreme Weather Conditions’, ‘Illumination’, ‘Universal Design Considerations’ and ‘Safety and Security’ as the poorly performing attributes based on user perception and require immediate interventions. Spearman’s rank-order correlation analysis is performed to compare the attribute priority ranks derived from the three methods. The research findings can be useful to transportation planners, policymakers and enforcement officials in formulating and implementing strategies to allocate funds based on user-identified priorities for improving walk accessibility to metro stations.

Multi-group exploration of the built environment and metro ridership: Comparison of commuters, seniors and students

Understanding the associations between demographic groups’ metro travel behaviors and the built environment is crucial for addressing automobile dependence and promoting transportation equity and reasonable urban construction. This study examines the nonlinear relationships and threshold effects of the built environment on the metro travel patterns of three groups (i.e., commuters, seniors, and students) by applying smart card data in Kunming, China. We select the optimal machine learning model—gradient boosting decision trees (GBDTs)—and consider various built environment attributes. Our findings indicate that: 1) built environment attributes universally have nonlinear and threshold effects on metro travel for all groups; 2) the collective contributions of density and diversity differ greatly across groups compared to other attributes; and 3) only a few built environment attributes have similar effect directions and degrees across all three groups, while most have unique effects on each group. The findings suggest metro station area planning strategies to promote metro use and transportation equity for different groups.

On the Construction of Admissible Orders for Tuples and Its Application to Imprecise Risk Matrices

The imprecision inherent in human opinions is not properly modeled by crisp numbers. Other more complex structures like intervals or tuples capture better the imprecision of human assessments. This makes them very useful in decision problems. However, they cannot be easily compared. Despite they grasp better decision-makers inaccuracy, the lack of a natural total order for such structures makes the determination of the best alternative a difficult task. In this contribution, we explore how to obtain new total orders for (ordered) tuples paying special attention to admissible orders (total orders that extend the lattice order). The resulting orders are applied to four-dimensional ordered tuples that represent risk assessments in an imprecise environment. In addition, two case studies involving risk matrices in educational transport and the construction of a metro station are also provided.

Causal mediation analysis of social and environmental factors in pathways from a metro intervention to eudaimonic wellbeing among older people

BackgroundThis research aims to unravel the pathways linking transport with eudaimonic wellbeing among older people, considering the mediating role of social and environmental factors. MethodsWe focused on outcomes across six dimensions of eudaimonic wellbeing: self-acceptance, autonomy, positive relations with others, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth. Using a new metro line as a natural experiment, we collected cohort data of 449 older adults before and after the opening of a new metro line. The treatment group consisted of participants living within the 400-m buffer zones surrounding the new metro stations, while the control group consisted of those living in comparable station catchments. The mediators include social engagement and environmental perception. We first used difference-in-difference (DID) models to estimate the metro's direct influence on these eudaimonic elements. Causal mediation analyses were then conducted to delved into how the social and environmental factors mediated these effects. ResultThe new metro enhanced the treatment group's environmental mastery, life purpose, and self-acceptance (p < 0.05). These improvements were partly attributed to promoted social engagement and improved environmental perceptions triggered by the metro development (p < 0.05). Notably, the environmental perceptions demonstrated a stronger mediating effect than the social factors. Discussion and conclusionTransport interventions could effectively counteract the age-related eudaimonic decline. The enhancement of environmental perceptions played a key role in the effectiveness of the metro intervention. Our findings contribute to the understanding of casual mechanisms of transport and wellbeing which is vital for developing transport policies and projects that address the needs of an ageing population.

Coupling characteristics of construction safety risk and complicated factors of metro station: a case study of Ningbo

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the coupling relationship and degree of complex factors corresponding to the metro station construction in the Ningbo region. To this end, the interpretative structural modeling (ISM) method, a structural interpretation model, is utilized to develop the coupling connection network of construction risk factors. Moreover, the cloud model theory and coupling degree model are used to calculate the risk factor coupling degree within and between the construction safety risk subsystems. The analysis indicates that the coupling degree of risk factors within and among subsystems is notably high, falling into categories characterized by high coupling and strong coupling. It is also found that the entire coupling system is in a state of high-strength coupling. Therefore, during the construction process, the coupling impact of risk factors must be avoided, and risk factors must be prevented from further developing into risk events. The quantitative evaluation of the coupling degree between and among risk factor subsystems in this study provides a reference for project risk evaluation and facilitates the development of subsequent construction safety measures.

Research on the Optimal Design of Retaining Piles of a Wide Metro Tunnel Foundation Pit Based on Deformation Control

Engineers pay more and more attention to the economic benefits of foundation pit engineering. At present, the optimal design of the foundation pit supporting structure mainly focuses on strength and functional design, and there is no mature theoretical design method for deformation control. In this paper, a method for calculating the overall deformation of a foundation pit supporting structure based on the principle of minimum potential energy is proposed. Based on this method, the optimal design of the foundation pit of Guangzhou Baiyun District Comprehensive Transportation Hub Metro Station is realized. The deformation calculation results and optimization design scheme are validated by finite element numerical simulation and field monitoring data. The results show that the proposed theoretical algorithm predicts the pile deformation curves better than the finite element method, suggesting the proposed theoretical method is reasonable and the optimization scheme of the retaining pile is feasible. In the optimized design, the deformation of the foundation pit retaining pile is controlled by its push-back effect. The proposed deformation calculation method can realize the overall deformation calculation of the foundation pit supporting structure.

Faster, taller, better: Transit improvements and land use policies

We study the interaction between transit improvements and land use policies. Bengaluru, one of India’s largest cities, inaugurated a metro system in 2011 but has extremely low building heights, even near metro stations. We build a rich dataset and a quantitative spatial model in which heterogeneous workers choose among different commuting modes. We find that the metro increases citywide output and welfare, even net of costs. However, the net gains are several times larger with transit-oriented development (TOD), i.e., when height limits are relaxed near stations. Moreover, TOD and the construction of the metro are complementary policies.

Exploring the service needs and the common-suited strengthening paths for bicycle-sharing services based on the AIA-NRM technique in consideration of various users

ABSTRACT Near metro stations in urban areas, a public bicycle rental service allows users to rent bicycles for leisure, short-distance connections, and daily commuting. This study aims to explore the driving factors of bicycle-sharing service systems (BSSSs) and different users’ preferences and service needs (leisure & recreation users, short-connection users, and daily commuting users). The four driving forces (primary services, primary facilities, ancillary services, and ancillary facilities) are applied to evaluate the BSSSs. The researcher used the attention and importance analysis (AIA) technique to assess service driving factors’ attention and importance status in the bicycle-sharing service systems (BSSSs). The DEMATEL technique was also employed to establish a network relation map (NRM) approach for different users. The researcher also combines the AIA and NRM techniques to provide the AIA-NRM technique for identifying common applicable paths and enhancement strategies for the BSSS. Furthermore, this study analyzes various institutions and BSSS service providers from multiple users’ perspectives, determines the development direction of BSSSs, evaluates related challenges, and finds sustainable strategies for strengthening BSSSs.