Public Transport Network Research Articles

Office Building Rental Prediction Model Based on Locational Determinants

The importance of locational determinants in determining rental rates in the office market has long been acknowledged and unquestionably become the significant factor for assessing the rental potential of various property types. Nevertheless, the rapid progressing research that discovers the effect of locational determinants on the rental, limited study that was deeply looked into the provision of location to the rental mainly in Malaysia cases. Thus, this study aims to develop a predictive model for office building rentals based on a comprehensive analysis of locational determinants. To achieve the aims of this study, the objectives was outline which are to identify the determinant factors of location and to analyse the significant determinant factors. Through the application of machine learning, this study captured the intricate connections between rentals and different location-related factors. By leveraging advanced algorithms which are decision trees, random forests, support vector machines and gradient boosted trees, the model can effectively handle diverse datasets, encompassing variables such as proximity to central business districts, access to public transport network, neighbourhood and amenities, and traffic condition. Through rigorous data collection and pre-processing, this study constructs a robust dataset comprising historical rental dataset collected in the city area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia acquired from Property Services Department (JPPH) were used to train and validate the predictive model via R-squared performance metrics. The results indicate that proximity to Central Business District (CBD) emerges as a significant determinant with the most contribution to the model’s prediction, with offices located in close proximity commanding higher rentals. This study provides valuable insights into the prediction of office building rentals based on locational determinants, offering a practical tool for stakeholders in the real estate industry.

The value of green infrastructure to property prices: Evidence from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Green infrastructure supports residential choice, provides sustainable transport and contributes to liveable neighbourhoods. This study investigates the value of green infrastructure, defined as built environment features (e.g., green spaces, beaches), facilities (e.g., fitness equipment in parks) and sustainable transport infrastructure (e.g., heavy rail, light rail and bus), to property prices in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia as a case study. The main difference of this study from previous ones is the evaluation scope is not limited or attached to a particular transport infrastructure project but instead considers a whole city. The impacts of green infrastructure are measured taking account of geographical differences across the city using a multi-level regression modelling approach to identify the implicit value of green infrastructure in residential property prices. The results suggest only those elements of green infrastructure that can provide a direct service to people (e.g., fitness equipment) are positively valued. Importantly from a sustainable transport perspective, the current public transport network and services have a negative impact on property price suggesting public transport might not be meeting property owners’ expectations. The paper discusses the implications of the model results for literature and policy on green infrastructure.

The relation between walkability in hot arid regions and the built environment: the case of Kuwait in the Arabian Gulf

ABSTRACT Walkability is a key indicator of urban quality, especially in hot arid regions where it is often discouraged by harsh climatic conditions and car-oriented development. This work examined the effect of built environment on walkability in hot arid regions, taking Kuwait as a case study. The number of minutes people spent walking had heavily declined over the past century. In Kuwait, the situation is even more prevalent due to the lack of efficiency of the public transport network. This had resulted in more than 90% of the trips being completed by private vehicles. Perceptions and preferences of pedestrians toward walkability were surveyed. Walkability in residential areas was assessed to understand the effect of built environment on walking activities. Results showed that Qusour area had the highest walkability index. Correlation results, assessed using SPSS, showed that car availability had an impact on going for walks.

Critical multi-link disruption identification for public transport networks: A multi-objective optimization framework

Critical multi-link disruption identification for public transport networks: A multi-objective optimization framework

맞벌이 부부의 통근시간과 통근수단 비교

In this study, we compare the commuting times and means of wives and husbands in dual-earner couples using the data from the Korean Time Use Survey in 2019. Frist, we find that commuting time is shorter for wives than for husbands, and more pronounced differences were revealed in couples with children. Second, the proportions of using the car is higher for husbands, suggesting that husbands have better mobility resources than wives. Third, regression results indicate that wives with their own or spouses’ income levels higher, or with preschool child and long working hours, have less commuting time. Our findings propose that the household responsibility hypothesis is still valid. This study suggests that it is necessary to consider the vehicle system for couples along with the establishment of a dense public transportation network. In order to guarantee high-quality employment opportunities for married women, households and childcare policies for dual-earner couples must precede above all else.

Optimizing public transport transfers by integrating timetable coordination and vehicle scheduling

Transfer optimization in public transport (PT) networks can be achieved through coordinated timetabling and vehicle scheduling. Traditionally, the coordinated timetabling problem is solved first before proceeding to the vehicle scheduling problem. The integration of these two problems can help further reduce the total operation cost and improve the level of service, especially when timetables of different PT lines are well-coordinated at transfer stations. This work addresses the integrated PT timetable coordination and vehicle scheduling problem while ensuring that each PT line is dispatched with an even headway. We first separately formulate two integer linear programming models for the timetable coordination and vehicle scheduling problems. Next, the two models are integrated into a bi-objective integer linear programming model for the integrated timetable coordination and vehicle scheduling problem. For small size PT networks, the model can be solved by using an ɛ-constraint method, together with off-the-shelfoptimization solvers. For large-size problems, two constraint-reduction procedures are developed to reduce the number of redundant constraints so as to reduce the computation complexity and improve the solution process. Finally, the models and solution method are applied to a numerical example and a real-world bus rapid transit (BRT) network in Chengdu, China. Computation results show that the solution generated by the sequential optimization approach is usually dominated by the Pareto-optimal solutions generated by the integrated optimization approach. Our findings suggest that it is not a wise decision to use the solution generated by the sequential optimization approach or the solution with the minimum fleet size generated by the integrated optimization approach. For practical implementation, it is recommended to choose the solution that has a fleet size of one more vehicle than the minimum fleet size.

How much is accessibility worth? Utility-based accessibility to evaluate transport policies

There is now a long tradition of accessibility research, with an increasingly rich set of frameworks and methods from a distributional perspective. Despite such a positive outlook, many accessibility metrics deployed in research and practice do not consider (dis)utility, which may resonate more clearly with mainstream transport decision-making and planning. This paper seeks to contribute to debates about using utility-based measures as inputs for accessibility assessment of transport infrastructure investments in the Global South using discrete choice modeling and its potential as a bridging language between socially nuanced and economics-driven transport planning practices. This paper uses mixed revealed preferences and stated preferences data collected in Bogotá, Colombia. Then, it uses a logsum accessibility metric to estimate the differentiated impact of a set of infrastructure interventions on the accessibility of residents with different income levels and other socioeconomic conditions. Particularly, the logsum accessibility metric analyses future and structural additions to Bogotá public transport networks, reflecting their effect on the accessibility and consumer surplus in the next 20 years. The proposed approach captures the benefits derived from the transport infrastructure improvements, which has relevance for debates about transport policy and practice in this and similar urban contexts in the Global South. These accessibility gains could be assigned a monetary value to include in project cost-benefit assessments.

Vulnerability Analysis of Bus Network Based on Land-Use Type of Bus Stops: The Case of Xi’an, China

The urban public transport network is closely related to urban construction and is susceptible to external influences, especially the bus network (BN). The measurement of the changes in the performance of BN under disruptions plays an important role in the development of bus systems. This paper takes the land-use type around each bus stop to modify the standard coverage range and then combines the attractive service area of the stop and the passenger flow as the opportunity coefficient to propose an improved accessibility model. Finally, the vulnerability of the BN based on the improved accessibility model in different time periods under four disruptions is analyzed. Taking BN in the central area of Xi’an as a case study, the results show that the BN is less vulnerable when stops are associated with high land-use type attractiveness, and regions with a single land-use type have high vulnerability levels. In addition, the land-use disruption causes larger-scale network vulnerability than topological disruptions. An interesting result, opposed to common sense, is found in stops within the top 10% of topological disruption failure probabilities, i.e., the BN is the most vulnerable during the off-peak night period. This study supplements the coordinated development of public transport and land use in future planning.

A data fusion approach with mobile phone data for updating travel survey-based mode split estimates

Up-to-date information on different modes of travel to monitor transport traffic and evaluate rapid urban transport planning interventions is often lacking. Transport systems typically rely on traditional data sources providing outdated mode-of-travel data due to their data latency, infrequent data collection and high cost. To address this issue, we propose a method that leverages mobile phone data as a cost-effective and rich source of geospatial information to capture current human mobility patterns at unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. Our approach employs mobile phone application usage traces to infer modes of transportation that are challenging to identify (bikes and ride-hailing/taxi services) based on mobile phone location data. Using data fusion and matrix factorisation techniques, we integrate official data sources (household surveys and census data) with mobile phone application usage data. This integration enables us to reconstruct the official data and create an updated dataset that incorporates insights from digital footprint data from application usage. We illustrate our method using a case study focused on Santiago, Chile successfully inferring four modes of transportation: mass-transit (all public transportation), motorised (cars and similar vehicles), active (pedestrian and cycle trips), and taxi (traditional taxi and ride-hailing services). Our analysis revealed significant changes in transportation patterns between 2012 and 2020. We quantify a reduction in mass-transit usage across municipalities in Santiago, except where metro/rail lines have been more recently introduced, highlighting added resilience to the public transport network of these infrastructure enhancements. Additionally, we evidence an overall increase in motorised transport throughout Santiago, revealing persistent challenges in promoting urban sustainable transportation. Findings also point to a rise in the share of taxi usage, and a drop in active mobility, suggesting a modal shift towards less sustainable modes of travel. We validate our findings comparing our updated estimates with official smart card transaction data. The consistency of findings with expert domain knowledge from the literature and historical transport usage trends further support the robustness of our approach.

A GIS Approach to Measuring Public Transport Travel Delay on Higher Order Roads in the City of Cape Town

Abstract. On a daily basis, hundreds of thousands of people in the City of Cape Town rely on road-based public transport as a means of commuting. A major factor that influences the passengers’ experience is the travel time to reach a desired destination. Due to various physical and operational factors, some sections of the road network experience high congestion and travel time delays during the morning and afternoon peak periods. Quantifying these delays, and the number of road-based public transport passengers exposed to the delay along a specific road section during a peak period allows informed decision-making and prioritisation. GIS and spatial data analysis are powerful tools to determine where and when such delays occur. Various spatial data sets exist that were jointly analysed to quantify the delay and the passenger volumes exposed to the delay on the city’s public transport network.

An Efficient Data Structure Providing Maps of the Frequency of Public Transit Service Within User-Specified Time Windows

Abstract. To understand the quality of a public transportation network, map-based visualizations are the first choice. Since the network quality depends on the transportation schedule, the visualization interface should incorporate time. In this work, we provide such an interface where users can filter the data for time windows. When a user queries for a certain time window, we display all network segments that are traversed by at least θ means of public transportation, e.g., buses in the time window on the map. This gives insights into the frequency of the public transit service.Since such transportation networks can contain a high number of network segments, testing each network segment at the moment when the user specifies the time-window query is not fast enough. We investigate an approach to provide the query result in real time. Our contribution is a data structure that answers such arbitrary time-window queries from the user interface. The data structure is based on a tree structure which is augmented with further information. To evaluate our data structure, we perform experiments on real-world data. With our data structure, we answer time-window queries in at most 25 milliseconds whereas testing each network segment on-demand takes at least 60 milliseconds for the data set that has 102599 road segments.

Resilience Analysis of Traffic Network under Emergencies: A Case Study of Bus Transit Network

With the continuous development of public transportation, the impact of unexpected events on the operation of bus networks has become increasingly severe due to the growing demand for public transportation and passenger volume. To accurately assess the impact of unexpected events on the operation of bus networks and scientifically evaluate their resilience, this paper proposes a framework for analyzing the resilience of bus networks. With the aim of providing scientific evidence to enhance the reliability of public transportation networks, this framework can be used to determine the resilience of bus networks to unexpected events. The main contributions of this framework include three aspects: 1. Construction of the CRITIC–entropy weighting model for screening and calculating key indicators of the resilience of the bus network; 2. Use of resilience cycle theory to construct a model for analyzing the resilience of bus routes, and design a set of resilience quantification factors to calculate the resilience of bus routes; 3. Use of complex network theory to construct a model for analyzing the resilience of the bus network, by taking the bus route resilience obtained in the second step as the edge weight to calculate the resilience of the bus network. This paper takes the Beijing public transit system as an example and uses real data to verify the accuracy, scientificity, and feasibility of the proposed framework for analyzing the resilience of public transit networks to sudden events. The resilience analysis framework constructed in this paper has improved the existing research on transportation network resilience in theoretical aspects. Furthermore, the results outputted by this framework can provide a decision-making basis for network adjustment and disaster recovery for the management departments of public transportation networks in practical applications.

Urban planning approaches in the master plans of 1972 and 2004 for Ekaterinburg

From the very first day, the construction of the mill/fortress/town of Ekaterinburg proceeded according to a pre-developed plan. Over its 300-year history, the city of Ekaterinburg (formerly Sverdlovsk) has seen more than 20 schemes and city plans. From the 18th to the 21st century, Ekaterinburg developed as an industrial city. With the adoption of the 2004 Master Plan, the city is writing its history as a megapolis and post-industrial industrial center. The article compares the master plans of Sverdlovsk (1972) and Ekaterinburg (2004) and shows continuity, traditions and innovative ideas in the development of the city. The master plans have similar features, such as compactness along with its increasing area, planned population growth, growing housing construction, expanding street and public transport network, and reconstruction of existing highways and roads, foundation of new districts, relocation of hazardous enterprises from residential areas, development of a sustainable water and landscaping framework – all these present a continuing tradition of these plans. The master plans are different in the rationales that underlie the development and functions of the city, as well as in its configuration, merger with satellite towns, and growth into an urban agglomeration.

Transferable supervised learning model for public transport service load estimation

AbstractDetailed knowledge of service utilisation and passenger load profiles is the basis for the design, operation, and adjustment of a public transport service. The advancement in sensing technologies enable transit operators to monitor the variabilities in passenger flows continuously and consistently. There is a growing body of literature on using supervised learning models with direct passenger counts from historical observations. However, the incomplete, inaccurate, and biased data from automatic sensors pose challenges in this process. This paper proposes novel supervised learning models to estimate the onboard load profile of public transport services based on two main data sources: (1) limited data collected on a subset of service vehicles by automatic passenger counting (APC) systems, and (2) fare data collected by automatic fare collection (AFC) systems. The specific consideration is given to the fact that the developed models can be transferred across different routes. This is motivated by the commonly “limited coverage” of automated passenger counter devices on service vehicles. We introduce an array of new models, including a superior segment-based model, which demonstrates remarkable improvement in model transferability and accuracy. The proposed methodology utilises separate methods in different segments of a transit line. The proposed models were applied to three tram lines in Melbourne, Australia, where various types of shortcomings exist in the automated data. The test results demonstrate that the proposed models can be transferred and applied to other transit route without relying on historical observations. This would enable transit operators to reduce the number of required devices and monitor service utilisation in a more cost-efficiently manner, particularly in public transport networks where AFC coverage is usually incomplete and negatively skewed. The information on service utilisation will not only help operators to accommodate the variability in passenger demand but also assist passengers in journey planning to avoid overcrowding on services.

Estimation of flow trajectories in a multi-lines transportation network

Characterizing a public transportation network, such as an urban network with multiple lines, requires the origin–destination trip counts during a given period. Yet, if automatic counting makes the embarkment (boarding) and disembarkment (alighting) counts in vehicles known, it often happens that pedestrian transfers between lines are harder to track, and require costly and invasive devices (e.g., facial recognition system) to be estimated. In this contribution, we propose a method, based on maximum entropy and involving an iterative fitting procedure, which estimates the passenger flow between origins and destinations solely based on embarkment and disembarkment counts. Moreover, this method is flexible enough to provide an adaptable framework in case additional data is known, such as attraction poles between certain nodes in the network, or percentages of transferring passengers between some lines. This method is tested on toy examples, as well as with the data of the public transportation network of the city of Lausanne provided by its Transportation Agency (tl), and gives arguably convincing estimations of the transportation flow.

Microsimulation Modelling and Scenario Analysis of a Congested Abu Dhabi Highway

Today’s roadways are subject to traffic congestion, the deterioration of surface-assets (often due to the overreliance on private vehicle traffic), increasing vehicle-operation and fuel costs, and pollutant emissions. In Abu Dhabi, private car traffic forms the major share on urban highways, as the infrastructure was built to a high quality and the public transport network needs expansion, resulting in traffic congestion on major highways. These issues are arguably addressable by appropriate decisions at the planning stage. Microsimulation modeling of driving behavior in Abu Dhabi is presented for empirical assessment of traffic management scenarios. This paper presents a technique for developing, calibrating, validating, and the scenario analysis of a detailed VISSIM-based microsimulation model of a 3.5 km section of a 5-lane divided highway in Abu Dhabi. Traffic-count data collected from two sources, i.e., the local transport department (year 2007) and municipality (2007 and 2015–2016) were used. Gaps in traffic-counts between ramps and the highway mainline were noted, which is a common occurrence in real-world data situations. A composite dataset for a representative week in 2015 was constructed, and the model was calibrated and validated with a 15% (<100 vehicles per hour) margin of error. Scenario analysis of a potential public bus transport service operating at 15 min headway and 40% capacity was assessed against the base case, for a 2015–2020 projected period. The results showed a significant capacity enhancement and improvement in the traffic flow. A reduction in the variation between vehicle travel times was observed for the bus-based scenario, as less bottlenecking and congestion were noted for automobiles in the mainline segments. The developed model could be used for further scenario analyses, to find optimized traffic management strategies over the highway’s lifecycle, whereas it could also be used for similar evaluations of other major roads in Abu Dhabi post-calibration.

ПОВЫШЕНИЕ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ РАБОТЫ ГОРОДСКОЙ СЕТИ ПОСРЕДСТВОМ ПРИМЕНЕНИЯ МОДЕЛИ МНОГОКРИТЕРИАЛЬНОЙ ОЦЕНКИ ОБЩЕСТВЕННОГО ТРАНСПОРТА

Public urban public transport plays an important role in the implementation of sustainable urban development programs. Performance analysis has become an important element in the road transport industry as part of the economic development of the region, covering time, costs, quality of transport services provided, user satisfaction and financial results. Evaluation metrics and monitoring help ensure proper resource management and cost control. In this context, methods for measuring the effectiveness of the public transport network through multi-criteria assessment are considered

Choice and equity: A critical analysis of multi-modal public transport services

Equity and justice have long been central in transport policy. The emphasise on the importance of individuals' access to social and economic opportunities stresses the link between accessibility and concepts like agency and freedom of choice. It calls for a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of accessibility that considers specific contextual factors that limit people's transport choices, such as the design of public transport networks and services, government interventions, and competition between public transport companies. To promote people's potential mobility and freedom of choice, it is crucial to initially assess the spatial distribution of transport options. In this article, we synthesise the findings from existing scholarship on transport choice, reinforcing the need for (re)considering choice in transport equity. We propose a metric to evaluate the availability of transport choices by considering the trade-off between time and money. By analysing household survey responses on transport choices and transit service datasets, we investigate the spatial disparities in the availability of transport choices within a multimodal public transportation system in Hong Kong and explore how adjusting unappealing choices can potentially enhance transport equity.

The influence of the introduction of public transportation lanes in the municipality of Bucharest

Abstract The city of Bucharest together with Ilfov county form an urban agglomeration with over 2.2 million inhabitants. Currently, due to exceeding the traffic capacity of the capital’s ring road, the only possibility to travel North - South or East - West is through the city centre. The public transport network in the city of Bucharest lacks lanes dedicated to public transport, the lack of an extensive network of adaptive traffic lights and traffic lights that give priority to public transport. Also, the high degree of vehicle loading of the street network leads to a low level of service both in the morning peak hour and in the afternoon rush hour, leading to low transport speeds of surface public transport. In this article, the possibilities of introducing dedicated public transport lanes in the city of Bucharest are identified, quantifying the reduction in travel times. In addition, some technical solutions regarding the necessary infrastructure for the introduction of lanes dedicated to public transport vehicles and possible traffic regulation measures are presented.

Update of the interstate standard “Reinforced concrete slabs for tramway track pavements”

Introduction. Development of urban public transport networks in Russian cities involves modernization and improvement of rail transport to increase its traveling comfort, carrying capacity and reliability. Tram transport is environmentally friendly and has a high passenger capacity. The combination as well as the intersection of rail and pneumatic transport in the urban environment is considered to be an urgent issue. In this regard, State Standard 19231 “Reinforced concrete slabs for tramway track pavements. Specifications” is needed to be revised and updated due to changes in the requirements for concrete and emergence of new classes of steel reinforcement.Aim. To update State Standard 19231 in order to bring products for tram infrastructure to the proper regulatory and technological parameters in compliance with current requirements.Materials and methods. The present study involves an analysis of existing regulatory documents in the field of reinforced concrete materials and products, as well as a bibliographical research of works and expert opinions.Results. Updating the standard resulted in the establishment of specifications that meet the current demand, both in terms of regulations and scientific research.Conclusions. The updated interstate State Standard 19231 will contribute to a higher quality design and production of reinforced concrete slabs for tramway pavements, which will surely enhance their reliability and durability.