Reduce Travel Distance Research Articles

Designing Floor Tile Warehouse Layout Using Heuristic Approach Method to Increase Warehouse Capacity and Reduce Travel Distance

XYZ Company is distributor that focused on distributes floor and wall tiles ceramic. XYZ Company has its own warehouse for storing finished good with Last In First Out (LIFO) rotation. XYZ Company’s warehouse has area of 12,312 m2 with floor stack system. The issued that currently raised is warehouse condition that is overcapacity so several SKUs are stored out of the block even placed outside the warehouse. The impact of overcapacity are accessibility problem, storage and retrieval activities are hampered, and damaged product. In addition, the allocation of higher throughput items were not placed near to the input/output point so the material handling went through long travel to do its activities and it caused higher total travel distance. This research focuses on determining the warehouse layout to increase warehouse storage capacity and reduce travel distance. The procedure to solve the issue will be done by redesign warehouse layout with heuristic approach method. The objective are a combination of lanes depths and storage zones to increase the warehouse storage capacity by considering throughput of each SKU. The next step is allocate the items so it can reduces the monthly travel distance. Based on proposed design layout, obtained the warehouse capacity increase by 35.53% or as much as 5,319 pallet positions and monthly travel distance is decreased by 24.58% or 216,032 meters.

Call to reduce travel distance for mental health inpatients

Government urged by the BMA to ‘get a handle’ on situation

Combining pickups and deliveries in vehicle routing – An assessment of carbon emission effects

This paper studies the effect on carbon emissions of consolidation of shipments on trucks. New positioning and communication technologies, as well as decision support systems for vehicle routing, enable better utilization of vehicle capacity, reduced travel distance, and thereby carbon emission reductions. We present a novel carbon emission analysis method that determines the emission savings obtained by an individual transport provider, who receives customer orders for outbound deliveries as well as pickup orders from supply locations. The transport provider can improve vehicle utilization by performing pickups and deliveries jointly instead of using separate trucks. In our model we assume that the transport provider minimizes costs by use of a tool that calculates detailed vehicle routing plans, i.e., an assignment of each transport order to a specific vehicle in the fleet, and the sequence of customer visit for each vehicle. We compare a basic set-up, in which pickups and deliveries are segregated and performed with separate vehicles, with two consolidation set-ups where pickups and deliveries may be mixed more or less freely on a single vehicle. By allowing mixing, the average vehicle load will increase and the total driven distance will decrease. To compare carbon emissions for the three set-ups, we use a carbon assessment method that uses the distance driven and the average load factor. An increase in the load factor can reduce part of the emission savings from consolidation. We find that emission savings are relatively large in case of small vehicles and for delivery and pickup locations that are relatively far from the depot. However, if a truck visits many demand and supply locations before returning to the depot, we observe negligible carbon emission decreases or even emission increases for consolidation set-ups, meaning that in such cases investing in consolidation through joint pickups and deliveries may not be effective. The results of our study will be useful for transport users and providers, policymakers, as well as vehicle routing technology vendors.

Modelling Land Use and Transport Policies to Measure Their Contribution to Urban Challenges: The Case of Madrid

Urban areas play a key role in the development of European territories, and it is essential for them to be sustainable and efficient. However, the European cities are facing some challenges related to certain trends that are threatening their sustainable development and operational efficiency. In this paper, we compare the contribution of three policy measures—cordon toll accompanied by public transport improvements, teleworking and re-densification—to address different city challenges. The policy assessment requires a long term simulation tool, i.e., the MARS (Metropolitan Activity Relocation Simulator) model, which is able to consider interactions between land use and transport systems. The simulations of the different policy scenarios were carried out for the case of Madrid in the period 2012–2031. The contribution of the policy measures to address the city challenges was measured through different indicators. The results indicated that the three policy measures contributed to the time efficiency challenge, by saving time for the commute, reducing congestion and improving the traffic flows at peak hours. The most effective policy in this regard is the teleworking measure. Another challenge addressed by the three policies was the accessibility to PT. The three policy scenarios, when simulated, showed higher PT use, especially the cordon toll scenario. However, the only policy that really contributed to the energy, emissions and pollution city challenges was the re-densification measure, which reduced travel distances and encouraged a mobility that relies more on PT and slow modes.

Travel Distance to Cancer Treatment Facilities in the Deep South

Despite ongoing efforts to improve rural healthcare, the health problems facing rural communities persist. The lack of healthcare providers and infrastructure in rural areas has been linked to a number of negative consequences. Among the elderly rural population, the lack of proximal access presents greater barriers because many elderly people are further limited in their ability to travel and pay for services. In the Deep South specifically, rural residents experience limited access to care and overall poor health outcomes. With cancer in particular, the Deep South has been dubbed the "cancer belt," faring far worse in prevalence and mortality rates than other areas of the country. The present study examines the average travel distance for rural elderly patients residing in the Deep South who are receiving treatment for prostate, breast, or colorectal cancer. We analyzed Medicare claims data of beneficiaries residing in the five Deep South states who had received a primary diagnosis of prostate, breast, or colorectal cancer, with a service date ranging from January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2014. The findings reveal that rural Medicare beneficiaries in the Deep South travel significantly greater distances than do their urban counterparts. In addition, travel distances to prostate cancer treatment facilities are significantly greater than those to breast or colorectal cancer treatment facilities. With cancer incidence predicted to increase, the need to reduce travel distances to treatment is vital in efforts to curb the mortality rate in the Deep South.

Freestanding Emergency Departments Are Associated With Higher Medicare Costs: A Longitudinal Panel Data Analysis.

The number of freestanding emergency departments (FSEDs) is growing rapidly in the United States. Proponents of FSEDs cite potential benefits of FSEDs including lower waiting time and reduced travel distance for needed emergency care. Others have suggested that increased access to emergency care may lead to an increase in the use of emergency departments for lower acuity patients, resulting in higher overall health care expenditures. We examined the relationship between the number of FSEDs in each county and total Medicare expenditures between 2003 and 2009. Our results show that each additional FSED in a county is associated with an expenditure increase of $55 per Medicare beneficiary. This finding suggests that even if FSEDs may increase access to emergency care, it may result in higher overall Medicare expenditures.

From sedentary to active school commute: Multi-level factors associated with travel mode shifts.

Previous research has examined personal, social, and environmental correlates of active commuting to school, but most were cross-sectional and mode choice studies. This exploratory case study utilized a retrospective natural experiment opportunity, where a group of students transferred to a new school, and therefore experienced changes in their home-to-school travel environments. It examined whether such changes led to mode shifts from sedentary (car or school bus) to active (walking and bicycling) and what factors were associated with those shifts. Retrospective parental survey data (n=165, response rate=46%) were collected in 2011 from a new elementary school that opened in 2010 in Austin, Texas. The survey asked about the child's school travel mode and parental perceptions of home-to-school travel environments before and after the transfer, as well as personal and social factors. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to predict the odds of shifting from sedentary to active modes, using personal, social, and physical environmental variables. Sixty-eight (41.2%) respondents reported a sedentary-to-active mode shift for school commuting. Such shifts were associated with changes in school travel environments (e.g., shorter travel distance, improved safety, and decreased availability of bike lanes/paths) and relevant programs/services (e.g., increase in walking-promotion programs, and decrease in school bus service due to shortened distances). Targeting the current sedentary mode users is important to bring health benefits through increased physical activity and environmental benefits from reduced automobile use. Sedentary-to-active mode shifts may be encouraged by providing walking-promotion programs and by reducing travel distances and safety threats en route to school.

Built environmental impacts on commuting mode choice and distance: Evidence from Shanghai

The impacts of the built environment characteristics in residential neighborhoods on commuting behavior are explored in the literature. Scant evidence, however, is provided to scrutinize the role of the built environment characteristics at job locations. Studies also overlooked the potential error correlations between commuting mode and commuting distance due to the unobserved factors that influence both variables. We examined the impacts of the built environment characteristics at both residential and job locations on commuting mode and distance, by applying a discrete-continuous copula-based model on 857 workers in Shanghai. In contrast with studies of Western countries, we showed residential built environment characteristics are more influential on commute behavior than the built environment characteristics at job locations. This suggests the importance of local specificity in policymaking process. We also found the proportion of four-way intersections, road density, and population density in residential areas are negatively associated with driving probability, with elasticity amounts of −1.00, −0.23, and −0.08, respectively. Hence, dense and pedestrian- and cyclist-oriented development help to reduce travel distance and encourage walking, biking, and transit modes of travel.

Use of Mobile Devices, Social Media, and Crowdsourcing as Digital Strategies to Improve Emergency Cardiovascular Care: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and stroke affect millions of people in the United States annually.1 Despite significant advances in medical treatments for these conditions, they remain a major public health problem and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.1 A critical common element in optimizing care and outcomes for these conditions is the timely recognition of symptoms and initiation of treatment. For example, rapid initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is associated with improved survival from cardiac arrest.2 Similarly, early recognition and presentation after onset of symptoms of AMI and ischemic stroke enable implementation of critical therapies such as primary angioplasty and thrombolysis, which are known to improve outcomes.1 Indeed, the “Chain of Survival” for emergency cardiovascular and cerebrovascular care (ECCC) starts with prompt identification of the condition and early activation of the healthcare system to rapidly initiate care.3 Unfortunately, despite national efforts that include public education initiatives and clinical practice guideline recommendations from entities such as the American Heart Association (AHA), major gaps remain in the timely identification of symptoms and initiation of ECCC.4–6 As one example, studies of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) have consistently noted delays in the initiation of bystander CPR.7 For AMI, there have been advances in the provision of timely primary angioplasty for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), as reflected by significant improvements in door-to-balloon times.8 However, the time from patient symptom onset to seeking care for possible myocardial infarction has not improved significantly.9,10 Similarly, for stroke, there continue to be advances in door-to-needle times, but stroke symptom recognition and seeking of treatment by patients and their families remain a major barrier to timely stroke care.11–16 Public and clinician education efforts alone are not sufficient to reduce gaps …

Facility distance and child mortality: a multi-country study of health facility access, service utilization, and child health outcomes.

Access to health facilities remains limited in many resource-poor settings, and women and their children often have to travel far to seek care. However, data on distance are scarce, and it is unclear whether distance is associated with worse child health outcomes. We estimate the relationships between distance to facility, service utilization and child mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Population-representative data are pooled from 29 demographic and health surveys across 21 low- and middle-income countries. Multivariable logistic models and meta-analysis regressions are used to estimate associations between facility distance, child mortality, and health care utilization in the pooled sample as well as for each survey. Compared with children who live within 1 km of a facility, children living within 2 km, 3 km, and 5 km of a facility have a 7.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.927 - 1.251], 16.3% (95% CI: 1.020 - 1.327) and 25% (95% CI: 1.087 - 1.439) higher odds of neonatal mortality, respectively; children living farther than 10 km have a 26.6% (95% CI: 1.108 - 1.445) higher odds of neonatal mortality. Women living farther than 10 km from a facility have a 55.3% lower odds of in-facility delivery compared with women who live within 1 km [odds ratio (OR): 0.447; 95% CI: 0.394 - 0.508]. Even relatively small distances from health facilities are associated with substantial mortality penalties for children. Policies that reduce travel distances and travel times are likely to increase utilization of health services and reduce neonatal mortality.

Is a reduction in distance to nearest supermarket associated with BMI change among type 2 diabetes patients?

We examined whether residing within 2 miles of a new supermarket opening was longitudinally associated with a change in body mass index (BMI). We identified 12 new supermarkets that opened between 2009 and 2010 in 8 neighborhoods. Using the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Diabetes Registry, we identified members with type 2 diabetes residing continuously in any of these neighborhoods 12 months prior to the first supermarket opening until 10 months following the opening of the last supermarket. Exposure was defined as a reduction (yes/no) in travel distance to the nearest supermarket as a result of a new supermarket opening. First difference regression models were used to estimate the impact of reduced supermarket distance on BMI, adjusting for longitudinal changes in patient and neighborhood characteristics. Among patients in the exposed group, new supermarket openings reduced travel distance to the nearest supermarket by 0.7 miles on average. However, reduced distance to nearest supermarket was not associated with BMI changes. Overall, we found no evidence that reduced supermarket distance was associated with reduced levels of obesity for residents with type 2 diabetes.

Comparison of the transport and deposition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

AbstractLaboratory‐scale columns were employed to study the effect of oxygen and ionic strength on the transport of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 in porous media. In anaerobic experiments, cells were grown and transport experiments were conducted in a well‐controlled anaerobic chamber. Cell surface electrokinetic potentials were measured and surface elemental composition was analyzed using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Transport experimental results showed reduced travel distance of PAO1 with increased ionic strength under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, consistent with calculated Derjaguin‐Landau‐Verwey‐Overbeek (DLVO) theory. The deposition rates of PAO1 were significantly higher in aerobic than in anaerobic condition at higher ionic strength (10 and 100 mM), although the electrokinetic potentials were similar throughout the tested ionic strength (1, 10, and 100 mM). No difference in PAO1 deposition rate was observed at 1 mM. XPS analysis showed that variation in cell surface composition due to different growth conditions played a primary role in determining the different deposition behaviors.

Correlated Storage Assignment Strategy to reduce Travel Distance in Order Picking∗∗Zhang thanks the financial support of the china scholarship council (CSC).

Abstract Diverse solutions of a correlated storage assignment strategy (CSAS) are developed in this paper to reduce the travel distance in the picker-to-parts order picking system in a single-block warehouse. The correlation among stock keeping units (SKUs) is considered for the storage location assignment. Because the correlation can be used in both the item clustering and the improvement of the results of other storage assignment strategies, a methodology, which includes a pre-process and two branching processes, is firstly proposed to develop algorithms of the CSAS. For the clustering-based CSAS, the sum-seed and the static-seed clustering algorithms are presented to find the itemsets, and four algorithms of sequencing itemsets and single SKUs are developed. For the improvement-based CSAS, the insertion algorithm searches the solution iteratively. In the experiment, the average travel distance per picking is used to measure the improvement of the CSAS. Compared with the full-turnover storage, the CSAS reduces maximal 2.08% of the average travel distance per picking.

A structural equation model based analysis of non-workers’ activity-travel behaviour from a city of a developing country

This paper presents an empirical analysis of non-workers’ activity-travel behaviour from Bangalore city, India. The paper builds a causal model—to describe the relationships among socio-demographics, activity-participation, and travel behaviour of non-workers—following structural equation modelling methodology. The results indicate that in-home maintenance activity-duration drives the time allocation decisions of non-workers. The model also shows the presence of ‘time-budget’ effects i.e., excess travel time cuts into in-hhome discretionary activity duration, implying the trade-off between daily travel time and in-home discretionary activity duration. The out-of-home activity durations of non-workers are found to be insensitive to travel time—an important finding of this research. The model also suggests that mixed residential development reduce travel distance and indirectly contribute to more trips. An indirect effect of mixed residential development on daily travel distance offsets the direct effect, which leads to a limited total effect of this variable on travel distance. The basic model was expanded further by separating the time spent on others’ activity (children and elders) from in-home maintenance activity duration. The stable model reveals that the time spent on others’ activity also influences in-home and out-of-home activities, and travel behaviour. This indicates that the time spent on others’ activity is an important time allocation of its own.

Life cycle assessment of carbon dioxide for different arboricultural practices in Los Angeles, CA

Although the arboriculture industry plants and maintains trees that remove CO2 from the atmosphere, it uses heavy-duty equipment and vehicles that release more CO2 per year than other similar-sized industries in the service sector. This study used lifecycle assessment to compare CO2 emissions associated with different decisions by arborists to the amount of CO2 sequestered over 50 years for California sycamore (Platanus racemosa) planted in Los Angeles, CA. Scenarios examined effects of equipment and vehicle choices, different operational efficiencies, amounts of irrigation water applied and the fate of wood residue from pruning and tree removal. For the Highest Emission Case, total emissions (9.002t) exceeded CO2 stored (−7.798t), resulting in net emissions of 1.204t. The Lowest Emission Case resulted in net removal of −3.768t CO2 over the 50-year period. Tree selection and irrigation water management were key leverage points in Los Angeles. Converting residue from the removed tree to wood products resulted in substantially lower net CO2 emissions than did converting it into bioenergy or mulch. Although emissions from vehicles and equipment accounted for less than 6% of the CO2 stored in the tree, substantial reductions are achievable. Arborists can reduce CO2 emissions threefold by converting from high- to low-emitting equipment and vehicles. By reducing travel distances and equipment run-times, twofold emission reductions are possible. Reducing the amount of aboveground biomass pruned from 20% to 10% every five years lowered pruning emissions fivefold.

本船荷役のパターン区分を考慮したヤードトレーラー動的運用の効果

The authors of this article have already considered the yard trailer scheduling problem at the marine container terminal. Since the conventional operation for yard trailers is, multiple trailers are assigned to a specific quay crane, and the shuttle service between the quay crane and yard area. The authors then have tried to develop the model for the yard trailer routing as “dynamic operation”, in order to reduce the empty movement. In this study, extra numerical experiments are conducted, in order to find the effects under combination of ship loading and unloading operations. From the computational results, the dynamic operation reduces travel distance about 10 to 20 % of the conventional one.

Crop Management Effects on the Energy and Carbon Balances of Maize Stover-Based Ethanol Production

This study was conducted to identify the crop management options—the combinations of various cultivars, irrigation amounts, planting dates, and soils—that would maximize the energy sustainability and eco-friendliness of maize (Zea mays L.) stover-based ethanol production systems in the Mississippi Delta. Stover yields simulated with CERES-Maize were used to compute net energy value (NEV) and carbon credit balance (CCB), the indicators of sustainability and eco-friendliness of ethanol production, respectively, for various scenarios. As the results showed, deeper soils with higher water holding capacities had larger NEV and CCB values. Both NEV and CCB had sigmoid relationships with irrigation amount and planting date and could be maximized by planting the crop during the optimum planting window. Stover yield had positive effects on NEV and CCB, whereas travel distance had negative. The influence of stover yield was larger than that of travel distance, indicating that increasing feedstock yields should be emphasized over reducing travel distance. The NEV and CCB values indicated that stover-based ethanol production in the Mississippi Delta is sustainable and environmentally friendly. The study demonstrated that the energy sustainability and eco-friendliness of maize stover-based ethanol production could be increased with alternative crop management options.

An exact algorithm for the multi-trip vehicle routing and scheduling problem of pickup and delivery of customers to the airport

Door-to-Door service of Pickup and Delivery of Customers to the Airport (D2PDCA) is a new service provided by certain Airline Ticket Sales Agencies (ATSAs) in China. This new service provides an attractive alternative way by picking up customer at this/her specified position and at any time he/she preferred and delivering to the airport more conveniently than airport shuttle and thus earn high customer service quality. Compared with the single-trip mode, the multi-trip mode of D2PDCA (MTM-D2PDCA) service can reduce travel distances, the number of vehicles required and the operating cost. To obtain the exact solution of the MTM-D2PDCA problem, we propose a novel, exact algorithm based on the trip-chain-oriented set-partitioning (TCO-SP) model, where a trip-chain represents multiple trips made by a specific vehicle. In the exact algorithm, we propose an improved label-correcting method to remove infeasible trip-chains quickly and thus speed the search process. Based on the feasible trip-chains, the MTM-D2PDCA problem is formulated as the novel TCO-SP model, which can be solved exactly by the optimization software CPLEX. In addition, we present several mathematical insights into the relationship between the number of trip-chains and the number of local optimal trips that are applicable in both theory and practice. Extensive experiments are conducted to illustrate the application of the model and demonstrate the cost savings of the MTM-D2PDCA mode over the single-trip mode and provide managerial insights into successfully operating a MTM-D2PDCA service.

Improving HIV Treatment Adherence through a Public Private Partnership in Zambia

Background: Effective ART with low viral loads and absence of STIs significantly reduce chances of sexual transmission of HIV. ART is therefore a key pillar in HIV prevention. Appropriate support is however essential for optimum treatment outcome, patient safety and HIV prevention benefit. The scale-up of ART continues to strain the already overstretched human resources in public facilities, impacts on the quality of care, and contributes to loss to follow-up. Task shifting is therefore a strategy to augment the limited human resources. Methodology: In partnership with the Livingstone General Hospital (LGH) and four private pharmacists, the COH III Project through Howard University is promoting quality HIV care by engaging the pharmacists in adherence counselling and treatment monitoring. The LGH ART pharmacist allocates consenting stable ART clients to pharmacies based on willingness to be referred and patient preference. Patients are given schedule of visits to pharmacies where the pharmacists provide medication/adherence counselling and monitor side effects. Patients with medication/treatment issues are referred back to the LGH ART clinic for follow-up. Results: Between October 2012 and August 2013, 280 patients were enrolled and followed up by the four pharmacists. 69% of patients visited the pharmacy at least once, 25% at least twice and 13% at least thrice. The 33 client referrals by pharmacists to LGH were related to adverse drug reactions, suspected treatment failure, pregnancy, and treatment monitoring. The intervention has reduced workload for the ART pharmacist; improved communication of treatment challenges and identification of patients with medication related problems, and reduced travel distances and waiting times. This has resulted in improved adherence and better patient outcomes. Conclusion: Private pharmacists present an opportunity to improve quality of HIV interventions in poor human resource capacity settings. The necessary legal and regulatory framework needs to however be developed to guide the process.

The Impact Of The Establishment Of a Hematology Telemedicine Consult Service In a Referral Center On Patients' Travel Distance, Travel Cost and Satisfaction Scores

IntroductionTravel cost and travel distance can decrease access to care. Telemedicine services can reduce patient travel distance and cost in subspecialty consult services. The impact of telemedicine services on travel distance and travel cost in hematology consult services has not been widely studied. We analyzed the impact of a hematology telemedicine consult service in the Michael E. Debakey VA Medical center (MEDVAMC) in Houston, Texas. The MEDVAMC provides subspecialty consult services for Community-based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC). Our hypothesis in this study was that the establishment of a hematology telemedicine clinic would reduce travel distance for the patient and travel pay made by the MEDVAMC for this specialty with high level of satisfaction among veterans. MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study of veterans enrolled in the hematology telemedicine clinic at the MEDVAMC from September, 2011 to June, 2013. Any veteran referred to or established in the hematology clinic was eligible to be enrolled in the telemedicine service if they lived closer to a CBOC than to the MEDVAMC. The telemedicine encounter included meeting with a hematologist, a social worker and/or nutritionist. Patients went to their assigned community clinic to connect with the hematology telemedicine service. Data on demographics and diagnosis (benign or malignant hematology condition) were collected. Outcome variables included travel distance, estimated travel cost and patient satisfaction scores with the telemedicine service. Cost of travel was defined as the estimated amount that the MEDVAMC reimburses eligible patients for their travel costs. ResultsThe hematology telemedicine clinic enrolled 255 veterans during the study period. Among these patients, 195 (76%) had benign hematology conditions and 60 (24%) had malignant hematology conditions. 237 (93%) of patients were male, and 156 (61%) lived in a rural area. The mean travel distance saved was 64 miles (SD 11.5). This translated into an estimated average of 21 dollars of travel pay saved per patient. Out of all telemedicine encounters, there was a 42% survey return rate. In 94% of these surveys veterans reported they were satisfied with the visit and that they would recommend the hematology telemedicine program. ConclusionThe establishment of a telemedicine consult service in a referral center decreased travel distance for patients and travel pay cost. Most patients that answered the feedback surveys reported they were satisfied and that they would recommend the program. Other studies looking at cost-effectiveness, and patient and disease-related outcomes will help understand further the impact and benefits of such a program. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.