Short-distance Travel Research Articles

The Impact of Spatial Distribution of Commercial Facilities in Communities on Residents’ Walking-Based Consumption Behavior: A Case Study in Wuhan, China

With the development of residential communities, commercial facilities serving the residents first emerged spontaneously inside of the communities and later were planned as a supporting component on the fringe but outside of the communities. Thus, two patterns in the distribution of commercial facilities can be found in their spatial relations to the communities they serve, namely, internal distribution and external fringe distribution. Previous debates on these two distribution patterns tend to focus more on the differences in community vitality, environmental quality, community security, etc., but less on the impact of spatial distribution of commercial facilities on residents’ walking-based consumption behavior which affects the quality of life of residents, their physical health, and their social interaction and communication. Therefore, the study conducts a quantitative, empirical, comparative study of the walking-based consumption behavior of residents in two communities, which are located across the street from one another, share similar conditions, but have totally different patterns in the distribution of commercial facilities. The results of analysis show that compared with residents living in a residential community with an external fringe distribution of commercial facilities, those who can access commercial facilities within their community have a shorter walking distance, stronger local consumption willingness, higher frequency, and shorter travel chain to use these facilities, resulting in distinctly different features in their respective walking-based consumption behavior in the communities. A further binary logistic regression analysis shows that the shorter travel distance by foot in a community with internal facilities is the root cause of the above differences, and travel distance significantly affects walking-based consumption behavior. This conclusion strongly supports the internal distribution of commercial facilities in residential communities, which bears practical significance for promoting the vitality and the robust development of communities.

Introducing a Design Framework for a Multi-Modal Public Transportation System, Focusing on Mixed-Fleet Bike-Sharing Systems

Bike-sharing is increasingly becoming more popular. Electric bikes as an emerging transportation technology have extended range and are less physically demanding, compared with regular bicycles, thus they can be incorporated into regular bike-sharing systems to attract more users. This study aims at capturing the users’ preference, while considering investors’ limitations and societal cost and benefits of each mode. The problem is defined as a mixed-integer non-liner problem, with nonlinear objective function and constraints. Because of the computationally challenging nature of the problem, a metaheuristic algorithm based on simulated annealing algorithm is proposed for its solution. The performance of the algorithm is tested in this study and convergence patterns are observed. The main findings of this study which are derived from the hypothetical numerical example, include but are not limited to: (1) the most popular public modes are bus and pedelec, because these two modes (bus and pedelec) are less expensive and have the ability to traverse longer distances in comparison to similar modes (i.e., e-scooter/car and bike), and (2) for small communities with short travel distances (feasible within the ranges of active modes), users would not choose fuel-consuming modes, and thus their choice is insensitive to fuel cost.

Investigation of laser-induced plasma at varying pressure and laser focusing

Expansion dynamics of laser-induced plasma is studied for different focal positions of the ablation laser in the pressure range 10-2 - 105 Pa of the ambient air. The experimental results indicate that both the parameters significantly affect the plasma size, shape, intensity, reproducibility, and distance from the target surface. At pressures above 10 Pa, the plasma plume is confined by the ambient gas; the plumes are more compact and travel shorter distances from the target as compared to the analogous plume characteristics at pressures below 10 Pa. The pulse-to-pulse reproducibility of the integral emission intensity of the plasma is also different for different focal positions and pressures. It is found that the focal positions -1 cm and -2 cm below the target surface yield the most reproducible and intense emission signals as measured at the 600 ns delay time with the 100 ns gate. The information obtained can be of importance for pulsed laser deposition, laser welding, and analytical spectroscopy at reduced pressures. In general, a correct choice of the focal position and pressure of an ambient gas is very important for obtaining the strongest plasma emission, good reproducibility, and desired plasma plume shape.

Electric transport vehicles

The article presents an overview of truck models with electric drive. The main advantages of these vehicles are the low level of noise emitted and the lack of exhaust gas emissions as well as less failure of the drive units. The limitation is a short travel distance on one battery charge and a long battery charging time.

Habitat Use and Activity Patterns of a Terrestrial Turtle (Rhinoclemmys rubida perixantha) in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest

Abstract We report the results of a field study on Mexican Spotted Wood Turtles (Rhinoclemmys rubida perixantha) in a seasonally dry tropical forest of coastal Jalisco, Mexico. We used field surveys, trail spools, and radio telemetry to investigate activity patterns, estimate home range size with three different techniques, and develop a generalized linear model to identify features associated with habitats used by R. r. perixantha. We found that turtles were most frequently active at midday, with peak activity occurring from 0900 to 1500 h. During the dry season (January–mid-June), R. r. perixantha showed reduced activity (fewer movements and shorter travel distances) compared to the wet season (late June–September). Home range size did not differ among the three methods we compared, and all estimates revealed that R. r. perixantha have small home ranges, with males having larger home ranges than females. Sites used by turtles were positively associated with leaf litter and woody debris, herbaceous plant...

Park and ride study at light rapid transit (LRT) stations in Puchong, Malaysia

This paper explored the factors influencing commuter’s preferences of using park and ride (PnR), by investigating their travel mode choice behaviour, and assessing the effectiveness of PnR facilities. Binary logistic regression (BLR) was used to develop travel mode choice model which provides insight into commuter’s considerations contributing to the utilisation of PnR facility. Several scenarios were modelled to investigate the effect of policy changes on commuter’s travel mode shift, which could be essential in formulating effective strategy to promote the use of PnR. The results revealed working trip, short travel time (< 15 mins) and medium long travel distance (1–3 km), were the main considerations of commuter using PnR. The significant influencing factors were determined as travel distance from origin to departing station and from arriving distance to destination, trip purpose, frequency of using light rapid transit (LRT), education level and occupation. 3 scenarios were modelled which revealed that provision of parking subsidy, medium travel distance (around 10 km) and medium travel time (around 20 mins) encouraged commuter to use PnR while travelling in group discourage the use of PnR.

The association between facility case volume and overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the targeted therapy era

BackgroundImproved overall survival of cancer patients treated by high-volume providers has been reported in surgical oncology and radiation oncology literature. Whether this volume-outcome association exists in medical oncology-managed metastatic solid tumors is uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the effect of facility case volume (FCV) on overall survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) diagnosed in the targeted therapy era. Materials and methodsAdult patients diagnosed with mRCC between 2006 and 2015 were identified in the National Cancer Database. The primary exposure was FCV, which was defined by mRCC case volume of each treating facility. The association between FCV and all-cause mortality in mRCC was investigated in multivariable Cox regression model and validated with inverse propensity-score weighting method. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors for treatment at high-volume facilities. Covariates adjusted for were sociodemographics, tumor characteristics and treatment modalities. ResultsThere were 31,329 mRCC patients identified. The mean follow-up time was 14.3 months. When FCV was coded as a continuous variable, each increment of 10 mRCC cases/y was associated with reduced all-cause mortality after baseline covariates adjustment [adjusted hazard ratio: 0.93, 95% confidence interval: 0.90–0.96, P value:<0.0001]. In dichotomized models, improved all-cause mortality was observed at cutoffs of 85th (4.3 cases/y), 90th (5.4 cases/y) and 95th (7.4 cases/y) but not at 50th (2.2 cases/y) and 75th (3.4 cases/y) percentiles. For illustrative purpose, 95th percentile was chosen and inverse propensity-score weighting-adjusted Kaplan–Meier curve demonstrated improved overall survival for mRCC patients treated at high-volume facilities (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.90, 95% confidence interval: 0.88–0.94, P value <0.0001; the 1-, 2-, 3-year survival rates were 41%, 26%, and 19% vs. 36%, 22%, and 16% for patients treated at high and low-volume facilities, respectively). Patients without insurance or with Medicaid status, with shorter travel distance, living in nonmetropolitan area or in area with lower averaged education level were less likely to be treated at high-volume facilities. ConclusionsPatients diagnosed with mRCC in the targeted therapy era have improved overall survival when treated at high mRCC-volume facilities, suggesting a volume-outcome association in medical oncology-managed metastatic solid tumors.

A Fundamental Consideration of Active Noise Control System by Small Actuator for Ultra-Compact EV

The ultra-compact electric vehicle has recently experienced increasing popularity for short-distance travel. However, one of the issues with ultra-compact electric vehicles is that although the engine is silent, exterior road and wind noise have a significant impact on the occupant’s comfort in the interior space. We propose an ANC system whereby a kind of small actuator is installed on the roof of an ultra-compact electric vehicle. In this paper, we consider the noise control effects of using a giant magnetostrictive actuator and conduct an experimental study on feed-forward and feedback control systems.

Analysis of mode choice for intercity travel: Application of a hybrid choice model to two distinct US corridors

With growing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion, there is an emphasis on encouraging shifts to public transport, for both short and long distance travel. Major differences exist across countries in how successful these efforts are, and the United States is often used as the key example of a country with a strong resistance to shifting away from private car use. Even within the United States however, there is strong heterogeneity across regions and across different types of travellers. This paper seeks to add empirical evidence to understand the drivers of mode choice for intercity travel, using stated choice data from two major US intercity corridors: the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and the Cascade Corridor. We develop a hybrid choice model that allows for deterministic and random variations across travellers in their preferences, some of which can be linked to underlying attitudinal constructs. Our results highlight extensive heterogeneity and provide interesting insights into the drivers of behaviour, and the relationship between attitudes and actual choices. As an example, we see that for some groups, notably West Coast respondents, a stronger anti-car attitude is counter-acted by a reduced utility for non-car modes when making choices, possibly due quality of public transport provision. Similarly, for other groups, such as older and female travellers, a reduced concern for privacy, which would benefit public transport, is counter-acted by a stronger pro-car attitude. These findings highlight the complex way in which attitudes can influence choices and provide insights for targeted policy interventions. Through scenario testing, we also show how future modal split might change depending on how these patterns of heterogeneity evolve over time, noting that the way this might happen is of course unknown at present.

Multi-step wear evolution simulation method for the prediction of rail wheel wear and vehicle dynamic performance

This paper presents a complete model to estimate the effects of wheel wear on the dynamic behavior and ride comfort of a railway vehicle. A co-simulation of the vehicle dynamics modeled in ADAMS VI-Rail and wear evolution modeled in MATLAB is performed in a loop. The outputs from the vehicle dynamics simulation are used to compute the wear evolution, which in turn affects the vehicle dynamics. The local contact parameters, such as normal contact force, tangential stresses and slip, etc., and wear distribution for each cell of the contact surface are estimated with the help of Kalker’s simplified theory of rolling contact and Archard’s wear model, respectively. The wear distribution and smoothening of the wheel profile are obtained for a short travel distance and are then scaled up for larger travel distance. The worn wheel profile is updated in the vehicle dynamics model after every 10,000 km of travel for further dynamic analysis and this process is repeated until either the critical dynamic performance or wheel wear limits are reached. Several new results emerge by considering both acceleration and braking on a tangent track with sinusoidal irregularities. Critical speed appears to increase initially and then decrease quickly, whereas worn wheels give better ride comfort in both lateral and vertical directions as compared to new wheels. According to the results in this work, wheels may be recommended for re-profiling or replacement much before the critical wear depth recommended in maintenance guidelines is reached.

Free-Floating Bike Sharing in Jiangsu: Users’ Behaviors and Influencing Factors

In order to explore the factors affecting users’ behaviors in a free-floating bike sharing (FFBS) system in China, a survey was conducted in Jiangsu province, China in 2017, and the travel characteristics of FFBS users were analyzed. A binary logistic model was applied to quantify the impact of various variables regarding residents’ usage preference based on 30401 valid questionnaires. The findings show that (1) FFBS was mainly used for short-distance travel in cities, especially for commuting and schooling, and the time period of travel in FFBS coincided with the rush-hour in urban areas; (2) a higher level of education, a higher daily transportation cost, the convenience of picking up and parking, and the contribution to users’ health could promote the usage of FFBS, while malfunctioning bicycles and limited regulations were major obstacles restricting the development of FFBS; (3) interestingly, people with high-incomes rather than those with low-incomes showed an inclination for FFBS owing to the charge mode. This research provides empirical evidence to facilitate the formulation of urban transportation policies and to improve the management of FFBS for the operators.

Do Smart Growth Urban Development Strategies Reduce Jobs-housing Distance in a High-density City? The Case of the Seoul Metropolitan Area

This study examines the practicality of smart growth strategies for already compact cities, testing whether zones with high-density development, mixed land use, and transit-oriented development result in shorter travel distances between jobs and housing in the Seoul metropolitan area of Korea. The findings, derived from spatial econometric models, reveal that high-density development does not always reduce these distances. Furthermore, greater subway accessibility induces a longer commuting distance. However, jobs-housing balance, a mixed-use variable, reduces commuting distances. The findings imply that smart growth principles should be applied together, not separately, for better planning results.

PEDESTRIANS’ PERSPECTIVES ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS, AWARENESS AND WILLINGNESS IN CHANGING CURRENT MODE TO WALKING IN A POSSIBLE WAY TO REDUCE EXPOSURE OF O3 CONCENTRATIONS TO SCHOOLCHILDREN

Increasing ground level ozone has become an important issue because of its adverse effects on health and the environment. Increasing numbers of vehicles is known to be one of the sources of its precursors where gas emissions from vehicle exhausts lead to the production of ground level ozone. Active transports, mainly walking have been found to be the most effective way to reduce the use of private vehicles especially for short-distance travel. In this study, pedestrians’ perspectives on the existence of environmental problems and awareness regarding negative effects of these issues and their perceptions towards changing the current mode to active mode were evaluated. According to the surveys conducted at the four selected schools, by referring to the gender, as compared to male respondents, female respondents mostly testified that there were local environmental problems occurred at their area and are aware of the adverse effects of air pollutants exposed to human. As for types of respondents, teachers were much concern with the environmental problems as they spent more time in schools compared than other types of respondents. In terms of race, Indian and Malay respondents were more aware of the negative effects of air pollutants and most willingly to change from current mode to walking. From the analysis of one-way ANOVA and independent t-test, respondents’ level of agreement with environmental problems, awareness and potential in changing the current mode to walking were related to the gender, types of respondents and race. Nevertheless, factor of travel distance did not influence the given level of agreement by respondents.

Power spectral and bispectral study of factors affecting employee turnover

Abstract Voluntary employee turnover can cause organ­izations to lose profits and competitiveness. Unexpected employee turnover may also result in project delay and reduction in project quality. It is important to control employee turnover rate and maintain good employees within an organization. This paper investigates the major causes of voluntary employee turnover in engineer­ing industries. Australia, Mainland China, and Taiwan were selected for the investigation. Questionnaires were administered, and structured interviews were conducted. Power spectrum was used for the analysis. It was found that “Good physical working environment”, “Receiving advanced training”, and “Short travel distance between home and work” are the major job-related ideal factors for the Australian, Mainland China, and Taiwan respondents, respectively. However, “Far distance between work and home” and “Dislike the colleague relationships” are found as the major factors for leaving jobs for the Australian/ Taiwan and Mainland China respondents, respectively. Recommendations to improve and to control employee turnover rate are also discussed.

Movement patterns and home ranges of male and female Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) wintering on the Canadian prairies

Meeting energy requirements during the nonbreeding season is important for many animals and some defend winter territories to secure a food supply. In birds of prey, females, the larger and competitively dominant sex, may monopolize areas with higher prey abundance than males. We thus predicted that female Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus (Linnaeus, 1758)), which might acquire the high-quality habitats and individuals in better body condition, would be able to persist on smaller home ranges, travel shorter distances, and spend proportionally more time on a home range than males, during the winter. On the prairies in central Saskatchewan, we deployed satellite transmitters on 11 male and 12 female Snowy Owls over two winters. There were no significant differences between the sexes in home-range size or the amount of travelling during the winter months. Mean first home range (95% minimum convex polygon) size was 54.4 km2 for males, 31.9 km2 (estimated marginal means) for females, and 53.8 km2 for the sexes combined. However, within sexes, home-range size was negatively correlated with body condition as predicted. A lack of defense of home-range perimeters against conspecifics could increase variation in home-range size and movement patterns and reduce differences between the sexes.

Development of Model for Pedestrian Gap Based on Land Use Pattern at Midblock Location and Estimation of Delay at Intersections

Walking has always been a prime source of human mobility for short distance travel. Traffic congestion has become a major problem for safe pedestrian crossing in most of the metropolitan cities. This has emphasized for providing a sufficient pedestrian gap for safe crossing on urban road. The present works aims in understanding factors that influence pedestrian crossing behaviour. Four locations were chosen for identification of pedestrian crossing behaviour, gap characteristics, waiting time etc., in Hyderabad city. From the study it was observed that pedestrian behaviour and crossing patterns are different and is influenced by land use pattern. A gap acceptance model was developed from the data for improving pedestrian safety at mid-block location; the model was validated using the existing data. Pedestrian delay was estimated at intersection using Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). It was observed that field delays are less when compared to delay arrived from HCM method.

Better Understanding the Characteristics and Influential Factors of Different Travel Patterns in Free-Floating Bike Sharing: Evidence from Nanjing, China

In recent years, free-floating bike sharing (FFBS) has become a significant travel mode to satisfy urban residents’ travel demands in China. This paper was designed to better understand the characteristics and influential factors of different travel patterns in FFBS. Firstly, travel patterns were divided into three categories: Origin to Destination Pattern (ODP), Travel Cycle Pattern (TCP) and Transfer Pattern (TP). Then, the characteristics of these patterns were analyzed based on a survey of 4939 valid questionnaires in Nanjing, China. A multinomial logit (MNL) model was established to explore the influential factors associated with the three patterns. The results showed the following. (1) Employees and students were more inclined to choose TP and ODP, and the selection probability of employees was larger than that of students. (2) The evening peak was more significant than the morning peak. (3) Residents with short travel distances were more likely to choose TCP and ODP, and when the travel distance reached 4 km, there was a significant transfer to TP. (4) Price had an impact on residents’ travel patterns, with residents showing an inclination toward FFBS when making short distance trips, if they were quickly found. Malfunctioning bicycles were an important factor restricting FFBS development. Several policy recommendations are proposed based on these results, for government and FFBS businesses to improve their management of FFBS systems.

Research for intake and exhaust system parameterization of 2-cylinder gasoline engine for RE-EV

Many research groups have attempted to overcome the short travel distance of electric cars by using RE-EVs (range extended electric vehicle) with small engine generators for battery charging. Engines for RE-EVs need to be optimized for maximum power at around medium engine speed or less because a higher engine speed causes higher noise. In this study, basic research about intake and exhaust flow was conducted to find the design point of high power at around medium engine speed. Test parameters are intake valve open (IVO) timing, the shape of the exhaust manifold and the intake runner length for a 0.6-L naturally aspirated (NA) gasoline engine. The firing order of the test engine is from the first cylinder to the second cylinder and cylinders have 180 oCA (crank angle degree) phasing difference. Test conditions are from 1200 to 6000 rpm at full load operation, 12, 22, and 32 oCA BTDC (before top dead center) of IVO timing, and an exhaust manifold to reduce interference of exhaust gas between the first and second cylinder; there are also 200, 340, and 440 mm length intake runners. The effect of the IVO timing on the engine performance was found not to be significant in this study. The shape of the exhaust manifold and the lengthened intake runners affected the torque and the BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) and helped to improve the engine performance at around medium engine speed.

Fate of leaf litter deposits and impacts on oxygen availability in bank filtration column studies

Degradation of particulate organic carbon (POC) such as leaf litter might deplete dissolved oxygen within the upper layers of bank filtration, an efficient and robust barrier for pathogens and for various organic micro-pollutants (OMP) in water supply systems worldwide. The degradation of OMP during bank filtration depends on the redox conditions. The present study aimed at identifying the impacts and fates of different local leaves on the oxygen consumption and the possible biological degradation of indicator OMP. Oxygen concentrations initially decreased within the columns from around 8 mg/L in the influent to low concentrations indicating extensive consumption within a short travel distance. Still a substantial oxygen consumption was observed after 250 days. OMP concentrations were not significantly affected by the microbial processes. A layer of calcium carbonate crystallites was observed on the POC layer. Some leaf fragments appeared to be persistant towards degradation and the carbon content relative to nitrogen and sulfur contents decreased within 250 days. The results demonstrate that trees at bank filtration sites might have a strong long-term impact on the subsurface redox conditions.

Estimating the effects of “community opening” policy on alleviating traffic congestion in large Chinese cities by integrating ant colony optimization and complex network analyses

According to an urban planning directive issued by the Chinese Central Government in early 2016, the Community Opening Policy will be put on the agenda to ameliorate transportation networks, which has aroused much attention regarding the coming changes in traffic, especially in road network structures. Nevertheless, few studies were concerned with the direct and indirect impacts of opening gated communities. This study aims to analyze the impact of opening gated communities on road structure by integrating ant colony optimization (ACO) and complex graph theory and to investigate its influence on resident commuting efficiency and the traffic flow centroid. First, with a traffic road network based on OpenStreetMap (OSM), alteration in the connectivity between two road nodes and the resident overall commuting time and distance are computed using an ACO algorithm. Second, using complex graph theory, the attraction index of every road is calculated, and the congestion area before and after the opening policy is obtained. The research areas include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, which are first-tier Chinese cities. The results demonstrate that opening gated communities will increase the connectivity and accessibility of the current road network by 9.43–29.80%, generating a decrease of 2.57–4.50% in resident commuting time for short-distance travel. Furthermore, with the decline in traffic stream in the urban trunk roads, the number of potentially congested junctions will decrease, resulting in an alteration in the spatial position and coverage area of the urban congestion areas. This study carried out quantitative research into the effect of opening gated communities, providing a reference for urban planners and government.