Sustainable Public Transport Research Articles

Urban Structure for Sustainable Public Transport on Network-type Compact City

本研究は，ネットワーク型コンパクトシティを念頭に，人口減少下においても公共交通が維持される都市構造のあり方について検討した．具体的には，都市のコンパクト化によって公共交通の利用者数とその分布がどのように変化するかを検討するために，3次メッシュ単位でのコンパクト化シミュレーション分析を行った．分析の結果，急速に進む人口減少の影響で公共交通利用者数は現在と比較すると大きく減少することが明らかとなった．また，コンパクト化施策は公共交通の分担率をわずかに上昇させるのみであることが示された．宇都宮生活圏では，すべてのコンパクト化シナリオで公共交通の分担率は上昇したものの，津山生活圏では，人口集約メッシュの設定によっては公共交通の分担率が低下する結果が得られた．次に，バスネットワークの安定性の検討のため，乗り合いバス利用者の分布に関する分析を行った．宇都宮生活圏においてはコンパクト化施策を実行した場合，乗り合いバスの黒字区間は現状と同程度，あるいはそれ以上の水準を保ち，現状の公共交通ネットワークを安定的に維持できる可能性が示された．

The cost of convenience; Air pollution and noise on freeway and arterial light rail station platforms in Los Angeles

Light rail transit (LRT) systems constitute one of the most sustainable public transportation modes and transit agencies have increasingly constructed LRT lines along the median of roadways to reduce land acquisition costs and traffic conflicts. Despite these conveniences, few studies have examined the air pollution and noise exposures for passengers on LRT station platforms within freeway or arterial medians. In response, we monitored particle number count (PNC) concentrations and noise levels on 17 station platforms in the Los Angeles metro system in summer 2012 and assessed differences between freeway and arterial platforms. We visited each station on average 7 times for approximately 19min with two teams carrying a full set of instruments. As expected, impacts were higher on green line platforms in the center of a grade-separated freeway compared to blue line platforms in the center of an arterial due to being in close proximity to greater traffic volumes. Overall, freeway-arterial platform differences were 35,100 versus 20,000particles/cm3 for PNC and 83 versus 62dBA for noise. This average noise intensity on green line platforms was four times that on blue line stations. We also found that PNC concentrations were significantly higher at open air monitoring platform positions compared to standing under a shade canopy (about 2000particles/cm3 higher), but that noise levels were significantly lower at open air positions compared to under canopy positions (about 3.2dBA lower). Results identify important factors for transport planners to consider when locating and designing in-roadway LRT platforms.

Incorporating carbon footprint with activity-based costing constraints into sustainable public transport infrastructure project decisions

An optimal sustainable public transport infrastructure project portfolio selection requires an environment management strategy for both the social and economic development. This study considers the application of a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology that can be applied to assess the sustainable development of transport infrastructure projects, taking into account a range of transport, social, financial and environmental criteria. Furthermore, in order to resolve the strategic decision-making under resource constraints and the carbon footprint factor, a zero-one goal programming (ZOGP) model is developed to facilitate an optimal portfolio of sustainable public transport infrastructure projects in Taiwan.The resulting data shows that the perspective of sustainable transport and the criterion of decreasing traffic energy consumption are the most significant evaluation factors, and that the Tamhai Light Rail (TLR) Project and Tambai Expressway (TE) Project comprise by far the optimal portfolio of sustainable transport infrastructure projects which strengthen the connection between activity-based costing (ABC) evaluation and carbon footprint in a life cycle assessment. The integrated approach is a practical and useful tool for providing solution-related information for sustainable public transport infrastructure projects, and to help managers incorporate environment costs into decision-making processes.

Effective Sustainable Public Transportation Approaches in Izmir

The most prominent of public transport, the risk of accidents, energy consumption, and congestion is lower than road transport. Considering all these reasons an important problem that urban transport on such as the environment, energy, sustainability and social balance taking into account issues, first especially in big cities resolved with scientific methods and requires the organization. When considered from this point of view, ‘Nielsen's Network Design approach for public transport’ provides us the appropriate evaluation to examine the city transportation. This approach emphasizes seamless and intra-regional public transport and has five network design factors. In this study, ‘Izmir Karşıyaka Tram Project’ has been analyzed in the context of Nielsen approach and it has been explained how the project can realized that factors.

THE USE OF STATED PREFERENCE TECHNIQUE TO MODEL MODAL CHOICES

Public transportation especially bus services in Kuching City, Malaysia are relatively old and most of the buses are in state of dilapidation. This gives a very bad image on Kuching city and poor perception especially from the tourists and local consumers. To achieve a sustainable public transport industry, the old buses need to be regenerated and replaced with modern buses. The aim of the study is to explore the consumer’s travel behavior by employing modal choice modelling. Consequently, a study was conducted in Kuching City Area by using stated preference technique, analyzed and compiled by using SPSS.17 multiple linear regressions analysis. In this context, discrete choice analysis was used to examine the relationship between independent variables (travel time, waiting time, fares and comfort) and dependent variables (choice of respondent whether to consume old bus or choose new bus services). A total of 2000 respondents were interviewed. The findings showed that for the trips purpose, fares and comfortability were the primary factors that reflected the decision or behavior of the respondents asked. It was discovered that there is a significant relationship between the choice of the respondents and comfortability. For the trips purpose to school, recreation, shopping and others, most of the respondents preferred to opt for scenario 5 (travel time 20 min, frequency 20 min, fare RM 2.00, and the level of comfort is good with AC system) which gave the highest demand with the percentage of 75.4%, 55.1%, 70.3% and 69.1% respectively. On the other hand, scenario 3 (travel time 30 min, frequency 15 min, fare RM 2.00, and the level of comfort is good with AC system) was chosen for the purpose of working trips with the percentage of 50.5% respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that scenario 5 is the most appropriate condition to be implemented for the future bus services to serve the consumers in Kuching city subjected to a condition whereby the bus operators need to deliver a better, comfortable and reasonable fares bus services. It also appeared that longer travel time did not affect for the travelers choice at this stage. Hence, the study suggests that the local authority and the bus operators should establish a “quality partnership” and working together in order to come out with a much better and appropriate transport policy and schemes for the existing public transportation systems, especially bus services.

Public transportation and sustainability: A review

Public transportation is often framed as a key component of building sustainable cities. Conversely, the social, economic, and environmental impacts of transport are framed as critical issues that can challenge the sustainability of cities and regions. This paper presents a critical literature review of the relationship between public transportation and sustainability. First the paper offers a review of key sustainable transportation concepts and how public transport contributes to sustainability goals. Second, the paper reviews past studies that analyse sustainable transportation in order to develop recommendations for planning, engineering, and researching sustainable public transport. Finally, the paper concludes by offering suggestions for future research into the sustainability performance of public transit.

Exploring the Determinants of Public Transport System Planning in Car-dependent Cities

This paper attempts to explore the determinants of public transport system planning based on people opinions in car-dependant cities. A survey has been conducted to collect the data for determining the people opinion of the following public transport characteristics: walking distance, mode preference, number of transfers and comfort. A questionnaire was distributed to collect this information for different age groups of Jeddah city residents. Jeddah city, the second largest city is Saudi Arabia, characterized by high car dependency and currently faces the challenges of planning effective and sustainable public transport system.

Modeling Urban Transfer Stations Efficiency

Efficiency estimation of transit transfer stations (TTS) in densely populated urban areas is a mandatory step to define proper sustainable public transportation networks. However, due to the lack of data and the complexity of the operation patters, efficiency assessment is a cumbersome task in practice. This paper presents a novel approach to establish relative efficiencies in order to optimize TTS operation and design. Using the Data Envelopment Analysis method (DEA) three key efficiency dimensions are studied, which corresponds to the pillars of sustainability: technical, social and environmental. Efficiencies were computed using a database generated including 39 TTS located in Mexico City Metropolitan Area. Results show that none of the stations analysed are completely efficient considering the three dimensions simultaneously. Technically efficient TTS are those attending the highest number of passengers in a smallest given area. Social efficient TTS are those that provide enough services, such as automatization, multiple transport modes, and low transfer time, leading to high levels of users satisfaction. Finally, environmental efficient TTS correspond to those registering low values of air polluting emissions per passenger mainly due to the presence of non-oil fuel transport modes. In developing countries in Latin American and Asia, the application of this kind of models represent an excellent tool for the computation and understanding of TTS operations.

地方地域における持続可能な公共交通の成立性と評価

地方地域における持続可能な公共交通の成立性と評価

Mode Choice Behavior and Modal Shift to Public Transport in Developing Countries - the Case of Hanoi City

Asian cities are developing urban mass rapid transit systems to attract a great number of motorcycle and car users. However, there might be uncertainties in modal shift, thereby risking the effectiveness of public transport investments. This study aims to explore patterns of people's travel behavior and anticipate mode choice changes under intervention scenarios. Hanoi City is a case study. A stated preference survey is conducted and stated preference/revealed preference (SP/RP) mode choice models are estimated for different population segments. It is found that a significant number of private vehicle users might still sticking to their vehicles, trip chaining and presence of kids aged 11 or younger in the family may prevent its members from shifting to public transport. Longer travel distances may not necessarily lead to a higher modal shift ratio. The results would be helpful to policy making towards sustainable public transport development and effective control of private transport in developing cities.

Inject and Sustain Sustainability (iS2) in automatic fare collection projects

Background Sustainable public transport is not an option; it is a necessity [1]. In a media competition run by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), we introduced an award-winning design model of financially secure and sustainable automatic fare collection (AFC) [2]. In the public transport industry, AFC commonly refers to transit providers’ automated ticketing systems for collecting fares. We aimed to expand this design model and provide a practical training strategy (incorporating AFC subject knowledge and pedagogic backed training) to answer the challenge of inter-disciplinary capability in knowledge transfer for sustaining sustainability within the project and beyond.

Mobile Environmental Sensing and Sustainable Public Transportation Using ICT Tools

Mobile Environmental Sensing and Sustainable Public Transportation Using ICT Tools

The value-belief-norm theory, personal norms and sustainable travel mode choice in urban areas

To examine determinants of environmentally significant transport behaviour could contribute to the development of efforts aimed to influence people's travel mode choice in a sustainable manner. Travel mode choices are especially interesting in urban areas where sustainable public transportation is available. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the value-belief-norm theory can explain reported travel mode change in the Norwegian urban population. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey carried out among representative samples in six urban areas in Norway (n = 1043). Using structural equation modelling, values and beliefs explained 58 per cent of the variance in personal norms. Three groups of transport mode users were identified: Frequent users of public transportation, frequent users of a car, and a group of people frequently walking or using bicycle. Both personal norms and situational factors were found to be significant predictors of reported travel mode choice.

An Economically Sustainable Urban Public Transport Framework: System Dynamics Modelling Approach to Reduce Public Transport Liberalisation Impact in Harare City

Public transportation plays a key role to socio-economic development of any nation. This service enhances people’s livelihood framework by facilitating mobility and accessibility to services. Moreover, there is clear global evidence that a well performing public transport is an important enabler of sustained economic prosperity. Rapid urbanization in developing countries has resulted in transport facilities and infrastructure failing to cope with demand resulting in congestion, movement delays, high travel costs, and construction of holding bays in order to decongest the city, which will contribute to an increased usage of non-renewable energy. This prompts implementation of non-comprehensive strategies such as partial deregulation of transportation systems that caused further deterioration in economic sustainability. An economically sustainable transport system advocates for mobility, resource, and operational efficiency. This research focuses on developing a bus investment conceptual framework of a public transport system that improves mobility, resource, and operational efficiency to aid in sustaining of public transportation system for an unforeseeable future. With this in mind, a Harare bus investment system has been modelled as a policy framework model to evaluate its economic sustainability. This will help develop a long-term economically sustainable public transportation and reduce the overall impact of the earlier liberalisation of the transportation sector

Study of the fatigue behaviour of dissimilar aluminium joints produced by friction stir welding

Building lightweight structures is one of the key strategies to guarantee an efficient, competitive, safe and sustainable public transport system. The implementation of reliable and optimized lightweight structures needs to achieve high levels of performance, cost effectiveness and sustainability. The expected weight saving will significantly reduce fuel consumption and therefore CO2 emission per passenger-kilometer.Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state process enabling to develop new design concepts for lightweight metallic materials, where previously conventional manufacturing processes as riveting or classical welding were used.This study was conducted within the LighTRAIN project that aims to improve the life cycle costs of the underframe of a passenger railway car, with a novel lightweighted solution. The major objective of the research was to study the fatigue behaviour of dissimilar welded joints based on two different aluminium alloys: AA6082 and AA5754. The paper presents the experimental results obtained in two different structures: AA6082-T6 2mm and AA5754-H111 2mm thick joints, and AA6082-T6 2mm thick joints. Fatigue tests were carried out on lap joints specimens with a constant amplitude loading with a stress ratio R=0.1. The results of the fatigue tests are presented as well as detailed metallographic characterization of the weld zone and also the hardness distribution at the weld region.Fatigue tests performed on similar and dissimilar joints show low fatigue strength when compared with base materials AA5754 and AA6082, which is associated with the typical “hook” defect inherent to this welding process.The fatigue performance of AA6082 and AA5754 FSW welded joints suggests a shallower S–N curve than for the similar AA6082 FSW welded joints with an improvement in fatigue performance for lower applied stress ranges.

⁎A101 Surveying acceptable walking distance to different modes of local public transport in Munich area ID

Abstract Background Walking is often referred as sports or recreational activities but it has been observed through the years that it is not only a physical activity for achieving fitness but also to access different public transport in transit to destination. There is an increasing demand to improve the accessibility of walking to different services in order to develop sustainable public transport system. In Munich city, the modal split for mobility without car is around 68% and among them 26% makes their trip by foot. Most of these trips made by foot are engaged with walking for public transport. So in order to increase the facilities for the pedestrian to improve their accessibility, it is important to know how far people are willing to walk for different local public transport modes. In large metropolitan areas planners makes assumption about walking distance for the catchment areas for the accessibility of public transport according guidelines, which differ from city to city. But for Munich, the empirical origin of these commonly used measures is unclear. According to the transport plan for the city of Munich the threshold for the catchment area of public transport is different for the central business district (CBD), highly dense area (HAD) and low dense area (LDA). So, it is a clear question whether pedestrians are walking within the assumed threshold or further and how this catchment area affects the decision of travel to desired station. Methods The aim of this research is to observe actual walking distance of the pedestrian for different public transport modes and to find individual’s perception for deciding their route in terms of trip purpose and mode choice. Paper based intercept survey was done in Munich area with 500 respondents to collect the data and analysed through SPSS and Esri-ArcGIS. Results Results showed that respondents living in LDA, walked comparatively longer than respondents living in CBD. It is observed that pedestrian on an average walked longer for suburban train and subway rather than bus and tram. It is also found that pedestrian accepts longer walk to train than other public transport modes and they choose the most direct and quickest route for their access to public transport. Conclusions In order to increase the user of public transport as well as to encourage people towards walking in future, these findings can be considered by the city of Munich to provide the infrastructure and design scale for public transport station within a larger radius.

From direct to trunk-and-feeder public transport services in the Urban South: Territorial implications

In the Global South, many ongoing public transport improvement initiatives are based on a complete restructuring of the existing system. More often than not, plans call for an eventual absorption of incumbent operators into a new “formal” system or for a more radical eradication. These operators are often considered by city authorities to be the cause of inefficient transport systems. When implementing bus-rapid-transit-based plans, public transport improvement initiatives typically propose the transformation of paratransit-based direct services into feeder-trunk-distributor models that introduce new “formal” and “modern” modes. The move from direct services to feeder-trunk-distributor services can, however, have significant implications for travel patterns within the urban territory. Formal feeder-trunk-distributor public transport systems are more rigid than the paratransit-based model they are meant to replace. Some areas of cities in the Global South, generally located in peripheral zones, are growing and changing rapidly, and as such they ideally require a public transport system that is flexible and demand-responsive to fulfill their residents’ basic access needs. With the introduction of formal-only trunk-and-feeder schemes, some of these benefits of paratransit services are lost. Without disregarding the need for paratransit upgrade in terms of operations and business practices, it is argued that complementarity between formal and paratransit services is possible within a feeder-trunk-distributor model. Such complementarity should eventually lead to more equitable and sustainable public transport systems in cities that are changing fast and where the development of paratransit operators has, in one way or another, contributed to the inclusion of the poorest sectors of society in the city.

Border effects on the travel mode choice of resident and crossborder workers in Luxembourg

We investigate the travel mode choice behaviour of both resident and cross-border workers in Luxembourg. Two categories of mode choice are considered: sustainable (public transport) and unsustainable (single occupancy car use), which both depend on a large set of spatial and sociodemographic variables. In particular, we determine whether and how the borders of the four countries involved (Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Germany) affect this choice. The results of a classical binary logistic regression model show that significant variables depend on the area of residence and that some border effects are relevant in the context of the studied cross-border areas. Moreover, the identification of these various border-effect variables does not require the use of big data processing techniques. Therefore the proposed method can be applied generally to other cross-border areas with an open border context to highlight the effects of border on functional integration. This study is helpful in terms of developing a better understanding of the determinants involved in the use of sustainable transport modes and in supporting decisionmaking to improve transport planning.

A Sustainable New Public Transport Mode - The Electric Car Sharing

Electric car sharing early developed and operated abroad. But it was applied tentatively in a few cities of China. the paper mainly regards electric car sharing as a new public transport mode, and analyzes its social and economic benefits, then puts forward the suggestion that electric car sharing should be included in the development of the whole city public transportation.

Delivering sustainable public transport: The case of the Better Bus Area Fund

Transport for South Hampshire, a joint board responsible for transport planning for a conurbation of over one million people, successfully bid for the UK's Better Bus Area Fund. This will result in investments of £7.4 million over the period 2012 to 2014, of which £4.5 million will come from central government. Investments will include installation of Wi-Fi on vehicles, Near Field Communication (NFC) tags and Next Stop Displays and Announcement systems, along with marketing initiatives, the development of mobile apps and the refurbishment of buses. These investments will be complemented by other initiatives in the conurbation, not least some £27 million of investments from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund over the period 2012 to 2015, including the development of key interchange points and bus corridors.This paper will outline the methodology that has been developed to monitor and evaluate these investments and will detail the baseline surveys that have been undertaken, the anticipated impacts on attitudes to and usage of bus services and the results of the initial implementation of the investment programme. The extent to which such investments can revitalise bus services in an area where there has been a long run historic decline will be assessed.