Sustainable Transport Policy Research Articles

External Transport Costs and Implications for Sustainable Transport Policy

External Transport Costs and Implications for Sustainable Transport Policy

Analysis Of The Role Of Local Governments In Sustainable Development In Urban Areas

This study aims to analyze the role of local governments in the implementation of sustainable development policies in urban areas. Using a qualitative approach through case study methods, data were collected via in-depth interviews with local government officials, focus group discussions with community members, and analysis of policy documents and local development reports. The findings indicate that local governments play a vital role in creating positive impacts on the environment and the quality of life for residents through various implemented programs, such as integrated waste management systems, the development of green open spaces, and sustainable transportation policies. Despite significant progress, this research also identifies challenges faced by local governments, including funding limitations, a lack of community education, and the need for improved inter-agency coordination. To enhance their effectiveness in achieving sustainable development goals, local governments must address these challenges through increased budget allocations, educational campaigns to raise community awareness, and strengthened collaboration among agencies. By taking these steps, local governments can be more effective in realizing sustainable development and ensuring a better quality of life for urban residents. This research provides important insights for policymakers and practitioners in their efforts to create sustainable and responsive urban communities.

Effects of meteorology on bike-sharing: Cases of 13 cities using non-linear analyses

Bike-sharing system (BSS) provides bicycle rental services for short-term use. The association of BSS with meteorological factors has not been studied sufficiently using nonlinear analysis. To bridge these gaps, this study explored the impact of meteorological conditions on bike-sharing system (BSS) usage in 13 cities in Europe and North America, using a combination of nonlinear analyses to avoid the limitations of linear analyses used traditionally. Specifically, self-organizing map (SOM) and decision tree analyses were used. The SOM results revealed six meteorological profiles (clusters). Kruskal–Wallis test was applied to determine the main effect of the cluster on the input variables. The decision tree indicated temperature (34.4 %), followed by clusters (23.3 %), and cities (17.5 %) as the most influential factors on BSS usage. These findings demonstrated the need to generate nonlinear analyses to understand the dynamic interaction of meteorological variables and BSS usage, providing insights for developing sustainable urban transportation policies.

Scalability challenges of machine learning models for estimating walking and cycling volumes in large networks

This study explores the scalability of machine learning models for estimating walking and cycling volumes across the extensive New South Wales (NSW) Six Cities Region in Australia using mobile phone and crowdsourced data. Previous research has focused on localized applications, missing the complexities of larger networks. The research addresses this gap by identifying unique challenges such as the scarcity and representativeness of observed count data, gaps in the crowdsourced and mobile phone data, and inconsistencies in link-level volume estimates. We propose and demonstrate the application of strategies like enhancing geographical diversity of observed count data and employing an extensive cross-validation approach in model training and testing. By leveraging various auxiliary datasets, the study demonstrates the effectiveness of these strategies in improving model performance. These findings provide valuable insights for transportation modelers, policymakers, and urban planners, offering a robust framework for supporting sustainable transportation infrastructure and policies with advanced data-driven methodologies.

The Distribution of the Economic Impacts of Sustainable Regional Transport Policies

In response to current environmental, social and accessibility challenges in the mobility sector, this research focuses on promoting the development of integrated sustainable regional transport policies, supported by a thorough analysis of their distributed economic impacts. This is fulfilled with the development of a new GIS-supported extension of a comprehensive methodology that is currently used for appraising local transport interventions. To illustrate the inputs and outputs of the expanded approach, a regional case study was simulated, highlighting the potential for this methodology to assist in (1) optimising the financial balance between electrification and modal-shift strategies, (2) anticipating and analysing the multiple economic impacts of multimodal transport services (e.g., Mobility as a Service) and (3) understanding how equal the benefits of these policies are across the region. This research will provide novel contributions to the field of transport research and policy development by introducing a comprehensive methodology that quantifies and maps the distributed economic impacts of regional transport policies. This will, consequently, enable the economic outputs of these policies to be easily visualised, analysed and shared with mobility stakeholders, fostering a better understanding of their urban–rural distribution, and promoting the strategic development of sustainable and equitable regional transport systems.

Sustainable propulsion technology selection in penultimate mile delivery using the FullEX-AROMAN method

Sustainable transport is the priority for future cities and society. It is necessary to make sustainable urban transport policies to mitigate the harmful effects of current transportation systems. One of the essential issues in making cities cleaner is the propulsion technology of light commercial vehicles (LCVs). Most of the LCVs are compressed natural gas (CNG) and diesel-powered. However, cleaner, sustainable power sources, such as hydrogen, hybrid, solar, and electric have appeared in the market. This paper addresses the selection of propulsion technology for LCVs up to 3.5 tones for the Czech Post vehicle fleet. In this study, three main pillars are considered: economic, socio-environmental, and technical. Czech Post currently uses CNG-powered vehicles to transport shipments in penultimate mile delivery. The integrated FullEX-alternative ranking order method accounting for the two-step normalization (AROMAN) approach selects the best sustainable propulsion technology for the Czech Post vehicle fleet. The FullEX method identifies the criteria weights, while the AROMAN method ranks propulsion technologies. The results of the integrated approach reveal that the best propulsion technology for penultimate mile delivery is electrically powered, followed by hydrogen, hybrid, and CNG. A comparative analysis with other multi-criteria decision-making methods is also performed. The results confirm that the electrically powered solution is the best. The sensitivity analysis is carried out. The FullEX-AROMAN shows high resilience.

The Role of EU Transport Market Liberalization in Shaping Directions of Rail Energy Consumption Rationalization in Relation to the Export of Goods: The Case of Poland

This article discusses the impact of rail market liberalization on the energy intensity of rail in relation to the export of goods, as well as the identification of multidimensional cause-and-effect relationships between rail energy intensity and the importing country’s economic condition, transport performance, and transport distance. Three research questions were formulated: (1) Does the liberalization of the EU transport market and the implementation of a sustainable transport policy contribute to minimizing the energy consumption of rail transport? (2) Does the pursuit of economic growth allow for reducing the energy intensity of goods exported by rail transport in global trade? (3) Is there a justified paradigm for shifting long-distance freight transport from roads to rail? This study concerned 21 directions of the export of goods transported by rail from Poland to partner countries (worldwide) in 2010–2020. A panel model of rail transport energy consumption with random effects was constructed. As a result of rail market liberalization, the export of goods transported by rail across great distances occurs without harming economic development and leads to a reduction in energy intensity. On this basis, key strategies were formulated to promote rail transport in reducing the energy intensity of the transport sector. The authors filled the research gap by identifying the relationship between the energy intensity of exports of goods by rail transport in value terms, depending on the European transport market’s liberalization process, the importing countries’ economic situation, transport volume, and distance. The presented approach is innovative and can be adapted to the analysis of other modes of transport, including road transport, and other countries (and their structure and export directions).

High-Profile Convoy Disruptions: Exploring Socioeconomic and Environmental Ramifications of Road Closures

Congestion persists despite various demand management techniques, particularly for handling recurrent congestion. However, non-recurrent congestion from events like VIP movements poses unique challenges, especially during peak hours. This study investigates the environmental and economic impacts of road blockages due to VIP movements in developing countries, focusing on Pakistan. Considering practiced standard operating procedures associated with VIP movements, this study finds significant delays and economic burdens in debt-ridden economies. It uses discrete choice modeling and microsimulation techniques to evaluate the value of travel time and quantifies road blockage effects on fuel consumption, travel time, and carbon emissions. Data from central blockage locations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad reveal a value of travel time estimated at 1.77 USD/h, with income and gender significantly influencing mode choices during VIP movements. Moreover, road blockages exceeding two minutes substantially negatively impact the environment and economy, particularly in developing nations. Urgent action is needed for effective mitigation strategies and sustainable transportation policies to address the detrimental effects and promote alternative transportation modes. Recommendations include limiting VIP blockages to a maximum of two minutes and implementing policies to discourage private car usage. Despite limitations, the study emphasizes the critical role of sustainable transportation policies in enhancing the well-being of road users in developing nations.

Shared Bike Usage Analysis

This essay delves into the realm of data analytics to examine patterns and trends in shared bike usage. Leveraging large-scale datasets from shared bike platforms, the analysis encompasses factors influencing usage, including geographical patterns, temporal variations, and user demographics. The essay employs advanced data analytics techniques, such as machine learning algorithms, to uncover hidden insights and predict future usage trends. By scrutinizing the data, the essay aims to contribute valuable insights for optimizing shared bike systems, enhancing urban mobility, and informing sustainable transportation policies.

Forecasting and Mapping the Environmental and Health Impacts of Sustainable Regional Transport Policies

Research on evaluating sustainable transport policies is predominantly focused on their urban effects, often overlooking similar challenges in suburban and rural mobility. Therefore, the development of regionally integrated sustainable transport strategies becomes essential to comprehensively address these concerns. This study aims to bridge this gap by introducing a GIS-supported methodology that combines multiple linear regressions with hazard ratio models to quantify and map the impacts of environmentally driven regional transport policies on air pollution and human health. The main findings of an illustrative case study highlighted the importance of stronger efforts to promote the transition to shared and active transport and address the articulation between urban and rural mobility. This study offers a novel contribution to transport researchers and policymakers by proposing a methodology that (1) forecasts the impacts of regional transport policies using open data and software, ensuring its applicability for diverse regional settings, (2) provides the results in quantitative and visual formats, facilitating output analysis and visualisation and, consequently, decision-making and public consultation on proposed sustainable transport policies, and (3) sets the groundwork for including future transport-related dimensions.

The role of air pollution in electric vehicle adoption: Evidence from China

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms through which air pollution influences consumer adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in China. Utilizing the Air Quality Index (AQI) and EV sales data from 50 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2019, we apply a multiple regression model to investigate the direct and indirect impacts of air pollution on EV adoption. By analyzing data from the AQI and EV sales across 50 Chinese cities between 2010 and 2019, we apply a multiple regression model to dissect the direct and indirect effects of air pollution on the adoption of EVs. We find that the health risks associated with air pollution, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, significantly sway consumer behavior towards EVs. Concerns over health and the financial burden of air pollution-related illnesses drive consumers, especially in wealthier regions, to choose EVs for healthier transportation. Additionally, we note an indirect mechanism: increased public and government awareness of environmental issues. This heightened awareness, coupled with policies promoting EV adoption, indirectly bolsters consumer interest in EVs, acknowledging their role in enhancing air quality. These findings offer vital insights for formulating sustainable transportation policies and urban planning strategies, especially in contexts of severe air pollution.

Bicycle facilities and women's cycling frequency – An intersectional analysis of gendered travel behaviour

Bicycle facilities are a widely used sustainable transportation policy tool, but their role in mitigating gendered barriers to cycling is less studied. This paper presents the findings from an online household survey conducted in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada, focusing on 10 neighbourhoods- five with a newly constructed facility and five without. In this work, we explore how socially influenced and intersectional gendered experiences (expressed through age, employment, having children and trip-chaining) may influence commute-related cycling, in the presence or absence of bicycle facilities. Results from binomial logistic regression models indicate a higher likelihood of cycling at least once a week, for commuting purpose, amongst women who are 30–44 years old, who work part-time or are students, who have children, and who engage in trip chaining during commute, in neighbourhoods with a bicycle facility. We also found that in the absence of bicycle facilities, women’s likelihood of cycling frequently was no different than men’s. Using a feminist geography lens, we argue that the presence of new bicycle facilities potentially allowed some women to minimize the barriers they experience when cycling, including social expectations around feminine performance on streets. We show the importance of intersectional analyses in cycling research. By addressing women’s traditional gender roles, opportunities and patriarchal division of labor, transportation policy can positively influence women's participation in cycling.

Assessment of the accessibility of public transport in the Tricity (Poland): analytical use of geographical information systems (GIS) in the context of selected public transport measures

ABSTRACT The Tricity consists of three coastal cities – Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot – which also form the core of the Tricity agglomeration. They are among the main development centres of the country. Proper access to public transport for residents is crucial for the sustainable development of the agglomeration. Although the cities are connected by functional links in different areas, the further development of a coherent public transport system is problematic. It is therefore crucial to formulate the question of how these cities can develop the public (collective) transport network? Do residents have access to it and does it meet their needs? Are these measures complementary? A proprietary methodological approach using QGIS and ORS tools was used to conduct the survey. The results of the survey show that 83.5% of Tri-City residents have the nearest train, bus, tram or trolleybus stop within a 5-minute walk of their place of residence. This is followed by 14.39% of residents having a stop within 10 min, 1.47% within 15 min and 0.20% within 20 min. Unfavourable time accessibility applies to 0.45% of residents. The findings of the study may help Tricity local authorities to develop a sustainable public transport policy.

Identifying Factors that Affect Price Determination for Fuel and Vehicles in Sri Lanka: A System Dynamics Approach

Transportation is crucial for the progress of a nation, and sustainable transportation policies are necessary for long-term development. Among these policies, fuel and vehicle pricing strategies significantly impact the economy, society, and environment. To effectively formulate transportation policies, policymakers must understand the factors influencing policy implementation and explore different approaches to fuel pricing, vehicle pricing, and sustainable transportation. This study aims to develop a comprehensive causal loop diagram (CLD) using the System Dynamics (SD) approach to identify factors and interrelationships within the transportation system. The CLD provides a holistic overview of the complexities and feedback loops inherent to fuel and vehicle pricing policies. The findings contribute to evidence-based decision-making and facilitate the formulation of effective and sustainable transportation policies in the country.

Towards customized mitigation strategy in the transportation sector: An integrated analysis framework combining LMDI and hierarchical clustering method

As the world's largest CO2 emitter, China's decarbonization in the transportation sector is vital for achieving global sustainable goals. This study develops an in-depth framework to elucidate and tailor decarbonization strategies across regions effectively. Through the application of the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) approach, this analysis spans transportation, energy, economic, and demographic factors influencing CO2 emissions in China's 30 provinces over the decade 2010–2019. The Entropy Weight Method (EWM), applied innovatively, pinpoints regional disparities in emission drivers. A dual-dimensional hierarchical clustering analysis evaluates the emission characteristics at provincial-level, laying the groundwork for customized mitigation strategies. The study delineates three principal discoveries: (1) robust economic development has spurred transportation demand over the past decade, escalating emissions. While initiatives like the "Beautiful China" campaign and decarbonization policies have fostered weak decoupling between economic growth and emissions, economic activity remains a dominant driver of emissions at the provincial level. (2) The energy intensity, freight intensity, and industrial structure are the primary sources of regional disparities in the driving mechanism of CO2 emissions in the transportation sector. In economically developed areas, freight intensity is a considerable emissions accelerator, marking a departure from its national-level emissions reduction role. Given the starkly distinct regional disparity, a “one-size-fits-all” approach for China would be imprudent. (3) The novel application of hierarchical clustering reveals three synergistic relationships between regional development and transportation decarbonization, highlighting the misalignment between emissions reduction potential and driving forces in 27 provinces. This misalignment underscores the inefficiency of current management practices, necessitating the development of precise tailored strategies. By pioneering in the methodological analysis of emissions dynamics and stressing the imperative of customized mitigation strategies, this research significantly enriches the discourse on sustainable transportation and regional policy innovation.

Gender equality through sustainable transport policy

Bangladesh needs to improve women's health, security, convenience, and financial independence, particularly regarding urban mobility. An inefficient and unaffordable urban transport system limits women's access to better job opportunities, hindering their personal growth. This study aims to achieve sustainable development in women's mobility. It attempts to identify the most preferred policy option among different hypothetical scenarios. The importance of different variables using a mixed-method approach is also analyzed. Discussion workshops and a hypothetical travel survey were conducted with low, middle, and high-income working and non-working women. The most preferred policy options were 'walk with the organized vendor,' 'living further away with better living standard,' 'subsidized public transport,' 'app-based private shuttle,' and then Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Identifying these can help policymakers and transport planners to achieve sustainable transport options.

A new perspective on the performance comparison of pure electric buses versus converted electric buses in public transportation systems

Abstract The utilization of electric buses presents a viable solution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the concomitant decrease in fossil fuel consumption. Furthermore, their low-noise operation has the additional benefit of reducing noise pollution, which is a particular issue in large urban areas. This constitutes a significant advantage for public transport systems. Additionally, they provide cost savings in operations and maintenance, which represent a substantial proportion of expenditure for public transport operators. However, the initial purchase cost of electric buses is higher than that of conventional buses (diesel and CNG). This discrepancy can be attributed primarily to the absence of economies of scale in the manufacturing of electric bus subsystems and the substantial expenses associated with non-standardized, disparate technologies, most notably the high-voltage traction battery. The considerable disparity in the upfront cost of electric buses (in comparison to their internal combustion counterparts of equivalent specifications) has prompted a novel strategy among local authorities responsible for the provision of public transportation services: Retrofit! This paper presents, for the first time, a comparison between all-electric buses constructed from the ground up and retrofitted diesel-electric buses in actual public transportation operations. The results obtained will facilitate an evaluation of the retrofit approach within the context of sustainable transport policies, with the ultimate objective of raising awareness among relevant audiences and decision-making mechanisms.

Sustainable transport: Main trends in Russia-China cooperation

The article discusses the main issues of implementing sustainable transport concept in Eurasian region as trend in Russia – China cooperation, especially on railway transport. Digitalization of the transport industry, use of Industry 4.0 technology became main drivers of transport and infrastructure ecosystem development. But at the current stage it is a way to provide for sustainable transport policy realization. Russia – China cooperation in transport and logistics has its issues, especially in the field of legal regulation, it is tough to broaden technologies of Industry 4.0 implementation. Rules of technical exploitation on railway do not provide for safe use of such technology on current intellectual transport ecosystems. Sustainable transport conception needs creation of regional experiment- based type of legal rules, designed in the frames of such integrational unions as EAEU - China. At the current stage of IT services on transport regulation Chinese and European legislation can be used as a model. Without effective legislative framework for sustainable transport cooperation with China transport ecosystems competitiveness of Russian railroad industry could not be grown to provide for national technological sovereignty.

Assessment of sustainable school transport policies on vehicular emissions using the IVE model

The increased vehicle demand leads to a rise in congestion, exhaust emissions and travel duration. It makes countries adopt policies to reduce vehicular exhaust emissions to achieve sustainable development with improved air quality. The present study identifies factors that influence student's preferences, estimate vehicular emissions and examine policies to minimize use of passive school transport (PST). The responses of 945 students are statistically examined using the Multinominal Logit (MNL) model with factors that affect preferences of school transport. The MNL model revealed that private transports are preferred more by female students. Students covering up to 3 km distance preferred more to use active school transport (AST) than students with travel distance of above 5 km. The model has predicted that students with travel distance of 4 km or above are mostly opted for public travel modes. The representative driving cycle was developed for morning and afternoon school trips and used as an input parameter for the International Vehicle Emission (IVE) model to estimate exhaust emissions. School policies are proposed to reduce PST modes associated student kilometer travelled (SKT) and emissions. The study outcomes revealed that neighborhood school policy predicted significant reduction in yearly SKT for AST (6.07%) and PST (36.03%) modes. While increased walkability policy anticipates modest impact in minimizing the PST mode associated total exhaust emissions (3.18–40.34%). The private vehicle associated SKT and total exhaust emissions are reduced by nearly 27.58% and 34.66% under increased use of public transport policy respectively.

Long-term urban railway network expansion and pollutant emissions: Methodological approach and insights for sustainable transportation policies

Urban transportation is a major challenge in many cities worldwide and railway systems are often considered as an alternative to solve mobility and air pollution problems. However, such systems are capital-intensive, and their implementation often extends over several years, particularly in developing countries. This paper proposes a methodological approach to assess the impact of long-term urban railway network expansion on pollutant emissions applied to the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) in Brazil. The proposed approach consists of seven steps: define the trips of interest in a database derived from an OD survey; estimate the trip matrix in a baseline scenario and a future scenario considering the expansion of the rail network; determine the trip attributes in both scenarios; calculate the modal choice based on a Logit model; determine the number of trips per mode; estimate vehicle emissions using the bottom-up methodology; and compare the emissions between scenarios. The results of the proposed railway network would lead to a substantial increase in railway ridership between the base scenario of 2017 and the future scenario of 2030, reducing the choices for automobiles by 41%. Nonetheless, the decrease in vehicular emissions would be modest, primarily attributed to reductions in short-distance trips, resulting in estimated reductions of 0.25% for PM, 1.17% for NOx, and 3.93% for CO emissions. These findings underscore the importance of assessing the potential benefits of railway expansion with tools that consider multiple data sources and models, and the need for integrated policies to achieve sustainable urban transportation systems.