Sustainable Transport Network Research Articles

Green corridor: A critical perspective and development of research agenda

The rapid development of industrialization, transportation, and urbanization has a negative impact on nature such as increased pollution, decreased pervious surface area, and increased temperatures. Researchers are consistently trying to find out ways that can facilitate the reduction of naturally unfriendly impacts. In this context, “green corridors” play a critical role. The main goal of the “green corridors” is to help build sustainable industrial, urban, and transportation networks by meeting requirements for environmental, technical, economic, social, and space planning issues. This paper provides a critical perspective on extant “green corridor” research by analyzing its performance and unwinding the intellectual structure. The perspective also sheds light on gaps in current literature and, therefore, possible future research avenues and calls for research in the field of “green corridor.”

EXPLORING JITTERING AND ROUTING OPTIONS FOR CONVERTING ORIGIN-DESTINATION DATA INTO ROUTE NETWORKS: TOWARDS ACCURATE ESTIMATES OF MOVEMENT AT THE STREET LEVEL

Abstract. Origin-Destination (OD) datasets provide vital information on how people travel between areas in many cities, regions and countries worldwide. OD datasets are usually represented geographically with straight lines or routes between zone centroids. For active travel, this geographic representation has substantial limitations, especially when zone origins and centroids are large: only using a single centroid origin/destination for each large zone results in sparse route networks covering only a small fraction of likely walking and cycling routes. This paper implements and explores the use of jittering and different routing options to overcome this limitation, thereby adding value to aggregate OD data to support investment in sustainable transport infrastructure. The route network results — generated from on an open dataset representing cycling trips in Lisbon, Portugal — were compared with a ground-truth dataset from 67 count locations distributed throughout the city. This approach enabled exploration of which jittering parameters and routing options lead to the most accurate route network results approximating the real geographic distribution of cycling trips in the study area. We found that jittering and disaggregating OD data, combined with routing using low level of traffic stress (quieter) preferences resulted in the most accurate route networks. We conclude that a combined approach involving 1) jittering with intermediate levels of disaggregation and 2) careful selection of routing options can lead to much more realistic route networks than using established OD processing techniques. The methods can be deployed to support evidence-based investment in strategic cycling and other sustainable transport networks in cities worldwide.

Mobility Hubs: Review and Future Research Direction

Globally, cities face a range of transport-related environmental, social, and economic challenges, not least congestion, air pollution, and promotion of sustainable modes of public transport. Mobility hubs (MHs) have been identified as a mechanism to aid the move toward a sustainable transport network and are at various stages of implementation in cities throughout the world. The growing prevalence of MH schemes highlights the requirement for a holistic overview of MH networks to ascertain their characteristics and inform policy direction. Consequently, this study presents a review of current MH deployment and literature, with the aim of examining this global phenomenon and identifying a future research agenda. The study combines a comprehensive review of web searches with gray literature and a limited number of articles from academic journals. Twenty locations, at different stages of development and implementation, were identified as examples to be reviewed and analyzed, thereby providing a context for the review. Subsequently, four themes have emerged: objectives of MHs, format, location, and operational factors. Key findings include the importance of stakeholder engagement in design and location choices, the significance of branding, and connection with existing travel infrastructure including public transport and active travel. Additionally, the provision of amenities is common to MH schemes because it promotes usage and integration into the local landscape. From this detailed review of the state of MHs, a future research agenda has been identified, including further defining MHs, understanding the origin and applicability of MH objectives, considering day-to-day operations, policy transfer implications, and further evaluations of single and network MHs.

Sustainable multi-products delivery routing network design for two-echelon supplier selection problem in B2B e-commerce platform

This paper examines the environmental impact produced by multi-vehicle transportation on a sustainable supply chain (SC) network. The relevance of green principles is gaining momentum day by day, which has forced the governments to introduce carbon emission schemes for the transportation associated with the firms. Various countries around the globe are introducing carbon-pricing schemes, in which a carbon tax is imposed based on the amount of anthropogenic emissions. A firm, which sets environmental standards for the emission associated with its operational activities, should design a transportation network based on the trade-off between its economic efficiency and the carbon emission. In this paper, the main focus is to design a sustainable supply chain network. A mixed-integer-non-linear-programming (MINLP) model is formulated to minimize the overall cost incurred in a multi-vehicle, multi-product sustainable transportation network. The meta-heuristic approach i.e., Hybrid Chemical Reaction Optimization Algorithm with Tabu search (CRO-TS) and LINGO solver have been used to solve the proposed model. This analysis can guide the government to encourage the logistics service providers to capitalize on anthropogenic gas emission systems and simultaneously design the tax policy on carbon emission.

The role of intermodal transport on urban tourist mobility in peripheral areas of Hong Kong

Public transport is used extensively in urban destinations, even though tourists are often unfamiliar with the variety of local means of transport. This study focuses on the role of intermodal transport on tourist visitation to peripheral attractions that are not directly connected to the metro system. A discrete choice experiment conducted in Hong Kong allowed the analysis of i) tourist preferences toward transport services, ii) perceived level of ease for intermodal transport, and iii) the influence of direct transport access on switching behaviour. The estimates of a latent class choice model revealed two segments of tourists with different preferences toward intermodal transport usage, price sensitivity and information provision. From a management perspective, the investigation provides valuable information for attractions, destination marketing organizations, and transport companies. In this regard, a what-if analysis is conducted to estimate the change in the probability of attraction visitation associated with different policies. Furthermore, the analysis of the potential demand for direct transport access indicated a significant increase in the intention to visit secondary tourist attractions. The results allowed to derive implications that help to decongest tourism flows, thereby eventually leading to a more competitive, sustainable and inclusive transportation network system for tourists and residents alike.

Sustainable Transportation Networks Incorporating Green Modes for Urban Freight Delivery

The sustainability of transportation networks is threatened by growing amounts of emissions generated by vehicles. Urban freight delivery is one of the major sources of these emissions. Cargo cycles are attracting increasing attention for urban delivery owing to their numerous benefits, such as being less pollutant, requiring less space on roads, and high maneuverability. Electric vans have also been proposed as another green mode of freight delivery with a larger delivery capacity and range relative to cargo cycles. In this study, urban freight delivery is targeted through a heterogeneous fleet vehicle routing problem. The proposed framework is used to capture the optimal configuration of a mixed freight delivery fleet offering cargo cycles (i.e., pedal-assisted bikes and trikes as well as electric bikes and trikes) alongside the often-used diesel or gasoline vans or small trucks and electric vans. The formulated problem aims to minimize the delivery costs for companies, including maintenance, purchase, fuel, and labor costs and noise and emission taxes. The methodological contribution of this study is to develop a new metaheuristic algorithm, based on variable neighborhood search and simulated annealing, that finds a better solution with up to 7% lower objective function value and 50% to 80% lower solution times relative to the existing approaches in the literature. This study also demonstrates that bikes and trikes are selected at short delivery distances in the Chicago downtown network. Electric vans are more suitable for large distances, while cargo vans are selected for medium distances. Imposing an emission tax would change the model from cargo vans to electric vans. The results also show that increasing tax levels does not necessarily reduce societal costs because the delivery company tends to maintain its profit margin by increasing delivery costs for customers.

Innovations in freight transport: a systematic literature evaluation and COVID implications

PurposeThis paper systematically evaluates the existing literature of innovations in freight transport, including all modes, to uncover the key research themes and methodologies employed by researchers to study innovations and their implications in this industry. It analyses the role of transport and the impact of innovations during crises, such as COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachQualitative and quantitative analysis of the innovations in freight transport unravels the pre-requisites of such endeavours in achieving a resilient and sustainable transport network that effectively and efficiently operates during a crisis. The authors performed keyword co-occurrence network (KCON) analysis and research focus parallelship network (RFPN) analysis using BibExcel and Gephi to determine the major resulting research streams in freight transport.FindingsThe RFPN identified five emerging themes: transport operations, technological innovation, transport economics, transport policy and resilience and disaster management. Optimisation and simulation techniques, and more recently, artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) approaches, have been used to model and solve freight transport problems. Automation innovations have also penetrated freight and supply chains. Information and communication technology (ICT)-based innovations have also been found to be effective in building resilient supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the growth of e-commerce during COVID-19 and the resulting logistics demand, along with the need for transporting food and medical emergency products, the role of automation, optimisation, monitoring systems and risk management in the transport industry has become more salient. Transport companies need to improve their operational efficiency using innovative technologies and data science for informed decision-making.Originality/valueThis paper advises researchers and practitioners involved in freight transport and innovation about main directions and gaps in the field through an integrated approach for evaluating research undertaken in the area. This paper also highlights the role of crisis, e.g. COVID-19, and its impacts on freight transport. Major contributions of this paper are as follows: (1) a qualitative and quantitative, systematic and effective assessment of the literature on freight transport through a network analysis of keywords supplemented by a review of the text of 148 papers; (2) unravelling major research areas; (3) identifying innovations in freight transport and their classification as technological and non-technological and (4) investigating the impact of crises and disruptions in freight transport.

Emphasis on Occupancy Rates in Carbon Emission Comparison for Maritime and Road Passenger Transportation Modes

Carbon emissions generated by the transportation sector represent a large part of total greenhouse gas emissions and are thus subject to various policies and initiatives for emission reduction and the development of sustainable transportation networks. Furthermore, passenger transportation generates a significant amount of emissions within this sector, especially in those countries with large and developed tourist sectors. Examples of such countries are Italy and Croatia, located in the Adriatic region, with a large portion of passengers between them being transported utilizing mainly maritime and/or road transportation modes. A proper analysis of the impact of these transportation mode choices on carbon emissions is essential to enable the selection of the optimal transportation mode for the particular transportation route with respect to the generated emissions. Therefore, this study determines the carbon emissions of the maritime and/or road transportation modes on the existing cross-border passenger transportation routes between Italy and Croatia. For the analysis, the Adriatic region was divided into three sections—the Northern, Middle, and Southern regions—each characterized by specific transportation routes defined by geographical features and distances. The results obtained from this research are presented as total carbon emissions for each transportation mode separately, based on each of three chosen routes in different regions. In addition, a carbon emission comparison between each transportation mode in regard to occupancy rate is performed and presented separately for each chosen route based on its specific distances, transportation means, and features. Finally, by providing an analysis of the existing state, this study can serve as a basis for Italy–Croatia cross-border passenger mobility network modernization and the introduction of new, sustainable, and multimodal transportation routes.

Synchromodal Transportation Analysis of the One-Belt-One-Road Initiative Based on a Bi-Objective Mathematical Model

Synchromodality is the key to finding sustainable solutions for logistics, especially across larger networks. The era of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought special attention to the disruptions in demand and supply across the world and has accentuated the need for sustainable transportation networks to handle such anomalies in supply chains. The proposed research develops a mathematical model for an intermodal transportation network and investigates the model on one of the largest and most widely discussed supply chain projects of the One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative. The proposed bi-objective model focuses on time and cost functions with rail, roads, and ships as modes of transportation. A detailed analysis was performed on various mode alternatives and links to evaluate their performance. The study provides an insightful understanding of the network with several suggestions. In contrast to roads and trains, container ships depict a fourfold increase in fuel consumption for an average ship weighing 4500 TEUs with the increase in shipping speed. It was concluded that increasing port capacity and reducing custom clearance time can have a major impact on lead times, and this is directly influenced by a country’s ease of doing business. Moreover, with its several branches, the OBOR initiative can provide a robust supply chain with increased logistical capacity.

Designing a sustainable freight transportation network with cross-docks

This study aims to develop a sustainable freight transportation network considering capacitated cross-docks for minimising the overall supply chain costs, including carbon emission cost. The problem is inspired by a major retail company based in India, which would like to expand its product portfolio in the new region. A mathematical model is developed to minimise total costs encompassing transportation cost, pipeline and retailers inventory cost, fixed cost of cross-dock and carbon emission costs. The deterministic time dependant demand, multiple products and multiple sourcing and distribution are some of the challenges faced by the retail industry. A two-level self-adaptive variable neighbourhood search algorithm is applied to solve a computationally complex problem. The results based on a two-level self-adaptive variable neighbourhood search algorithm are compared with the variable neighbourhood search algorithm to test the robustness of the developed model. Results reveal that an increase in retailers over suppliers significantly influences the number of open cross-docks. A multiple-case scenario approach captures the implications of varying capacity on the number of open cross-docks; thus, supporting the freight distribution managers in making sustainability-driven decisions.

Integrated design of sustainable supply chain and transportation network using a fuzzy bi-level decision support system for perishable products

This study introduces a fuzzy bi-level Decision Support System (DSS) to optimize a sustainable multi-level multi-product Supply Chain (SC) and co-modal transportation network for perishable products distribution. To this end, two integrated multi-objective Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) models are proposed to formulate the problem. On-time delivery is taken into account as the main factor that determines model performance due to perishability of products. Optimizing the design of SC network using the first level of the proposed DSS, the transportation network configuration is provided optimally in the second level considering different modes and options. In order to contribute to the literature, mainly by addressing uncertainty and perishability, a hybrid solution technique based on possibilistic linear programming and Fuzzy Weighted Goal Programming (FWGP) approach is developed to accommodate our suggested bi-level model. This technique can deal with problem uncertainty while also ensuring the sustainability of the overall system. Lp-metric method is implemented along with three well-known quality indicators to assess the performance of the proposed solution method and quality of obtained solutions. Finally, three illustrative numerical examples are provided using the CPLEX solver to showcase the applicability of the proposed methodology and discuss the complexity of the model. Results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed methodology in finding optimal solutions compared to Lp-metric method, such that it is able to treat a problem with more than 2.2 million variables and 1.3 million constraints in 1093.08 s.

Study on Disaster Resilient Transportation Network for Trade and Tourism Development in Gharapjhong Rural Municipality of Mustang District Nepal

The study was conducted during the period from December 2020 to May 2021 in the Gharapjhong Rural Municipality of Mustang district in Nepal. Both primary and secondary data have been used in this study. Secondary literatures were received from various sources such as published reports, papers, thesis, database, and manuals. And, primary data were collected from the field observation, in-depth interview, focus group discussion and questionnaire survey. The study found that sustainable transportation network is essential to enhance tourism development in Mustang District. Furthermore, insufficient agricultural product, and lack of exploration of tourist sites is affecting tourism growth. Similarly, inadequate awareness among the people of the society, improper sanitation system, inadequate investment from the private sectors, unfavourable weather condition, and weak and fragile soil are the problems for development of trade and tourism. Similarly, inadequate local tourist guides, inadequate schools and health facilities, as well as incompetent representatives are also the key factors for the development of tourism industry. This study would like to suggest that the construction of adequate road network, capacity building and skill development trainings in the tourism sector should be enhanced. Similarly, sufficient advertisement on tourism area should be managed, adequate exploration of tourist sites should be conducted, and local agricultural productivity should be increased along with provision of adequate educational and health institutions, proper water and sanitation facility should be available and adequate tourist guides should be trained.

A Descriptive Analysis on the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Road Traffic Incidents in Sydney, Australia.

COVID-19 has had tremendous effects worldwide, resulting in large-scale death and upheaval. An abundance of studies have shown that traffic patterns have changed worldwide as working from home has become dominant, with many facilities, restaurants and retail services being closed due to the lockdown orders. With regards to road safety, there have been several studies on the reduction in fatalities and crash frequencies and increase in crash severity during the lockdown period. However, no scientific evidence has been reported on the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on traffic incident duration, a key metric for crash management. It is also unclear from the existing literature whether the impacts on traffic incidents are consistent across multiple lockdowns. This paper analyses the impact of two different COVID-19 lockdowns in Sydney, Australia, on traffic incident duration and frequency. During the first (31 March–28 April 2020) and second (26 June–31 August 2021) lockdowns, the number of incidents fell by 50% and 60%, respectively, in comparison to the same periods in 2018 and 2019. The proportion of incidents involving towing increased significantly during both lockdowns. The mean duration of crashes increased by 16% during the first lockdown, but the change was less significant during the subsequent lockdown. Crashes involving diversions, emergency services and towing saw an increase in the mean duration by 67%, 16%, and 47%, respectively, during the first lockdown. However, this was not reflected in the 2021 data, with only major crashes seeing a significant increase, i.e., by 58%. There was also a noticeable shift in the location of incidents, with more incidents recorded in suburban areas, away from the central business area. Our findings suggest drastic changes in incident characteristics, and these changes should be considered by policymakers in promoting a safer and more sustainable transportation network in the future.

Transition to eBuses with Minimal Timetable Disruptions

The implementation of a sustainable and efficient transportation network requires addressing multiple concerns such as driving anxiety and battery charging/discharging times. Currently, the average driving distance of electric buses (eBuses) ranges between 70KM and 200KM on a full charge, about 60% less than regular diesel buses. Therefore, the bus charging infrastructure must be implemented in a way that charging time and limited driving range will not impact the quality of the service. In this paper, we formulate this problem as a MIP model to identify the best location of fast charging stations with minimal disruptions in the current timetables of three cities in Ireland, i.e., Cork, Galway, and Limerick.

20 YEARS OF THE SCO: ON TRANSPORT COOPERATION IN THE SCO SPACE

Since the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, transport cooperation has always been one of the main cooperation areas among the organization’s members. The priority task in this area is to create favorable conditions for the development of sustainable transportation network, ensuring the development of economic cooperation within the SCO. The article examines the issue of transport cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at the present stage. The main external and internal factors hindering transport cooperation of the SCO are analyzed by the authors. The text offers ways and strategies to improve and expand transport cooperation in the SCO in future.

A Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Intermodal Transportation on Incomplete Networks

Growing competition in the world enforces the need for an efficient design of transportation networks. Furthermore, a competitive transportation network should also be eco-friendly. As road transportation is responsible for the largest quantities of CO2 emissions, Intermodal Transportation (IT) might be a potential alternative. From this perspective, intermodal terminals location is a cornerstone for building a sustainable transportation network. The purpose of this paper is to study and efficiently solve the Intermodal Terminal Location Problem on incomplete networks. We model this problem as a mixed integer linear program and develop a simulated annealing algorithm to tackle medium and large instances. The computational results show that the obtained solutions using simulated annealing are competitive and close to the exact solutions found by CPLEX solver for small and medium instances. The same developed algorithm outperforms the best found solutions from the literature using heuristics for larger instances.

Traffic Congestion In Azadpur Mandi: A Study On The Largest Vegetables And Fruits Market Of Asia

India’s intended nationally determined contribution emission which is safe, smart and sustainable green transportation network. Azadpur Mandi which is known for the biggest selling place of fruits and vegetable in Delhi is becoming a place of very heavy traffic area zone. People who are living nearby and the people coming to Azadpur Mandi facing a lot of traffic and also because of no proper direction hinted there people are not able to reach their destination on time. This paper assesses urban traffic congestions and its impact on the daily life of stakeholders and also advocates some possible solutions. In this research found results the number of vehicles has increased in the last ten to fifteen years. The total number of categorised vehicle has also increased. Azadpur Mandi has impacted the land value of the surroundings. The road infrastructure is not sufficient to cater to the traffic volume of this area. The number of lanes in this area is less. This paper outlines the problems of traffic congestion in Asia’s largest sabji (Vegetable) Mandi by using statistical tools. There are very few parking lots inside and outside of the Mandi. This paper investigates the goal 11 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 11 says to make cities safe, resilience, sustainable. According to the Delhi Traffic police, Azadpur is one of the most accident-prone hotspots of Delhi.

A review of road infrastructure development and contemporary degradation on K’gari-Fraser Island

ABSTRACT Unpaved roads are often of poor quality in parks globally, particularly where funding and resources are limited. We review the history of road infrastructure development and provide contemporary evidence of road degradation on World Heritage listed K’gari-Fraser Island to demonstrate a need for a more sustainable transport system. Historical industry from mining and timber exploitation has established but also deeply impacted many sections of the island’s roads. Contemporary observations reveal high volumes of vehicular traffic contributing to erosion and deep-cuttings on many sections of this international tourist destination that attracts approximately 450,000 visitors per annum. Current observations of road degradation show that a more sustainable transport system should be implemented to mitigate further erosion from vehicular and weather impacts. The article provides justification for the need for sustainable transport solutions and strategies based on a history of inland sand road degradation and erosion leading to environmental impacts on K’gari-Fraser Island. Photographic evidence of varying degrees of degradation and erosion currently occurring and from past industry on K’gari’s roads is provided in this article to strengthen the argument for a more sustainable transport network.

Economic and environmental assessment of biomass supply chain for design of transportation modes: strategic and tactical decisions point of view

Decision-makers face several challenges on transportation network as the main component of logistics management in the biomass supply chain (BSC). Transportation of biomass focuses on how and when to get raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods from their respective origins to their destinations. Each supplier can implement strategic and tactical decisions to reduce costs and improve local and export customer service levels in a responsive, economic, and sustainable transportation network. In the process of quantifying economic and environmental sustainability, it is necessary to take into account the greenhouse gas emissions and cost resulting from the transportation of the biomass. This study focuses on the techno-economic and environmental assessment of BSC by considering three transportation modes that include truck, train, and barge. For this purpose, a simulation model is developed using AnyLogic software and tested on a case study in Malaysia. Results show that each type of transportation plays a vital role in designing a BSC transportation network to decrease the cost and GHG emissions. The results of this work would help the biomass industry stockholders and suppliers to define long, and short-term horizons to achieve a timely, cost-effective, and sustainable BSC transportation network.

Measuring and Predicting Erosion on Sandy Roads to Inform Strategies for Sustainable Transport Network Management: A Case Study of the Great Sandy National Park, Australia

Different surveying methods were used to assess and illustrate road profile changes and sediment displacement over a six-month period at four sites on a sand road at Cooloola, Queensland, Australia. Total monthly traffic and total monthly rainfall (two-way ANOVA without replication, p < 0.05) had an effect on the mean centre dumpy level depths and sediment displacement at one site (correlation 0.81 for total monthly traffic/mean centre dumpy level depths), but not at the other three sites. Traditional road-surface field measurements showed large changes in volume and weight of sediment movement and Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) modelling predicted an annual sediment yield (i.e., sand displacement from road) of 115.37 kg with a total sediment loss of 7,551.36 kg for each 120 m by 6 m site over the next 80 years. The methodology used can be applied to other national parks and protected areas and for the effective and sustainable management of sand road networks.