Swedish Transport Administration Research Articles

Saving lives through vehicle safety

Saving lives through vehicle safety

Risk-based life cycle cost analysis using a two-level multi-objective genetic algorithm

ABSTRACT The aim of this study has been to develop a two-level multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) to optimize risk-based LCC analysis to find the optimal maintenance replacement time for road tunnel ventilation fans. Level 1 uses a MOGA based on a financial risk model to provide different risk percentages, while level 2 uses a MOGA based on an LCC model to estimate the optimal fan replacement time. Our method is compared with the approach of using a risk-based LCC model. The results are promising, showing that the risk-based LCC offers the possibility of significantly reducing the maintenance costs of the ventilation system by optimising the replacement schedule by considering the risk costs. The risk-based LCC can be used with repairable components, making it applicable, useful and implementable within Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket). In this study, MOGA operators have selected the cost of maintenance and risk data through the previous levels using different ways to provide different possible solutions. A drawback of the MOGA based on a risk-based LCC model with regard to its estimation is that a late replacement period over 20-year period might increase the maintenance cost. Therefore, the MOGA does not provide a good solution for a risk-based LCC.

Coordinating maintenance windows and train traffic: a case study

This paper concerns a case study for optimal planning and coordination of railway maintenance windows and train traffic. The purpose is to validate a previously presented optimization model on a demanding real-life problem instance and to obtain results that apply in similar planning situations. A mixed integer linear programming model is used for a 913 km long, single-track railway line through the northern part of Sweden, with traffic consisting of 82 trains per day, most of which are freight trains. Cyclic 1-day schedules are produced, which show that 2 h long maintenance windows can be scheduled with small adjustments of the train traffic. The sensitivity for cost changes is studied, which shows that the train costs must increase by more than 30% in order to change the structure of the window solutions. Resource efficient window schedules are obtained by assigning maintenance teams to all windows while respecting crew work and rest time restrictions. A comparison with manually constructed plans from the Swedish Transport Administration indicates that larger window volumes can be scheduled at a lower cost and with solution structures which are deemed reasonable and useful as guidance for constructing the real window patterns. Finally, we estimate that using an integrated planning approach (where maintenance and trains are jointly planned) instead of a sequential approach (where a train timetable has precedence over the maintenance windows), will give maintenance cost savings of 11–17%, without incurring any large cost increases for the train traffic. The paper also presents a method for achieving cyclic schedules without any period-deciding variables, and discusses the consequences of the aggregated capacity usage model that has been adopted.

Occupational and Individual Determinants of Work-life Balance among Office Workers with Flexible Work Arrangements.

Flexible work arrangements permitting workers to work anytime and anywhere are increasingly common. This flexibility can introduce both challenges and opportunities for the organisation, as well as for worker work-life balance (WLB). This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the extent to which occupational factors (organizational, leadership and psychosocial) and individual work-related behaviours (over-commitment, overtime work and boundary management) are associated with WLB, and whether these associations are modified by the perceived level of flexibility at work (i.e., control over when, where, and how to do the work). In total, 2960 full-time office workers with flexible work arrangements at the Swedish Transport Administration participated. Associations were determined using linear regression analyses with adjustment for covariates. The strongest negative associations with WLB were found for over-commitment, quantitative job demands, expectations of availability, and overtime work. Strongest positive associations were found for boundary management, information about organizing work, social support, and relation-oriented leadership. Perceived flexibility was positively associated with WLB, and interacted with several of the examined factors, buffering their negative associations with WLB. Results suggest that WLB can be promoted by organizational initiatives focusing on minimizing excessive job demands, increasing psychosocial resources, supporting boundary management, and enhancing perceived flexibility.

A numerical and experimental study of a pavement solar collector for the northern hemisphere

Solar energy is a renewable energy source that is globally available. To utilise this type of energy, novel technologies are developed across the globe. Among these, the pavement solar collector (PSC) technology has a considerable potential. A PSC consist of pipes, that are embedded into the upper pavement layers through which fluid is circulated. Solar radiation heats the pavement surface, and the absorbed heat is transferred to the circulating fluid. One applications is to use the heat for recharging shallow geothermal boreholes with solar energy during summer, thereby reducing the electricity consumption of ground source heat pumps during winter. In Scandinavia, however, the knowledge on the PSC application is limited. The Swedish transport administration has therefore established a field station to gain more insight on the PSC in Scandinavia. This paper reports the findings of the investigation from the summer of 2018 and how the efficiency of the PSC is affected by altering the albedo, fluid flow rate, and pipe spacing. The measured harvested energy is 245 kWh/m2 with a solar efficiency of 42%. It is found that by altering the albedo and flow rate, the efficiency could be enhanced by up to 49%. This high efficiency achieved in this study is dependent on the short pipe spacing of 5 cm and results in surface condensation on several occasions. Condensation on PSC has not been reported previously but should not pose a risk to road traffic because surface temperatures are above freezing.

Performance of performance specifications in design-build highway projects

Design-build contracts with performance-based specifications are believed to raise productivity and the innovation rate. Such specifications for highway and bridge contracts may create risks, be too detailed or difficult to verify. The purpose has been to analyse how performance-based requirements are used in Swedish design-build contracts for highway projects. How contractors are encouraged to provide innovative technologies is emphasized. Generic documents from the Swedish Transport Administration for design-build contracts have been studied, and case studies of six design-build contracts with performance-based requirements have been made. Technical specifications for these contracts have been analysed and interviews held with both client and contractor project managers. Results include that it is along the time axis that major obstacles to innovation arise. Before the contractor is able to develop innovative solutions, the initial design plan restricts the highway geometry. During construction, a mix of performance and prescriptive requirement formulations is more of a challenge than clashes between performance requirements. The client may avoid performance language, more so for bridges than road surfaces, because of concerns with efficient maintenance in the future. It is recommended that performance-based specifications should be less detailed and that a life cycle view of highway projects should support innovative technologies.

Hjulstabron (Hjulsta bridge), Sweden

ABSTRACTIn Sweden, the existing Hjulsta bridge that connects Norrköping to Uppsala via the Highway 55 needs to be replaced by a new bridgeas shown in Fig. 1. ZJA Zwarts & Jansma Architects, together with Bosch Slabbers Landscape + Urban Design (landscape architects) and Iv‐Consult (engineering consultancy) formed a Dutch design and engineering team that collaborated with NRC Infrapro and the Swedish Transport Administration to formulate the specifics of the bridge. The subsequent concept design brought all requirements together, resulting in a beautiful slender steel bridge both with regards to the fixed deck as well as the moveable part.

Calibration of Self-Reported Time Spent Sitting, Standing and Walking among Office Workers: A Compositional Data Analysis.

We developed and evaluated calibration models predicting objectively measured sitting, standing and walking time from self-reported data using a compositional data analysis (CoDA) approach. A total of 98 office workers (48 women) at the Swedish Transport Administration participated. At baseline and three-months follow-up, time spent sitting, standing and walking at work was assessed for five working days using a thigh-worn accelerometer (Actigraph), as well as by self-report (IPAQ). Individual compositions of time spent in the three behaviors were expressed by isometric log-ratios (ILR). Calibration models predicting objectively measured ILRs from self-reported ILRs were constructed using baseline data, and then validated using follow-up data. Un-calibrated self-reports were inaccurate; root-mean-square (RMS) errors of ILRs for sitting, standing and walking were 1.21, 1.24 and 1.03, respectively. Calibration reduced these errors to 36% (sitting), 40% (standing), and 24% (walking) of those prior to calibration. Calibration models remained effective for follow-up data, reducing RMS errors to 33% (sitting), 51% (standing), and 31% (walking). Thus, compositional calibration models were effective in reducing errors in self-reported physical behaviors during office work. Calibration of self-reports may present a cost-effective method for obtaining physical behavior data with satisfying accuracy in large-scale cohort and intervention studies.

The potential of vehicle and road infrastructure interventions in fatal bicyclist accidents on Swedish roads—What can in-depth studies tell us?

Objective: The objective of this article is to describe the characteristics of fatal crashes with bicyclists on Swedish roads in rural and urban areas and to investigate the potential of bicycle helmets and different vehicle and road infrastructure interventions to prevent them. The study has a comprehensive approach to provide road authorities and vehicle manufacturers with recommendations for future priorities.Methods: The Swedish Transport Administration’s (STA) in-depth database of fatal crashes was used for case-by-case analysis of fatal cycling accidents (2006–2016) on rural (n = 82) and urban (n = 102) roads. The database consists of information from the police, medical journals, autopsy reports, accident analyses performed by STA, and witness statements. The potential of helmet use and various vehicle and road infrastructure safety interventions was determined retrospectively for each case by analyzing the chain of events leading to the fatality. The potential of vehicle safety countermeasures was analyzed based on prognoses on their implementation rates in the Swedish vehicle fleet.Results: The most common accident scenario on rural roads was that the bicyclist was struck while cycling along the side of the road. On urban roads, the majority of accidents occurred in intersections. Most accidents involved a passenger car, but heavy trucks were also common, especially in urban areas. Most accidents occurred in daylight conditions (73%). Almost half (46%) of nonhelmeted bicyclists would have survived with a helmet. It was assessed that nearly 60% of the fatal accidents could be addressed by advanced vehicle safety technologies, especially autonomous emergency braking with the ability to detect bicyclists. With regard to interventions in the road infrastructure, separated paths for bicyclists and bicycle crossings with speed calming measures were found to have the greatest safety potential. Results indicated that 91% of fatally injured bicyclists could potentially be saved with known techniques. However, it will take a long time for such technologies to be widespread.Conclusions: The majority of fatally injured bicyclists studied could potentially be saved with known techniques. A speedy implementation of important vehicle safety systems is recommended. A fast introduction of effective interventions in the road infrastructure is also necessary, preferably with a plan for prioritization.

Physical planning in an era of marketization: conflicting governance perspectives in the Swedish Transport Administration

ABSTRACTPlanning of transport infrastructure in Sweden has undergone successive legislative changes as well as neoliberal corporatization and marketization reforms in recent years, with a general aim to increase efficiency and effectiveness. This paper presents planning practitioners’ experiences of far-reaching marketization of physical planning practice in line with a strategy within the Swedish Transport Administration (STA) to become a ‘Pure Purchaser’. The strategy implies that all practical planning work should be carried out by procured consultants. The paper follows a qualitative, explorative approach based on document studies and interviews with practitioners actively involved in carrying out physical planning of road and rail investments. The concept of ‘modes of governance’ is applied to highlight and analytically interpret differences in perspectives on efficient and effective governance as expressed in the planning legislation, and the STA marketization strategy, respectively. The empirical results make evident that the recent marketization reforms are generally perceived as strongly and negatively affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of planning practices while also circumscribing professional discretion. The study highlights the importance of specific organization and management perspectives as explanatory factors in studying efficiency and effectiveness of planning practices.

Making transport planning more collaborative? The case of Strategic Choice of Measures in Swedish transport planning

In 2013, a new preparatory study was established in the Swedish national transport planning process: Strategic Choice of Measures (SCM). It constitutes an arena for early dialogue between main actors and stakeholders at local, regional and national level to jointly assess transport related problems and develop solutions. This paper explores the collaborative elements of this planning method, analysing the extent to which the introduction of SCM implies fundamental steps towards a planning approach based on communicative rationality in Swedish national transport planning. The article departs from the government’s recognition of the need for more and deeper collaboration between actors, new approaches and measures for transport problem, and increasing attention to demand management and modal shift to meet transport policy goals more efficiently, asking whether SCM makes national transport planning in Sweden more collaborative, in the sense of primarily relying on communicative rationality. The focus of the analysis lies on collaborative elements in the official SCM guidelines produced by the Swedish Transport Administration (STA) as an expression of an “ideal” SCM process, and a case study of an SCM process considered by the STA to be a good example of SCM in practice. The article concludes that although traces of communicative rationality are visible in both “ideal” and in practice, a more fundamental shift from instrumental to communicative rationality in Swedish national transport planning through the introduction of SCM has not occurred, since collaborative practices of SCM mainly are framed in a wider institutional framework of instrumental rationality.

Time Series Forecasting Using a Two-Level Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm: A Case Study of Maintenance Cost Data for Tunnel Fans

The aim of this study has been to develop a novel two-level multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) to optimize time series forecasting data for fans used in road tunnels by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket). Level 1 is for the process of forecasting time series cost data, while level 2 evaluates the forecasting. Level 1 implements either a multi-objective GA based on the ARIMA model or a multi-objective GA based on the dynamic regression model. Level 2 utilises a multi-objective GA based on different forecasting error rates to identify a proper forecasting. Our method is compared with using the ARIMA model only. The results show the drawbacks of time series forecasting using only the ARIMA model. In addition, the results of the two-level model show the drawbacks of forecasting using a multi-objective GA based on the dynamic regression model. A multi-objective GA based on the ARIMA model produces better forecasting results. In level 2, five forecasting accuracy functions help in selecting the best forecasting. Selecting a proper methodology for forecasting is based on the averages of the forecasted data, the historical data, the actual data and the polynomial trends. The forecasted data can be used for life cycle cost (LCC) analysis.

Public Sector Innovation as Governance Reform: A Comparative Analysis of Competitive and Collaborative Strategies in the Swedish Transport Sector

The constraining impact of bureaucracy on creative problem solving has been a recurring theme in research on public innovation, and public actors increasingly seek to “steer” innovation through interactive spaces for collaboration and competition. This article examines this form of “meta-governance” in the case of the Swedish Transport Administration and reveals a pattern where the initial opening of arenas for innovation is followed by a countermovement toward organization. Findings suggest that the introduction of elements of organization, such as hierarchy, rules, and membership, in governance spaces is a key strategy for coming to grips with a new innovation promoting role.

Jämställdhetsintegrering med styrning bortom New Public Management

This article discusses the management control of gender mainstreaming within the policy field of infrastructure and transportation. The strategy of gender mainstreaming has been practiced within the Swedish government for over two decades. It was implemented in the era of New Public Management when quantitative performance measures were much more valid than qualitatively assessed aspects on the effects of the performance. Consequently, the status of gendered power relations was only disclosed by the counting of women and men which hampered the intended results of gender mainstreaming. Time has passed and the Swedish government is now scrutinizing the unintended effects of New Public Management. At the same time, the Swedish Transport Administration has ordered a shift from identification with the building of infrastructure to the broader role as a societal developer. This development has brought about new questions concerning the outcomes of the undertakings. Public Value Management is an alternative which can be interpreted as a concept for management control meeting the challenges that New Public Management never could handle. Three strategic questions are in focus: (i) Is it valuable for the public? (ii) Is it legitimate and politically supported? (iii) Do we have the operational capacity? Effectiveness in Public Value Management concerns the capability of the administration to do the right things in order to reach the policy goals. There is no consensus regarding the definition of Public Value. Such an ambiguity can turn out to be a strength, since there are no ready-made facts to take for granted. Hence the administration needs to listen to and discuss together with various actors before decisions are taken regarding societal changes. If gender awareness is included in the management processes the results can

Strategic Management in the Public Sector: How Tools Enable and Constrain Strategy Making

ABSTRACTStrategic management (SM) has become prominent on the agenda in several public organizations due to new public management (NPM) reforms. Nevertheless, there are few studies investigating how public organizations apply SM in practice and what tools are used. As a result, calls have been made for such studies. This article can be seen as an attempt to meet this call by presenting a qualitative case study of how SM has been applied in the Swedish Transport Administration (STA), a central government agency in Sweden, and what tools it used in strategy making. By analyzing the micro processes of strategizing at STA, our results indicate that public organizations need to be aware of at least three specific tensions that can enable or constrain strategy making. These tensions are: short v. long-term, parts v. whole, and reactivity v. proactivity.

Segmentation of the current levels of passenger mileage by car in the light of sustainability targets – The Swedish case

Abstract There is a clear need for debate about targeted policies to address individual behaviour and car mileage. In this study, the point of departure is that we need more knowledge regarding travel behaviour focusing on the needed reduction in car mileages. The study illustrates a series of travel behaviour analyses that can be applied in any other country striving for more detailed knowledge of the challenges ahead regarding reductions in car mileage. The focus is on passenger mileage by car in relation to the level of passenger mileage by car estimated by the Swedish Transport Administration for a sustainable transport system by 2050. Four distance categories are defined and used. The results indicate that on an average day, the overwhelming majority of total passenger mileage by car (>90%) is produced by a minority of the population (25%) and only approximately half of the population use a car on an average day. There are differences between rural and urban areas, but for the category of high passenger mileage by car, the difference is not remarkable.

The Planners’ Perspective on Train Timetable Errors in Sweden

Timetables are important for train punctuality. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the people who plan the timetables: the research has instead been more centred on how to improve timetables through simulation, optimisation, and data analysis techniques. In this study, we present an overview of the state of practice and the state of the art in timetable planning by studying the research literature and railway management documents from several European countries. We have also conducted interviews with timetable planners in Southern Sweden, focusing on how timetable planning relates to punctuality problems. An important backdrop for this is a large project currently underway at the Swedish Transport Administration, modernizing the timetable planning tools and processes. This study is intended to help establish a baseline for the future evaluation of this modernization by documenting the current process and issues, as well as some of the research that has influenced the development and specifications of the new tools and processes. Based on the interviews, we found that errors in timetables commonly lead to infeasible timetables, which necessitate intervention by traffic control, and to delays occurring, increasing, and spreading. We found that the timetable planners struggle to create a timetable and that they have neither the time nor the tools required to ensure that the timetable maintains a high quality and level of robustness. The errors we identified are (a) crossing train paths at stations, (b) wrong track allocation of trains at stations, especially for long trains, (c) insufficient dwell and meet times at stations, and (d) insufficient headways leading to delays spreading. We have identified eleven reasons for these errors and found three themes among these reasons: (1) “missing tools and support,” (2) “role conflict,” and (3) “single-loop learning.” As the new tools and processes are rolled out, the situation is expected to improve with regard to the first of these themes. The second theme of role conflict occurs when planners must strive to meet the demands of the train operating companies, while they must also be unbiased and create a timetable that has a high overall quality. While this role conflict will remain in the future, the new tools can perhaps help address the third theme by elevating the planners from first- to double-loop learning and thereby allowing them to focus on quality control and on finding better rules and heuristics. Over time, this will lead to improved timetable robustness and train punctuality.

A function-oriented approach to transport planning in Sweden: Limits and possibilities from a policy perspective

Research on sustainability and transport has paid increasing attention to how the purpose of the transport system is framed, often arguing that there is a need to shift the focus of transport planning and policy from the physical infrastructure to mobility and accessibility. Sweden's national transport policy also has elements of this shift, most noticeable in the so-called four step principle, where the possibility to affect the need for transport and choice of transport mode (step 1) and the possibility to use existing infrastructure more efficiently (step 2) should be considered before large reconstructions (step 3) or new infrastructure (step 4) is chosen as the solution to transport related problems. The aim of this article is to study whether the practical implications of Swedish national transport policy are consistent with the ambitions expressed in the four step principle, with particular focus on the Swedish Transport Administration's (STA) mandate to finance different measures. Based on an analysis of policy documents and semi-structured interviews the main finding of the analysis is that many step 1 and 2 measures do not fall within the financial mandate of the STA. The implementation of the four step principle therefore depends on the commitment among other actors than the STA to implement step 1 and 2 measures. Furthermore, it is concluded that the limits to the STA mandate has consequences for the ability of the STA to engage in collaboration with the actors on which it depends, and that strengthening the STA's mandate to finance a desired function rather than physical infrastructure is likely to increase commitment among other stakeholders to work with these measures. Such a step would imply a different regulatory framework than the current, more in line with ”the sustainable mobility paradigm” (Banister 2008) and could contribute to a good accessibility to different amenities at the same time as negative environmental impacts are reduced.

Managing complex projects in the infrastructure sector — A structural equation model for flexibility-focused project management

Complex construction projects in the infrastructure sector are often beset with delays, which cause benefit shortfalls and increased costs. Prior project management literature and practice have mostly adopted a traditional control-focused approach, but recent research suggests that complex projects need more flexible practices to manage inevitable project change. Thus, the objectives of this study were to develop and empirically test a model for flexibility-focused project management practices to improve time performance in complex projects in the infrastructure sector. Based on empirical data from 138 construction projects procured and managed by the Swedish Transport Administration, the structural equation model shows that complexity and collaboration drive explorative learning, which improves adaptation and thereby improves time performance. Hence, the empirical test verifies that flexibility-focused project management practices based on collaboration, explorative learning, and adaptation enhance time performance in complex projects in the infrastructure sector.

Systematic Knowledge Sharing in a Natural Hazard Damage Context: How Organizational Borders Limit Lessons Learned

The aim of this paper is to increase knowledge about systematic lessons learning in a public–private partnership. Empirically, it focuses on road maintenance in Sweden where the Swedish Transport Administration (STA) is responsible for the state‐owned infrastructure and tendered contractors carry out all maintenance. The tendering process stipulates that the stakeholders should enable learning and the knowledge transfer that is, by necessity, required for preventive purposes. Semi‐structured interviews with project leaders from the STA and respondents from two tendering contractors of maintenance were used to investigate attitudes to and the understanding of sharing experiences and knowledge about damage caused by weather extremes and the relevance of climate change adaptation in their field. The analysis suggests that most of the respondents’ experiences stay within their own organization, which creates parallel feedback loops, rather than becomes shared knowledge that could be used as lessons learned enhancing preventive work against future damage and loss. The analysis indicates imbalance in feedback of knowledge concerning weather extremes and their effects.