Transportation Planning Tool Research Articles

Typology of high-speed rail city-to-city links

The development of high-speed rail (HSR) networks is leading to a very complex situation in terms of network configuration and the variety of services. This new panorama presents very different feasible connections between city-pairs, multiplying the possibilities of travelling. This paper evaluates the characteristics of all city-pairs served by HSR in Spain through a clustering analysis, with the goal of deriving an HSR city-pair link typology. This assessment offers a new perspective on the HSR network as a multi-role system encompassing eight types of links with very different characteristics. Identifying these types of HSR links will be a useful transport-planning tool for emerging HSR networks to anticipate the different kinds of links they will encompass and for future HSR cities to foresee the possibility of benefiting from one or another type of link and adapting their policies and strategies according to their potential services.

The simulation of the changes in traffic solutions in states of crisis

The aim of the logistics is to ensure that the right things and the right time are in the right place, all with minimum cost. Today, many software is used to solve the distribution. One of them is software PTV Vissim. This software explains individual microscopic simulations. The extensive analytical tools acquired in PTV Vissim make it a level tool for transport planning and traffic optimization. Using this system, you can simulate the existing transport system and then make changes. Due to the ever-increasing number of vehicles in operation and the increasing intensity of cars, urban traffic is deteriorating. The aim of the article is to design a new transport system in the city of Uherské Hradiště in connection with the arrival at the hospital in the event of the states of crisis. Twenty years ago, the town of Uherské Hradiště was hit by enormous floods that cut off the hospital from access. No correction has been made yet. The current proposals for solutions mainly for city development. The authors consider access to the hospital as a critical element of the service to the population. The development of the city is taken as a secondary task. The software is simulating the current state and then the proposed changes. The paper is divided into four parts. Introduction to the problem, determination of limiting factors, simulation using PTV Vissim software and conclusion.

A robust datawarehouse as a requirement to the increasing quantity and complexity of travel survey data

Abstract This research proposes a travel datawarehouse using dimensional modelling for promoting a more understandable structure, generating comparable results, providing faster access to data and accelerating publication of highlights. The adaptation of dimensional modeling to travel data encourages a better structure while integrating, enriching and enhancing data. It provides automated data processing and validation. The proposal of a dimensional model for travel data follows the expected development of transportation planning tools.

From network to services: A comparative accessibility analysis of the Spanish high-speed rail system

High-speed rail (HSR) was originally conceived to connect large metropolitan areas in competition with air transport and suitable for distances between 400 km and 600 km. Since the opening of the first HSR, several studies have been undertaken to evaluate the increased accessibility HSR provides. The accessibility indicators used in these assessments consider the characteristics of the new transport system (speed, layout, stops, etc.) that are fundamentally related to the infrastructure itself. However, many studies on HSR have also highlighted the importance of providing services (timetables, frequencies, and fares). A high-performance infrastructure such as HSR may not reach its full potential in terms of accessibility and reducing travel times unless adequate services are provided.Considering this service approach, the paper presents a comparative accessibility analysis of the Spanish high-speed rail network based on two indicators: one focused on the potential connectivity between stations (location-based measure) and the other based on actual HSR services (schedule-based measure). This latter calculation has been established taking into account the available time at the destination and the associated travel costs. The use of this measure to assess the accessibility of the Spanish HSR network provides a new perspective on the real usefulness of this infrastructure. Comparing these two measures helps us evaluate the extent to which the services provided in each city allow the HSR network to reach its full potential accessibility. The comparison also highlights many dissimilarities among cities. This method provides a useful tool for transport planning and improving city design strategies.

USING GIS AND AHP FOR PLANNING PRIMER TRANSPORTATION OF FOREST PRODUCTS

Abstract. Primer transportation is one of the most costly and time consuming forestry activities in extraction of timber from forest lands. Transportation methods are essentially determined based on terrain characteristics, especially ground slope. Besides, unsuitable machine selection and unplanned operations may cause ecological damages such as soil disturbance. Soil damage can lead to long term impacts on forest ecosystem. Thus, the optimum transportation methods should be determined by considering not only economic factors but also topographical factors and soil conditions. In recent decades, some of the advanced features of Geographical Information System (GIS) assist decision makers to solve such complex transportation problems with various constraints. In this study, it was aimed to plan forest transportation operation by using GIS integrated Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, considering ground slope, soil type, and available transportation equipment in the region. This method was implemented within the border of İnegöl Forest Enterprise Chief in the city of Bursa in Turkey. Alternative transportation method included cable system, chute system, skidder, and farm tractor. GIS-based method integrated with AHP found that skidder was the optimal transportation method for about 60% of the study area, while farm tractor was the second most suitable method with 25% ground cover. The results indicated that GIS-based decision support systems can be effectively used as rational, quick, and economic tool for forest transportation planning.

Travel demand corridors: Modelling approach and relevance in the planning process

In an ideal world, transportation networks and services would be adapted to the specific travel needs of each individual and would perfectly fit the corresponding desire lines (direct lines between origin and destination points). However, in practice, networks cannot be designed to accommodate each individual trip. Still, it is possible to optimize transportation systems from a collective demand point of view. To move from an individual to a collective scale, individual demands need to be encapsulated into demand corridors.Although current spatial tools and data mining techniques are able to identify corridors from numerous movements by using linear or non-linear trajectory data, their limitations—from a transportation point of view—include the use of non-intuitive parameters and the application of some aggregation processes that make it difficult to retrace the attributes of individual input data that could benefit the richness of the available data after processing. For that reason, we propose a new algorithm called Trajectory Clustering for Desire Lines (TraClus-DL), which can identify corridors from Origin-Destination (OD) information with simple parameters, such as spatial location, angles between lines, and sampling weights. The functionality of TraClus-DL as a diagnostic tool for transportation supply was assessed and tested using data from the 2013 OD travel survey conducted in the Montreal area. The sensitivity of the results, with respect to parameter settings, was evaluated, and a comparison with an existing algorithm was proposed.The results of this study demonstrate that transportation specialists can benefit from the convenience of using TraClus-DL as a corridor identification tool, which includes its potential to perform deep analyses at the corridor level. In addition, this study provides new insights into the possible uses of demand corridors as relevant tools for transportation planning, and in the decision-making processes in which a neutral reference is needed to evaluate how much the transportation supply differs from the collective travel demand.

Multi-agent transport simulations and economic evaluation

Tolls are frequently discussed policies to reduce traffic in cities. However, road pricing measures are seldom implemented due to high investments and unpopularity. Transportation planning tools can support planning authorities by solving those problems if they take into account the following aspects: – Demographic attributes like income and time constraints – Time reactions to the policy – Schedule changes of population’s individuals during the whole day Our approach uses multi-agent simulations to model and simulate full daily plans. Each of our agents has a utility function that appraises the performance of a typical, microscopically simulated day. The sum of all utility changes to a policy change can be interpreted as the change in the system’s welfare thus the economic evaluation of a measure straightforward. The approach is tested with travel behavior of the Zurich metropolitan region in Switzerland. Several tolling schemes are investigated. It is shown that the simulation can be used to model travelers’ reactions to time-dependent tolls in a way most existing transportation planning tools are not able to do. It is demonstrated that route adjustment only, as is done in many traditional transport planning packages, results in no economic gains from the tolls. As time-dependent tolls are a much-debated subject in transportation politics, the ability to fully model such tolls and the reactions of travelers may help to find better toll schemes. In a world where individuals have more and more freedom to schedule their daily plans, agent-based simulations offer an intuitive way to research complex topics with lots of interdependencies.

NON-LINEAR MINI-MAX PROBLEM OF MULTI-STOP FLIGHT ROUTES

The major change in trends of air transport development is to increase operating efficiency, productivity and profitability. Airline companies (air operators or carriers) can ensure significant fuel savings and better utilization of airplanes capacity. So they need better transport planning tool for costs minimization on a voyage route with multiple loading/unloading airports (multi-stop routes).The existing routes can be re-optimized (improved) or alternative routes can be offered instead. In this research the efficient heuristic algorithm for optimal transportation of N different loads (e.g. passenger contingent) for the airplane with limited capacity is being developed. The main goal of algorithm is to reduce the idle capacity on the route, to decrease expenses and to increase revenue. Through many test examples we can see that such approach functions very good and calculation complexity is under control.

Network Robustness Index Application at Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Colorado Springs, Colorado

The evaluation and prioritization of highway segments is a key task in the allocation of transportation planning resources at metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). The network robustness index (NRI) is a new and evolving transportation planning measure that is based on changes in travel time that result from the removal of one highway link segment. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, the MPO applied the NRI measure, first on the National Highway System (NHS) and then on a small set of highway project links. The use of the NRI on the NHS made clear a ranking system for high-level criticality in the region, with four categories emerging: low, medium, high, and critical. This criticality assessment function of the NRI is effective in road segment evaluation for evacuation, resilience, and emergency preparedness. The NRI was also tested for planning. A small set of regional highway projects was tested with increases in capacity or speed to rank the projects numerically by vehicle hours saved. This use of the NRI may be of value in evaluating regional transportation plan projects. In all, the NRI was found to be a simple, flexible, and practical tool for MPO transportation planning.

Workplace travel plans: can they be evaluated effectively by experts?

Employers are regularly involved in transport planning and characteristic workplace-oriented tools include: (1) travel plans for building projects, (2) mandatory travel plans, (3) subsidies to employers with an advanced travel plan and (4) best travel plan awards. In all cases, experts judge the level of car use. We argue that decision-makers might benefit from a multiple regression-based benchmark modelling tool that estimates the expected share of the car. In this paper, we estimate the share of car users in the commuting modal split at workplaces. However, since the amount of information available to experts differs, we gradually add information to the model to measure the impact of data availability. Without historic data on modal split, the current share can only be predicted moderately well, i.e. within a 20% range. Besides adding the past, results improve by using homogenous and regional subsamples. Nevertheless, quantitative analyses do not make expert knowledge obsolete.

DTA2012 Symposium: Combining Disaggregate Route Choice Estimation with Aggregate Calibration of a Dynamic Traffic Assignment Model

Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) models are important decision support tools for transportation planning and real-time traffic management. One of the biggest obstacles of applying DTA in large-scale networks is the calibration of model parameters, which is essential for the realistic replication of the traffic condition. This paper proposes a methodology for the simultaneous demand-supply DTA calibration based on both aggregate measurements and disaggregate route choice observations to improve the calibration accuracy. The calibration problem is formulated as a bi-level constrained optimization problem and an iterative solution algorithm is proposed. A case study in a highly congested urban area of Beijing using DynaMIT-P is conducted and the combined calibration method improves the fits to surveillance data compared to the calibration based on aggregate measurements only.

Future Internet Perspectives on an Operational Transport Planning ICT Tool

 Abstract—In this paper, the design of a transport planning module utilizing Future Internet capabilities is described. It is reported on a use case study where functionality from the module will be used to improve the planning of containerized fish transport from Norway to Brazil. Future Internet capabilities are used to integrate services from several actors along the transport chain through the FInest collaboration platform. This improves collaboration between transport actors by automatically utilizing real time information about transport demands, transport services, transport contracts and transport related events during planning and replanning. In the proposed solution, actual capacities are checked automatically and bookings are done based on the transport demand and the selected services. Through interaction with event handling and execution functionalities, replanning is supported in the transport planning tool, and effects of the events on the transport plan are shown directly. The paper concludes that Future Internet capabilities used for transport planning and replanning will increase information visibility and availability throughout the transport chain, and that the solutions can be easily adapted by different actors to fit their specific needs. The fish use case study showed that services offered through Future Internet are promising for increasing capacity utilization for the carriers.

Efficient heuristic for non-linear transportation problem on the route with multiple ports

ABSTRACT We need a better transport planning tool for loading maximization and transport cost minimization on the voyage route with multiple loading/unloading (discharging) ports. The implemented heuristic algorithm is able to find out an appropriate routing sequence with maximal earnings and profit. In the same time it looks for minimal loading/discharging and transshipment costs, but with fulfillment of cargo demands in a number of ports on the route. The efficient algorithm for optimal transport of N cargo loads (e.g. contingent of containers) for ships with limited capacity is being developed. This efficient tool may significantly reduce transport costs and ensure maximal profit to freight forwarders. Also, it can be applied for supply chain management of different goods from numerous vendors. The proposed algorithm shows acceptable complexity that means that such optimization tool can be used in shipping supported with limited computing power.

Optimal transportation of logs and location of quay facilities in coastal regions of Norway

Transportation of timber in coastal regions of Norway is challenging. Transport by ship and availability of appropriate quay facilities are of major importance to increase the harvesting and use of wood, and to secure an efficient and flexible transportation system. An optimisation model is developed that finds the most efficient way to transport logs from supply to demand points and the associated quay locations by minimising total system costs. The influence of co-operation with other industries regarding investment and operation of quay structures is also investigated. We apply the model to a case including 258 municipalities along the Norwegian coast. We present both the model and results of the case study under different scenarios. The analysis shows that the major cost driver is truck transport, and that road quality is paramount, both for the total costs and for optimal location of quay facilities. The results of the scenario analysis also illustrate the trade-off between quay investment costs, number of quays, and truck transport. The model will be a key tool for both quay facility location planning and transportation planning in the Norwegian coastal forestry industry. The model is flexible and robust and can easily be adapted to new regulations and parameters.

An iterative approach to an integrated land use and transportation planning tool for small urban areas

There has been increasing interests in developing land use models for small urban areas for various planning applications such as air quality conformity analysis. The output of a land use model can serve as a major input to a transportation model; conversely, transportation model output can provide a critical input to a land use model. The connection between the two models can be achieved by an accessibility measure. This paper presents an iterative approach to solving a regression-based land use model and a transportation model with combined trip distribution-assignment. A case study using data from a small urban area is presented to illustrate the application of the proposed modeling framework. Tests show that the procedures can converge, and the modeling framework can be a valuable tool for planners and decision-makers in evaluating land use policies and transportation investment strategies.

Use of Regional Transportation Planning Tool for Modeling Emergency Evacuation: Case Study of Northern New Jersey

Evacuation modeling and analysis are concerned primarily with identifying the types of traffic movements associated with a disaster evacuation, as well as the estimation of evacuation and clearance times. Thus, an efficient evacuation planning model is important in determining evacuation times, identifying critical locations in the transportation network, and assessing traffic operations strategies and evacuation policies. In this paper various scenarios, including a hurricane, a toxic chemical leak, dirty bombs, and a nuclear event, are studied to understand the evacuation and highway network effects of the evacuating population. Unlike corridor studies or bottleneck studies found in the literature, a network model with equilibrium assignment is used. The scenarios are tested with a case study of Northern New Jersey, modeled with the North Jersey Regional Transportation Model–Enhanced, a large-scale travel demand model of the region. The results presented in this paper focus on the effect of several assumptions and input data on the evacuation estimates, giving planners an idea of the necessary considerations for evacuation planning with a modeling context. The experience with this study shows that regional planning models are suitable tools to model evacuation; however, the modeler must be careful in their use. Multiple methodologies can be used, and assumptions, such as time of day, notice or no-notice, passengers per car, and background traffic in the network, have wide-ranging effects.

Income-contingent user preferences in policy evaluation: application and discussion based on multi-agent transport simulations

Standard economic policy evaluation allows the realization of projects if the aggregated economic benefit outweighs their costs. The use of one single aggregated welfare measure for evaluating and ranking projects has often been criticized for many reasons. A major issue is that differentiated effects on individuals or subgroups of the population are not taken into consideration. This leads to the need for transport planning tools that provide additional information for politicians and decision makers. The microscopic multi-agent simulation approach presented in this paper is capable of helping to design better solutions in such situations. In particular, it is shown that the inclusion of individual income in utility calculations allows a better understanding of problems linked to public acceptance. First, individual income-contingent utility functions are estimated based on survey data in order to describe human mobility behavior. Subsequently, using the MATSim framework, the implementation is tested in a test scenario. Furthermore, and going beyond Franklin (2006), it is shown that the approach works in a large-scale real world example. Based on a hypothetical speed increase of public transit, effects on the welfare distribution of the population are discussed. It is shown that the identification of winners and losers seems to be quite robust. However, results indicate that a conversion or aggregation of individual utility changes for welfare analysis is highly dependent on the functional form of the utility functions as well as on the choice of the aggregation procedure.

Assessing the impact of the built environment on travel behavior: a case study of Buffalo, New York

Assessing the impact of characteristics of the built environment on travel behavior can yield valuable tools for land use and transportation planning. Of particular interest are planning models that can estimate the effects of ‘smart growth’ planning. In this paper, a post-processor method of quantifying and searching for relationships among many aspects of travel behavior and the built environment is developed and applied to the Buffalo, NY area. A wide scope of travel behavior is examined, and over 50 variables, many of which are based on high-detail data sources, are examined for potentially quantifying the built environment. Linear modeling is then used to relate travel behavior and the built environment, and the resulting models may be applied in a post-processor fashion to travel models to provide some measure of sensitivity to built environment modifications. The study’s findings demonstrate that mode choice is highly correlated to measures of the built environment, and that many of the principles of smart growth appear to be a valid way to encourage non-vehicle travel. Home-based VHT and VMT appear to be affected by the built environment to a lesser degree.

Classifying railway stations for strategic transport and land use planning: Context matters!

The classification of railway stations is a potentially powerful tool for strategic transport and land use planning. Existing classifications rely strongly on the indicator “passenger frequency”, which focuses on transport related issues, blending performance with preconditions at a given site. We argue that a classification system for strategic planning should focus on the demands and conditions of the site within which the railway station must function, i.e. system context. Here, we present such a classification system: a cluster analysis of the 1700 Swiss railway stations relying solely on context factors. The resulting classes vary primarily in density (of land use and transport services) and use (commuting, leisure time, tourism). Common geographic patterns and class-specific dynamics are discernable. These results indicate that classification based on the relevant demands and conditions given by context leads to clearly interpretable classes and supports multi-perspective strategic planning for railway stations. The systematic approach allows for a better understanding of the interrelations between railway stations and their context.

Do transport planning tools reflect the needs of the older traveller?

This article describes a series of small‐scale investigations conducted with older people to understand the importance of independent transport to their daily lives and the key barriers that they face which constrain their travel patterns. The investigations used a blend of methods including literature review, focus groups, accompanied walks, geographical information system (GIS) mapping and interviews with older people and experts working in the field of transport planning. The findings were tested through a series of practitioner and user workshops.While other studies have also provided valuable evidence on the importance of transport to well‐being the article presents evidence as to important cultural aspects of the predominant approach to transport planning which lead to older people's needs not receiving the attention that they need or deserve. There is a lack of training of professionals in the specific needs of this group compounded by a lack of time devoted to understanding these. Efforts to automate the identification of problem areas using GIS mapping do not match well to the problems expressed by older people. This leads us to conclude that a more community‐based, user‐led approach is most likely to deliver the inclusive transport system that transport planners say they wish to develop and that older people would like to travel on.