Transit Corridor Research Articles

Limited Stop Services Design Considering Variable Dwell Time and Operating Capacity Constraints

This article proposes an optimization model to set frequencies, vehicle capacities, required fleet and the stops serving each route along a transit corridor which minimize the total user and operating costs. The optimization problem is solved by applying the “Black Hole” algorithm, which imitates the movement of stars (solutions), towards a black hole (Best solution). The main contributions of the model are based on incorporating variable dwell times depending on bus stop demand not only to the passenger perceived journey times but also to the bus cycle times and on considering capacity constraints in both vehicles and bus tops. This led to a more accurate and realistic operating times and user perceived journey times. The application of the model to two case studies and the sensitivity analysis carried out demonstrate that for low levels of demand, constant dwell times can be assumed but being these times different between the different stops of the corridor, considering their demand. However, with high level of demand the difference found in operating costs and travel times strongly recommend incorporating variable dwell times in the model in order to achieve a more realistic design of transit corridor strategies.

Bus Trajectory Optimization With Holding, Speed and Traffic Signal Actuation in Controlled Transit Systems

We propose an optimal actuation of operational commands for regularizing bus headways. Assuming that a transit headway control system manages the bus operation by issuing reference arrival times at the next station for a bus, the problem is how to implement the control decisions for the bus in terms of three nonexclusive alternative actions: holding the bus at stops; varying bus speeds; and controlling traffic lights. Mathematical programming provides the basis of the approach. The constraints specify the bus trajectory model and the operator objectives are formulated as a multi-objective cost function solved by a lexicographic method. Results for a bus run on a single segment between two stops highlight the properties of the solution. A simulation study of an entire transit corridor in Quebec City, Canada, shows the advantage of the method over both headway control based on pure holding at stops and on one that combines holding and absolute transit signal priority.

NSR and NSTC projects: environmental and economic efficiency assessment of the goods’ overseas transportation

The authors attempt to assess the environmental and economic efficiency of investment projects for the goods transportation by the northern seas of Russia taking into account the relevance of the topic of cargo transportation by means of the “Northern Sea Route” (NSR) and new concept of the digital format of the “Northern Sea Transit Corridor” (NSTC) implemented by the “Rosatom” State Corporation. The structure of import-export and transit traffic by the NSR in 2020 is considered. The goal of the article is to evaluate the efficiency of investment project for the goods transportation forwards and backwards by the NSR from Murmansk city to PetropavlovskKamchatsky city using the example of the “Andrey Osipov” shipping facility. Some indicators were assessed: planned revenue, payback period; NPV, environmental damage. The following results are obtained: the payback period is 10 years; by using the naval fuel oil over a ten-year period, 1101.6 tons of SOx, 143.1 tons of CO2, 288.9 tons of NOx will be emitted. In addition, the authors propose an innovative approach to creation of ships from new materials and technologies based on the modern paradigm of “Accelerated Digital Certification”.

Ways to increase logistic efficiency of uzbekistan on the basis of development of central Asia transport corridors

The intensification of globalization and integration processes in the world has led to the expansion of trade relations between countries. This process requires, firstly, the development of transport communications, as well as the formation of new cheap and short transcontinental transit corridors, and secondly, the coordination of transport systems of the region with the global transports system. Today, many transport projects have been initiated, and one of the most important projects is the reconstruction of the Great Silk Road. The importance and high profitability of this sector is evidenced by the fact that in the initial stage it is planned to allocate more than 900 billion US dollars for the implementation of the project "One Belt, One Road" for the creation of global transport corridors. The launch of such transport corridors will save both time and unnecessary costs in international transport.

Cultural Barries to the Labor Integration of Refugees in Bulgaria

The paper examines the situation in Bulgaria after the arrival of large numbers of immigrants from the Middle East, in terms of their ability to enter the labor market. The purpose of this study is to analyze the potential and obstacles for the labor integration of refugees and asylum seekers, taking into account the attitude of the Bulgarian society towards this group and its inclusion in the labor market. The proposed analysis uses statistics from the National Statistical Institute, the State Agency for Refugees, data from two nationally representative empirical studies, and interviews with citizens of Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan in the refugee centers. The objective and subjective prerequisites of labor integration of immigrants have been considered - the situation on the labor market, incl. taking into account changes in the age structure of the population in the country, the socio-demographic characteristics of immigrants, their subjective intentions, the attitude of the local population towards them, opinions on equality in the labor market. Particular attention has been paid to the dependence of these attitudes on the perception of threats associated with the presence of immigrants in the country, socio-demographic characteristics, value systems. As a result of the analysis, it was concluded that a low educational level, as a rule, accompanied by a lack of any professional skills, combined with a previous life in a completely different material and organizational environment, is a serious problem in the process of adaptation to new material and cultural living conditions, to new standards and behavioral patterns of the host society. In addition, for the majority of immigrants, Bulgaria is not the ultimate goal, but is only a transit corridor to Western and Northern Europe, and they do not intend to build their future in the country. As for the locals and their attitudes towards immigrants, a significant part of the population does not accept them. Discriminatory attitudes are quite common, including employment. But it should be said that over time the sense of threat weakens, and in general, when forming attitudes towards refugees, more and more importance is attached to their social qualities, and not so much to their religious and ethnicity. In this situation, value systems acquire key importance for the formation of a favorable environment that will motivate immigrants to settle, adapt, develop and realize themselves in the Bulgarian society. The general conclusion is that a systematic approach is required, covering all elements and interactions of the system of immigrants - institutions - local population.

Казахстанский транзит всистеме стратегии «Один пояс – один путь»

As part of the analysis of the modern transport strategy of the People’s Republic of China «One Belt - One Road», the prospects of transit opportunities of the Republic of Kazakhstan are considered in the context of regional interests of Central Asia. The questions of the inevitability of the transformation of world economic policy are touched upon. The growing role of East Asian countries in world trade, and with it the growth of political influence. The Republic of Kazakhstan will have to occupy the economic niche of a transit country, which means that transport projects will have to be developed along with it. Competition between the countries of the region for transit routes is growing, and with it the issue of political struggle and security will be acute. The relationship of transport communications and world trade with the development of regions. The implemented transport projects of Kazakhstan, cooperation within the framework of regional transport projects are considered. Formation of transit corridors, crossings, junctions and their importance in modern world politics. Interests of leading continental powers and their impact on stability and the need to ensure the uninterrupted movement of goods and services in the center of the Eurasian content. Problems of ensuring national security in the context of the struggle of transit interests of the countries of the studied region are considered.

Развитие проекта «Новый шелковый путь»: функционирование в период пандемии и рост контейнерных перевозок

The article examines the reasons for the stable functioning of the land transport corridor on the China-Europe-China route through Russia and Kazakhstan, while the rest of the world was experiencing a pandemic-induced recession in many areas. The latest achievements in the development of the New Silk Road project are noted, and its economic significance for China, Russia and other participating countries is emphasized. The main objectives of this project are highlighted, including: creating convenient and fast transit corridors through the centre of Eurasia, strengthening economic cooperation between the inner regions of China and neighbouring countries, and opening new markets for Chinese goods. Attention is paid to the factors that have a positive impact on the growth of container traffic through existing transport corridors.

Geological Hazards Occurred on the Road Connecting Vashlijvari-Lisi (M. Machavariani Street) in Tbilisi

The capital of Georgia—Tbilisi has a very convenient location and is a node of the transit corridor. Along with natural-geological conditions, its complexity is due to the rapid demographic growth of the city in a highly “sensitive” area of the geological environment and the pressure of high engineering and agricultural activities. In Tbilisi, it is observed almost all types of geological hazards, including landslide-gravitational, suffosion, debris/mudflows, river bank erosion and inundation were caused by groundwater. These hazards cause high damages to the residential houses and other infrastructure facilities. Most importantly and most tragically is that these kind of negative geological events are often accompanied by human casualties. The study discusses the geological processes developed in March 2021 in the corridor of the Vashlijvari-Lisi road (Machavariani Street). The information obtained from the study, reflects the triggering factors of the geological hazards, also damages caused by them, and provides recommendations for short-term and long-term protective measures that should ensure the sustainable operation of the road and other infrastructure facilities.

Якутский губернатор И.И. Крафт и его вклад в строительство Муро-Якутской магистрали в начале XX в.

The article considers the activities of Ivan Kraft, the governor of Yakutsk Oblast, on the incorporation of North-East Siberia into the single economic, administrative and sociocultural space of the Russian Empire. The aim of the study is to analyze Kraft's contribution to the construction and arrangement of the Amur-Yakutsk Highway at the beginning of the 20th century. To reach this aim, the authors broadly use archival sources that have not been previously published and introduced into academic discourse. The topic has theoretical and applied relevance. It has not been sufficiently studied in the historiography of North-East Siberia and is the subject of scholarly and political discussions. The key method in the study is an interdisciplinary approach to the research problem, which is at the intersection of history and economics. The authors used content analysis for a quantitative and qualitative study of these sources based on the principle of historicism and consistency. The authors determined that, in connection with the design of the Amur Railway, the Amur-Yakutsk Highway received the status of a strategic infrastructure object in the macroregion. The authors note that Kraft was the initiator of the construction of the route from Yakutsk to the Amur. The governor conducted a number of scientific and engineering surveys of the most convenient route and made applications for financing the construction of the highway. Kraft made a strategic decision to attract private companies with large capital for the construction. The Upper Amur Gold Mining Company and the Heirs of A. I. Gromova company helped build highway sections with a total length of more than 500 km, equip stations, establish telegraph communications, and construct river crossings. At the beginning of the 20th century, in the framework of modernization measures, Kraft considered Yakutsk Oblast as a mining region. This became the basis for raising the question of Yakutia's access to the Trans-Siberian Railway. The close cooperation of the government, in the person of Kraft, with large enterprises of the region was the basis for the project of constructing a railway line to Yakutsk. In conclusion, the authors note that the processes of incorporation of the Asian borderlands of Russia into the economic, administrative and sociocultural space of the state that Governor of Yakutsk Oblast Ivan Kraft began at the beginning of the 20th century were reflected in the modern policy of the Russian Federation. The Amur-Yakutsk Mainline was put into operation in 2015. At present, the problem of building a bridge across the Lena in the Yakutsk area is still relevant. In 2019, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed orders to begin the construction of the bridge. This will create an international transit corridor between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

LIMITS OF TURKEY’S CAPABILITIES AS A TRANSIT GAS CORRIDOR

The paper examines the role of the Republic of Turkey as a transit corridor for the natural gas supply to the European Union. Turkey's interests in increasing its transit potential based on its favorable geographic location near gas producers and consumers are studied. The results achieved in this direction of the energy policy of the Republic of Turkey are brought out. The limitations for the increase of the volume of gas transit through the territory of Turkey are examined. The documents of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey, the ongoing projects on the transit of pipeline gas through the Turkish territory are analyzed. It is shown that Turkey's interest in the expansion of the geography of gas imports and transit coincides with the interests of the European Union as a gas consumer as well as with the interest of gas suppliers in full (in the case of Azerbaijan) or partially (in the case of Russia) to transit gas through Turkey. Turkey's role as a transit gas corridor is limited by small volumes of gas in comparison with the other directions of supply and an increase in the share of LNG in the European gas market.

Identifying latent demand for transit-oriented development neighbourhoods: Evidence from a mid-sized urban area in Canada

Many studies have provided strong evidence of residents' support for the characteristics of transit-oriented development (TOD) neighbourhoods, but few have explicitly investigated the question of whether these preferences translate into their actual choices. How many households are experiencing a state of residential mismatch between preferred and actual neighbourhoods? What trade-offs have they made in residential location choices? We draw on data from a 2017 residential location choice survey in Kitchener Waterloo (KW), Canada, and employ latent class analysis (LCA) to address these questions. The light-rail transit (LRT) corridor encompassing the area that is 800 m surrounding LRT stops is defined as the TOD area. This study finds empirical evidence of TOD preferences in mid-sized cities and further uncovers latent demand for TOD neighbourhoods during the LRT construction phase. 37% of respondents hold strong TOD preferences but purchased outside TOD areas. These households are primarily young families (aged 25–34) with children and represent a possible missing target in TOD housing supply in our study area. Our findings provide support for building more “missing middle” intensified family housing in TOD areas of mid-sized cities.

Planning skip-stop services with schedule coordination

This paper develops a continuum approximation model for simultaneously designing and coordinating an AB-type skip-stop service, which had been successfully operated in many places (e.g., Chicago, Philadelphia, and Portland in US and Santiago in Chile). The model accounts for spatially heterogeneous demand patterns in transit corridors. Thanks to the parsimonious property, a solution algorithm is developed using calculus of variations and direct search method. In numerical experiments, a variety of scenarios were examined with respect to 14 operational schemes (i.e., the all-stop scheme, the uncoordinated skip-stop scheme, and the coordinated ones of 12 coordination plans), 2 transit modes (i.e., regular bus and rail), and 3 demand patterns (i.e., uniform, low-varied and high-varied demand). The results indicate: (i) the additional benefit of schedule coordination is 2–3% for uncoordinated skip-stop services, which eventually may add up to 6% cost saving as against the traditional all-stop service; (ii) among all coordination plans, the simplest common-headway plan often works best in all tested scenarios; and (iii) for rail system, the operation of the coordinated skip-stop service is very costly due to the requirement of building an extra track, and positive benefit only emerges in the very busy corridors. Lastly, a case study in Chengdu (China) using real surveyed demand data illustrates the application of our model.

An optimization-based speed-control method for high frequency buses serving curbside stops

In this paper, an optimization-based speed-control method is proposed to alleviate the adverse effects of bus bunching. This method specifically focuses on one-way line transit corridors with curbside stops and high frequency buses. In such public transit corridors, holding buses at stops may not be suitable for implementation. Instead of holding, we choose to control bus cruising speeds between stops. The relationship between holding and speed-control is discussed. A conventional holding model M0 as well as a model M1, that determines travel times between stops, are considered. In order to make control decisions easy to understand as well as to follow, an improved speed-control model M2 is also proposed. All the models allow for control decisions based on the real-time state of the entire system. The three models are programmed in a rolling horizon scheme within a simulation system. Simulation experiments are conducted to examine these models in different scenarios associated with different levels of traffic randomness. The corresponding results show that, when the traffic is highly variable, the speed-control method can reduce average passenger waiting time by more than 23% while the holding method results in an average passenger waiting time that is almost 2 min longer than when using the speed-control method. So the speed-control model is shown to be more suitable for implementation in practice. Four strategies that can generate more driver-friendly control decisions are further proposed and tested. The practical applications of the proposed speed-control models are discussed.

Determining the level of service measures to evaluate service quality of fixed-route shared motorized para-transit services

Fixed route shared motorized para-transit services works as a feeder from neighborhoods to public transit routes and also along transit corridors. These services play an important role in catering to the gaps left by existing public transit systems in developing countries. These services are similar to public transit in various aspects, though there are differences in the operation, organization, and ownership of both the services. Lack of formal regulatory policies and benchmarks plague these services which result in various service quality issues. Thus, there is a need to determine the level of service measures or scales to evaluate the service quality of the system. To accomplish this task, the level of service measures has been developed for different attributes of the system based on user perception. It would help transport authorities in cities to set acceptable and safe service delivery levels in the form of regulations. This research has been conducted in Kolkata, India where user perception data has been collected from para-transit users. The LOS scales have been developed using both existing and novel methods both for quantitative and qualitative service attributes. The results indicate that the existing service level is found to be poor for qualitative attributes in comparison to quantitative attributes and users have lower tolerances for para-transit services compared to bus services.

Integrating Affordable Housing with Transit: Where are the Transit Deserts?

This study analyzed transit deserts in Seattle using spatial principal component analysis. We ranked factors related to transit deserts and incorporated the spatial and temporal features of transit services. We found that transit access was the main factor that contributed to transit deserts. We identified clustered and scattered transit deserts. The clustered ones were in dense areas outside of transit corridors, and the scattered ones were located across low-density areas. These findings imply that transit planning and affordable housing should be integrated, and that micro-transit can fulfill the mobility needs of people living in transit deserts.

An investigation of the performance of urban rail transit systems on the corridor level: A comparative analysis in the American west

Since the 1980s, significant investments have been made in urban rail transit across the United States, particularly using light rail technology. Most of these light rail systems have been built in Sunbelt cities which no longer had legacy rail systems. As a result, they were constructed using a building blocks approach, being funded corridor by corridor. Most research, however, on urban rail performance has taken place at the system-wide level, leaving a significant gap at the level of the transit corridor. This research examined nineteen urban rail corridors in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Portland. A performance score was constructed for each corridor based upon ridership per mile, ridership growth, capital costs, and the cost of ongoing operations. These scores were then compared with the geographic profile of each corridor studied. Corridors in each city ranked high and low, with no city emerging as a clear frontrunner. More centrally-located corridors in each city registered the highest performance scores, while longer corridors in more peripheral locations had lower performance scores. Headways, population density, job density, walkability, and percentage renter occupied housing units were found to have a statistically significant relationship with high corridor performance, largely in line with previous studies, though median income, bus connections, and park and ride spaces were not found to increase performance in this study.

WiFi Sensing System for Monitoring Public Transportation Ridership: A Case Study

Public transportation system as an essential mode of travel has been investigated by local governments and transportation agencies to capture passengers' travel behaviors. Despite their efforts, agencies especially in small to medium sized cities could not afford to collect such behaviors data due to significant costs associated with the data collection system. In this study, we presented a WiFi sensing system which makes such data collection feasible with low-cost devices. We demonstrated the WiFi sensing system's applicability in estimating passengers' origin-destination (O/D) travel and passengers' bus stop waiting times via video validation. In addition, WiFi signal strength was analyzed to further improve accuracy of the system. To this end, sliding window algorithm was adopted to mitigate the randomness of mobile devices' signals. Our small-scale proof of concept experiment was conducted at four bus stops along the main transit corridor in Charlottesville, Virginia. Results indicated that the system was able to re-identify 91% of bus passengers and passengers bus stop waiting time error was as small as 7 seconds. It is expected that the system can be a viable low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) solution for monitoring public transit system performance.

New European Union strategy for Central Asia

For several decades, the European Union has been steadily increasing its presence in Central Asian countries. The EU's interests in the region are due to a number of reasons, including the desire to expand its influence in the Central Asian countries, the high importance of the region as a transit corridor between Europe and China, the prospects for economic cooperation, and the importance of the region's energy potential. In May 2019 The European Union has presented a new Strategy for Central Asia, designed to intensify cooperation in a number of areas of interaction. The new strategy is aimed at both implementing these interests and expanding cooperation in a number of other areas.

Driving forces of Turkey's transportation sector CO2 emissions: An LMDI approach

The transportation sector is one of the main contributors to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As the efforts towards emission mitigation increase, the expectation from the sector arises equally. In this analysis, the transportation sector of Turkey is studied to shed light on the future based on historical realizations. In this respect, the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method is used to assess and reveal the influential factors on CO2 emissions in the sector between 2000 and 2017. The emission intensity of the sector and fuel switching shows promising trends from 2000 through 2010, whereas growing preference for SUVs challenges emission reductions between 2010 and 2017. The results indicate that i) The transportation sector CO2 emissions are mainly driven upwards by economic growth, followed by population and emission intensity effects from 2000 to 2017 ii) The overall impact of transportation intensity shows significant reduction potential iii) Fuel switching incentives and fleet efficiency have a positive effect on emission mitigation from 2000 through 2010. However, this gain is reduced due to the rising popularity of SUVs in the rest of the analysis period. In this respect, CO2 emission mitigation in the transportation sector necessitates 1) careful planning of demand management for freight transportation including master designs production/manufacturing sites, material flows, and demand points coupled with economic activities 2) passenger transportation measures to reduce passenger car travel including zoning for public transit corridors, improved public transportation system 3) well-structured incentives on energy-efficient cars and clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles to convince individuals. Analysis can be generalized on a global scale due to the similar dynamics inherent in the sector.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF KCR AND BRT: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY COVERING THE MASS TRANSIT NEEDS AND POLICIES IN KARACHI AS A MEGACITY

Karachi, the fastest-growing megacity in the world, is home to more than 22 million dwellers according to independent sources. Since 1998, its population has increased by more than 100 per cent from 11 million. Considering the population framework given by Karachi Strategic Development Plan 2020, the city is expected to have a population of 28.5 million which would exceed 30 million by 2030. The megacity in the developing countries has mega issues including energy, health, sanitation, education system, employment, environment and transportation. In the last few decades, a large number of developing cities have made huge investments to solve their traffic problems by building mass transit and intelligent traffic systems. One of the most challenging and complicated issues in most megacities is the need to provide a mass transit system for commuters and solve the issues related to traffic management. Karachi is the only Megacity in the world with no proper Mass Transit System. This study attempts to make a comparison between the Sindh Government Karachi Mass Transit Plan 2030 containing six Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors, particularly Green Line, and the revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). The Research Design is based on secondary; exploratory and observational data. Sampling and Survey data has been taken from The Karachi Megacity Survey KMCS-2016 and other secondary sources. This study explores the concerns of the commuters in making available the transport solution in the form of Mass Transit System. It, then, evaluates the features and issues related to the BRT and KCR. The study tries to find out the consequences which ultimately will occur as a result of adopting and implementing either of these or both Mass Transit systems in the context of Karachi as a megacity. The final part of this study tries to identify a better solution for the masses of Karachi as a sustainable long term transit plan.