Transport Connectivity Research Articles

Electro-mobility – an Opportunity to Develop a More Sustainable Transport System

The future of transport is electro-mobility, a technology that ensures environmentally friendly and energy efficient vehicles on the road. But to exploit the full benefits of electric propulsion there are still many challenges to overcome. These challenges are related to the cost and residual value (aftermarket) of the vehicles, battery life and cost, charging and range. This article discusses these challenges as well as the state of the electric vehicle market. The aim is to present to what extent the development of electric mobility in Europe and in Bulgaria will outline a more sustainable transport system and to outline what the opportunities for its development are. Decarburization of transport is key to achieving sustainable mobility ensuring transport connectivity across the continent.

The role of transportation connectivity in Vietnam’s trade with ASEAN countries

This article focuses on studying how transportation connectivity affects Vietnam’s trade with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. By using a gravity model, the article applies fixed effects (FE) and random effects (RE) to analyze panel data on trade, GDP, tariffs, border effects, and indicators. The number represents Vietnam’s transport connectivity with ASEAN countries from 2004 to 2021. Research results show that transport connectivity hurts Vietnam’s trade with other countries. ASEAN. The article proposes solutions for the Government and Vietnamese export enterprises to promote intra-ASEAN trade in the direction of increasing the added value of Vietnam’s imported and exported goods within ASEAN countries and balancing between Developing intra-ASEAN and foreign trade.

Prospects for further development of logistics and trade in Central Asian Countries

This paper examines the conditions of foreign trade of the Central Asian countries and their impact on economic growth. Currently, the transport corridors of Central Asia are at the peak of their demand. The current positive changes and achievements of the region are considered. Attention is drawn to the geopolitical trends that create conditions for the development of alternative transport corridors and infrastructure projects. Special attention is paid to improving transport connectivity. It is proposed to develop transit and transport potential and increase the production of finished products. The comprehensive analysis carried out in this work allows us to take a broader look at the potential of the region and propose measures for its full development. Due to the growing role of Central Asia in the international arena, this paper also examines the impact of foreign policy on the development of the region’s economy. The strategic location of Central Asia between China, Russia, Iran and other countries makes the region an important partner in international trade and transport links. The paper analyses the current positive developments in the region, such as the creation of new transport corridors, the development of logistics infrastructure and the strengthening of trade relations with other countries. Special attention is paid to projects for the development of regional integration and economic unions, which contribute to improving competitiveness and economic stability in Central Asia.

СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ТЕНДЕНЦИИ ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИЯ И СТРОИТЕЛЬСТВА ЖИЛЫХ РАЙОНОВ В ГОРОДАХ

This scientific article is devoted to the study of modern experience and principles of designing residential areas in cities, as well as the study of foreign and domestic literary sources on the design of residential areas. Domestic and foreign examples of developed and built residential projects were analyzed. Based on this research, the author has developed the principles of designing residential areas using the example of a residential area in Simferopol. Subject of research: the design and construction of residential areas. Materials and methods: In the course of the study, literary sources that are in the public domain were analyzed, and the functional zoning of residential areas of cities was analyzed. Results: A comprehensive analysis of foreign and domestic examples of the design of residential areas in cities was carried out. Based on the above information, the principles of designing residential areas have been developed. Conclusions: The analysis showed that most of the residential areas under consideration have similar problems and requirements in the field of urban planning. At the same time, it was determined that the most common are: the use of low-quality outdated materials in the construction of residential buildings, monofunctionality of the environment (for example, exclusively residential buildings), chaotic placement of transport and pedestrian connections, insufficient landscaping of courtyards and public spaces of residential areas.

Characteristics and Effects of the Last Kilometre of the Tourist City from the Dynamic and Static Perspectives

The accessibility of the “last kilometre” of a tourist city has a profound impact on the travelling experience of tourists. In-depth understanding of the characteristics and spatial effects of the “last-kilometre” traffic accessibility in tourist cities is conducive to further enhancing the accessibility of traffic travel and forming a new industry development pattern of deep integration of traffic and tourism. The results show that: (1) Private transport accessibility is significantly better than public transport accessibility, and the strong economic strength of large cities such as Peking, Shanghai, and Nanjing support a wider coverage of public transport compared with cities such as Qinhuangdao, Dalian, Ningbo, etc. Even for the middle-income and high-income groups of the large cities, the advantage of the broader travelling cost of public transport is still significant. (2) The average values of the fluctuation coefficients of travel time of public transport in tourist cities are all smaller than those of private transport, and public transport is less sensitive to traffic congestion, making it a more reliable choice for tourist travel. The higher number of public transport grids with more anomalous fluctuations and much larger fluctuations than private transport grids suggests that there is an urgent need to strengthen the standardisation of public transport services in the corresponding areas. (3) Urban tourism development has been moving from single-line to network development, and the impact of urban transport on urban–regional tourism development has been manifested in the place fission effect, corridor diffusion effect, and regional equilibrium effect. In general, our findings have been useful in understanding the accessibility characteristics of the “last kilometre” in tourist cities, optimizing the efficiency of inter-regional and intra-city transport connections, constructing a fast and convenient travel transport system, improving the accessibility of transport trips, and forming a new development pattern for the deep integration of transport and tourism.

Regional comparison of specialized outpatient and (partial) inpatient pain medicine care in Germany

Chronic pain requires graduated and staged levels of care. The aim of this study is to provide aregional overview regarding the accessibility of specialized outpatient and (partial) inpatient pain medicine care from the patient's perspective in Germany. For 1000 model patients randomly generated from German postal code location combinations, the travelling time by car (individual transport, IT)and available public transport connections (PTC) to the nearest specialized outpatient and inpatient pain medicine clinics and units were assessed using aroute planner. Outpatient facilities (in apractice setting) were mostly realistically accessible depending on the proportion of pain treatment and the networking structure. University pain outpatient clinics were at a critically reachable distance with IT for 70% of the patients (80% with PTC) and had unrealistic accessibility for 49% of the patients with IT (68% with PTC). Interdisciplinary multimodal pain programs in day clinics were at a critically reachable distance for 68% of patients with IT (83% with PTC) and in 49% (75% PTC) at an unrealistic travelling time distance considering the more intense treatment requiring frequent travel. Full inpatient interdisciplinary multimodal treatment was more realistically reachable (IT 39% critical, 14% unrealistic, PTC 61% critical, 48% unrealistic). The results show relevant nationwide differences in the accessibility of facilities for specialized pain treatment depending on the place of residence. Considering the treatment of achronic condition with long-term therapeutic goals and the need for graduated care (outpatient and inpatient treatment), the results reveal apartly critical situation from the patient's perspective.

Enhancing Urban Sustainability: Developing an Open-Source AI Framework for Smart Cities

To address the growing need for advanced tools that enable urban policymakers to conduct comprehensive cost-benefit analyses of traffic management changes, the Urbanite H2020 project has developed innovative artificial intelligence methods. Among them is a robust decision support system that assists policymakers in evaluating and selecting optimal urban mobility planning modifications by combining objective and subjective criteria. Utilising open-source microscopic traffic simulation tools, accurate digital models (or “digital twins”) of four pilot cities—Bilbao, Amsterdam, Helsinki, and Messina—were created, each addressing unique mobility challenges. These challenges include reducing private vehicle access in Bilbao’s city center, analysing the impact of increased bicycle traffic and population growth in Amsterdam, constructing a mobility-enhancing tunnel in Helsinki, and improving public transport connectivity in Messina. The research introduces five key innovations: the application of a consistent open-source simulation platform across diverse urban environments, addressing integration and consistency challenges; the pioneering use of Dexi for advanced decision support in smart cities; the implementation of advanced visualisations; and the integration of the machine learning tool, Orange, with a user-friendly GUI interface. These innovations collectively make complex data analysis accessible to non-technical users. By applying multi-label machine learning techniques, the decision-making process is accelerated by three orders of magnitude, significantly enhancing urban planning efficiency. The Urbanite project’s findings offer valuable insights into both anticipated and unexpected outcomes of mobility interventions, presenting a scalable, open-source AI-based framework for urban decision-makers worldwide.

The Primacy Evaluation and Pattern Evolution Mechanism of the Central City in Nanjing Metropolitan Area

Economic globalisation has accelerated the cross-regional flow of resource elements and broken through the constraints of traditional regional administrative boundaries. Urban agglomerations are core carriers that drive and accelerate regional integration development and can promote the division of urban functions and cooperation. This study considers the Nanjing metropolitan area as a case study to construct a comprehensive first-degree evaluation index system for cities from a factor-flow perspective, focusing on economic, cultural, and transportation connections. We found that (1) Nanjing, which has long been ranked first, shows a downward trending score, dropping from 0.956 in 2017 to 0.937 in 2023; (2) The comprehensive first-degree spatial structure of metropolitan-area cities presents a network hierarchical development feature of “one core, multiple centres, and multiple areas”. With Nanjing as the regional core city, Chuzhou (0.879), Yangzhou (0.915), and Wuhu (0.897) as sub-centre cities, and other cities as sub-regional nodes, the urban system structure gradually forms; (3) The indicators of economic (0.166 **), cultural (0.226 **), and transportation (0.644 ***) element connections were interrelated and mutually reinforced, forming a unified entity with internal connections. This study quantitatively measured the level of integrated development in the Nanjing metropolitan area and provided a reference for formulating regional policies.

Characterization of Multi-Layer Rolling Contact Fatigue Defects in Railway Rails Using Sweeping Eddy Current Pulse Thermal-Tomography

Railways play a pivotal role in national economic development, freight transportation, national defense, and regional connectivity. The detection of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) defects in rail tracks is essential for railway safety and maintenance. Due to its efficiency and non-contact capability in detecting surface and near-surface defects, Eddy Current Pulsed Thermography (ECPT) has garnered significant attention from researchers. However, detecting multi-layer RCF defects remains a challenge. This paper introduces a sweeping Eddy Current Pulsed Thermal-Tomography system (ECPTT) to detect multi-layer RCF defects effectively. This system utilizes varying excitation frequencies to heat defects, altering skin depth and facilitating feature extraction to distinguish multi-layer RCF defects. Skewness and thermographic signal reconstruction (TSR) values are employed as features in the experiments. These features are qualitatively analyzed to differentiate the layers and depths of multi-layer RCF defects. Additionally, five different coils were compared and analyzed quantitatively. The results indicate that the ECPTT system can effectively detect and distinguish multi-layer RCF defects, thereby providing more detailed defect information and enhancing railway safety and maintenance efficiency.

Шляхи оптимізації кількості індивідуального транспорту в обмежених можливостях вулично-дорожньої мережі

An analysis of scientific research was conducted in the direction of reducing the negative impact of the use of individual vehicles on the street and road network of cities. In order to solve the problem of transport oversaturation of public transportation systems, the foreign experience of limiting the use of individual vehicles on the street and road network of cities was analyzed. The main directions of restrictions on the use of individual vehicles on the street and road network of cities have been established, including restrictions on the operation of individual vehicles depending on the number of passengers in the cabin, the digital configuration of the state license plate, and the presence of vehicle certification. Methods of limiting the operation of individual vehicles in the busy part of the city were also considered. These measures are aimed at reducing the intensity of traffic in cities and increasing the filling factor of the vehicle interior. Considering that a large share of individual vehicles used in Ukraine belongs to Euro-2 and Euro-4 environmental standards, their use significantly worsens the environmental situation in large cities. Approaches aimed at increasing the use of public transport and other alternative modes of transport for transporting passengers in cities are summarized, which reduces the load on the street and road network and improves the environmental situation. To solve the described problems, it is necessary to use a comprehensive approach, in particular, to apply measures of both a regulatory and an informational nature, primarily to popularize the use of public transport. The proposed measures to solve the described transport problems will improve the comfort of transport connections for all road users and the environmental situation, especially in large cities of Ukraine.

The analysis and assessment of the volume of transit transportation in the Republic of Kazakhstan by types of transport

The purpose of this article is to assess the transit capacity of Kazakhstan in order to identify the main factors influencing the development of transit opportunities and transport connections in the country. The purpose of this comprehensive analysis is to identify key opportunities and problematic aspects in the country's transit capabilities, as well as to identify recommendations for the modernization and development of the transit industry in the interests of economic attractiveness and increasing the competitiveness of Kazakhstan as a transit hub on the world stage. The definition of transit potential is one of those related to the assessment of the potential for using a particular transport route or transport opportunity for the transportation of certain goods and passengers. A transit potential assessment includes an analysis of factors such as geography, accessibility, infrastructure, demand for transport services and competitive advantages and allows you to determine the effectiveness of the use of a transport route or infrastructure, identify possible problems or bottlenecks, and develop strategies for improving the transit system. This work is an analytical study of the transit capabilities of our country. The research manuscript provides a correlation and regression analysis of the total volume of transit traffic in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which is one of the ways to study international economic relations between the volume of traffic and various factors. The results obtained in the conducted analyses allow us to offer recommendations on improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the transit sector in Kazakhstan.

Connectivity conservation through linear infrastructure mitigation: Taking small steps for a giant conservation effort

Social and economic growth imperatives have been the driving force behind the large-scale and rapid spurt in linear infrastructure (LI) projects in India, particularly roads and railway lines. However, while these projects aim to improve the transportation connectivity of the country, their ecological impacts on the natural ecosystems of the country are becoming increasingly evident. We delve into the prerogatives of both infrastructure development and conservation scenarios in India as they relate to one another. We also trace the country’s journey in the realm of mitigating the impacts that these vital infrastructure projects exert on natural systems. We also outline future research directions for ecologists, and the course of action for LI development agencies and other stakeholders to harmonise the conflict between development and conservation. In conclusion, we aim to provide a blueprint for concerted efforts from both conservation and development proponents to ensure that the path to India’s economic growth is sustainable.

Hydrologic connectivity and dynamics of solute transport in a mountain stream: Insights from a long-term tracer test and multiscale transport modeling informed by machine learning

The movement of solutes in a watershed is a complex process with multiple interactions and feedbacks across spatial and temporal scales. Modeling the dynamics of solute transport along diverse hydrologic pathways within watersheds – from hillslopes to stream channels and in and out of the hyporheic zones – is challenging but critically important, as these processes integrate and contribute to the biogeochemical functioning of the river corridor up to the river network scale. Here we use results from a long-term network-scale tracer test at the H.J. Andrews experimental forest in western Cascade Mountains, Oregon, USA to inform a multiscale framework for transport in stream corridors. The framework uses a Lagrangian-based subgrid model to represent the effects of hyporheic exchange flow and advective transport at stream network scales. The spatially and temporally resolved stream discharge needed for the transport model is imputed across the river system by an entity-aware long short-term memory network. Modeled concentrations show good agreements with the observations and exhibit power scaling laws indicative of a very wide range of timescales over which hyporheic exchange flow occurs. Our results demonstrate a data-informed modeling framework that links dynamical processes occurring at small scales to a network context to help understand how changes at reach scale cascade into network-scale effects, providing a useful tool for sustainable river basin management.

What shapes international air transportation in Southern Africa? − The evidence considering the impact of Covid-19

The lack of intra-continental air connectivity in Africa has long been criticized. This paper aims to understand the factors determining intra-regional air transportation in the Southern Africa region and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, we analyze the geospatial characteristics of the air transport network, airport connectivity, and market structure before and after the pandemic. We also examine the progress of air transport liberalization in Africa and its impact on market structure and airline privatization. We find that the liberalization facilitated market competition and the progress of privatization, but its influence didn’t sustain long. Secondly, based on monthly data at the city level from April 2012 to December 2021, using monthly Total Night-time Light Intensity (TNLI) as a proxy of gross regional product (GRP), we develop a gravity model to empirically investigate the determinants of international air passenger flows within Southern Africa. The analysis shows that the factors promoting air traffic include GRP, air transport liberalization, the presence of low-cost carriers, and airline privatization, while high market concentration and diplomatic disagreements hinder air passenger flows. The pandemic and associated government restriction measures have severely impacted intra-regional air transport connectivity, while the vaccination program has significantly contributed to the recovery of air transportation.

El Niño–Southern Oscillation Diversity: Effect on Upwelling Center Intensity and Its Biological Response

The influence of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on productivity at upwelling systems has been extensively studied. However, in recent decades, ENSO diversity has been documented; there are more frequent events with anomalies in the central Pacific (CP) causing ecological impacts that are different from the canonical events centered in the eastern Pacific (EP). We hypothesize that ENSO effects on upwelling intensity and its biological response are highly dependent on ENSO diversity. Wavelet coherence was computed for monthly standardized anomalies of Ekman transport and sea surface Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration from eight upwelling centers located along the west coast of the Baja California peninsula (1993–2022). Ekman transport (ET) showed a non-linear association with ENSO at interannual periodicities between 1.2 and 7 years, as well as semiannual scale variability. Coherence between ENSO and ET showed a reduction in upwelling intensity during CP ENSO events and an increased upwelling intensity after EP El Niño events with regional differences. Our results reveal an influence of northern Pacific circulation that subsequently influences ENSO events during its development and its peak. We detected an influence of SST and wind anomalies on the ENSO–Ekman transport connection associated with the northern Pacific Meridional Mode pattern. The CP shows an important role in sea surface Chl-a concentration anomalies (1998–2022). We highlight the conceptual relevance of distinguishing ENSO diversity, with influential ecological effects associated with CP ENSO events.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REGULATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION INTO THE NATIONAL LEGISLATION OF UKRAINE IN THE FIELD OF INVESTMENT IN CERTAIN INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS

The article examines the problematic issues of the implementation of European Union regulations into the national legislation of Ukraine in the sphere of investment in certain international transport connections. The main regulations in this area have been analyzed, and individual normative legal acts of Ukraine have been identified, which reflect the consequences of the implementation of the European Union regulations in the process of investment implementation using the example of certain international transport connections. A detailed study was carried out in chronological order of the main Regulations of the Council (EEC) with an analysis of the key provisions of each of them. The peculiarities of the specific historical period of the formation and development of the new provisions of the mentioned Regulations have been identified, and their mutual influence has been established. The need to implement certain provisions of the Regulations into the national legislation of Ukraine in the sphere of using international transport corridors has been proven. The priority directions of the development of international transport links with the participation of Ukraine in the context of the assumed international obligations to the EU were noted and emphasized. The author’s proposals regarding the adoption of new bilateral treaties of Ukraine both with EU member states and with all other non-member states with which Ukraine cooperates in the investigated sphere of relations with an emphasis on all possible reservations about public order in Ukraine in the context of providing our territory for transit corridors as well as in the aspect of the development of new international connections, especially taking into account the current threats in the conditions of Russia's military aggression against our country.

Cloudbursts Strike over Foothill Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India: A Case Study from Maldeota, Dehradun District

The present study highlights the cloudburst issues that occurred in Raipur area of Dehradun City. On the night of August 20, 2022, the Raipur area of Uttarakhand state capital Dehradun was lashed by excessive rainfall or cloudbursts resulting in the water level of sub-watersheds of the Song River rising enormously, particularly Bandal Nadi and Song river. Bhaiswar and Sarkhet villages came in limelight which are situated on the Bandal valley due to loss of human lives and property. 5 people were killed while 3 people were injured and 24 animals lost whereas about 8.25 ha of agricultural fields were damaged and 12 families became homeless in these incidences. The transport connectivity of the Sarkhet and adjoining areas was disrupted due to washing off the road in several places. A detailed investigation was carried out in the affected areas to ascertain the causes and impacts of the disaster and the feasibility of rehabilitation land. Geologically, the devastated area is observed to be fragile due to its proximity to Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and subsequent Fault as also lies to the Eastern fringe of the Mussoorie Syncline. It was also observed that untraditionally ways of habitation patterns in the region and economic opportunities due to increasing tourist inflow in the area are responsible for the enhanced devastating potential of disaster. This work mainly concentrates on future risk and suggestions for future risk mitigation within the area.

Локальные транспортные системы российской Арктики (на примере Приморского района Архангельской области)

The article discusses the concept of transport system with a focus on the local transport system, as well as its role in the socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic. The empirical study is based on the materials of expeditions that took place on the Summer and Winter shores of the Onega Peninsula, as well as on the island territories of the Primorskiy district of the Arkhangelsk Oblast. The local transport system was analyzed in terms of its elements: infrastructure, regulatory system, vehicles used, information support, informal institutional system of transport support regulation, etc. The materials obtained during the expedition were supplemented with data on the organization of transport communication, timetables, logistics, and official information on the methods of organizing navigation on the Northern Dvina River and in the White Sea. On the basis of the theory of multiscale and the analysis of empirical data, it is concluded that the local transport system is the main factor determining the scenarios of socio-economic development of municipalities in the Russian Arctic. Transport connectivity of the Arctic zone should start with transformations “from below”, from the local transport system, taking into account local knowledge and institutions. Proposals for the development of the local transport network of the Arctic region are presented.

Cargo volume prediction of logistics sorting center based on GCN-BiLSTM

Taking into account the transport network and average cargo volume of each sorting center, a directed weighted graph is constructed in this paper. Next, the GCN model is used to extract the spatial characteristics of the transport connection information of the sorting center and input it into the BiLSTM network. The BiLSTM network uses the two-way information flow to learn the temporal characteristics, and then uses the GCN-BILSTM model combined with the spatio-temporal characteristics of the sorting center to predict the daily cargo volume in the next 30 days. The integrated learning model based on ARIMA and BiLSTM is then used to predict the next 30 days of hourly cargo volume, and adjust and optimize. The results show that GCN-BiLSTM model and BiLSTM model improve the prediction performance.

Leveraging grants to coordinate land use and transportation planning for local governments: a review of national MPO programs

ABSTRACT Throughout the United States, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are increasingly attempting to shape local land use planning. Some MPOs have developed funding programs that redirect highway and road construction dollars to support less auto-centric community development - which we call Transportation and Land-Use Connection (TLC) programs. Based on a survey of 92 MPOs (out of 402 contacted) and a review of relevant documents, our paper aims to understand the scope and influence of these TLC programs on communities and how their impact is measured. We found that at least 24 MPOs had TLC programs. Our findings show that despite federal funding predominantly supporting these programs, state, county, local, and other regional agencies also provide support. Population size appears to be the most significant influence on an MPO’s participation in a TLC program. Most programs measure pre-implementation success through selection criteria reflecting program goals rather than direct impact measurement. For those that do measure after grants have been awarded, increased non-automobile shares tax revenue and jobs-housing balance were the most common ways success was measured. These findings can help MPOs with existing TLC programs improve formulation guidelines and assist MPOs without such programs in adopting them in their jurisdictions.