Transportation District Research Articles

Comparison of train noise and vibration measurements with U.S. Department of Transportation model predictions

Wayside noise and ground-borne vibration measurements of freight and light rail train operations were carried out in Denver, CO in support of the Burnham Yard Transportation Planning Study being pursued by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). This study was intended to evaluate various track layout alternatives for the Consolidated Main Line (CML) freight railroad alignment and enhancement of Regional Transportation District (RTD) light rail operations while maintaining options for Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) within Burnham Yard and the surrounding areas. The objective of the measurements was to compare measured train noise and vibration levels with predictions using models sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in order to validate the use of these models to assess the noise and vibration impacts of the project alternatives. The models included the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Chicago Rail Efficiency And Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) freight noise model, the FRA Horn Noise Model, and the models included in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual. Based on a comparison of measured and modeled results, it was concluded that the USDOT models could be used to assess noise and vibration from train operations in the Burnham Yard Study Area.

Quality of Life Dependence on Public Transport Accessibility

Purpose. Article present the survey on dependency of quality-of-life indicators with transport accessibility. Specific focus is on rural areas. There was hypothesis to prove, that inhabitants of low population density rural areas are facing poor quality-of-life. Design/Methodology/Approach. A representative survey of the population was chosen as the research method. The study area was divided into transport districts, and the representativeness of the survey was ensured in each transport district. Transport districts are divided according to the criterion of travel time and public transport supply. The survey included questions that allowed checking whether and which quality of life parameters correlate with the quality of public services. Findings and implications. The research found that public transport accessibility is closely related with such attributes as education, employment rate and closely related to such attributes of life quality as change of clothes more often or having the proper shoes more often as well as having Internet access. Limitations. The study was conducted in just one country with a very high level of car ownership, which is still growing. Another limitation is that the public transport supply in this country is insufficient due to historical reasons. For a long time, public transport was unsubsidized or weakly subsidized in this country. Originality. The originality of the paper is based on a representative survey conducted by the authors, the results of which linked quality of life indicators with public transport availability indicators. The originality of the work is based on a representative survey conducted by the authors, the results of which linked quality of life indicators with public transport availability indicators.

The Walking Bangkapi: Inclusive Pedestrian Network’s Integrated Design and Implementation Study on Bangkok’s Emerging Transportation District

With a city growing in size, capacity, density, and intensity, walkability in the Bangkapi district (Bangkok, Thailand) represents a challenge to produce more inclusive transportation through mobility planning that suits the multimodal transportation system (skywalk, MRT lines, water transportation) and the walking experience of the pedestrian. Drawing from Bangkok’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) strategic plan, the challenge lies in the balancing point of efficiently and effectively elevating walkability while keeping the local urban identity. This study investigates the notion of walkability as both a ground-up participatory design process and within the overall mobility planning framework by reviewing both Thai and international sidewalk standards and through interviews with stakeholders. We conclude by producing an experimental design guide and policy recommendations on how area-specific sidewalks have the potential in shaping more feasible and equitable mobility planning from the ground up.

Habitat heterogeneity explains cultivated and spontaneous plant richness in Haikou City, China

Recent urbanization and human activities have led to the fragmentation of natural landscape patches and reduced the connectivity and degradation of urban ecosystems and biodiversity. Urban plant richness affects social functions and the well-being of urban residents and is driven by land use, local wealth, and urban green space management. Among these drivers, it remains unclear which factors play a more important role in driving the relative diversity of cultivated and spontaneous plant species richness in cities. Therefore, we investigated the spatial patterns and the drivers of cultivated and spontaneous plant species richness within 190 urban functional units (UFUs) in the tropical coastal city of Haikou, China, based on remote sensing data, fieldwork, and surveys of socioeconomic and greening management practices. Using multiple linear regression, we found that the most cultivated plants were located at colleges and universities, public affair service districts, and around hospitals, while the most spontaneous plants were found in transportation districts. The spatial organization of these plants was influenced by factors such as patchiness, connectivity, maintenance frequency and fertilizing frequency. Cultivated plants, conversely, were found to increase with patchiness and connectivity, and their presence was positively related to fertilizing and maintenance frequency. The richness of both spontaneous and cultivated plants was found to be influenced by various factors among different urban functional units (UFUs). The proximity to freshwater resources was found to increase the number of spontaneous plant species. Our findings underscore the significant impact of human activities on urban plant richness and highlight the importance of understanding these dynamics for urban planning and biodiversity conservation. Our work contributes to the scarce literature on the drivers of cultivated and spontaneous plant richness in recently developed tropical cities.

How Time Inefficient and Uncertain are Paratransit Trips Compared to Car Trips

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) stipulates that paratransit mobility be comparable to public transit. However, with just under 5% of the population relying on public transportation, transit is not a representative benchmark. To highlight this inequality, we compare trip times by paratransit to counterfactual car-based travel. Using 2.5 years of demand data from the Denver Regional Transportation District’s Access-a-Ride service, we compare paratransit trip times to counterfactual car-based trips for the same origin–destination pairs, controlling for various trip characteristics. Compared to car travel, the findings indicate high variability and uncertainty associated with paratransit trip times. For the same origin–destination pairs, the mean paratransit trip time is almost twice that of the mean car travel time, with a standard deviation for paratransit trip time fourfold that of the standard deviation for car trip time. For perspective, traveling an average of 10 mi during the 7–8 a.m. morning peak can take about 16 min by car with almost no variability, while that same trip can take an average of 25 min by paratransit, with 5% of trips being outside the 95% confidence interval and thus unpredictable. Paratransit trip time inefficiency tends to be particularly worse for females; older adults; those making trips between 9 and 11 a.m.; cash-paying customers; those making shorter trips; and those traveling during inclement weather, including cold temperatures. These findings suggest a need to re-assess using public transit as a benchmark for paratransit supply as regulated by the ADA.

Пространственная неравномерность распределения по районам города Тюмени транспортного спроса на передвижение индивидуальным и общественным транспортом

The article considers the unevenness of the spatial distribution of the shares of transportation by private and public route traffic in the districts of the city of Tyumen. According to the results of clustering of transport districts of Tyumen, all districts are divided into 9 classes. In areas belonging to the central sector, the share of public traffic transportation is significantly higher than in areas located on the city border. There are specified the dependences of the share of trips by cars and shuttle buses on the average travel time and transportation distance by individual and public transport for each class of transport areas.The results of the study can be used to create new transport areas in the macro-model of the city.

Door-to-Door Mobility: Evaluating a Bus Rapid Transit Community Transport Concept

Portland, Oregon’s regional government, Metro, has designated specific communities in outer Southeast Portland as areas that should be planned to accommodate future population growth. Both Metro and the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (Tri-Met) have expressed a desire for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service to this area from downtown Portland, within a corridor approximately following Southeast Powell Boulevard and Foster Road.A preliminary analysis of BRT alignment alternatives was completed for this study. After six possible alignment options linking downtown Portland with Pleasant Valley and Damascus Town Centers were identified, a multivariate corridor analysis was applied to each option. Criteria used to select the best alignment alternative included regional connectivity, local ridership, operational costs, trip duration, distance, right-of-way and political feasibility, environmental costs, and capital costs. In addition, recommendations have been made for possible station locations along the preferred alternative corridor.This analysis is intended to assist Tri-Met in its efforts to begin planning, designing, and implementing a BRT system in this area. The results of the analysis suggest that a BRT system is feasible for the Powell/Interstate 205/Foster alignment. The outcome also suggests that BRT has the capacity to influence land use and could generate high transit ridership. Overall, it is recommended that Tri-Met and Metro continue to evaluate opportunities for BRT in this alignment.

Detection Range Setting Methodology for Signal Priority

A significant amount of delay to transit vehicles in urban areas is caused by traffic signals. Implementation of signal priority has the potential to reduce control delay caused by traffic signals. The implementation of these systems requires engineering studies that address both transit and traffic signal operations. A comprehensive program requires coordination between the transit agency and the transportation department to address needs of both agencies and users. The City of Portland and the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (Tri-Met) have been working on a program that exhibits the elements of such an effort. This article details the efforts of the project and the methodology for developing signal timing and detection distance settings.

An Evaluation of Comprehensive Transit Improvements—TriMet’s Streamline Program

Transit performance is influenced by a variety of factors in an urban environment. Making transit more convenient and competitive with automobile travel is a key objective for the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet). TriMet’s goal is to have a “Total Transit System” that makes transit an attractive choice for riders. Portland’s Streamline program has been a significant effort toward meeting these goals. The program has resulted in operating and capital cost savings for TriMet by delaying the need to add more buses to the fleet as well as operating savings due to reductions in running time variability. Further, the way the program was implemented resulted in a greater increase in ridership than would have been achieved had the service increases been spread more evenly around the system, confirming that the BRT approach serves transit agencies effectively by concentrating improvements on corridors.

Перспектива автоматизации проектирования велоинфраструктуры городов с целью интеграции транспортных потоков сервисов доставок

The article is devoted to development prospects for urban street road network with the purpose of integration of delivery service transport flows by the means of velotransport infrastructure introduction and its design process automation. Problems and features of cycle-structure introduction in urban conditions in view of current regulatory framework are analyzed. To solve feasibility tasks on veloinfrastructure designing with the purpose of integration of transport flows for delivery services into an urban environment the methods are proposed including transport model development for prognosis accuracy increase for an effect from being introduced veloinfrastructure onto the considered section of urban street road network. The methods application is demonstrated on the example of Saint-Petersburg city section. The effect from new bicycle infrastructure introduction accordingly delivery average time is assessed on the basis of transport modeling in PTV Visum. In accordance with the analysis pursued, the prospects of bicycle infrastructure introduction into the considered transport districts are described.

A Jet-Centered Framework for Investigating High Plains Winter Storm Severity

Abstract This study utilizes a winter severity index (WSI) to characterize the impacts of High (Great) Plains winter storms during the 2006/07–2018/19 winter seasons across Nebraska and the Colorado Front Range. Winter storms are specifically defined based on the severity of their meteorological impacts and are required to influence a majority of Department of Transportation (DOT) districts within both states. Following their identification, winter storms are examined using a jet-centered framework based on the two leading modes of North Pacific jet (NPJ) and North Atlantic jet (NAJ) variability. The analysis reveals that a retracted or equatorward-shifted NPJ establishes a highly amplified flow pattern conducive to cyclogenesis over the central United States, while a poleward- or equatorward-shifted NAJ favors the development of a strongly baroclinic environment across the study region that serves as a focal region for cyclogenesis and precipitation. Composite analyses of winter storms that rank in the top 25% and bottom 25% in terms of their aggregate WSI are also performed to identify characteristics of the synoptic-scale evolution that discriminate between “high impact” and “low impact” events, respectively. High-impact events are found to feature a more amplified upper-tropospheric flow pattern over the eastern North Pacific and western United States relative to low-impact events, which subsequently favors stronger cyclogenesis over the southern plains. The integration of jet regimes with winter storm severity metrics as part of this study offers the potential to enhance impact-based decision support services and provide the weather enterprise, and its stakeholders, with critical life-saving information.

Attracting investment in the Far Eastern Federal District's transport infrastructure as a factor in ensuring the economic security of the region

Subject. This article deals with the issues of the Far Eastern Federal District's transport infrastructure. Objectives. The article aims to determine the importance of transport infrastructure in terms of the State of regional economic security and estimate the investment climate and the prospects of large transport infrastructure projects implementation. Methods. For the study, I used the formal-logical and expert assessment methods. Results. The article determines the position of the transport infrastructure in the system of economic security of the region considering the Far Eastern Federal District as a case study. It describes the particularities and prospects of attracting investment in large transport infrastructure projects. Conclusions. The advanced development of the Far Eastern Federal District is impossible without the implementation of major investment projects. It is necessary to attract private investment through the formation of a favorable investment climate and introduction of modern mechanisms of public-private partnership.

Новий метод реалізації інтервальної концепції моделювання транспортного попиту

The article examines the peculiarities of the OD-matrix generation within the framework of the interval concept of transport demand modeling, which consist in the absence of guarantees of successful distribution of known departure and arrival capacities of transport districts of the transportation object among the matrix cells, in the presence of additional, to capacities, restrictions. The possibilities of full distribution of demand on the OD-matrix in the presence of such restrictions are analyzed and two methods to overcome the existing problem are proposed. For a small number of restrictions, a two-stage matrix filling algorithm is formed. The first stage consists in the usual distribution of transport demand volumes using a random number generator, the second is in the redistribution to open cells of those values that fell into closed matrix cells using closed cycles known from the transport task. For a significant number of restrictions that arise when modeling matrices of route correspondences, or in other cases in which the modeling of transport demand using closed loops becomes impossible, has been created a new method of implementing the interval concept of demand modeling. It is based on repeated use of the basic method of distribution of transport demand without restrictions, which always leads to a complete distribution of capacities according to the OD-matrix. Restrictions imposed on the matrix are taken into account by removing from its current instance those values that are subject to restrictions. The deleted values form the conditions for the generation of the next instance of the matrix until all the departure and arrival capacities of the transport districts are distributed among such matrices. The final matrix is the sum of all the intermediate matrices created in this way. This method of forming OD-matrices allows guarantying a positive result of the generation of random matrices with restrictions and to ensure the full implementation of the interval concept of transport demand modeling.

Minimization of traffic delay in traffic flows with coordinated control

The method and results of transport research, carried out by field research method, on the determination of the main indicators of traffic flows with significant unevenness of the movement on the arterial street in conditions of coordinated control is reviewed in the paper. Time parameters of traffic light control for which a reduction in traffic delay is achieved in direct and opposite traffic flow by the change of permissive signal depending on traffic intensity are determined using the simulation method. Change (increase) of the duration of the permissive signal provides uninterrupted movement of vehicles` group during their passage of stop-line at traffic light objects. The proposed method can be used on sections of transport networks with coordinated control, where there is significant heterogeneity of traffic flow, and it prevents the dissipation of groups that consist of vehicles with different dynamic characteristics. Such a result is being performed in the case when in the system of automated control, which combines adjacent intersections on an arterial street, fixed-time program control of traffic light signalization is operating. In this condition, there is a possibility to adjust the duration of signals of traffic light groups by correcting the width (permissive signal duration) and angle of inclination (speed of movement) of the timeline in coordination graphs. The scientific novelty of this research is that the method of traffic delay minimization in conditions of coordinated control acquired further development. The essence of the method is in the controlled change of the range of permissive signal duration in conditions of simultaneous control of the speed of movement between adjacent intersections. Practical value is the application of different programs of traffic light control on sections of arterial streets in transport districts where a significant difference of values of traffic intensity by directions is in morning and evening peak periods.

Toward the Development of a Unified Process and Methodology Guide for Environmental Justice Analysis in Planning and Programming

Federal Environmental Justice directives require transportation agencies responsible for planning and programming federal funds, including state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental impacts on minority and low-income populations. Despite issuance of federal and state guidance and training programs, many MPOs nationwide continue to seek clarity on effective environmental justice (EJ) approaches and procedural considerations. The South Central Pennsylvania Unified EJ Process and Methodology study was a year-long effort undertaken by a consortium of MPOs in Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 8 to identify a unified and replicable approach to implementing EJ in transportation planning. PennDOT, Federal Highway Administration PA Division, and Federal Transit Administration Region III provided technical assistance and support to the effort. The consortium engaged a technical assistance consultant to facilitate a collaborative process to identify a process framework, a set of analytical methodologies, and effective strategies for advancing EJ in the regional transportation planning process. The study demonstrated a model for convening regional, state, and federal partners to reach consensus around an effective EJ process and methodology. This paper provides an overview of the study process, findings related to the concerns of the participating MPOs, and a brief description of the recommended analytical approaches. The paper discusses lessons learned during the course of the study and considers additional work required to further enhance the EJ process.

ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING ROUTE NETWORK OF THE CITY OF MARHANETS

Purpose. Analysis of the problem of quality functioning of the city passenger transport system of Marhanets in order to develop proposals to improve the quality of transport services. Methodology. To determine the capacities of areas of origin and arrival of passengers used tabular method. Graph theory was used in the development of the topological scheme. The gravitational model was used to calculate the matrix of interdistrict correspondence. Findings. The analysis of the current state of the existing route transport network of Marhanets is performed; the topological scheme of the city is developed; the characteristic of operating city routes is presented; the capacities of transport districts are determined, the matrix of interdistrict correspondence is calculated; the assessment of the existing route network is performed, the initial route network is formed; determined time spent on approaching the stops. Originality. The study of the process of transportation of passengers on the transport network of Marhanets will allow to develop proposals for improving the passenger route network to improve the quality of transport services to the population of the city. Practical value. The practical significance of the work is that the development of a rational passenger route network will improve the quality of transport services for the population of Marhanets, reduce the time spent by passengers to approach the stops and improve the quality of passenger service.

THE REALITY OF MEDICAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION, TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE AND DISPOSAL AT THU DUC DISTRICT HOSPITAL, HO CHI MINH CITY IN 2019

There are 11 rooms and 38 departments with 1791 staffs in Thu Duc District Hospital. Moreover, there are above 6000 patients coming for examination and approximately over 900 in-patients at the hospital. Although the medical solid waste management was concentrated and focused on, there is still some insufficient points that need to be researched. Therefore, we are now proceeding in researchingour aim to describe the reality of medical solid waste management at Thu Duc District Hospital in 2019 and evaluate the factor that affects the waste management. The method for this research is cross-section descriptive research. We have observed all tools, equipments used for managing medical solid waste, and observed the medical solid waste classification in 36 departments/ clinical units, paraclinical, also have used designed inventory. The ratio of the department that meet thegoals in general of collecting, transporting, storage and waste disposal is not really high, only 75%, in which that the ratio for collecting by department only is lowest with 77.8%; next for collecting the waste by equipments with 80.6%; for waste classification by equipments is 83.3%.

Analysis of Single-Vehicle Roadway Departure Crashes on Rural Curved Segments Accounting for Unobserved Heterogeneity

Roadway departure crashes are one of the core emphasis areas in Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP). These crashes, especially on rural roads, lead to a disproportionately higher number of fatalities and serious injuries. The focus of this study is to identify and quantify the factors affecting injury-severity outcomes for single-vehicle roadway departure (SV-RwD) crashes on rural curved segments in Minnesota. The crash data are extracted from the Highway Safety Information System (HSIS) from 2010 to 2014. This study applied a mixed logit with heterogeneity in means and variances approach to model driver-injury severity. The approach accounts for possible unobserved heterogeneity in the data resulting from driver, roadway, traffic, environmental conditions, or any combination of these attributes. This analysis adds value to the growing body of literature because it uncovers some unobserved heterogeneity in the form the attributes specific to driver-injury severities in contrast to the standard mixed logit approach. The model results indicate that there is a complex interaction of driver characteristics and actions (male drivers, aged below 30 years of age, and unsafe speed), roadway and traffic characteristics (two-lane undivided road, county roadways, and low traffic volume), environmental conditions (adverse weather, cloudy weather, dark conditions, and dry surface conditions), and vehicle characteristics (vehicle type—sport utility vehicle involved in rollover crashes). The results also provide some evidence of the effectiveness of a highway curve safety improvement program implemented in one of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT) districts.

Climate change impacts on asphalt road pavement construction and maintenance: An economic life cycle assessment of adaptation measures in the State of Virginia, United States

AbstractPavement design and management practices must be adapted in response to future climate change. While many studies have attempted to identify different methods to adapt pavements to future climate conditions, the potential economic impacts of the adaptations still remain largely unquantified. This study presents the results of a comprehensive life‐cycle cost analysis (LCCA) aimed at quantifying the potential economic impacts of a climate adaptation method, in which an upgraded asphalt binder (Performance Grade PG 76‐22) is used in the construction and maintenance of flexible pavement sections in lieu of the original binder (PG 70‐22) for improved resistance against high temperatures. For each of three major Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) districts with different climates, three case studies consisting of typical interstate, primary, and secondary pavement sections were considered. The LCCA accounted for the costs incurred during the mixture's production, maintenance, and use phases of the pavement life cycle by explicitly considering future climate projections, pavement life‐cycle performance, maintenance effects, and work zone user delays. The study concludes that pavements using the upgraded binder not only perform better over time but are also economically advantageous compared to those with the original binder under the conditions of the anticipated future climate conditions (2020–2039).

КОМПЛЕКСНЕ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ВІЙСЬК ЗА ДОПОМОГОЮ АВТОМОБІЛЬНИХ ПЕРЕВЕЗЕНЬ

The provision of road transport is a complex of measures for enemy's intelligence, areas of loading (unloading) and traffic routes, protection against weapons of mass destruction and inflammation, protection, camouflage, anti-aircraft, anti-tank defense, engineering, material, technical and medical supplies. Protection against weapons of mass destruction includes: radiation, chemical and bacteriological exploration; warning of personnel about the threat of use by the enemy of weapons of mass destruction, information about the zone of damage, areas of debris and fires, alerts on radioactive, chemical and bacteriological damage; use of protective properties of the area and shelter; conducting anti-epidemic, sanitary and preventive measures; provision of means of antichemical protection, sanitary processing of personnel and special equipment processing; neutralizing the consequences of the use of weapons of mass destruction by the enemy. Protection of the automobile column is carried out continuously, mainly on its own resources and means, in accordance with the military calculation; the main attention being paid to organizing the alert of the personnel about the threat of an attack of the enemy and action on alert signals. In the organization of air defense car columns are used mainly by passive means of protection against air attack, namely: dispersed placement of units and their masking; vehicle and personnel shelter; increase of distances between cars when driving the column; use of natural conditions of the terrain. The purpose of material support is to provide motor vehicles with fuel and lubricants, and personnel - ammunition, means of protection, real estate and food products, as well as the creation of the necessary conditions for its heating during transportation in the cold season. Technical support for road transport includes the organization of maintenance, operation and repair of vehicles, as well as the evacuation of defective vehicles to repair sites. In the course of road transport, anti-epidemic measures should be envisaged, the main of which is the intelligence of the sanitary and epidemiological situation of transportation districts, and the carrying out of preventive disinfection measures.