Transport Disadvantage Research Articles

Mobile laboratories: An innovative and efficient solution for radiological characterization of sites under or after decommissioning

During the operation and the decommissioning of a nuclear site the operator must assure the protection of the workers and the environment. It must furthermore identify and classify the various wastes, while optimizing the associated costs. At all stages of the decommissioning radiological measurements are performed to determine the initial situation, to monitor the demolition and clean-up, and to verify the final situation.Radiochemical analysis is crucial for the radiological evaluation process to optimize the clean-up operations and to the respect limits defined with the authorities. Even though these types of analysis are omnipresent in activities such as the exploitation, the monitoring, and the cleaning up of nuclear plants, some nuclear sites do not have their own radiochemical analysis laboratory. Mobile facilities can overcome this lack when nuclear facilities are dismantled, when contaminated sites are cleaned-up, or in a post-accident situation.The current operations for the characterization of radiological soils of CEA nuclear facilities, lead to a large increase of radiochemical analysis. To manage this high throughput of samples in a timely manner, the CEA has developed a new mobile laboratory for the clean-up of its soils, called SMaRT (Shelter for Monitoring and nucleAR chemisTry). This laboratory is dedicated to the preparation and the radiochemical analysis (alpha, beta, and gamma) of potentially contaminated samples. In this framework, CEA and Eichrom laboratories has signed a partnership agreement to extend the analytical capacities and bring on site optimized and validated methods for different problematic.Gamma-emitting radionuclides can usually be measured in situ as little or no sample preparation is required. Alpha and beta-emitting radionuclides are a different matter. Analytical chemistry laboratory facilities are required. Mobile and transportable laboratories equipped with the necessary tools can provide all that is needed. The main advantage of a mobile laboratory is its portability; the shelter can be placed in the vicinity of nuclear facilities under decommissioning, or of contaminated sites with infrastructures unsuitable for the reception and treatment of radioactive samples. Radiological analysis can then be performed without the disadvantages of radioactive material transport. This paper describes how this solution allows a fast response and control of costs, with a high analytical capacity.

Transportation Disadvantage and Neighborhood Sociodemographics: A Composite Indicator Approach to Examining Social Inequalities

Transportation disadvantage refers to the barriers to or limits on the participation in daily socioeconomic and political life due to the reduced physical accessibility to services and opportunities. The transportation disadvantaged groups not only face the problems of social exclusion in location, but also experience greater exposure to a diversity of social and environmental threat. Under this context, identifying the transportation disadvantaged neighborhoods is of great interest for urban planners. This paper examines the transportation disadvantage in association with neighborhood sociodemographics in Shenzhen, China. A set of multidimensional indicators are initially selected to measure the transportation disadvantage (physical conditions, public transport services, education opportunity, employment opportunity, medical care opportunity, food opportunity, and commercial opportunity). Based on these indicators, principal component analysis produces four composite indicators of different types of transportation disadvantage: transportation disadvantage in physical infrastructure and public services, transportation disadvantage in food and education accessibility, transportation disadvantage in medical care accessibility, and transportation disadvantage in commercial and employment accessibility. In space, the transportation disadvantaged neighborhoods are generally located in the outskirts. Transportation disadvantage is more likely to be observed in neighborhoods that are economically, educationally, residentially and occupationally disadvantaged. These findings reveal significant inequalities in transportation opportunity.

‘A Fantasy to Get Employment Around the Area’: Long Commutes and Resident Health in an Outer Urban Master-Planned Estate

The Selandra Rise master-planned estate (MPE) in Melbourne’s south-east growth corridor was designed to create a “healthy and engaged community” through the provision of parks, physical activity opportunities and community facilities. A 5 year longitudinal study researched the impact on residents. Over one third of residents spent 2 to 3 h per day commuting and high levels of dissatisfaction with commutes were found. Longer commute times were associated with poor physical activity and weight outcomes. The paper concludes that provisions for health and wellbeing within an MPE are insufficient when opportunities for local employment are limited and broader locational, connectivity and transport disadvantages are not addressed.

Driving the poor into debt? Automobile loans, transport disadvantage, and automobile dependence

The disadvantages relating to the financialization of household transport and transport-related debt have yet to receive sufficient attention, partly due to a general lack of data on household-level transport-related liabilities, particularly at small scales of analysis. This issue has risen in importance with increases in households debt levels and changes in the ways automobile purchases are financed. This paper examines the level of automobile-related debt among lower-income households, and the effects of living in automobile-dependent neighbourhoods, using seven of the largest Canadian metropolitan areas as case studies. Detailed household survey data pertaining to both automobile loans and other forms of debt in 2012 are analyzed and compared with census data related to automobile dependence at the neighbourhood (census tract) level. Descriptive and inferential analyses are presented, demonstrating relationships between levels of automobile dependence and higher relative burdens of household indebtedness, particularly for automobile loans, although the relationships are dependent on, and mediated by, local context. The implications for transport policy are discussed.

Cumulative Disadvantage and the Role of Transportation in Community Supervision

Drawing from cumulative disadvantage theory, we are the first to examine the role of transportation disadvantage among other known challenges for women on community supervision. We create a composite measure of transportation disadvantage using factor analyses and data for 362 women on probation and parole in one Midwestern state: It is used to predict arrest and conviction using multiepisode event history analysis and conditional logistic regression. Consistent with cumulative disadvantage theory, the results suggest each additional disadvantage makes women more vulnerable, over and above the other disadvantages. Transportation disadvantage is a significant and entrenched feature in criminal justice-involved women’s lives. The import of modeling all available recidivism events, given the entrenched nature of criminal justice system involvement, cannot be overstated.

Potential for Intermodal Transport of Chemical Goods in Slovakia

This article deals with intermodal transport of chemical goods in Slovak republic. Analysis is based on information from interviews with companies and logistics service providers. The first part of the article describes importance of Intermodal transport and basic transport routes for intermodal transport. Respondents considered advantages and disadvantages of intermodal transport. Possible improvements inside companies and improvements of external framework conditions to promote modal shift are described in the second part of the paper.

Conceptual Framework for Understanding Latent Demand: Accounting for Unrealized Activities and Travel

Historically, latent demand—the activities and travel that are desired but unrealized because of constraints—has been examined from the standpoint of understanding the effects of proposed capacity or service improvements on travel demand. Drawing on work from a variety of theoretical perspectives, this paper presents a broader conceptual view of latent demand that provides a useful framework for researching and understanding these unmet needs. This view is important from an equity standpoint, as it provides insights into questions of transport disadvantage, social exclusion, and poverty. The framework presented here is theoretical in nature and untested empirically. This paper aims to promote discussion and ultimately a more developed theory that can inform transportation planning and forecasting. A better definition and quantification of latent (or induced) demand can aid transportation planners in better predicting the effects of future transportation investments and other social, economic, and technological changes.

Distributive justice and equity in transportation

ABSTRACTOver the past decades, transport researchers and policy-makers have devoted increasing attention to questions about justice and equity. Nonetheless, there is still little engagement with theories in political philosophy to frame what justice means in the context of transport policies. This paper reviews key theories of justice (utilitarianism, libertarianism, intuitionism, Rawls’ egalitarianism, and Capability Approaches (CAs)) and critically evaluates the insights they generate when applied to transport. Based on a combination of Rawlsian and CAs, we propose that distributive justice concerns over transport disadvantage and social exclusion should focus primarily on accessibility as a human capability. This means that, in policy evaluation, a detailed analysis of the distributional effects of transport policies should take account of the setting of minimum standards of accessibility to key destinations and the extent to which these policies respect individuals’ rights and prioritise disadvantaged groups, reduce inequalities of opportunities, and mitigate transport externalities. A full account of justice in transportation requires a more complete understanding of accessibility than traditional approaches have been able to deliver to date.

Local accessibility inequalities and willingness to walk in Latin-American cities: Findings from Medellín, Colombia

ABSTRACTAs planning for accessibility is becoming a priority for most cities, policies encouraging short-distance traveling and the use of active modes of transport are gaining force. Emphasizing short-distance travel and localized practices can produce positive sustainable outcomes, but in order to design proper public policies, a deeper understanding of the determinants of this mobility of proximity is still needed. This paper uses mobility data from the city of Medellín, Colombia, to examine the role of local accessibility and the proximate scale in the city's everyday mobility. The analysis aimed at testing whether significant efforts on improving local conditions and fostering local mobility would help to improve social exclusion and transport disadvantage situations by alleviating the need of motorized and long-distance transport. Unlike most traditional analysis, proximity is not defined by Euclidian distance but instead using travel and modal choice variables. Results show the relevance of socioeconomic variables at determining travel behaviors as well as the importance of local accessibility for social groups in situations of transport disadvantage.

Deprivation and access to work in Dublin City: The impact of transport disadvantage

Ireland's economy underwent a period of rapid expansion between 1995 and 2007, accompanied by a boom in construction. The subsequent decade saw a rapid decline in construction as Ireland went through an unprecedented recession. This paper examines how this boom and bust has influenced deprivation and accessibility in Dublin. The paper examines, through a logit model, links between transport disadvantage, deprivation and employment accessibility in the city. The paper concludes that links exist between deprivation and accessibility in the city, in particular in the newer peripheral suburbs, leaving these areas open to risk of transport poverty.

‘The program was the solution to the problem’: Process evaluation of a multi-site driver licensing program in remote communities

Abstract Introduction The low level of licenced drivers in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory (NT) Australia constitutes a risk factor for transport injury, high incarceration rates, and reduced ability to access employment and health services. The DriveSafe NT Remote program was implemented by the NT Government to increase driver licensing in remote communities. This evaluation reviews the program delivery, acceptability, implementation challenges and licensing outcomes. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used, incorporating program observation and key informant perspectives ( n =30). Program data (collected April 2012 to June 2014) and de-identified licensing data from the NT Motor Vehicle Registry were analysed for trends in service delivery and licensing rates pre and post-program. Results Interviewees reported strong support for the program, and regarded the program as highly engaging and acceptable. There was a greater increase in new licences at intervention sites (Learner 24% and Open licence 18%) compared with other remote areas (Learner licence 13% and Open licence 8%). There appeared to be a dose response relationship with greater licence outcomes at communities that received higher levels of program delivery. Discussion DriveSafe NT Remote is a Government delivered program providing licensing services to Aboriginal clients in remote Northern Territory communities, and is increasing driver licensing rates. The flexible delivery and culturally responsive approach should lead to further positive licensing outcomes. Addressing barriers to licence participation faced by Aboriginal people is an innovative approach to reducing transport disadvantage and positively impacting health and well-being in remote communities. This evaluation demonstrates a pragmatic approach to assessing program implementation of a multi-site community-based program in a vulnerable and underserviced population; it is anticipated this approach could be applied to other settings to ensure programs responsively address road safety in Aboriginal populations.

Measures of Transport-Related Social Exclusion: A Critical Review of the Literature

Quantitative measures of transport disadvantage are reviewed in this paper from the perspective of their effectiveness to investigate social exclusion. The effectiveness is assessed using criteria derived through a review of the concepts of transport disadvantage and social exclusion and their operationalisation. The specified criteria are related to issues of spatial (e.g., urban accessibility, and public transport accessibility), temporal (e.g., public transport availability, and facility opening hours), and social attributes of travel and activity participation (e.g., personal mobility, and disability). Four groups of transport disadvantage measures are identified and evaluated. These include deprivation-based measures, mobility-based measures, accessibility-based measures, and activity-based measures. The review suggests that although the first three categories of measures have traditionally been used to identify transport disadvantage, they do not satisfy issues surrounding activity participation—the key outcome of social exclusion. The activity space concept is a way in which these issues can be incorporated, as it is a measure of the outcomes of activity participation and their associated travel to that activity. Participation in an activity means that an individual has overcome the spatial, temporal and social barriers of travel for that activity. The research using the activity space concept has, however, inadequately identified individual travel and activity participation. This has been due to a separate application of a range of different indicators to assess activity space size. These indicators are by their nature multidimensional—e.g., area visited, distance travelled, and number of activity sites visited. Although each indicator represents a specific qualitative/quantitative aspect of travel and activity participation, researchers have treated these indicators in an isolated manner to identify transport disadvantage and consequently transport-related social exclusion. This paper identifies the weaknesses and strengths associated with these measures; and methods are directed to overcome the limitations.

The Role of Transportation Disadvantage for Women on Community Supervision

Access to transportation (i.e., walking, public transit, personal vehicles), or lack thereof, has not been extensively explored in criminal justice samples. Consequently, mixed-methods study of 366 women on probation and parole is the first to define transportation disadvantage, document its prevalence, and explore the problems related to it. Findings point to four themes, discovered in quantitative data analysis and buttressed by qualitative accounts, that illuminate the importance of transportation to justice-involved women. First, women have extensive transportation deficits at the individual level (e.g., they have poor physical health). Second, women rely heavily on social support. Third, women have deficits at the community level (e.g., they reside in inaccessible areas). Fourth, women have trouble identifying transportation-related problems directly, but through their narratives identify 10 distinct types. Further, transportation was a pressing concern for 42.6% of women that coincides with other needs such as health, safety, employment, neighborhood accessibility, and social support.

Teorijske postavke prometne marginaliziranosti

Teorijske postavke prometne marginaliziranosti

Multimodal Millennials? The Four Traveler Types of Young People in the United States in 2009

Are young Americans embracing a mix of travel modes? This article identifies four types of travelers to answer that question. Drivers travel almost exclusively by automobile; Long-distance Trekkers drive great distances; Multimodals use a mix of modes; and the Car-less rely on nonautomobile modes and make very few trips. Multimodals were exceedingly rare and eight in ten Millennials used an automobile for nearly every trip as a Driver or Long-distance Trekker. By incorporating multiple facets of travel into a single variable, this research provides valuable information for addressing twenty-first-century policy challenges such as encouraging multimodality and alleviating transportation disadvantage.

New variables for detecting transport disadvantages. The role of social capital

This paper explores the potential role of social capital variables on the transport mode choice. Traditionally travel behavior model included social capital as empowerment factor (i.e. social capital as substitute of financial capital) or as social network influence on travel choice. Only recently constraints of social capital are considered as factors influencing travel behavior (Swanen et al, 2015, Di Ciommo & Martens, 2015).This article will show both aspects of empowerments and constraints of social capital in a dynamic way stressing two dynamic aspects of social capital: the building up social capital and use of social capital. Both aspects are related with the value of time: when you are doing something for others ( i.e. Voluntary actions, pick up all family members, etc) you are loosing your time, and your mode choice will be oriented to saving time, therefore a private mode will be chosen, while when you are using your social capital benefit (somebody else is helping you), you will easily choose the less flexible and more time consuming public transport. After defining social capital notion in both aspects of empowerments and constraints, a set of social capital variables is defined. Then two of these variables are tested through a smartphone short panel survey, where 100 individuals living or working in one surrounding southern area of Madrid have participated in entering their travel data for an entire working week. The estimated mixed-logit model that incorporated two “social capital variables: participation in voluntary activities and receiving help for various tasks (i.e. child care) show how people who have less social capital, but that are trying to build it up choose more private than public modes: building social capital stock has a cost in term of time that push people to use more flexible transport mode (i.e. private car), while people who have already a stock of social capital and can use it (i.e. helped people) receive time from others and are more relaxed in choosing a less flexible mode of transport such as public transport. Results confirm that when a new metro station is opened, the shift towards metro is higher in the case of people ”helped” and lower for those participating in some voluntary activities. From a policy point of view, it will be relevant to know if people leaving a specific area are more voluntary or helped oriented, for forecasting the future policies. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2016.2158

Identifying transportation disadvantage: Mixed-methods analysis combining GIS mapping with qualitative data

Rural residents, including elderly, low-income or people with language or physical mobility challenges, may experience transportation disadvantage when land use patterns, built environment and transportation services fail to meet their mobility needs. A technique for identifying transportation-disadvantaged populations, intended for use by local practitioners and designed with their skills and professional routines in mind, was piloted in five rural counties in North Carolina. Maps showing areas of elevated theoretical risk of transportation disadvantage were constructed by overlaying layers of readily available, Census-based geospatial data, to generate composite maps where increasing intensity of shading denotes populations with multiple risk factors. The maps were used in key informant interviews with local transportation-relevant professionals to access their expert knowledge, and in focus groups with non-expert residents to probe their travel routines and need to access essential goods, services and activities. These multiple data sources supported an iterative process of initial mapping, stakeholder outreach, revised mapping, and continued discussion.Our findings both corroborated some a priori expectations, and yielded unexpected insights into which residents may experience transportation disadvantage and how they respond. The work demonstrates how local knowledge can be used to identify unique or non-spatial components of transportation disadvantage, and underscores the importance of locally specific knowledge to support planning efforts to identify and ultimately to address transportation disadvantage.

Understanding the multiple dimensions of transportation disadvantage: the case of rural North Carolina

Transportation disadvantage, which may be described in simple terms as a mismatch between the need for mobility and accessibility and the travel options available, often is assumed to correlate with certain socio-demographic characteristics, such as age (young and old), physical mobility, income, English proficiency, and vehicle access. This paper reports on a study that combined quantitative Census data with qualitative field data collected in interviews and focus groups, to better understand which individuals may in fact be transportation-disadvantaged, and which personal and household factors or environmental conditions correlate with concentrations of transportation-disadvantaged populations. In five rural counties of North Carolina, maps showing areas of elevated risk of transportation disadvantage were used in key informant interviews with planners and other transportation-relevant professionals, as well as in focus groups that probed the travel experiences and patterns of residents. Content analysis of interview and focus group data yielded insights into who is transportation-disadvantaged; what personal, household and environmental factors are notable; and what strategies they use to manage their travel needs. Qualitative data revealed populations not identified by Census data, and yielded rich and nuanced insights into how rural residents perceive their travel needs and habits and how they respond to limits on their mobility and access to routine destinations.

Accessibility, mobility, and realized travel behavior: Assessing transport disadvantage from a policy perspective

Limited accessibility and mobility can result in decreased quality of life and well-being, as well as social exclusion. In the United States (U.S.), rural and small urban communities suffer from transport disadvantage due to a lack of transit and a low density of employment, education, recreation, and other opportunities. While the international literature has produced a number of methods and frameworks to assess transport disadvantage and its impacts, the U.S. has lagged behind in providing pertinent studies. The objective of this paper is to establish comprehensive measures that can support the identification, evaluation, and quantification of transport disadvantage in U.S. rural and small urban communities, considering both data availability and the unique characteristics of the U.S. The concept of transport disadvantage in this paper denotes the disadvantage of a specific population group or area that results from a difficulty accessing transportation and/or opportunities. To achieve this objective, this paper develops a spatial multi-perspective approach to account for the three essential elements of transport disadvantage: accessibility, mobility, and realized travel behavior.The developed approach provides an assessment of transport needs and need gaps that can be of benefit to small urban and rural communities and their planning practices, as well as to transport providers. The analysis in this paper suggests that—from a policy perspective—a combination of measures that account for all three essential elements of transport disadvantage should be considered, because the results of each measure complement those of the others. This paper illustrates the proposed approach using a case study of Indiana. The findings suggest that a great part of rural and small urban Indiana presents a low density of opportunities and that transport-disadvantaged residents of such areas might experience the impacts of low transit supply as well. In addition, the findings suggest that residents of rural and small urban areas travel longer distances on their day-to-day activities.This paper attempts to advance the national research pertaining to transport disadvantage and provide a framework that can support planning and policy decisions at the community as well as at the state level.

Making the Connection between Transport Disadvantage and Motorcycle Usage of Low-Income People in Yogyakarta Urbanized Area, Indonesia

Low-income population is one of the groups that are vulnerable to transport disadvantage because of its limited resources, especially if they also live in areas which are not served by adequate public transportation. In such conditions, a motorcycle becomes an alternative solution to meet their mobility needs. Unfortunately, how motorcycle is used by low- income people and the influencing factors have not been fully understood. This study aims to understand the motorcycle usage in low-income people and identify the factors that contribute to the motorcycle usage in low-income people. Districts and household level of analysis were conducted in Yogyakarta Urbanized Area (YUA), Indonesia in 2014. Based on the results, the study suggests a more inclusive public transport planning in YUA by considering the need of low-income people so that efforts being made to reduce the use of motorcycles will not compromise the mobility of low-income people.