Monash University, Institute of Transport Studies: World Transit Research (WTR)
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Integration of e-scooter sharing with public transit on employment accessibility and equity
No full textE-scooter sharing (ESS) is an emerging shared micro-mobility that may enhance urban travel accessibility. This study investigates the potential of ESS used as the feeder to public transit to improve accessibility compared to sole public transit. Meanwhile, the relationships among accessibility gains, the built environment, and socioeconomic distributions are investigated based on multi-source big data. An empirical analysis in Gothenburg of Sweden demonstrates that ESS can substantially enhance accessibility within a 30-minute travel time, with 15% of areas showing statistically significant benefits. Moreover, the accessibility gains exhibit complex nonlinear relationships with the built environment and socioeconomic. High-income and native-born communities obtain an average of 80% accessibility gain, over 10% higher than other demographic groups. Some areas with significant concentrations of low-income and foreign-born populations rely on public transit but currently lack ESS to improve accessibility. Introducing ESS in these under-served areas could yield up to 143% accessibility gains
Understanding commuter preferences for shared autonomous electric vehicles in first-mile-last-mile scenario
No full textUrban transportation faces pressing challenges, especially in enhancing the efficiency of first-mile and last-mile (FMLM) connections. This study focuses on Shared Autonomous Electric Vehicles (SAEV) as a sustainable solution to integrate public transit with urban commuting needs. By employing a hybrid choice model, we analyze various commuter characteristics, including socio-demographic information, daily commuting characteristics, level of service (LOS) attributes, and latent psychological preferences. The results indicate that SAEV have significant potential to shift commuters from private car usage to more sustainable public transit options, particularly among young, single, middle-income urban residents, with young married women emerging as potential target users. However, the uncertainty of SAEV as an on-demand service could potentially deter users. This research underscores the critical role of understanding commuter preferences in urban transport planning, offering a nuanced approach to fostering sustainable mobility solutions that could significantly reduce urban congestion and enhance the efficiency of public transit systems
Train Operation Scheme of Short-Turning Routing in Urban Rail Transit Based on Passenger Travel
No full textThe train operation scheme is the basis of urban rail transport organization. During peak hours, metro operations are characterized by overcrowded and unevenly distributed passenger demand. In this paper, a short-turning strategy is proposed to optimize train operations in combination with passenger flow variations to address the problem of concentrated traffic congestion on long metro lines. Firstly, an optimization model is developed for minimizing the total passenger waiting for time cost and train operating cost, taking into account the actual passing capacity of the line and the current constraints of train operations. Simultaneously, a genetic algorithm is designed to optimize the locations of the turn-back stations and the optimal ratio of different routings during the morning peak hours. Finally, the validity of the model is verified using Nanning Metro Line 1 as a case study, and the sensitivity of positions of turn-back stations is also analyzed. The results showed that the opening of short-turning routing during peak hours is conducive to accelerating train turnover, reducing the number of vehicles employed, and balancing passenger flow. It saved passenger waiting time by 4% and reduced vehicle kilometers traveled by 7% compared with full-length routing. This strategy improves the uneven spatial load of trains during peak passenger flows and provides theoretical support and technical reference for the optimized travel commissioning of urban rail transit line networks
The Dial-a-Ride problem with meeting points: A problem formulation for shared demand–responsive transit
No full textIn this paper, a formulation for the Dial-a-Ride Problem with Meeting Points (DARPmp) is introduced. The problem consists of defining routes that satisfy trip requests between pick-up and drop-off points while complying with time window, ride time, vehicle load, and route duration constraints. A set of meeting points is defined, and passengers may be asked to use these meeting points as alternative pickup or drop-off points if this results in routes with lower costs. Incorporating meeting points into the DARP is achieved by formulating a mixed-integer linear program. Two preprocessing steps and three valid inequalities are introduced, which improve the computational performance when solving the DARPmp to global optimality. Two versions of the Tabu Search metaheuristic are proposed to approximate the optimal solution in large-scale networks due to the NP-hardness of DARPmp. Performing numerical experiments with benchmark instances, this study demonstrates the benefits of DARPmp compared to DARP in terms of reducing vehicle running costs
Estimation of dynamic Origin–Destination matrices in a railway transportation network integrating ticket sales and passenger count data
No full textAccurately estimating Origin–Destination matrices is a pressing challenge in transportation management and urban planning. However, traditional methods like travel surveys have limitations in availability and comprehensiveness, which have been further exacerbated by the recent changes in mobility patterns induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this issue, we focused on the Trenord railway network in Lombardy, Italy, and developed an innovative pipeline to integrate ticket and subscription sales and Automated Passenger Counting data using the Iterative Proportional Fitting algorithm. By effectively navigating the complexities of diverse and incomplete data sources, our approach showcases adaptability across various transportation contexts. Our research offers a valuable tool for operators, policymakers, and researchers, bridging the gap between data availability and the need for precise OD matrices. Additionally, we emphasise the potential of dynamic OD matrices and showcase methods for detecting anomalies in mobility trends, interpreting them in the context of events from the last months of 2022
Low emission zones and traffic congestion: Evidence from Madrid Central
No full textThe aim of this paper is to shed light on the effect of Low Emission Zones (LEZs) on traffic. LEZs are areas in which access is restricted for the most polluting vehicles. They have been found to be effective in reducing pollution, while the expected effect on traffic is not clear. Using high-frequency granular data on traffic for the city of Madrid, I analyze whether LEZ schemes are effective in reducing flow and density within the area of implementation and whether they generate a displacement effect. Taking advantage of the exogeneity of the implementation timing, I develop a pre/post analysis based on time. Results suggest a reduction in traffic inside the restricted area and a displacement to all the other areas of the city. I find a switch to public transport for commutes directed towards the restricted area and rerouting of trips for destinations outside Madrid Central to be two of the possible mechanisms explaining these results. The reduction in traffic inside the restricted area gradually decreases over time and disappears after 7 months. This is consistent with the renewal of the vehicles’ fleet with unrestricted and cleaner vehicles generated by the policy
Replacing diesel buses with electric buses reduced residential low frequency noise
No full textLow frequency noise (20 - 200 Hz) from combustion engines typically dominates the indoor sound environments and is a source for annoyance and sleep disturbance. This study investigated the impact on low frequency noise when diesel operated buses were replaced by electric buses along a bus line in Gothenburg, Sweden. Noise measurements were performed indoors and outdoors for a selection of apartments directly exposed to bus traffic as well as for reference apartments, before and after the intervention. In addition, noise levels were calculated. The results show a significant reduction of the indoor low frequency noise in the range 40 - 80 Hz in the apartments directly exposed to passing buses, both during bus passages (on average 10 dB), and in one-hour measurements (on average 5 dB). The results further show that A-weighted values fail to accurately represent the reduction in noise achieved by the intervention
Rail transit and the growth of consumer amenities: evidence from Chinese cities
No full textOne of the reasons cities are attractive is the rich array of urban amenities they provide. In this study, we examine how investments in urban rail transit affect clusters of consumer amenities in China, based on the experiences of six Chinese cities that are at varying stages of rail transit development. A difference-in-differences model is built using geocoded data on wide categories of consumer amenities to estimate the rail transit effects from a sample of 315 new rail transit stations opened between 2015 and 2018. Our results show that the opening of a new station induces an increase of approximately 4% in the total number of consumer amenities in the vicinity of the station within the first year. The impact strengthens substantially after two years. The effect of rail transit varies across cities and among different neighborhoods within a city. In most cities, rail transit effects are stronger in central areas, contributing to agglomeration of retail and dining amenities. When the rail system expands rapidly, however, the opening of a new station tiggers greater growth of daily service amenities in the suburbs, leading to a decentralization effect. Additionally, we find that neighborhood purchasing power and transit-adjacent land supply have limited impacts on amenity growth driven by new rail stations. This study provides important insight into how public amenities interact with private amenities and its findings have significant implications for urban planners and policymakers
Optimizing electric bus charging infrastructure deployment under two charging modes considering seasonal differences
No full textThe innovations of battery and charging technologies facilitate worldwide bus electrification, which can conserve energy and reduce emissions. The emergence of wireless power transfer technology offers the potential to alleviate bus range anxiety. This paper constructs the layout models of static wireless and centralized charging stations based on the seasonal differences associated with battery capacities and passenger flow, which aims to obtain the bus charging station layout scheme of the lowest cost. Then, the heuristic algorithm is utilized to solve the layout models as the mixed linear programming problem. This study results confirm that the combined layout of static wireless and centralized charging stations is more advantageous than a single model. Finally, the required fixed cost of supporting bus system operation is explored for future capital reserves
Identifying the relationship between intention to use flat-rate public transport and trip frequency by a discrete-continuous model
No full textPublic transport fare is a central feature of transit operations and is a key indicator to reflect transport demand. Yet, relatively little is known about how fare influences on ridership dynamics, including for which types of fare incentives, who accepts it, and how passengers’ travel patterns are changed. This information is particularly important considering concerns about a decline of public transport ridership due to the aging population and pandemic. In this paper, we employ a flat-rate public transport fare as an urgent measure to revive the demand for public transport in rural areas of Japan. A discrete-continuous model is applied to describe the relationship between the intention to use flat-rate public transport and trip frequency. A stated preference survey was conducted with citizens living near the station and bus stops in Kochi Prefecture. This study contributes to the literature by providing firsthand insights about how demand for flat-rate public transport fares is formed and how different policy implications can be made accordingly. The results indicate that a flat-rate fare has proven effective in increasing the frequency of use of public transportation, which will lead to the revitalization of the public transport system. The outcome of this study is anticipated to inform and equip city authorities and operators with advanced knowledge about the benefits of flat-rate fares which can help to change fare policies in the near future