Monash University, Institute of Transport Studies: World Transit Research (WTR)
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Mobility-as-a-Service and the role of multimodality in the sustainability of urban mobility in developing and developed countries
No full textMobility as a service (MaaS) is an emerging framework that integrates multiple transport services into a single and intuitive platform. This paper contrasts the urban passenger transport markets in developed versus developing economies to understand the challenges of integrating mobility services using the MaaS framework, with a focus on decarbonization and sustainability as societal goals. In addition, we conducted a Life Cycle Assessment of carbon emissions and energy requirements of travel alternatives in the city of Santiago, Chile, to shed light on the effects of multimodality as an environmental tool. A summary of findings follows. Data sharing and open data are new in developing countries, and thus more investment in data infrastructure is required so that MaaS can leverage digital technology and network optimization. If the scalability of MaaS is an open question in developed countries, it is more so in developing countries, owning to institutional and financial constraints that are present in the latter. The lack of public subsidies to support formal public transport is a key limitation for the implementation of MaaS schemes and multimodal frameworks in the developing world. Regarding formality, in countries with an informal public transport sector, a potential implementation of MaaS will be spatially constrained to those locations where public transport operates formally and frequently (BRT and rail lines), limiting its spatial coverage and posing social equity issues. In countries with scarce or no public funds available for the transport sector, MaaS could be used as a catalyst for a broad environmental and equity-seeking transport pricing reform which requires a direct involvement of public sector in both regulation and financial backing. We conclude that the formalization and general improvement of the public transport sector, the regulation of shared-mobility platforms including the formalization of the work of drivers, and the setting of proper pricing and subsidization instruments in the direction of internalizing the social costs of motorized traffic, are all prerequisites for any MaaS system that aims to improve economic efficiency, social equity, and sustainability
Strategies to mitigate safety and associated problems at gated rail road grade crossing: A structural equation modelling approach
No full textMobility-as-a-Service and unsustainable travel behaviour: Exploring the car ownership and public transport trip replacement side-effects of the MaaS paradigm
No full textCar-centred development adds significantly to the climate change threat our planet faces. Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) is a concept looking to generate modal shift via the digital and physical integration of alternative on-demand transport services. Recent research raises concerns, however, that contrary to the hype, MaaS may result in unsustainable travel behaviour. On the one hand, future MaaS users that are now primarily drivers may not be ready to shift away from their cars, while, on the other hand, people regularly using public transport may substitute some of these journeys with MaaS-enabled car-sharing, ride-sharing and ride-hailing services. Herein, we study the effects of MaaS on intentions to own a car and to substitute public transport trips with car-centric services, via a UK-based quantitative survey. We use Principal Component Analysis and Ordinal Regression Modelling to see how MaaS-related perceptions referring to Added Value, Car Use Convenience and Enjoyment, Human Element Externalities, Trust in Functionality, Cost Incentives, Car Use Morality, Trust in Enabling Technology and Car Ownership Necessity affect usage intentions. Our results highlight some, typically less discussed, grey areas of MaaS and inform the design of policies, including car service disincentivitisation, responsible user benefits, MaaS rebranding and public transport investment prioritisation
The 2-month lockdown and commuting behavior transformation in Shanghai: A phone signal data-based analysis
No full textResearch on COVID-19\u27s influence on urban mobility often compares pre-pandemic patterns with those during or post-pandemic, emphasizing the decline due to lockdowns and recovery after vaccinations. However, the pandemic\u27s impact on urban mobility and commuting trends, extending beyond the virus\u27s immediate presence, is multifaceted, particularly considering its three-year span and diverse lockdown policies. Our study delves deeper into the effects of Shanghai\u27s 2-month lockdown in 2022, from early April to end of May. Leveraging granular phone signal data, we meticulously compared and analyzed the geospatial dynamics of commuting between May 2021 and July 2022. Our findings revealed a notable contraction in commuting distances. Regions previously characterized by extensive long-distance commuting lost their allure post-lockdown. Intriguingly, administrative boundaries emerged as new impediments to commuting, an outcome that cannot be solely attributed to COVID-19 apprehensions. The empirical evidence suggests the possibility of a structural change in the commuting behavior of people in Shanghai, which is unlikely to be a consequence of the virus itself and more a result of stringent and arguably excessive lockdown protocols
Health Determinants, Applications, and Methods: A Systematic Literature Review on the Relationships Between the Urban Transport of People and Health
No full textThis study seeks to contextualize the literature related to the urban transport of people and health. The methodology consisted of a systematic literature review, considering papers published between 2016 and 2021. Some 438 articles were selected for the initial analysis. It was observed that the most recurrent themes were analyses on transportation accessibility and health, and the impacts of active transportation and the built environment on health. Some 173 articles on travel behavior impacts were thoroughly analyzed. The most commonly evaluated health determinants were level of physical activity and obesity. Some studies applied standard questionnaires for health self-assessments. The analyses showed that mental/psychological well-being can have multiple dimensions. Most studies evaluated health determinants using statistical tools, specifically regression models and structural equation models. Health impact assessment was also applied recurrently in the analyzed articles. This study presents theoretical and practical implications, contributing to the state-of-the-art by theoretically deepening understandings of the relationships between transport and health. We also highlighted health aspects, methods, and data collection instruments that could be used in future studies. A better understanding of these relationships can also aid in developing public transportation strategies and policies that help move people and promote social-economic development, while also positively affecting individual physical and mental well-being
Effects of risky bus driving behaviors on motorcyclists’ and car drivers’ traffic safety perceptions in mixed traffic flow
No full textObjective
This study investigates traffic safety perceptions of motorcyclists and car drivers toward risky bus driving behaviors (RBDBs) in mixed traffic flow (MTF). Methods
The study identified 10 RBDBs and employed images in a unique questionnaire survey. Further, permutation tests were employed to compare perceptions of motorcyclists in scenarios involving bus-motorcycle-car flow and bus-motorcycle flow and to compare their perceptions to those of car drivers’. Moreover, heteroskedastic generalized ordered logit regression models were utilized to predict traffic safety perceptions of motorcyclists and car drivers toward RBDBs. Results
High-speed bus driving is perceived as the most dangerous situation, while continuous flashing of lights at vehicles in front is perceived as the least dangerous. The permutation test revealed that motorcyclists tend to perceive RBDBs as less dangerous in bus-motorcycle flow than in mixed flow with cars, while car drivers consider them safer than motorcyclists. The regression model revealed that among the RBDBs, bus moving at high speeds, abruptly overtaking, abruptly changing lanes, and suddenly pulling over at bus stops are perceived as the most dangerous by motorcyclists and car drivers. The study also discusses the relationships between the socio-demographic characteristics of motorcyclists/car drivers and their safety perception toward RBDBs. Conclusions
These findings could inform the development of interventions to reduce RBDBs and improve traffic safety for motorcyclists and car drivers
Multimodality incentivized by employer-based travel demand management
No full textThis study explored the effectiveness of various employer-based travel demand management strategies in promoting multimodality and mode substitution among employees in Washington state using a mixed multinomial logit model. The study found that employee transportation coordinators played an important role in encouraging the use of sustainable travel modes. Spatial analysis revealed that individuals who lived and worked in proximity were more likely to adopt multimodal transportation. The study also highlighted the convenience of driving alone and the lack of information on sustainable alternatives as two major barriers to the adoption of sustainable transportation modes and recommended educational campaigns to increase awareness. To inform practice, this study identified transit subsidies, parking pricing, and work schedule flexibility as the most effective TDM strategies to promote multimodality and mode substitution, followed by compressed workweeks, and providing easy access to transit and amenities
Enhancing the pedestrian environment and walking willingness around mass rapid transit (MRT) stations in Asian cities – an empirical study of Taipei
No full textAsian cities have promoted TOD to increase MRT use and decrease private vehicle use. A crucial factor in achieving this goal is improving the pedestrian environment, which can increase people\u27s willingness to walk to MRT stations. This paper analyses how Asian cities have improved the pedestrian environment around MRT stations and the factors influencing walking willingness by reviewing literature and taking Taipei as the empirical area. The results demonstrated that reducing obstacles in pedestrian space, evening the pavement, using transparent window displays in stores along the pavement, and constructing rain shelters can increase people\u27s willingness to walk. The simulations of improved environments can provide references for countries improving the pedestrian environment. The contribution and innovation are to point out the differences in the motivation and goals of TOD in Asian and Western cities and propose improvements to increase people\u27s willingness to walk to achieve TOD\u27s goals
Economic characteristics of city bus operation with a mixed fleet: the influence of electric buses
No full textThe change in operation cost is a major concern of bus operators for accelerating bus electrification. The present paper investigated the cost structure of bus fleets with different compositions of electric and diesel buses. Short-run variable and long-run total cost translog functions for mixed fleets were both developed. A panel data set consisting of 58 city bus operators in Taiwan for the 2013–2019 period was formed. The analysis results revealed that introducing a small number of electric buses to a fleet reduced the short-run variable cost of large operators but increased those of small and medium-sized operators. Notably, the overcapitalization of electric buses shifted to undercapitalization when the size of electric bus fleets reached a specific scale. Enhancing the operation scale can reduce the average cost of a bus fleet and enable operators to take advantage of the lower operating cost of electric buses relative to diesel buses
Does dockless bike-share influence transit use? Evidence from the Sacramento region
No full textWhether micromobility is hurting or boosting transit ridership remains a matter of debate. Previous studies on this topic mainly use either individual level data or system level data. This paper provides insights into this debate through analyses of the connection between bike-share use and transit use at both the individual-level and the system-level. The analysis uses data from an intercept survey of bike-share users and system-level data on bike-share trips from the Sacramento region’s dockless electric bike-share system prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our individual-level analysis results suggest that people in the Sacramento region are more likely to replace their transit use with bike-share than to use bike-share as a first- or last-mile transit connector. Certain socio-demographic groups, however, are more likely to use bike share to connect to transit compared to others. Analysis of the system-level data shows that the number of bike-share trips that begin or end near transit stops is positively associated with transit boarding or alightings at those stops conditional on variables known to directly influence transit ridership. In this study, individual- and system-level analyses lead to different conclusions about the relationship between bike-share and transit, suggesting that reliance on system-level data alone may not provide an accurate assessment of the relationship between bike-share and transit use. A detailed understanding of the relationship using both sources of data can assist in better policy formulation that benefits both modes