189 research outputs found
Heterogeneity in behavioural response to pricing policies in the transition from motorcycles to private cars in motorcycle-based societies
No full textPricing instruments are widely seen as an effective tool for reducing the travel demand for private vehicles. In contrast to developed countries, the design of pricing policies in certain developing countries is more challenging, owing to the mixed use of private cars and motorcycles. This study argues for the existence of a transitional group of motorcycle users who will switch to being car users. An investigation of the behavioural responses to a pricing policy from private car users and motorcycle users is implemented in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A propensity score-matching technique is used to identify the transitional group. The results regarding the mode choice models for various pricing policies show similar responses between the transitional motorcycle users and car users. Such characteristics of the transitional group imply that ignorance of travellers' heterogeneity may cause significant bias, especially when modelling pricing policies.This research was financed by the Special Research Fund of Hasselt University.
Financial support in data collection: Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies (HIDS)
Author contribution: The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: study concept and design: Hoang Thuy Linh, Nguyen Hoang Tung, Vu Anh Tuan, Muhammad Adnan, and Tom Bellemans; data preparation, analysis, and interpretation of results: Hoang Thuy Linh; draft manuscript preparation: Hoang Thuy Linh, Nguyen Hoang Tung, and Muhammad Adnan. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript
Effect of sidewalk vendors on pedestrian movement characteristics: A microscopic simulation study of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
No full textStreet vending is an essential part of the urban informal economy in developing countries. Related to rapid urbanization and socio-economic challenges, studies have proposed comprehensive street design and management that accommodate sidewalk vendors efficiently. To this end, this paper evaluated the effect of three alternatives to integrate sidewalk vendors on average pedestrian density. A social-force based pedestrian micro-simulation model (PTV-Viswalk-11) was calibrated using a macroscopic approach. A calibrated model was then used to evaluate the effect of a kiosk, a sidewalk vendor in frontage, and a sidewalk vendor in furniture zones on pedestrian movement under different scenarios. Results indicated that the average pedestrian density varied with the location and width of the vending stall, width of the walkway, pedestrian flow and the presence of a customer interacting with a vendor. The paper concludes with recommendations for planners and local authorities.Hagos, KG (corresponding author), Hasselt Univ, Dept Transportat Sci, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium ; Hasselt Univ, Transportat Res Inst IMOB, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
A personalized mobility based intervention to promote pro-environmental travel behavior
No full textThe development of effective behavioral change strategies that will convince individuals to voluntarily switch to pro-environmental travel behavior is a core research area for transportation and environmental experts. Personalized travel planning (PTP) is considered as an effective approach that encourages individuals to adopt environmental-friendly travel choices. This paper describes the design and implementation of a PTP intervention that was developed based on the persuasive techniques and the stage model of self-regulated behavior change (SSBC). Based on the recorded travel diary of the individuals, web-based customized pro-environmental travel plans were suggested along with pro-environmental and pro-healthy impacts. The effectiveness was assessed by comparing the travel behavior along with consequences before and after the implemented intervention. Significant differences were observed in an individual travel behavior regarding car dependency and active mobility with an effect size of 0.28 and 0.45 (Cohen's d) respectively. On an average, 4.25 percentage points decrease in CO2 emission and 6.10 percentage point increase in physical activity level per individual was found due to their change in travel behavior. Stage analysis of the individual travel behavior revealed that the implemented PTP intervention triggers an individual's transition towards more action-oriented stages in this behavior change process. Based on the results, it is concluded that intervention is effective to promote pro-environmental and pro-healthy travel choices and can bring higher benefits when implemented on a broader level.This project has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 689954. This paper reflects the authors views. The European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.Adnan, M (corresponding author), Hasselt Univ, Transportat Res Inst IMOB, Agoralaan, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
A route to school informational intervention for air pollution exposure reduction
No full textA route to school informational intervention for air pollution exposure reduction (Author Accepted Manuscript
Estimating Passenger Car Equivalent Factors for Heterogeneous Traffic Using Occupancy-Density Linear Regression Model
No full textA variety of methods have been proposed in the existing literature for the estimation of passenger car equivalent (PCE) factors. These methods are based on the comparison of selected attributes of different vehicles. This research, for the first time, utilizes the basic notion of the linear relationship between road area occupancy and density for the estimation of PCE factors for different vehicle types in heterogeneous traffic. Aerial photographs obtained from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were analyzed to estimate the road area occupancy and the number of vehicles classified in seven selected groups. A linear least-squares regression model was developed between road area occupancy and classified vehicle count. The coefficients of the occupancy-density linear regression model were used to estimate PCE and motorcycle equivalent (MCE) factors. The comparison of the estimated set of PCE values with the values reported in the literature shows that PCE factors estimated using the proposed method are reasonable and produce a better occupancy-density relationship than the other studies. In comparison with the existing methods that rely on lane-based measurements, the proposed method is well suited for traffic with weak/no lane discipline, as it considers the entire road width and the dynamics of lateral movement of different types of vehicles. The proposed method does not need extensive traffic data of speeds, headways, flow rates, and so forth, and is applicable on aerial photographs obtained from other sources, such as satellites.Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported with funding from Exascale Open Data Analytics Lab, National Center for Big Data and Cloud Computing (NCBC) and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.
Acknowledgments
The authors are thankful to research students Syed Hassan Ali, Haseeb Ahmed, Zohaib Ahmed, Aqib Abbasi, Asad Rehan, Mirza Ali Haider, Syed Abbas Hasan Zaidi, and Omema for their help in this research
Facilitating hikers’ mobility in protected areas through smartphone app: a case of the Hoge Kempen National Park, Belgium
No full textVisitor mobility in protected areas is often a challenge as manual map reading and finding a route consume the time. This paper presents a digital tool that provides valuable information for both the visitors and the managers of protected areas. The app provides assistance to users to generate, access, and record hiking routes within the protected area. A route planner was created to generate user-specific alternative routes taking into account the user's preferences in terms of distance, preferred landscape, level of accessibility, etc. The app also provides the users with basic information on the park, including captivating points, typical flora, and fauna. Moreover, visitors and park management can communicate with each other through exchanging messages and suggestions. The pilot validation test performed with 20 participants and real-time test from 68 park visitors revealed that all the functionality of the app is in order and the app enhances the mobility experience of the user within Hoge Kempen National Park. Furthermore, regular use of the app from users will generate rich data that is valuable for visitor management purposes, for example, the number of trips per day, the average duration of visits and popular segments.Shaker, M (reprint author), niv Hasselt, Transportat Res Inst IMOB, Agoralaan, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
[email protected]
Exploring the Spatial Transferability of FEATHERS – An Activity Based Travel Demand Model – For Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
No full textThis paper presents descriptive analyses to investigate the transferability of FEATHERS, an activity-based travel demand model developed for Flanders (Belgium), a region in a developed country to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), a metropolitan area of a developing country using personal and household travel survey data. The transferability was tested by using indicators which represent individuals' activity and travel behaviors. The results confirm the transferability of FEATHERS modelling structure to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), but all sub-models require recalibration due to the different cultural settings between the two study areas. The differences in transport mode options, land use patterns and individuals' location choice preferences make transport mode and location choice the least transferable models. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Peer-review under responsibility of the Conference Program Chairs.We would like to thank the JICA study team for their provision the data of METROS project.Linh, HT (corresponding author), UHasselt Univ Hasselt, Transportat Res Inst IMOB, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium ; Univ Transport & Commun, Dept Civil Engn, Hanoi, Vietnam
Estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from Muhammad wala open dumping site of Faisalabad, Pakistan
No full textLandfills and open dumping sites around the world are adding to the global warming issue. This is because of the existence of the main greenhouse gases in landfill gas (LFG); namely, methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). The current study was focused on the determination of air emissions from the Muhammad wala dump site. This site was constructed in 1992 and expected to have lifespan of 28 years. Utilizing LandGEM software, the landfill emissions were estimated with taking into consideration the 60% content of methane, the methane generation rate constant of 0.02125 year−1, and methane generation potential capacity constant of 23.25 m3/Mg. The outcomes of this study indicated that the maximum volume of emitted gas is at the next year after the site closure (2021). It was estimated that total volume of LFG, methane, carbon dioxide, and non-methane organic compounds were 2.257 × 10+08, 1.354 × 10+08, 9.026 × 10+07, and 5.416 × 10+05 m3/year, respectively
SAR tomography as an add-on to persistent scatterer interferometry for improved deformation coverage
No full textBistatic SAR data acquisition and processing using SABRINA-X, with TerraSAR-X as the opportunity transmitter
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the acquisition and processing of Bistatic SAR data using SABRINA-X,
and with TerraSAR-X as the transmitter of opportunity. SABRINA-X is an X-band receiver system
that has been recently designed at the UPC Remote-Sensing Laboratory, while TerraSARX
is a German satellite for SAR-based active remote-sensing.
Prior to the particular case of acquiring TerraSAR-X signals, the hardware aspects of SABRINAX
have been investigated further, and improved as necessary (or suggested for up-gradation in
future). Two successful data acquisitions have been carried out, to obtain bistatic SAR images
of the Barcelona harbor, with the receiver set-up at the close-by Montjuïc hill. Each acquisition
campaign necessitated an accurate prediction of the satellite overpass time and precise
orientation of the antennas to acquire the direct signal from the satellite and the backscattered
signals off the viewed terrain.
The thesis also investigates the characteristics of the acquired signals, which is critical as
regards the subsequent processing for imaging and interferometric applications. The hardware
limitations, combined with ‘off-nominal’ transmissions of the satellite, necessitate improved
range processing of the acquired signals. The thesis expounds the possible range compression
techniques, and suggests ways for improved compression, thereby improving the quality of the
subsequently processed images
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