Modelling planner–carrier interactions in road freight transport: Optimisation of road maintenance costs via overloading control

A bi-level modelling approach is proposed to represent the interaction between the vehicle loading practices of road freight transport carriers, and the decisions of a road planning authority responsible both for road maintenance and for the enforcement of overloading control. At the lower (reactive) level, the overloading decisions of the carriers impact on road maintenance expenditure, while at the upper (anticipatory) level the planner decides fine and enforcement levels by anticipating the responses of the carriers. A case study using data from Mexico is used to illustrate the method.     

Optimizing transit maintenance and rehabilitation to support human development and sustainability: A case study of Costa Rica’s railroad network

Public transportation plays a critical role in improving human development and consequently the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by United Nations. Convenient and efficient transit enable inhabitants to reach labor markets, access social support facilities as well as health and education services. This study develops a decision-making support framework for transit agencies to select optimum maintenance, rehabilitation, and upgrade alternatives to accomplish good levels of service and improve human development and sustainability indexes. A case study of Costa Rica’s great metropolitan area is used to illustrate the study with various budget scenarios. The results show that the proposed system can accomplish significant improvements on both level of service and human development. It is also confirmed that the explicit consideration of human development and sustainability made a significant difference as compared to the classical approach, which only considers the level of service (LOS). The proposed model could be used by other public transit systems.     

Network concentration and airport congestion in a post de-regulation context: A case study of Brazil 2000–2010

This paper empirically investigates the main drivers of airline network concentration in an air transport market subject to rapid growth. We consider the Brazilian air transport industry of the 2000s, in which network concentration rapidly increased and was followed by a period of massive flight delays and cancelations, which resulted in the “big blackout” of 2006–2007. We develop an econometric model of network concentration, accounting for demand, cost and competition variables that may affect the propensity of carriers to concentrate flights and passenger connections on a few airports of a network. The main focus of the paper is on the relation between networks leading to the problems of the blackout episode. We investigate the dynamic pattern of the evolution of concentration before and after the abnormal period of operations and find that concentration began to rise at least six quarters before, and persisted at a high level until two quarters after the blackout – and then plunged steeply toward the end of the decade. We believe that our analysis contributes to an improved understanding of the behavior of air transport systems subject to network concentration and congestion. With respect to methodology, we suggest and employ the use of alternative measures of network concentration to check the robustness and validity of our results.     

Analyzing the spatial–temporal evolution of a gateway’s hinterland: A case study of Shanghai,China

This paper analyzes the spatial–temporal evolution of the attractiveness of a country’s gateway for its international trade, using Shanghai as an example. The attractiveness is regressed on the transportation facilities and geographical conditions. Seaport development is found to have a major positive impact, followed by inland waterway, highway, and airport development. These positive impacts decrease with the need for highway haulage and with the distance from Shanghai—showing an inverse U-shape distribution. Rail appears to have a U-shape distribution, implying a low application of multimodal transportation. A geographical pattern for the impacts of different transportation modes is delineated.     

The impact of low-cost carriers on airport choice in the US: A case study of the Washington–Baltimore region

Previous research has shown that low-cost carriers (LCCs) may stimulate traffic at an airport by offering low fares. Using passenger survey data from the Washington–Baltimore region’s three airports, we find that the benefits of LCCs to airports extend beyond the traffic generated directly by the LCCs through their low fares. In addition, we find that the mere presence of an LCC at an airport can attract passengers, even to competing carriers. These “halo effects” from LCC presence increase the significance to airport managers of attracting LCCs in order to generate passenger demand.     

Space–time fixity and flexibility of daily activities and the built environment: A case study of different types of communities in Beijing suburbs

Space–time fixity constraint is an important concept in transport geography, but the influence of the built environment around both people’s residence and activity locations is not clear. Due to the housing reform and rapid suburbanization in China, various types of residential communities and diverse built environments coexist in the suburbs. Comparing how people’s space–time fixity/flexibility varies among different community types and built environments can thus enhance our understanding of the transition process in Chinese cities. This study investigates how space–time fixity/flexibility and their relationships with the built environment vary among different types of residential communities in Beijing suburbs. Activity-travel diary and 7-day GPS tracking data of 709 respondents in Shangdi-Qinghe area of Beijing collected in 2012 were used. We investigate how variations in space–time flexibility are associated with built environment factors and four different community types: danwei communities, commodity housing communities, affordable housing communities and relocated housing communities, controlling for personal, household and activity attributes. The results suggest the influences of the built environments at residential place and activity place are different, and the relationships between space–time fixity and the built environments of different community types are different. Space–time fixity is not so sensitive to the built environment for residents in danwei communities and affordable housing communities. Gender and age differences in space–time fixity are not consistent with what was observed in Western countries. This seems to reflect the influence of unique social, cultural and family norms in China.     

The greenhouse gas mitigation potential of university commuting: A case study of the University of León (Spain)

This work analyzes the main drivers and critical aspects of mobility at the University of León (ULE) in Spain and its potential for mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHG). Through the implementation of a life cycle analysis (LCA) methodology (door-to-door and well-to-wheel approach), we examine the existing relationships between modal distribution, distances, travel times, urban structure, and direct and indirect carbon footprint and monetary costs of ULE users' commuting to its premises. Necessary primary information was collected by means of an online survey conducted on all ULE bodies and actors. Even though most distances traveled to the University are of <6 km (94.3% of the commutes), the use of the private car is second in importance (34%) after traveling by foot (41.5%), as well as the main hotspot in environmental terms (95% of GHG emissions). The results show how university policies focused on improving mobility habits (greater use of bus, bicycle and walking) can considerably reduce GHG emissions within a distance range of 0–6 km. For instance, the replacement of cars with bicycles (50% in <4 km distances) would reduce CO₂-eq emissions by 17.5% and increase monetary savings by 14.8%. However, 5.8% of the remaining travels (> 6 km) accumulate 49.4% of the emissions. Beyond that distance, behavior-oriented policies prove to be insufficient, and actions and measures at other levels encouraging technological change (use of electric cars and bicycles, etc.) and the improvement of infrastructures are also required. This article discusses the role of universities in promoting improvement of sustainable mobility within its premises.