Commute mode diversity and public health: A multivariate analysis of 148 US cities

Urban sprawl has a negative relationship with regional health outcomes, such as high obesity and chronic diseases related to physical inactivity. At the same time, literature has shown that walkable built environments are connected to lower obesity rates and increased physical activity. Less understood is the association of modal diversity with those health outcomes. This research studies a range of public health outcomes to determine their associations with commute mode diversity. Researchers adapted the methodology of urban sociologists Harvey Molotch and Richard Appelbaum to explore twelve different health measures in 148 US counties and their metropolitan statistical areas. The test measure is the percentage of commuters who use some means other than a single-occupant vehicle (SOV). The percentage of such commuters ranges from as low as 11% in Houston County, Alabama to as high as 36% in Honolulu County, Hawaii. Using bivariate and multivariate analyses, we found better health outcomes in counties and metropolitan areas that have fewer workers commuting by SOV. These findings underscore the positive impact of sustainable transportation policies on community health and open up a new direction for public health research and the built environment.     

Modeling hazardous materials risks for different train make-up plans

This paper is concerned with the problem of how to place hazardous material cars in the train assembly process so that the overall derailment risk can be minimized. The approach considers both the probability of railway cars derailing en route by position as well as the risk associated with additional operations in the rail yard using recent US FRA data. The merits of this car placement model are illustrated through a case study of a railway corridor that connects Los Angeles (CA) to Chicago (IL). The case study demonstrates that the proposed risk minimization strategy could be implemented with minimal rail yard operation cost.     

Environmental benefits of air–rail intermodality: The example of Madrid Barajas

The environmental impact of transport is a growing issue in transport infrastructure planning. The construction of a high-speed rail station at the Madrid Barajas Airport in Spain is an example of the integration of different transportation modes, with expected environmental benefits. We construct a model to assess modal choice and environmental benefits. The results show that with high-speed rail the number of people choosing air travel and the private car is reduced leading to important environmental benefits: a reduction of close to 5 kg of CO₂ per passenger, or 10% of all emissions on the corridor. Our results also show that increasing the cost of using the private car is picked up by air transport rather than high-speed rail, leading to an increase in total emissions.     

Design of a rail transit line for profit maximization in a linear transportation corridor

This paper addresses the design problem of a rail transit line located in a linear urban transportation corridor. The service variables designed are a combination of rail line length, number and locations of stations, headway and fare. Two profit maximization models, which account for the effects of different transit pricing structures (flat and distance-based fare regimes), are proposed. In the proposed models, the effects of passenger demand elasticity and population density along the urban corridor are explicitly considered. The solution properties of the proposed models are explored and compared analytically, and the indifference condition for the two fare regimes in terms of the operator’s net profit is identified. A heuristic solution algorithm to solve the proposed models is presented. Numerical examples are provided to show the effects of the fare regimes, rail capital cost and urban configuration (in terms of urban population distribution and corridor length) on the design of the rail transit line and the profitability of the rail transit operations.     

Market effects of regional high-speed trains on the Svealand line

When the Svealand line in Sweden opened in 1997, it replaced an older railway line between Eskilstuna and Stockholm (a distance of 115 km). Service on the Svealand line is operated with regional high-speed trains. In a case study of the effects of regional high-speed train services, changes in knowledge, valuations and travel behaviour have been analysed. The Svealand line has sparked an increase in regional rail travel of up to seven times compared to the old railway between Eskilstuna and Stockholm. Additionally, the market share has risen from 6% to 30%. Travelling times are valued highly and motorists, particularly, place great value on the high-speed train mode of transport.A general conclusion is that regional high-speed train services have had a major impact on the travel market and on travel behaviour. The improved accessibility to Stockholm, in particular, is especially noticeable among residents living close to the railway stations.     

Effectiveness of high-speed railway on regional economic growth for less developed areas

Whether high-speed railway (HSR) can drive regional economic growth (REG) along the route is controversial, and the effectiveness of HSR connecting less developed and developed regions especially need to be further tested. The Guangdong-Guangxi-Guizhou High-Speed Railway (GGGHSR) has connected the most developed eastern region and the less developed western region in China, and it's a typical object to study the impact of HSR on less developed areas. This paper uses NPP-VIIRS remote sensing data from the period 2012–2017 to represent the level of regional economic growth along the route, and uses the PSM-DID method to analyze the impact of HSR in a quantitative way. The results show the following: Firstly, opening of the GGGHSR has led to an increase in light value along the route, but not produced a significant “corridor effect” along the route, with no significant REG in all counties along the route; Secondly, the effectiveness of the GGGHSR have spatial differences along the route, with a greater effect on less developed areas and areas far away from regional center city; Thirdly, the effectiveness of HSR driving less developed areas is mainly through “investment effect” and “industrial structure effect” these two mechanisms. The contribution of this study lies in the use of objective light data to study the relationship between HSR and REG, and select this typical GGGHSR project proving the driving role of HSR in the economic growth of less developed areas.     

Railroad wheat transportation markets in the central plains: modeling with error correction and directed graphs

Time series methods are used to study the dynamics of regional, export-wheat, railroad rates linking seven central US regions to Texas Gulf ports. Research focuses on the extent and nature of regional rate interactions to determine whether regional rail transportation rates are established independently, through interaction and/or dominated by several regional leaders. Analysis is carried out on 1988–1994 public waybill data for seven Business Economic Areas (BEA) located in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado: these regions originate virtually all of the eight million tons of hard red winter wheat annually shipped to Texas Gulf ports. Results show all rail transportation markets linked in varying degrees. Some regions are near-independent or highly exogenous regarding rate-setting, while others interact with and to rates established in other regions. Regions that are dominated by a single carrier tend to be more independent and insulated regarding rate-setting. Export rates in regions dominated by the Union Pacific (UP) generally account for a significant variation in the rates of other regions. Data show the UP to have been aggressive in providing incentives for country elevators to consolidate for purposes of making unit train shipments, thus their presumed influence on rates of other regions. As expected, export rates for regions with substantial storage and transhipment facilities are sensitive to export rates of regions which ship to the transhipment facilities. Finally, results suggest that rate-setting in a particular region is in part a function of the dominant railroad’s management and its aggressiveness, an expected outcome in an oligopolistic market.     

Impacts on travel behaviour of Greater Manchester’s light rail investment (Metrolink Phase 1): evidence from household surveys and Census data

Household survey data from 1990 and 1993 and Census data from 1991 and 2001 are used to detect some short and medium term impacts on travel of the Metrolink light rail services which opened in 1992. Particular attention is paid to research design issues to try to isolate Metrolink’s impacts from those of other influences on travel behaviour. In the short term a more marked decline in the frequency of bus use is found in the Metrolink corridor compared with conventional rail and ‘no rail’ corridors. Changes in the frequency of rail use are more prominent in the Metrolink corridor, both to the highest frequency use but also to lower frequency use. Higher frequency rail use tends to be associated with respondents who have limited or no car availability, who are in employment, who are of non-manual social class and who are aged 18–44 years. Metrolink appears to have attracted at least as many former car users as former bus users, but the former car users tend to use the light rail services less frequently. Census commuting data suggest that, in the medium term, Metrolink has increased rail’s share of trips, especially to the city centre, contributed to the declining share of bus trips and may have helped to restrain work trips by car.     

区域通道内城际旅客运输方式合理分工问题研究

建立区域综合运输通道内的城际旅客运输方式分担率模型,预测城际间的各公共运输方式分担率。运用博弈论理论分析区域综合运输通道内高速铁路动车组和高速公路大巴间、高速铁路动车组和私人小汽车间的竞争合作关系,为铁路运输企业制定合理策略提供依据。以成渝综合运输通道内的成渝城际旅客运输为例,通过研究各种运输方式合理分工问题,选择合理策略,以满足旅客需求和提高自身利润。     

Analysis,modeling, and assessing performances of supply chains served by long-distance freight transport corridors

This article deals with an analysis, modeling, and assessing performances of supply chains served by long-distance intercontinental intermodal rail/road- and sea-shipping freight transport corridor(s). For such a purpose, the supply chains are defined and the methodology for assessing their performances under given conditions is developed. The methodology consists of the analytical models of indicators of the operational, economic, environmental and social performances of particular corridors and corresponding supply chains assumed to be dependent on the infrastructural and technical/technological capabilities. The models of particular indicators have been applied according to “what-if” scenario approach to assessing performances of the long-distance intercontinental inland and maritime freight transport corridors spreading between China and Europe in the scope of the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “A New Maritime Silk Road” policy initiative. The results prove that the intermodal inland rail/road alternative could act as a serious competitive alternative to its maritime deep-sea counterpart under given conditions. Nevertheless, in order to realize the opportunities, large investments in the inland rail/road infrastructure are required to appropriately connect China with Europe.     

Impact of high-speed rail on regional economic disparity in China

This paper investigates a fundamental question related to the massive railway infrastructure development in China. What is the impact of high-speed rail (HSR) on regional economic disparity? The question is investigated from three perspectives. First, the influence of HSR on regional economic disparity is discussed theoretically from the perspective of New Economic Geography. Second, the variation in economic disparity at both the national and regional levels is investigated using three indexes: the weighted coefficient of variation, the Theil index and the Gini index. Third, the linkages between regional economic growth and HSR is measured empirically from a quantitative and qualitative perspective using an endogenous growth modelling framework with a panel data covering the period 2000–2014. The rail network density is adopted as a proxy to reflect the quantity change in rail investment. Three accessibility indicators (weighted average travel time, potential accessibility and daily accessibility) are introduced to capture the improvement of HSR transport quality. Our findings confirm that regional economic disparity has been decreased since the development of HSR. HSR has promoted regional economic convergence in China. Specifically, the positive effect of rail network density on regional economic growth is found to be significant in the East and North, whereas the positive effect of accessibility change is found to be more significant in the Middle Reaches of Yangtze River, the Southwest and the South China.     

Constructing a mixed-logit model with market positioning to analyze the effects of new mode introduction

This study aims to investigate how the introduction of high-speed rail (HSR) influences traveler choice behavior and the market structure in the western corridor of Taiwan. A new mixed-logit model with factor decomposition is constructed to analyze the market positioning of the existing modes and HSR; the data is collected using the stated preference method. The empirical results show that travel cost is the major factor in market positioning. After the introduction of HSR, travelers’ mode preference did not change, whereas locations across modes on the market-positioning map as well as some coefficients of the explanatory variables changed.     

Corridors,hybrids and networks: three global development strategies for high speed rail

After 50 years of experience with high-speed rail (HSR) development in Asia and Europe, there are important lessons that can be derived to inform future efforts to introduce HSR. This paper identifies and explores three strategic models of HSR development: (1) exclusive corridors (e.g., Japan), (2) hybrid networks—both national (e.g., France and Germany) and international (e.g., European Union), and (3) comprehensive national networks (e.g., China and Spain). Evaluations of these models yield outcomes that range from generally positive assessments of the corridor and national hybrid models to more concerns and uncertainties about the international hybrid and comprehensive national network models. When applying these lessons to the United States, contextual differences can make direct applications problematic. At the same time, though, certain elements of these three models that have been proven to be successful elsewhere may be adaptable to the U.S. and other newcomers to HSR development.     

An investigation of the performance of urban rail transit systems on the corridor level: A comparative analysis in the American west

Since the 1980s, significant investments have been made in urban rail transit across the United States, particularly using light rail technology. Most of these light rail systems have been built in Sunbelt cities which no longer had legacy rail systems. As a result, they were constructed using a building blocks approach, being funded corridor by corridor. Most research, however, on urban rail performance has taken place at the system-wide level, leaving a significant gap at the level of the transit corridor. This research examined nineteen urban rail corridors in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Portland. A performance score was constructed for each corridor based upon ridership per mile, ridership growth, capital costs, and the cost of ongoing operations. These scores were then compared with the geographic profile of each corridor studied. Corridors in each city ranked high and low, with no city emerging as a clear frontrunner. More centrally-located corridors in each city registered the highest performance scores, while longer corridors in more peripheral locations had lower performance scores. Headways, population density, job density, walkability, and percentage renter occupied housing units were found to have a statistically significant relationship with high corridor performance, largely in line with previous studies, though median income, bus connections, and park and ride spaces were not found to increase performance in this study.     

C篇：京津城际铁路对京津地区经济社会发展的作用

京津城际铁路是我国第一条连接两个城市的高速铁路,它对加速北京和天津的经济社会发展、推进北京与天津的同城化和一体化进程、提升京津冀乃至环渤海地区的区域经济地位都具有重要作用。运营一年的实践表明这些作用十分明显。     

空铁联运协同下的跨域航空服务网络优化

为解决各机场竞相开设航班所导致的空域航班密度过大及与之相伴的航班延误问题,从需求管理的角度研究空铁联运网络优化及空铁协调下的客运组织问题。在建立由航班、高速铁路和空铁换乘系统构成的复合网络的基础上,以城市圈为区域单元,构建考虑公平性约束和高速铁路对航班喂给条件的上层空铁联运跨域航空服务网络优化模型和下层乘客路径选择模型的双层优化模型,旨在最小化区域间的出行总时间。在实证分析部分,对研究区域进行计算结果分析,并分析公平性指数对区域间运输系统效率的敏感性,为跨域航空服务网络优化研究提供参考依据。     

京津城际高速铁路对区域经济影响定量分析

建立高速铁路对区域经济发展影响的分析指标体系,采用灰色预测和多元线性回归模型测算出2008年、2009年＂无＂京津城际铁路情况下京津地区的相关经济数值,基于＂有无对比原则＂分析京津城际高速铁路对京津两地的区域经济贡献。     

Accessibility impact of the present and future high-speed rail network: A case study of Jiangsu Province,China

The large-scale implementation of a high-speed rail (HSR) network is often considered to have a significant effect on the spatial distribution of accessibility. In China, the development of HSR network has progressed rapidly since the first line commenced operation in 2008. As an important component of this network, Jiangsu province proposed an ambitious HSR construction program which planned to cover over 95% of its counties by 2030. Reduced travel time for passengers is one of the most important effects of HSR, and therefore this study aims to analyze the accessibility impact of the evolving HSR network in Jiangsu province from 2010–2030. A layered cost distance method, based on a door-to-door approach, is proposed to evaluate the present and future accessibility at a more detailed geographical level. The results demonstrate that, with the gradual development of the HSR network, accessibility levels across the province will be improved by about 9.6%, and the distribution of the gains will be uneven since the most significant improvements will occur in the more peripheral areas. The inequality in regional accessibility will decrease by an average of 25.7%, which will produce a more homogeneous accessibility landscape. In addition, several policy measures are suggested in order to further enhance the competitiveness of the HSR network in the transport market at a regional level. This extended period of exploratory and detailed analysis is expected to facilitate proactive public policy decisions related to improving the transport network.     

高速铁路调度指挥体系的研究

高速铁路的建设和运营需要与之相适应的现代化铁路调度指挥体系，以确保高速铁路及整个铁路网络的运输安全、正常秩序和高效节能。结合高速铁路运输特点及对调度指挥的要求，探讨如何设计高速铁路调度体系，如何开发建设高速铁路调度指挥系统。     

Impact of transalpine rail network disruptions: A study of the Brenner Pass

This work investigates the impact of sudden rail closures on transportation networks and the local industries affected. A decision support system is introduced, which automatically generates a rail network and simulates passenger and freight traffic. In case of rail closures, freight traffic is rerouted and resulting delays are calculated. Furthermore, the option to transship from rail to road at terminals is enabled. The model is tested using data originating from a major transalpine rail corridor, the ‘Brenner Pass’, which connects Austria and Italy. Results show rail links which are critical and the impact of various disaster scenarios is compared.