Evaluating the European added value of TEN-T projects: a methodological proposal based on spatial spillovers, accessibility and GIS

This paper develops a methodology for calculating the European value added value (EVA) generated by transport infrastructure projects. This approach is particularly useful for evaluating projects in the framework of Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T), although it may also be used in trans-national projects in other geographical areas. The methodology is based on the appraisal of spatial spillovers generated by trans-national projects by using accessibility indicators (access to markets) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Projects are split into sections and spillover effects of each section are then computed. The sections that produce a high proportion of spillovers in relation to internal benefits generate a high EVA. Additionally, indicators are obtained of the effects of each section in terms of spatial concentration on the different countries affected, efficiency (general improvement in accessibility) and territorial cohesion (reduction in accessibility disparities between regions). The validity of this approach is verified by applying it to TEN-T priority project 25. This methodology does not seek to replace existing project appraisal methodologies (particularly the cost-benefit analysis); rather it provides complementary data for decision-making. Sections which are scarcely profitable from the cost-benefit analysis perspective but which have high European value added should receive more European funding than more profitable sections of markedly national interest.     

Location, economic potential and daily accessibility: an analysis of the accessibility impact of the high-speed line Madrid–Barcelona–French border

This paper evaluates the accessibility impact of the future Madrid–Barcelona–French border high-speed line. Accessibility impact of the new infrastructure is measured by means of three indicators: weighted average travel times, economic potential and daily accessibility. These indicators respond to different conceptualizations and offer complementary information about the issue accessibility. The results are quite different: very concentrated effects in the daily accessibility indicator, less concentrated in the economic potential one and more dispersal in the location indicator. The sign (polarizing/balancing) of these effects depend on the geographic scale: polarizing effects at the national level and balancing effects at both corridor and European levels are identified. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to carry out this study.     

Using GIS to visualise and evaluate student travel behaviour

Using GIS to evaluate travel behaviour is an important technique to increase our understanding of the relationship between accessibility and transport demand. In this paper, the activity space concept was used to identify the nature of participation in activities (or lack of it) amongst a group of students using a 2 day travel-activity diary. Three different indicators such as the number of unique locations visited, average daily distance travelled, and average daily activity duration were used to measure the size of activity spaces. These indicators reflect levels of accessibility, personal mobility, and the extent of participation, respectively. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess the impacts of students socio-economic status and the spatial characteristics of home location. Although no differences were found in the levels of accessibility and the extent of participation measures, home location with respect to a demand responsive transport (DRT) service was found to be the most important determinant of their mobility patterns. Despite being able to travel longer distances, students who live outside of the DRT service area were found to be temporally excluded from some opportunities. Student activity spaces were also visualised within a GIS environment and a spatial analysis was conducted to underpin the evaluation of the performance of the DRT. This approach was also used to identify the activity spaces of individuals that are geographically excluded from the service. Evaluation of these results indicated that although the service currently covers areas of high demand, 90% of the activity spaces remained un-served by the DRT service. Using this data six new routes were designed to meet the coverage goal of public transport based on a measure of network impedance based on inverse activity density. Following assessment of public transport service coverage, the study was extended using a spatial multi criteria evaluation (SMCE) technique to assess the effect of service provision on patronage.     

Strategic design and operational management optimization of a multi stage physical distribution system

Design and management of logistic networks is one of the most critical issues in supply chain management. However, the literature does not contain any effective models, methods, and applications that simultaneously support management decisions in the strategic design of the distribution system, in the operational planning and organization of vehicles, and in container trips organization adopting different modes of transportation. The aim of this paper is to illustrate an original framework for the design and optimization of a multi echelon and multi level production/distribution system that combines mixed-integer linear programming modeling with cluster analysis, heuristic algorithms, and optimal transportation rules. A significant case study is illustrated revealing the effectiveness of the approach and tools proposed.     

TPL的物流服务水平与物流成本决策

物流服务水平与物流成本之间存在效益悖反,对于第三方物流,进行物流服务水平与物流成本的权衡与决策是一项重要的战略性工作。借助经济学中的弹性概念进行TPL服务-成本能力分析,用以表明不同环境下物流成本对于物流服务水平变动的敏感程度,结合竞争环境和竞争对手水平、顾客需求等相关影响因素,实现对物流服务水平与物流成本的综合决策。     

Three effective metaheuristics to solve the multi-depot multi-trip heterogeneous dial-a-ride problem

The Heterogeneous Dial-a-Ride Problem (HDARP) is an important problem in reduced mobility transportation. Recently, several extensions have been proposed towards more realistic applications of the problem. In this paper, a new variant called the Multi-Depot Multi-Trip Heterogeneous Dial-a-Ride Problem (MD-MT-HDARP) is considered. A mathematical programming formulation and three metaheuristics are proposed: an improved Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search (ALNS), Hybrid Bees Algorithm with Simulated Annealing (BA-SA), and Hybrid Bees Algorithm with Deterministic Annealing (BA-DA). Extensive experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms for solving the underlying problem. In addition, they are competitive to the current state-of-the-art algorithm on the MD-HDARP.     

Population change and accessibility by road and rail networks: GIS and statistical approach to Finland 1970-2007

This study analyzes the relation of accessibility by road and railway network to population change between the years 1970-2007 in Finland. Accessibility is evaluated at built-up area unit and municipal levels by potential accessibility analysis and by measuring accessibility to network. Analyses are done in decadal periods by using geographical information systems (GIS) and data about road and railway networks involving digitized speed limits and geometry for each period. Accessibility variables and population change are related by generalized additive models (GAMs). The results indicate that the Finnish population has concentrated to areas with high road-based potential accessibility, especially since the opening in the Finnish economy in the 1990s. The accessibility of railway network was found to have affected the population change in the 1970s, when local level traffic reduced in the entire country, and in 2000-2007, following remarkable investments in long-haul transport.