Efficient operation of recharging infrastructure for the accommodation of electric vehicles: a demand driven approach

Large deployment and adoption of electric vehicles in the forthcoming years can have significant environmental impact, like mitigation of climate change and reduction of traffic-induced air pollutants. At the same time, it can strain power network operations, demanding effective load management strategies to deal with induced charging demand. One of the biggest challenges is the complexity that electric vehicle (EV) recharging adds to the power system and the inability of the existing grid to cope with the extra burden. Charging coordination should provide individual EV drivers with their requested energy amount and at the same time, it should optimise the allocation of charging events in order to avoid disruptions at the electricity distribution level. This problem could be solved with the introduction of an intermediate agent, known as the aggregator or the charging service provider (CSP). Considering out-of-home charging infrastructure, an additional role for the CSP would be to maximise revenue for parking operators. This thesis contributes to the wider literature of electro-mobility and its effects on power networks with the introduction of a choice-based revenue management method. This approach explicitly treats charging demand since it allows the integration of a decentralised control method with a discrete choice model that captures the preferences of EV drivers. The sensitivities to the joint charging/parking attributes that characterise the demand side have been estimated with EV-PLACE, an online administered stated preference survey. The choice-modelling framework assesses simultaneously out-of-home charging behaviour with scheduling and parking decisions. Also, survey participants are presented with objective probabilities for fluctuations in future prices so that their response to dynamic pricing is investigated. Empirical estimates provide insights into the value that individuals place to the various attributes of the services that are offered by the CSP. The optimisation of operations for recharging infrastructure is evaluated with SOCSim, a micro-simulation framework that is based on activity patterns of London residents. Sensitivity analyses are performed to examine the structural properties of the model and its benefits compared to an uncontrolled scenario are highlighted. The application proposed in this research is practice-ready and recommendations are given to CSPs for its full-scale implementation.Open Acces

Investigating the transferability of the Workplace Parking Levy

Traffic congestion is a significant cost to society, amounting to somewhere between 1 and 2% of GDP according to an EU-wide survey (CE Delft, 2011). To address this cost, road pricing has long been viewed as the first best solution although issues with public and political acceptance have meant the uptake of such schemes has been low. In the meantime parking policies, a second best alternative to road pricing, have become extensively used by local authorities as a means of managing congestion due to the influence the price and availability of parking can have on a motorist s decision to drive. The effectiveness of such strategies however is limited due to local authorities being unable to control privately owned parking. More specifically, free parking at the workplace is seen as contributing to congestion at peak times by incentivising drivers to commute to work by car. To address this, in the UK the Transport Act 2000 granted powers to local authorities to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) whereby employers are required to pay a sum based on the number of parking spaces they provide for their staff with the revenue hypothecated for local transport improvements. The introduction of such powers meant the Government estimated there would be 12 schemes by 2010. To-date however, only Nottingham has introduced a WPL. The aim of this thesis therefore is to investigate the transferability of the WPL to other local authorities which is analysed through the application of the Policy Transfer Framework to the WPL in the UK context. It focuses on the views of key stakeholders with respect to the WPL at both the national and local authority level so as to understand the reasons for the low uptake as well as the design, implementation and operational considerations required to introduce such a scheme. The conclusions of this thesis are that lessons can and have been learnt with respect to introducing a WPL as the findings reveal that Nottingham City Council (NCC) drew on aspects of Policy Transfer to facilitate the introduction of the scheme. Specifically, NCC Councillors developed a vision of what a WPL could deliver and were reassured by experts from abroad whilst a staff transfer exercise allowed officers to learn lessons in terms of how the scheme should be designed, implemented and operated. What s more, lessons from a formal DfT evaluation of the pilot scheme in Nottingham following the delivery of the full WPL package will have a significant influence (either positive or negative) on the number of future schemes. More broadly, the results suggest that the WPL is transferable and the adoption of additional WPL schemes in the future is likely. This is due in no small part to the fact that the Nottingham scheme has so far enjoyed a relatively painless introduction even though it is still too early to evaluate how successful it has been in meeting its objectives. This research has made a significant contribution to knowledge in that it has explored the WPL with key stakeholders to generate a standard for introducing and operating a WPL. It has also provided an application of the Policy Transfer framework to understand the process and development of a new policy as well as the type and where lessons are learnt

Stakeholder values of car parking

Widespread car usage of around 800 million of cars travelling 30 billion of kilometres on a daily basis has led to many benefits but also to significant environmental and societal impacts such as congestion, air and noise pollution and urban sprawl. This thesis aims to investigate the stakeholder values of car parking in order to support and inform the decision makers who are tasked with how best to resolve challenging car parking dilemmas. A two phase progressive methodology is involved. Phase one begins with conducting a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight academics to identify whom the stakeholders are that are affected by car parking. Then a second series of 20 interviews are conducted with sector leaders of stakeholder groups to establish how the stakeholders are affected by car parking and importantly, how they value car parking. Finally a third series of nine interviews are conducted with nine different experts to help to bridge the gap between phase one and phase two. Phase one found that a broader reach of stakeholders (classified into four different groups) are affected by car parking than the literature might imply, and that they value car parking in eight different key ways. It also found that the values emerged from a context of governmental, social and consumer concerns. Phase two of the methodology was quantitative and used the findings from phase one to develop four additional attributes considered meaningful across all four stakeholder groups, namely: safety, politics, public spaces and weekly household council tax. Choice based conjoint analysis was used to incorporate the attributes into three hypothetical scenarios namely; driver, strategy and social, as these were considered to be reflective of the value context unearthed previously in phase one. The scenarios were disseminated across England as part of a wider survey and achieved a sample size of 1107 responses. The results of which were then interpreted through willingness to pay (WTP) values. Key findings included: how a persistent political undertone can impact on car parking policy setting; that the car parking industry is under pressure to provide a service chiefly motivated by a perceived consumer intolerance of market prices; and that stakeholders can not only appreciate but also experience the impact of car parking choices on other stakeholder groups. Conclusions drawn included that the different stakeholder groups took issue with national government leadership believing it to currently be deficient in setting the standards for British car parking. Moreover, decision makers wrongly perceive that consumers of car parking do not pass between the groups and are therefore hostile to policies which do not directly benefit them. The key implication being that decision makers are cautious to implement policies which are not necessarily advantageous to consumers but which may lead to gains for the remaining stakeholder groups. In short, this thesis recommends amongst others that the governmental stakeholder group should seek to provide direction and guidelines for tariff setting which is reflective of the provision of a service that is conscious of the range of parking industry stakeholder values. Furthermore, as safety is an industry held value, practitioners should seek to better understand how it impacts their market. They should explore the relevance of schemes such as Park Mark to operators and their customers, by fundamentally investigating to what extent safety exists as a valid concern inside car parks and how it applies to personal safety, vehicle safety or general perceptions of safety. In addition, where the governmental stakeholder group remain mindful of the significance of securing political backing, the car parking industry would benefit from appreciating the sensitivities of political challenges faced by the governmental group when lobbying for any changes in parking policy programmes. Indeed, the parking industry should collaborate between the two parties and seek to unite in finding agreeable solutions which benefit constituents either directly or indirectly. As car parking values might differ according to their geopolitical context and lead to the extraction of a different set of attributes, further work would include looking beyond England to first the UK and then to abroad to explore the effects of potential cultural differences and learn the relevant lessons

Paratransit operators' participation in public transport reform in Cape Town: a qualitative investigation of their business aspirations and attitudes to reform

Includes bibliographical referencesThe South African government launched two public transport reform programmes in the last two decades to address generally declining services as well as specific problems with paratransit, the dominant service provider. One programme aims to incorporate paratransit in new bus-based networks in cities; the other is a national paratransit fleet renewal scheme. Cape Town is arguably most advanced with the former, and the first phase of its bus network is nearing completion. Paratransit operators have shown resistance to both programmes, yet there have been few efforts to gain direct insight into their views on their businesses or their attitudes to reform. It is thus difficult to identify reasons behind their unenthusiastic response, or to understand if revisions to the programmes might cause more operators to opt in. This research employed a case study strategy to investigate paratransit operators' business aspirations and needs in Cape Town, and to identify commonalities between their attitudes and the aims of the reform programmes to inform potential amendments to these programmes. The details of incorporating paratransit operators in the new bus system in Cape Town were not systematically recorded, and it was thus first necessary to trace the engagement process between the municipality and these operators. Information was drawn from a variety of sources over a six-year period. Against this background, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 operators and eight drivers from different parts of the city to explore their aspirations and views on reform. Access was arranged through trusted intermediaries and the eight associations to which respondents belonged. The research revealed that operators were not necessarily passive players waiting for government-led change: some established large transport enterprises, whereas others built small-scale businesses. Propositions were subsequently drawn, amongst other things, on the prospects of and potential revisions to the reform programmes. The recapitalisation programme has had the broader reach of the two programmes. The national government should consider extending it and reviewing its financial support mechanism to make it more accessible to small operators. Larger businesses might be well positioned for incorporation in bus operating companies, but concerted efforts must be made to build trust with these operators and to familiarise them with the transition process. By documenting operator incorporation in the bus system, and providing first-hand insight into paratransit aspirations and attitudes to reform, the research ultimately contributes a basis from which to understand operators' existing responses to reform and the potential for their greater participation in it

TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF SPATIALITY OF INDETERMINATE SPACES: DOHA MIGRANT LABOURERS AS SPATIAL ACTOR

This study investigated publicly accessible spaces where the city’s normal forces of control have not shaped their perception, usage and occupancy. The so-called indeterminate spaces were examined in traditional Doha neighbourhoods, with Al Asmakh, Al Najada and Barahat Al Jufairi as case studies. The objectives of the research are to find out how, where and why space becomes indeterminate, and to understand the dynamic intervening relationship between spatial pattern of the space and migrant labourers’ experiences in everyday indeterminate spaces. In addition to exploring the users’ perception, the performance of the activities and the intensity of use were also examined. The focus on publicly accessible indeterminate spaces arises from the perception of their importance for the urban poor, and of a gap in research on the subject in the old neighbourhoods of the city of Doha. The research adopted a cross-disciplinary approach through holistic understanding of everyday space, place-making concepts and urban form performance criteria, with public indeterminate space viewed as material space with a spatial and social dimension, situated within a cultural setting. A model was developed linking all the factors, based on which a framework of issues and questions was developed for use in examining the case studies. The research employed both documentary research and fieldwork in data sourcing. Activity and behavioural mapping, as well as interviews, have been utilised to investigate the values and meaning that users impose on these spaces. Additionally, an urban situation analysis focusing on the urban growth and urban demography of the selected neighbourhoods, has contributed to an understanding of the factors resulting in the temporary use of the space and its informality. Analysis of the selected indeterminate spaces within the designated neighbourhoods demonstrated that the temporality and indeterminacy of the spaces occurred due to the alteration of spatial structure resulting from the economic, social, cultural, spatial and environmental challenges that negatively affected the quality of urban life. This resulted in the emergence of the indeterminacy process and informal practices by the inhabitants, in our case, migrant workers. They began to create spaces by taking advantage of the physical and social possibilities that indeterminate spaces possess, to fulfill their socio-cultural and economic needs by performing activities that strongly contribute to the meaning of the space, promote their ability to participate in the activities, and employ some level of control and empowerment involving their right to the city. Understanding the spatiality of these spaces revealed the relevance of temporary uses and informal local practices as a resource for rethinking a city’s inflexible planning, and developing the city so that spaces once more become productive and livable

Justice and Law

The 2nd edition of study guide is compiled to meet the requirements of the Bologna Declaration in accordance with the new program of Bachelor in the field of 035“Philology” professional training. The purpose of the study guide is to develop students’ skills in understanding business jurisprudence and high-quality legal texts translation. The aim of the edition is to help students of translation departments master essential linguistic basis to ensure their competitiveness in the labor market. Meant for students of translation departments of universities and institutes, can also be successfully used in higher and special educational establishments that train specialists in jurisprudence

Justice and Law

The 2nd edition of study guide is compiled to meet the requirements of the Bologna Declaration in accordance with the new program of Bachelor in the field of 035“Philology” professional training. The purpose of the study guide is to develop students’ skills in understanding business jurisprudence and high-quality legal texts translation. The aim of the edition is to help students of translation departments master essential linguistic basis to ensure their competitiveness in the labor market. Meant for students of translation departments of universities and institutes, can also be successfully used in higher and special educational establishments that train specialists in jurisprudence

Coordinated Transit Response Planning and Operations Support Tools for Mitigating Impacts of All-Hazard Emergency Events

This report summarizes current computer simulation capabilities and the availability of near-real-time data sources allowing for a novel approach of analyzing and determining optimized responses during disruptions of complex multi-agency transit system. The authors integrated a number of technologies and data sources to detect disruptive transit system performance issues, analyze the impact on overall system-wide performance, and statistically apply the likely traveler choices and responses. The analysis of unaffected transit resources and the provision of temporary resources are then analyzed and optimized to minimize overall impact of the initiating event