Data Envelopment Analysis (D.E.A.) for urban road system performance assessment

Improving the efficiency of transport networks by enhancing road system performance, lays the foundations for the positive change process within a city, achieving good accessibility to the area and optimizing vehicle flows, both in terms of cost, management and attenuation of environmental impacts. The performance of an urban road system can be defined according to different thematic areas such as traffic flow, accessibility, maintenance and safety, for which the scientific literature proposes different measurement indicators. However variations in performance are influenced by interventions which differ from one another, such as infrastructure, management, regulation or legislation, etc.. Therefore sometimes it is not easy to understand which areas to act on and what type of action to pursue to improve road network performance. Of particular interest are the tools based on the use of synthetic macro-indicators that are representative of the individual thematic areas and are able to describe the behavior of the entire network as a function of its characteristic elements. These instruments are of major significance when they assess performance not so much in absolute terms but in relative terms, i.e. in relation to other urban areas comparable to the one being examined. Therefore the objective of the proposed paper is to compare performances of different urban networks, using a non-parametric linear programming technique such as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Farrel (1957), in order to provide technical support to the policy maker in the choice of actions to be implemented to make urban road systems efficient. This work is the conclusive study of road system performance analysis using DEA. The study forms part of a research project supported by grant. PRIN-2009 prot. 2009EP3S42_003, in which the University di Cagliari is a partner with a research team comprising the authors of this paper, and which addresses performance assessment of road networks, Fancello, Uccheddu and Fadda (2013a),(2013b)

A modeling tool for measuring the performance of urban road networks

The aim of this paper is to develop an integrated performance indicator in urban road infrastructure for evaluating network functionality and the impact of transport system interventions. The complex indicator has been elaborated using a multicriteria algorithm, based on concordance analysis. We calibrate a synthetic performance indicator for an urban road network, containing all those elements required for characterizing urban network functionality. Specifically, a series of core indicators is identified, integrated and interlinked. The functionality of an urban road network can be determined by analyzing several aspects that commonly affect operating conditions such as traffic flow, safety, road maintenance conditions, accessibility and environmental impact. No methodology is currently available in the scientific literature for measuring urban road network performance, using indicators that combine information about various aspects: the indicators used in the analysis of transport systems assess performance separately from different perspectives. For example, the quality of traffic flow is measured through the Level of Service (HCM, 2010), accessibility performance is assessed through clustering measures (Jiang & Claramunt, 2004) and safety conditions are measured in terms of number of road accidents (Tingvall, Stigson, Eriksson, Johansson, Krafft & Lie, 2010). This paper proposes a unique modeling tool that incorporates the different indicators used separately to calculate network performance for each area

Data Envelopment Analysis (D.E.A.) for Urban Road System Performance Assessment

AbstractImproving the efficiency of transport networks by enhancing road system performance, lays the foundations for the positive change process within a city, achieving good accessibility to the area and optimizing vehicle flows, both in terms of cost, management and attenuation of environmental impacts. The performance of an urban road system can be defined according to different thematic areas such as traffic flow, accessibility, maintenance and safety, for which the scientific literature proposes different measurement indicators. However variations in performance are influenced by interventions which differ from one another, such as infrastructure, management, regulation or legislation, etc. Therefore sometimes it is not easy to understand which areas to act on and what type of action to pursue to improve road network performance. Of particular interest are the tools based on the use of synthetic macro-indicators that are representative of the individual thematic areas and are able to describe the behavior of the entire network as a function of its characteristic elements. These instruments are of major significance when they assess performance not so much in absolute terms but in relative terms, i.e. in relation to other urban areas comparable to the one being examined. Therefore the objective of the proposed paper is to compare performances of different urban networks, using a non-parametric linear programming technique such as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Farrel (1957), in order to provide technical support to the policy maker in the choice of actions to be implemented to make urban road systems efficient. This work is the conclusive study of road system performance analysis using DEA.The study forms part of a research project supported by grant, PRIN-2009 prot. 2009EP3S42_003, in which the University di Cagliari is a partner with a research team comprising the authors of this paper, and which addresses performance assessment of road networks, Fancello, Uccheddu and Fadda (2013a),(2013b)

Investigating last food mile deliveries: A case study approach to identify needs of food delivery demand

© 2017 Drawing on the results of a survey carried out in Cagliari (Italy), the paper provides an analysis of the characteristics of food deliveries in urban areas aimed at understanding the needs and expectations of receivers of last mile deliveries of fresh products. In fact, exploring the needs of potential users - who are directly responsible for the success of the scheme - and the characteristics of logistics flows they generate/attract in the city centre is a necessary prerequisite for implementing city logistics measures. The study considers independent retailers within the hotel, restaurants and catering (Ho.Re.Ca.) sector. Based on the delivery characteristics, a classification of commercial activities related to the food chain is provided. The analysis has been developed by means of Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and Cluster analysis. The suitability of city logistics measures to the last food mile is also discussed

An emergency vehicles allocation model for major industrial disasters

One of the main issues in the event of a major industrial disaster (fire, explosion or toxic gas dispersion) is to efficacy manage emergencies by considering both medical and logistics issues. From a logistics point of view the purpose of this work is to correctly address critical patients from the emergency site to the most suitable hospitals. A Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) Model is proposed, able to determine the optimal number and allocation of emergency vehicles involved in relief operations, in order to maximize the number of successfully treated injured patients. Moreover, a vehicles reallocation strategy has been developed which takes into account the evolution of the patients health conditions. Alternative scenarios have been tested considering a dynamic version of the Emergency Vehicles Allocation Problem, in which patient health conditions evolves during the rescue process. A company located in Italy has been considered as case-study in order to evaluate the performance of the proposed methodology

A Bus Allocation Model for Major Industrial Disasters

The presented research is part of a broader project DIEM-SSP—Disasters and Emergencies Management for Safety and Security in Industrial Plants –aiming at managing major industrial emergencies by considering both medical and engineering/logistics issues. When a disaster occurs, it is necessary to immediately provide relief plans. Many decisions must be made in very short time, which may have a relevant impact on the consequences of the disaster. For an efficient and smart exploitation of available resources, it is necessary to mitigate damages. From a logistics point of view, one of the major issues in the event of a major industrial disaster (fire, explosion or toxic gas dispersion) is to evacuate the external population that can be affected by the disaster to specific evacuation areas. The purpose of the research is to determine the optimal number and allocation of vehicles (buses) which must be involved in order to evacuate the population located in a defined risk area around the emergency site and the optimal location for evacuation areas. For that reasons, a dynamic version of the bus allocation problem is proposed using a mixed-integer programming model

The effect of performance-oriented funding in higher education: evidence from the staff recruitment budget in Italian higher education

AbstractThis study, which aims to investigate some potential effects derived from the adoption of performance-oriented funding in the higher education system, is focused on competitive allocative mechanism to provide universities with the staff recruitment budget in the Italian Higher Education System using panel data spanning the period 2012–2018 for 58 public universities. Results show that the geographical area in which universities operate influences their capacity to increase performance and thus financial resources. Indeed, universities located in Northern areas, the wealthier part of Italy, received a higher amount of resources than those located in the rest of the country. These findings reveal the key role played by external factors, which are beyond the control of management, in universities' capacity to achieve better performance. Results also suggest that policy-makers should identify the correct trade-off between the quest for higher performance within the Italian Higher Education System and equity in resource allocation

Multi-stakeholder collaboration in urban freight consolidation schemes: Drivers and barriers to implementation

© 2018 The Author(s). Published by VGTU Press. Due to the motivations of climate change, the health impacts of poor air quality, and the importance of cities for economic growth, transport policy at all levels of governance places emphasis on reducing and managing urban traffic and congestion. Whilst the majority of urban traffic is created by personal travel, freight vehicles make a relatively large contribution per vehicle to congestion, pollution and severe accidents. The European Commission (EC 2011) estimates that 6% of all EU transport carbon emissions are from urban freight. For these reasons, a well-structured portfolio of measures and policies oriented towards more sustainable and efficient management of supply chain activities carried out in urban areas is needed, in order to reduce negative externalities related to urban mobility and improve economic performance. In recent years, there has been enthusiasm amongst commentators that shared-resource economic models can both create new commercial opportunities and address policy problems, including in the transport sector. Within the city logistics subsector, this new model is exemplified by the emergence of Urban freight Consolidation Centres (UCCs). UCCs replace multiple ‘last-mile’ delivery movements, many of which involving small consignments, by a common receiving point (the consolidation centre), normally on the periphery of a city, with the final part of the delivery being shared by the consignments in a small freight vehicle. Such arrangements can represent a good compromise between the needs of city centre businesses and their customers on the one hand (i.e. high availability of a range of goods) and local and global sustainability objectives on the other. At the same time, by sharing logistics facilities and delivery vehicles, UCCs offer added-value services to both urban economic actors, such as retailers, and network logistics providers. However, UCCs add to the complexity of logistics chains, requiring additional contracts, communications and movement stages. These arrangements also introduce additional actors within the supply of delivery services, notably local authorities present as promoters and funders, rather than simply as regulators, companies specialised in the UCC operation, and companies, which provide specialist technologies, such as electric delivery vehicles. UCCs therefore also represent an example of multi-stakeholder collaboration. Drawing on the results of a 2013 survey in Bristol (United Kingdom) and a further survey carried out in 2015 in Cagliari (Italy), the present paper will provide an in-depth comparison of the differences in the perceptions of urban freight users and stakeholders towards UCCs. Retailers involved in the survey carried out in Bristol showed high satisfaction with the delivery service provided by the UCC. Different topic areas (e.g. timeliness, reliability, safety) are examined through analyses of both qualitative and quantitative data. The survey carried out in Cagliari investigated the inclination of potential users to join a UCC scheme. The comparison between the two cities considers factors such as the nature of business holding (e.g. SME versus multiple retailers), operational practices (e.g. pattern of deliveries) and operating subsector (e.g. food versus no food). An analysis on the barriers to the implementation of UCCs in Bristol and in Cagliari is provided at the end of the paper

Cardiac Autonomic Control and Neural Arousal as Indexes of Fatigue in Professional Bus Drivers

Background: Bus driving is a mentally demanding activity that requires prolonged attention to ensure safety. The aim of the study was to assess mental fatigue caused by driving a public bus and to find a profile of workers at higher risk. Methods: We evaluated changes of critical flicker fusion (CFF) (index of central arousal) and heart rate variability (HRV) (index of autonomic balance) in a 6-hour driving shift on a real route, in 31 professional bus drivers, and we tested the influence of personal factors such as sleep quality, BMI, and age. Paired t test was used to test differences of CFF and HRV between both initial and final phase of driving, while multiple linear regression tested the influence of personal variables on the indexes of mental fatigue. Results: Results showed that CFF significantly decreased after 6 hours of bus driving (41.91 Hz, sd 3.31 vs. 41.15 Hz, sd 3.15; p = 0.041), and heart rate significantly decreased in the final phase of driving, with respect to the initial phase (85 vs. 78 bpm, p = 0.027). Increasing age (beta =-0.729, p = 0.022), risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (beta =-0.530, p = 0.04), and diurnal sleepiness (beta =-0.406, p = 0.017) showed a significant effect on influencing mental fatigue. Conclusion: Elderly drivers at higher risk of sleep disorders are more prone to mental fatigue, when exposed to driving activity. Monitoring indexes of central arousal and autonomic balance, coupled with the use of structured questionnaires can represent a useful strategy to detect profile of workers at higher risk of mental fatigue in such duty

An experimental analysis on driving behaviour for professional bus drivers

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