Embedding problems for lie algebras in elementary particle physics

This study assesses the disparity between good street design practice and highway design standards with respect to walkability. Using an example local network in the commune of Lorentzweiler in Luxembourg, the study first performs a large-scale network-level walkability evaluation using the well-established Pedestrian Environment Review System (PERS) pedestrian audit method in order to identify design shortcomings around the network. Then, focusing on the shortcomings identified, the study evaluates the findings with respect to the existing highway design standards of Luxembourg, highlights gaps in the latter and proposes amendments and additions that would enhance the walkability element in the design of new schemes and the retrofitting of existing ones

Pedestrian gap acceptance behavior in street designs with elements of shared space

Recent developments in the field of urban street design have seen the emergence of the concept of “shared space,” a term that refers to a range of streetscape treatments aiming at creating a better public realm by asserting the function of streets as places and designing more to a scale aimed at easier pedestrian movement and lower vehicle speeds. In light of this shift in focus toward the pedestrian, an examination was done on the aspect of pedestrian gap acceptance behavior and how this may have changed as a result of the implementation of street layouts with elements of shared space. With the use of video data from London’s Exhibition Road site during periods before and after its conversion from a conventional dual carriageway to a layout featuring a number of elements of shared space, the study looked at changes in key gap acceptance variables, such as waiting time, crossing time, crossing speed, and critical gap. The effects of several traffic- and pedestrian-specific attributes on gap acceptance were also investigated by means of binary logistic regression modeling. Results suggest that pedestrians felt more comfortable and confident in their interaction with vehicles post-redevelopment of the site because they not only tended to accept shorter gaps in traffic but also appeared to be more at ease when crossing. In particular, elderly people and pedestrians traveling with children seemed to benefit the most, no longer appearing to be any less comfortable when crossing the road than other pedestrians

A quantitative approach to behavioural analysis of drivers in highways using particle filtering

The analysis of the driving behaviour is a challenging area in transport that has applications in numerous fields ranging from highway design to micro-simulation and development of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). There has been evidence suggesting changes in the driving behaviour in response to changes in traffic conditions, and this is known as adaptive driving behaviour. Identifying these changes, the conditions under which they happen, and describing them in a systematic way would contribute greatly to the accuracy of micro-simulation and more importantly to the understanding of the traffic flow, and will therefore pave the way for introducing further improvements in the efficiency of the transport network. In this paper adaptive driving behaviour is linked to changes in the model parameters for a given car-following model. These changes are tracked using a dynamic system identification method, namely unscented particle filtering

A dynamic route choice model for public transport networks with boarding queues

The concepts of optimal strategy and hyperpath were born within the framework of static frequency-based public transport assignment, where it is assumed that travel times and frequencies do not change over time and no overcrowding occurs. However, the formation of queues at public transport stops can prevent passengers from boarding the first vehicle approaching and can thus lead to additional delays in their trip. Assuming that passengers know from previous experience that for certain stops/lines they will have to wait for the arrival of the 2nd, 3rd, …, k-th vehicle, they may alter their route choices, thus resulting in a different assignment of flows across the network. The aim of this paper is to investigate route choice behaviour changes as a result of the formation and dispersion of queues at stops within the framework of optimal travel strategies. A new model is developed, based on modifications of existing algorithms

Effects of countdown displays in public transport route choice under severe overcrowding

The paper presents a route choice model for dynamic assignment in congested, i.e. overcrowded, transit networks where it is assumed that passengers are supported with real-time information on carrier arrivals at stops. If the stop layout is such that passenger congestion results in First-In-First-Out (FIFO) queues, a new formulation is devised for calculating waiting times, total travel times and route splits. Numerical results for a simple example network show the effect of information on route choice when heavy congestion is observed. While the provision of information does not lead to a remarkable decrease in total travel time, with the exception of some particular instances, it changes the travel behaviour of passengers that seem to be more averse to queuing at later stages of their journey and, thus, prefer to interchange at less congested stations