Better winter road weather information saves money, time, lives and the environment

Weather service systems that collect, refine and distribute information to road users and to network and maintenance operators can generate significant benefits to stakeholders and society. For maintenance operators improved efficiency through timely reactions, smaller amounts of de-icing materials and better personnel utilization offer clear potential for reduced costs. In the future, better weather models will result in more accurate longer-term forecasts thus increasing the potential for benefits. New technology enables new kinds of services (e.g. decision support systems). This paper provides a structured view of the impacts of weather information services to different stakeholders

Devising and demonstrating an extreme weather risk indicator for use in transportation systems

This paper describes a novel risk indicator for extreme weather risks for use in transportation systems. The risk indicator is applied to the European transportation system indicating and ranking the risks for the 27 member states of the European Union (EU-27). The paper starts with definitions of hazards, vulnerability, and risk, based on relevant literature, and then operationalizes the risk, hazard, and vulnerability with the help of EU-27 data. Finally, the paper discusses the extreme weather risk indicator (EWRI) and evaluates its applicability and limitations. The risk indicator is a relative indicator: it should be viewed and treated as a ranking system. The devised indicator is able to assist decision makers at national and state as well as international and federal levels in the prioritization of extreme weather risks within their jurisdiction. The overall approach of EWRI is based on mainstream risk and vulnerability assessment research, following for the most part the existing conceptual models. The novelty of EWRI lies in its application area (transportation) and wide use of both empirical and statistical data. EWRI was used to assess the hazards, vulnerabilities, and risks of extreme weather for the EU-27, but nothing hinders its application, either in this form or a modified form, in other contexts

Sustainable public-private partnerships: Balancing the multi-actor ecosystem and societal requirements

The funding gap of public infrastructure networks (roads, railways, ports, electricity, and energy lines) can be solved partly by introducing private capital for investments, i.e., public-private partnerships (PPP). This paper introduces an integrated model of a PPP project and investigates its implications on PPP policies and strategies regarding appropriate project appraisal and selection. The model has different resolution levels, namely, project level, business ecosystem level, and market and societal levels. The integrated model suggests that investing in merely financially viable projects is insufficient to realize economically and socially sustainable and acceptable projects

Ownership and governance of Finnish infrastructure networks

This research report investigates and analyzes the pros and cons of different ownership and governance models of infrastructure networks. The report covers most infrastructure networks: transportation networks (roads, streets, railways, airports, harbors) and utility networks (water and sewage, energy and electricity). There is no unifying solution that would fit all sectors in terms of the most efficient ownership model. However, in many sectors reforms are needed towards more elaborated client-supplier frameworks to ensure greater efficiency and cost transparency. Surprisingly, traditional organizational structures do not seem to impact on financial returns of those networks that provide user-financed services. In Finland technical infrastructure networks are typically owned, administered and managed by the public sector as they are considered public goods and critical assets for the wellbeing of citizens. In many ways the sectors have remained passive and with little interaction towards more innovative service provision solutions or organizational models. In terms of developing the networks’ services and their profitability, the greatest business opportunity would result from allowing open entry to market and competition in contracting. This would mean abandonment of negotiated contracts and proactive evolution of functional markets. The scope of business opportunities will increase in all aspect of service delivery; from management to engineering and economic studies, asset management systems, construction and maintenance works, and the labor to do all that

Optimizing Search and Rescue Personnel Allocation in Disaster Emergency Response using Fuzzy Logic

Several models have been developed to facilitate decision-making in disaster management, especially in relation to emergency resource allocations. These models are required in order for search and rescue personnel to operate efficiently. However, in Indonesia, in general, technology has not been used to help make decisions during the response phase; rather, these decisions are still made subjectively. This paper presents a decision-making model that helps search and rescue teams determine the number of personnel to deploy. Therefore, it streamlines the allocation of personnel in a search area, and it determines the number of personnel that are needed based on the area, population density, equipment, and the number of high buildings. Then, those variables are processed using a fuzzy expert system and a decision tree. The data and knowledge acquired as a reference were obtained from disaster management experts as well as experienced practitioners in the field of Search and Rescue

ITS in a changing climate-a savior tool or another vulnerable system?

This paper describes a typology of components present in intelligent transport systems (ITS), or a physical architecture components of ITS and points out what type of weather phenomena are particularly harmful for ITS. The EWENT project's second work package studied what are the frequencies of extreme weather in different parts of Europe and how these frequencies are about to change. The means of six different regional climate models are presented. When looking at climate model projections the overall pattern in Europe is clear: the climate is getting warmer with more heat waves and fewer winter phenomena. Precipitation seems to turn from snow to water ever more often, but the change is of course still very uncertain. Warming causes increased risks of thunder storms which are associated with increased probability of heat waves. If heat waves increase significantly, as seems to be the case especially in Mediterranean, also sand storms may become more frequent and severe since heat waves could loosen the soil. All air-lifted sub-systems and outdoor equipment, such as path-side systems, are in principle at risk. The more intelligence and control can be shifted to in-vehicle systems, the lighter will the public sector cost burden probably be, thinking of the mitigation costs. © 2011 by the Intelligent Transportation Society of America

Intelligent transport systems-technological, economic, system performance and market views

This paper introduces a holistic view to intelligent transport systems (ITS) by providing four different perspectives: the technological, economic, system performance and market views. These perspectives are essential for a thorough understanding of ITS systems, which extend beyond traditional transportation engineering. ITS require management tools related to systems engineering (i.e. architectures); unique features are related to transport economics, and they differ from traditional transport engineering solutions. ITS technologies can improve transport system performance in numerous ways; furthermore, ITS is an important business segment for many technology companies and an industry by its own right. Different types of expertise and management are required for this meta-system, which is comparable to the entire transport system in terms of organisational objectives

Eco-pricing of mobility

This paper discusses mobility pricing concepts from viewpoint of ecological targets and sustainable development. The current Finnish mobility pricing system is used as a starting point, and then proceeding along the lines of discussion towards its strengths and weaknesses with regard to environmental policy agenda. Since the Finnish practice has a long tradition of internalizing the external costs of ecological and environmental costs, it serves as a good spring board towards eco-pricing. If eco-pricing would be adopted, there would be necessary economic trade-offs. Hence, the question turns into political and social one: how much are we willing to pay for ecological mobility The technological issues are considered in the end, as eco-pricing will require the employment of different technologies. However, the technological challenges are probably easier to tackle than the political, social and institutional ones. Finally, some aspects of advanced vs. developing economies are discussed. © IJTech 2011

Resilienssin käsite ja operationalisointi – case liikennejärjestelmä [Resilience and its operationalization – case transport system]

This paper introduces a generic resilience framework that is applied to transport systems. The framework is based on prior research and literature on resilience. The paper first reviews the relevant literature and builds a resilience model that distinguishes the attributes and sub-attributes of resilience. The resilience model and transport system components are then merged into a single-system resilience matrix. The complexity of resilience of a meta-system – a system comprising several sub-systems – is discussed in brief and a simplified example of how to apply meta-level resilience analysis on transport systems is shown. Finally, the implications for other systems, particularly those governed by cities and municipalities, are discussed. In fact, cities and municipalities face even more complex resilience analysis tasks than those faced by State authorities, who mostly govern sector systems (e.g. transport) within their mandate. It is argued that municipal decision-makers encounter serious challenges and questions when they consider the enhancement of their communities’ resilience

Resilience of transport infrastructure systems

This paper proposes a generic resilience framework that is applied to transport infrastructure systems. The framework is based on prior research and literature material on resilience. The paper first reviews some of the relevant literature and builds a resilience model that distinguishes the attributes and sub-attributes of resilience. Then the resilience model and transport system components are merged into single system resilience matrix. The complexity of resilience of a meta-system – a system comprising several sub-systems – is underlined. Finally, the implications on other meta-systems, for example those governed by cities and municipalities, are briefly discussed. In fact, cities and municipalities face even a more complex resilience analysis tasks than do the state authorities who mostly govern sector systems (e.g. transport) within their mandate