Understanding the Shared Operation of Commuter Rail Transit and Freight Railroads

Seeking a thorough understanding of shared operation between commuter rail transit and freight railroads, a nationwide survey was conducted of transit and rail freight interaction. This survey contacted and received responses from all 21 commuter rail services in North America. In addition to a general understanding of the shared-use practices, this paper presents the key factors that contribute or impede successful shared-use operations between commuter rail and freight railroads by examining detailed operation arrangements, shared asset management, dispatching priorities, accident histories, and insurance and liability issues. A few critical issues directly related to the success of future shared operations are highlighted for the reference of new-start systems and those who are seeking knowledge in the arena of shared-use operations

A Comprehensive Approach for Rolling Stock Planning: Combining Train Performance Simulation and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

Rolling stock has a limited life span during which it can provide efficient service. Faced with today's budget constraints and economic slowdown, all railroad or transit operators will eventually face the following questions: What is the most suitable equipment available to replace the existing equipment for the particular service? What is the most economic way of procuring the required fleet? To answer those questions, various railroad agencies and transit operators used diversified measures such as capacity demanded by the ridership forecast, performance afforded by the proposed equipment, or the operating and capital cost associated with certain rolling stock configurations. However, comprehensive analyses based on all three factors mentioned above are rare, even though it is agreed that all those factors affect railroad services simultaneously and they all should be considered in the rolling stock planning process. To fill the gap, this paper describes a comprehensive approach to select long-term rolling stock for commuter services. This approach not only considers the performance of the proposed equipment but also evaluates the life cycle costs of the proposed fleet configuration. A case study of rolling stock planning for a commuter rail service is included to demonstrate the practical application of the suggested approach. Combining the train performance simulation (TPS) and life cycle cost (LCC) analysis, the proposed approach derives an optimal balance between service costs and service quality. Moreover, by incorporating the timing of the new equipment purchases into the life cycle cost, this approach further maximizes the return on capital investment for transit agencies

Along the Oregon Trail: Disaster Preparedness in Oregon Libraries and Archives

Kris Kern discusses the creation of the Western States and Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS) in 2007 to assist in protecting Oregon\u27s Library collections

Developing a Strategy for Imputing Missing Traffic Volume Data

Archived ITS-generated data can provide a potential resource for many long-term transportation applications. However, missing and suspicious data are inevitable due to detector and communication malfunctions. This paper presents a comparative analysis of various techniques for imputing missing traffic volume data in the archived data management system in Kentucky. The applicability of the techniques, as well as their reliability in terms of data requirement, is also discussed. An implementation strategy for the Kentucky archive data management system is then developed based on the performance and the applicability/reliability analyses

Improving Rail Station Access with Feeder Bus Network Optimization and Mode Shifts

Because of financial constraints, many transit agencies are trying to balance their budgets and provide an efficient transit network and services. This paper presents an improved model for feeder bus network development problems. The proposed approach consists of three main components: (a) an initial solution generation procedure, (b) a network features determination procedure, and (c) a solution search procedure. The tabu search is used as a metaheuristic method in the solution search procedure to find an optimal solution according to a given set of feasible solutions. The input for the new feeder bus network development problem includes the street network, demands from origins to the suburban rail station, and related parameters. The output demonstrates an optimized feeder bus network system and service frequencies for each route. The results show that the proposed method can be used by transit planners to optimize feeder bus systems that provide access to rail stations and other activity centers

Container terminal gate appointment system optimization

As a consequence of continuing growth of container volume and the introduction of 12 000 TEU plus containerships into major trade routes, the port industry is under pressure to come up with the necessary capacity to accommodate the increasing freight volume. One critical issue is the marine terminal gate capacity. Limited gate capacity leads to congestion. The harbor trucking industry operates in a very competitive environment; gate congestion is detrimental to their economic well-being. This article applies a multi-server queuing model to analyze marine terminal gate congestion and quantify truck waiting cost. An optimization model is developed to balance the gate operating cost and trucker’s cost associated with excessive waiting time. The model is tested using data from field observations. A case study is applied to analyze gate congestion behavior and truck waiting cost. Model sensitivity is discussed. The results indicate that truck waiting cost at marine terminal gates is an issue that needs to be addressed. A truck appointment system seems to be the most viable way to reduce gate congestion and increase system efficiency. With an optimized appointment system, the total system costs, especially truck waiting cost, can be drastically reduced.

Developing a Strategy for Imputing Missing Traffic Volume Data

Archived ITS-generated data can provide a potential resource for many long-term transportation applications. However, missing and suspicious data are inevitable due to detector and communication malfunctions. This paper presents a comparative analysis of various techniques for imputing missing traffic volume data in the archived data management system in Kentucky. The applicability of the techniques, as well as their reliability in terms of data requirement, is also discussed. An implementation strategy for the Kentucky archive data management system is then developed based on the performance and the applicability/reliability analyses

Impacts of New Light Rail Transit Service on Riders\u27 Residential Relocation Decisions

Using the rider survey data collected from Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Transit System in New Jersey, this paper investigated the residential relocating decisions of the riders who have been riding the LRT for a period of time. Using the Heckman’s sample selection model, the paper extends the current mobility literature by describing not only a rider’s likelihood to move as a result of the new LRT service but also the movers’ orientation toward their residence distances to LRT stations. Information on the socio-economic characteristics of the movers and their residence distances to LRT stations would help planners and developers identify areas where housing growth associated with specific characteristics of the riders will occur, and plan for these areas to provide affordable housing and amenities for relocating residents

A Comprehensive Approach for Rolling Stock Planning: Combining Train Performance Simulation and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

Rolling stock has a limited life span during which it can provide efficient service. Faced with today's budget constraints and economic slowdown, all railroad or transit operators will eventually face the following questions: What is the most suitable equipment available to replace the existing equipment for the particular service? What is the most economic way of procuring the required fleet? To answer those questions, various railroad agencies and transit operators used diversified measures such as capacity demanded by the ridership forecast, performance afforded by the proposed equipment, or the operating and capital cost associated with certain rolling stock configurations. However, comprehensive analyses based on all three factors mentioned above are rare, even though it is agreed that all those factors affect railroad services simultaneously and they all should be considered in the rolling stock planning process. To fill the gap, this paper describes a comprehensive approach to select long-term rolling stock for commuter services. This approach not only considers the performance of the proposed equipment but also evaluates the life cycle costs of the proposed fleet configuration. A case study of rolling stock planning for a commuter rail service is included to demonstrate the practical application of the suggested approach. Combining the train performance simulation (TPS) and life cycle cost (LCC) analysis, the proposed approach derives an optimal balance between service costs and service quality. Moreover, by incorporating the timing of the new equipment purchases into the life cycle cost, this approach further maximizes the return on capital investment for transit agencies