estimating travel time reliability in urban areas through a dynamic simulation model

Abstract It has been recognised that travelers do not only take travel time into account, but also travel time reliability (TTR). In the presence of travel time unreliability, travellers typically allow more time for their trips in order to limit the possibility of arriving late. This extra time allowance could be reduced increasing transport reliability, with a clear user benefit. Therefore, the evaluation of TTR has been receiving considerable attention in recent years, also in consideration of the current availability of real-time data. This study proposes a methodology for estimating TTR of an extended road network, through the calibration of empirical relations and the finding's representation on GIS maps. The basic variables used are travel times of each link belonging to the network, estimated through a traffic model, combining dynamic assignment with rolling horizon technics and real-time traffic measures from radar sensors. Different statistical measures are used to analyze the quality of the database and its usefulness for monitoring and quantifying TTR, such as Standard Deviation, Coefficient of Variation (CV) and Congestion Index (CI). The methodology is applied to the urban area of Catania (Italy) and three levels of analysis are performed: a Single Link Analysis, a Multi-Link Analysis and a Global Network Analysis. Empirical relations between CV and CI are found and will be used in the appraisal of transport network's performances based on TTR. This work concludes discussing how the process for estimating TTR, as a short term measure, can be attained in urban conditions

Analysis of road urban transport network capacity through a dynamic assignment model: validation of different measurement methods

Abstract Network capacity in a transportation system becomes an important measurement for transport planning and management because it addresses its capability to satisfy an efficient network traffic flow reducing the inefficiency of congestion phenomena. This work provides a discussion of road urban transport network capacity including existing definitions in literature and the validation of new measurement methods. The study explores some of the properties of network-wide traffic flow relationships in a large-scale complex urban street network using real-time simulated results obtained from a dynamic traffic assignment model, periodically updated by data from radar sensors through rolling horizon technics. The basic variables used in the methodology, such as network flows and speeds, are characterized using a network model calibrated in the urban area of Catania (Italy). For a comprehensive yet simple analysis, equations and graphs are utilized to resume the obtained results related to different days and several time intervals of the day. This procedure proved to be suitable to investigate the properties of network-level traffic flow relationships and concluding remarks include suggestions for further research in this highly promising area

The Evolution of Sustainable Mobility and Urban Space Planning: Exploring the factors contributing to the Regeneration of Car Parking in Living Spaces

Strategies and actions to promote sustainable mobility must be based on the characterization of the mobility supply and the promotion of decarbonization policies (e.g. the management of public spaces). The presence of parkings, especially in urban areas, has a significant impact on the occupancy of physical spaces. In this framework, referring to the last decades and the recent pandemic, the paper focuses on the evaluation of influencing factors that have contributed to the changes of planned and designed parking spaces in urban areas. Parklets can support post COVID-19 (Phase 3) pandemics by improving the quality of public space and social distancing close to shops and activities, benefiting from this micro-urban regeneration. Moreover, they can be considered as an extension of the pavement and their implementation can encourage the reduction of private traffic by promoting soft mobility (i.e. walking and cycling). The article defines and highlights the features for the identification and planning of spaces where parklets can be implemented, to improve sustainability and support the post-pandemic recovery

Correction to: Improving inbound logistic planning for large-scale real-world routing problems: a novel ant-colony simulation-based optimization

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article

Strategies and actions towards sustainability: Encouraging good ITS practices in the SUMP vision

Nowadays, cities are increasingly required to be smart, sustainable, resilient and adaptive and, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, an integrated approach to transport planning needs to be adopted. In fact, European policies have adopted a series of limitations in the transport sector that led the scientific community to put into question the traditional transport planning process, by accelerating processes close to sustainability, started some time ago. In fact, many efforts in terms of strategies, initiatives and research have been made in the last decade to enhance new forms of sustainable urban mobility, in order to reduce the externalities associated with the transport sector. To achieve this goal, the European Commission has emphasized the integrated planning at all mobility levels. Among the other instruments, it has been identified a key role in the writing of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), its management and also through Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). Based on this premise, the aim of this paper is to present first results of a wider research aimed at investigating the methodological and practical approaches to boost the strategy of integration between transport systems and urban planning by using ITS technologies and infomobility systems. The research can support further investigations in order to define specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure and monitoring the impacts of technologies on developing smart cities and promoting sustainable mobility approaches, facing the urban planning and transport mobility issues of modern society

Improving inbound logistic planning for large-scale real-world routing problems: a novel ant-colony simulation-based optimization

Abstract This paper presents the first results of an agent-based model aimed at solving a Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP) for inbound logistics using a novel Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm, developed and implemented in the NetLogo multi-agent modelling environment. The proposed methodology has been applied to the case study of a freight transport and logistics company in South Italy in order to find an optimal set of routes able to transport palletized fruit and vegetables from different farms to the main depot, while minimizing the total distance travelled by trucks. Different scenarios have been analysed and compared with real data provided by the company, by using a set of key performance indicators including the load factor and the number of vehicles used. First results highlight the validity of the method to reduce cost and scheduling and provide useful suggestions for large-size operations of a freight transport service

Sustainability of Freight Transport through an Integrated Approach: the Case of the Eastern Sicily Port System

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Exploring the factors affecting bike-sharing demand: evidence from student perceptions, usage patterns and adoption barriers

Abstract Shared mobility is an innovative transportation strategy defined as the shared use of a vehicle, bicycle or other mode which enables users to gain short-term access to transportation modes on an as-needed basis. Bike-sharing systems have rapidly expanded around the world with important implications for urban areas. Considering the benefits regarding cycling and implications deriving from bike-sharing services implementation, this paper presents an in-depth analysis to investigate a variety of determinants, barriers and motivation that can influence the willingness to cycling and join bike-sharing. The study focuses on a specific target group represented by university students and their preferences have been collected through a structured questionnaire in applying the Likert Scale. A statistical analysis has been realized based on a chi-squared test, deriving the difference between expected and observed frequencies for several combinations of the analyzed attributes. First results highlight the differences between the impact of economic, environmental and social factors for students cycling and provide useful suggestion to define the way for a well-thought-out design of a bike-sharing transport service

University propensity assessment to car sharing services using mixed survey data: the Italian case study of Enna city

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Public Engagement for Designing New Transport Services: Investigating Citizen Preferences from a Multiple Criteria Perspective

Abstract This paper presents a multi-criteria-based methodology to involve the general public in transport decision-making, aiming at collecting information useful to design a technically sound and well-accepted transport service. The case study presented is part of a wider participation procedure, involving experts and key stakeholders in the definition of the problem and of the possible solutions. It regards the connection between a metro station and a park-and-ride facility through a short-range transit system in the city of Catania (Italy). Around six hundred citizens have been involved via a wide consultation survey adopting a multi-criteria perspective, asking them to perform pairwise comparisons of different elements (i.e. criteria) that can characterize a transport service. Results of the analysis are useful to understand their heterogeneous preferences and pave the way for a well-thought-out design of a new transport service