Valuation of aircraft noise by time of day: a comparison of two approaches

This paper reports an innovative application of stated preference techniques to derive values of aircraft noise by time of day and day of week. Revealed preference techniques cannot provide such segmentations which would clearly be of use in policy development especially relating to airport operations. Given the lack of research on this issue the work reported here is highly experimental. Two stated preference experiments were designed. The first focussed on a single time period whilst the second asked respondents to trade between time periods. Both approaches yielded results that are plausible and mutually consistent in terms of relative values by time period. We conclude that stated preference techniques are particularly useful in this context where the use of aggregated values may lead to non-optimal policy decisions

Innovations in earthquake risk reduction for resilience: Recent advances and challenges

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR) highlights the importance of scientific research, supporting the ‘availability and application of science and technology to decision making’ in disaster risk reduction (DRR). Science and technology can play a crucial role in the world’s ability to reduce casualties, physical damage, and interruption to critical infrastructure due to natural hazards and their complex interactions. The SFDRR encourages better access to technological innovations combined with increased DRR investments in developing cost-effective approaches and tackling global challenges. To this aim, it is essential to link multi- and interdisciplinary research and technological innovations with policy and engineering/DRR practice. To share knowledge and promote discussion on recent advances, challenges, and future directions on ‘Innovations in Earthquake Risk Reduction for Resilience’, a group of experts from academia and industry met in London, UK, in July 2019. The workshop focused on both cutting-edge ‘soft’ (e.g., novel modelling methods/frameworks, early warning systems, disaster financing and parametric insurance) and ‘hard’ (e.g., novel structural systems/devices for new structures and retrofitting of existing structures, sensors) risk-reduction strategies for the enhancement of structural and infrastructural earthquake safety and resilience. The workshop highlighted emerging trends and lessons from recent earthquake events and pinpointed critical issues for future research and policy interventions. This paper summarises some of the key aspects identified and discussed during the workshop to inform other researchers worldwide and extend the conversation to a broader audience, with the ultimate aim of driving change in how seismic risk is quantified and mitigated

The transformation of transport policy in Great Britain? 'New Realism' and New Labour's decade of displacement activity

In a 1999 paper, Goodwin announced ‘the transformation of transport policy in Great Britain’. His central point was that consensus was emerging among policy makers and academics based on earlier work including Transport: The New Realism, which rejected previous orthodoxy that the supply of road space could and should be continually expanded to match demand. Instead a combination of investment in public transport, walking and cycling opportunities and – crucially – demand management should form the basis of transport policy to address rising vehicle use and associated increases in congestion and pollution / carbon emissions. This thinking formed the basis of the 1997 Labour government’s ‘sustainable transport’ policy, but after 13 years in power ministers neither transformed policy nor tackled longstanding transport trends. Our main aim in this paper is to revisit the concept of New Realism and re-examine its potential utility as an agent of change in British transport policy. Notwithstanding the outcome of Labour’s approach to transport policy, we find that the central tenets of the New Realism remain robust and that the main barriers to change are related to broader political and governance issues which suppress radical policy innovation

Assessment of the Degree of Willingness to Change from Motorized Travel Modes to Walking or Cycling

This paper presents an analysis of the degree of willingness to change from motorized travel modes to walking or cycling. The aim of the analysis is to reduce uncertainty between stated willingness to change and real shifts from car or transit to nonmotorized transportation modes. Data were collected in the city of Valencia, Spain, through a novel data collection effort based on multiple survey methods. Respondents traveling by car or transit were asked about their willingness to change to walking or cycling under the implementation of improvement measures to be selected. Then a hypothetical scenario was presented to respondents who stated a willingness to change; in the scenario, the previously selected measures were implemented and respondents were supposed to be cycling or walking. In addition, the costs of their usual travel mode were gradually reduced until they gave up cycling or walking. Those who decided to keep on walking or cycling were assumed to have a strong willingness to change. A statistical analysis performed with Heckman's sample selection model permitted identification of demographic, socioeconomic, and travel-related factors influencing the degree of willingness to change. Results revealed that car users presented a stronger willingness to switch to walking or cycling than transit users. In addition, older respondents showed a stronger willingness to change to both walking and cycling. Work- and school-related journeys were less associated with walking than noncommuting journeys, but they were more related to cycling. Policy implications of the results are highlighted.Ferrer, S.; Ruiz Sánchez, T. (2013). Assessment of the Degree of Willingness to Change from Motorized Travel Modes to Walking or Cycling. Transportation Research Record. (2382):112-120. doi:10.3141/2382-13S112120238

New values of time and reliability in passenger transport in The Netherlands

We have established new values of time (VOTs) and values of travel time reliability (VORs) for use in cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of transport projects in The Netherlands. This was the first national study in The Netherlands (and one of the first world-wide) to investigate these topics empirically in a joint framework. Stated preference (SP) questionnaires were designed for interviewing travellers, where the hypothetical alternatives were described in terms of travel time, travel costs and travel time reliability, the latter being presented to the respondents in the form of five possible travel times having equal probability. For passenger transport, we first collected interviews using an existing internet panel. Additional data collection recruitment was done by asking travellers at petrol stations/service areas, parking garages, stations, bus stops, airports and ports to participate in the survey. One important conclusion is that the SP survey using members of this internet panel leads to substantially lower VOTs than the SP survey with en-route recruitment, probably because of self-selection bias in the internet panel. We estimated discrete choice models in which the values of time differ between trips with different time and costs levels, different time and costs changes offered in the SP, and different observed characteristics of the respondents (e.g. education, income, age, household composition). By using a panel latent class model, we also account for unobserved differences between respondents in the value of time and for repeated measurements/panel effects. The reference values of time and the reference reliability ratios were estimated on the 2011 sample only, but the effect of time and cost level, time and cost changes offered and socio-economic attributes was estimated on both the 2009 and 2011 samples

ProSAAS-Derived Peptides are Colocalized with Neuropeptide Y and Function as Neuropeptides in the Regulation of Food Intake

ProSAAS is the precursor of a number of peptides that have been proposed to function as neuropeptides. Because proSAAS mRNA is highly expressed in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, we examined the cellular localization of several proSAAS-derived peptides in the mouse hypothalamus and found that they generally colocalized with neuropeptide Y (NPY), but not α-melanocyte stimulating hormone. However, unlike proNPY mRNA, which is upregulated by food deprivation in the mediobasal hypothalamus, neither proSAAS mRNA nor proSAAS-derived peptides were significantly altered by 1–2 days of food deprivation in wild-type mice. Furthermore, while proSAAS mRNA levels in the mediobasal hypothalamus were significantly lower in Cpefat/fat mice as compared to wild-type littermates, proNPY mRNA levels in the mediobasal hypothalamus and in other subregions of the hypothalamus were not significantly different between wild-type and Cpefat/fat mice. Intracerebroventricular injections of antibodies to two proSAAS-derived peptides (big LEN and PEN) significantly reduced food intake in fasted mice, while injections of antibodies to two other proSAAS-derived peptides (little LEN and little SAAS) did not. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings of parvocellular neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, a target of arcuate NPY projections, showed that big LEN produced a rapid and reversible inhibition of synaptic glutamate release that was spike independent and abolished by blocking postsynaptic G protein activity, suggesting the involvement of a postsynaptic G protein-coupled receptor and the release of a retrograde synaptic messenger. Taken together with previous studies, these findings support a role for proSAAS-derived peptides such as big LEN as neuropeptides regulating food intake

CO2PipeHaz: Quantitative hazard assessment for next generation CO2 pipelines

Without a clear understanding of the hazards associated with the failure of CO2 pipelines, carbon capture and storage (CCS) cannot be considered as a viable proposition for tackling the effects of global warming. Given that CO2 is an asphyxiant at high concentrations, the development of reliable validated pipeline outflow and dispersion models are central to addressing this challenge. This information is pivotal to quantifying all the hazard consequences associated with the failure of CO2 transportation pipelines, which forms the basis for emergency response planning and determining minimum safe distances to populated areas. This paper presents an overview of the main findings of the recently completed CO2PipeHaz project [1] which focussed on the hazard assessment of CO2 pipelines to be employed as an integral part of CCS. Funded by the European Commission FP7 Energy programme, the project's main objective was to address this fundamentally important issue

Measuring factors influencing valuation of nonmotorized improvement measures

This paper presents the application of a new methodology for data collection based on multiple survey methods to study how drivers and transit users value nonmotorized improvements. This multi-method survey consisted on a combination of user’s willingness to change, stated tolerance and contingent valuation experiments. Random parameter probit models were used to analyze data on willingness to cycle. Willingness to change to cycling is related to travel purpose, transportation mode, travel time and education level. Policies for promoting the use of bicycles should target these profiles so as to be more effective. Random parameter ordered probit models were used to study how different cycling measures were valued by respondents. The protection and maintenance of cycle lanes are significantly more valued than other improvement measures. The design of future cycling facilities should consider increasing safety and travel time reduction. Senior citizen’s willingness to change to cycling value to a lesser extent cycling improvement measures than people traveling to work or study. Strategies to promote cycling in each case are discussed.Ruiz Sánchez, T.; Bernabé, JC. (2014). Measuring factors influencing valuation of nonmotorized improvement measures. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. 67:195-211. doi:10.1016/j.tra.2014.06.008S1952116

A multi-modal network approach to model public transport accessibility impacts of bicycle-train integration policies

In the Netherlands, the bicycle plays an important in station access and, to a lesser extent, in station egress. There is however fairly little knowledge in the potential effects of bicycle-train integration policies. The aim of this paper is to examine the impacts of bicycle-train integration policies on train ridership and job accessibility for public transport users.MethodsWe extended the Dutch National Transport Model (NVM) by implementing a detailed bicycle network linked to the public transport network, access/egress mode combinations and station specific access and egress penalties by mode and station type derived from a stated choice survey. Furthermore, the effects of several bicycletrain integration policy scenarios were examined for a case study for Randstad South, in the Netherlands, comprising a dense train network with 54 train stations.ConclusionsOur analysis shows that improving the quality of bicycle routes and parking can substantially increase train ridership and potential job accessibility for train users. Large and medium stations are more sensitive to improvements in bicycle-train integration policies, while small stations are more sensitive to improvements in the train level of service