The Transport Debate. Book Description

The lucid and accessible analysis of the key policy issues of transport is more than welcomed, now when the link between social and economic efficiency and transport is more than proved. The authors, two experts in the field, Shaw and Docherty give concise information on a timeliness topic showing that decision-making in transport (i.e. privatization of transport networks and services) has long term negative effects on the mobility of people and their accessibility to their key life activities

The case of public transport infrastructure in Malta, and its impact on the elderly

The concept of equity is essential in transport because inequities lead to the formation of transport-disadvantaged groups, such as the elderly, disabled and low-income people. This paper focuses on the elderly. Due to age-related circumstances, several elderly persons have to surrender on driving, consequently they become highly dependent on public transport. Hence, accessible public transport is crucial to provide them with the necessary mobility. This research considers accessibility as a key indicator for transport equity, since the latter primarily deals with the provision of equal access to opportunities. The study focuses on the case of Malta's public transport system, which is composed of the bus service. The uniqueness of the Maltese case is that transport policy is fragmented, and is not focused on equity. This paper looks at three aspects of accessibility related to road infrastructure, public transport infrastructure, and the bus fleet. The first aspect refers to accessibility at the macro scale, for instance, pavements may not be solely designed to cater for the bus service, but they are an integrative part of it. The meso scale refers to accessibility of infrastructure in physical and cyber form, such as access to and on bus stops and access to online travel information. The bus fleet refers to the micro scale of accessibility, which may include boarding and alighting the vehicle, and access on the vehicle. The research approach involves a review of existing Maltese public transport policy, with speci c focus on whether accessibility for the elderly is considered in the context of the afore-mentioned scales. It is envisaged that the minimal or non-existent policy on accessibility in public transport that focuses on elderly, makes this population segment at a double disadvantage. The research concludes with implications for policy related to public transport accessibility in a Maltese ageing society.peer-reviewe

How to internalize congestion costs through a pricing scheme in the metropolitan area of madrid

Following the EU policy oriented to implement a tolling system based on social marginal costs, Spain is studying the implementation of an interurban road pricing scheme. In particular, a main result from the Spanish Road Pricing Model suggests that a road pricing scheme based on the congestion costs makes sense only in the reduced number of metropolitan highways and can be used to manage the travel demand in an urban and metropolitan context. In consequence, the analysis of this paper is focused on the results of the simulation of a toll-ring defined as a combined toll (access and distance toll based scheme) applied on the one of the more congested ring of the Madrid Metropolitan Area, the M40. The results are analyzed in terms of efficiency and equity criteria. Finally, the results of the implementation of a toll-ring pricing policy show a clear increasing level of socio-spatial inequalities. In fact, when the users have a viable road alternative, the burden of the toll-ring is equally distributed, if not, the burden of toll ring affects more the less wealthy people

Derecho a la ciudad, necesidades de movilidad : un nuevo enfoque para la evaluación de las políticas de transporte

En el artículo se propone una nueva metodología, el índice de inaccesibilidad, para evaluar las necesidades de transporte de la población y guiar las políticas para hacer más justo el actual sistema de movilidad. La metodología se aplica a dos estudios de caso: las necesidades de transporte en 4 municipios del Área Metropolitana de Barcelona (Cerdanyola del Vallès, Montcada i Reixac, Sant Adrià del Besòs y Santa Coloma de Gramenet), con datos de las encuestas de movilidad realizadas por el IERMB en estos municipios; y las necesidades de transporte de la población del Área Metropolitana de Madrid, con datos de las tarjetas inteligentes del transporte público de Madrid.En l'article es proposa una nova metodologia, l'índex d'inaccessibilitat, per avaluar les necessitats de transport de la població i guiar les polítiques per fer més just l'actual sistema de mobilitat. La metodologia s'aplica a dos estudis de cas: les necessitats de transport a 4 municipis de l'Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (Cerdanyola del Vallès, Montcada i Reixac, Sant Adrià del Besòs i Santa Coloma de Gramenet), amb dades de les enquestes de mobilitat realitzades per l'IERMB en aquests municipis; i les necessitats de transport de la població de l'Àrea Metropolitana de Madrid, amb dades de les targetes intel·ligents del transport públic de Madrid

Incorporating equity into transport planning: utility, priority and sufficiency approaches

The analysis addresses the issue of transport equity and explores three different approaches to equity in transport: utilitarianism, sufficientarianism and prioritarianism. Each approach calls for a different treatment of the benefits reaped by different population groups in the assessment of transport investments or policies. In utilitarianism, which underlies much of the current practice of transport project appraisal, all benefits receive the same weight, irrespective of the recipient of the benefits. In both sufficientarianism and prioritarianism, benefits are weighed in distinct ways, depending on the characteristics of the recipients. The three approaches are illustrated using a fictive case study, in which three different transport investment are assessed and compared to each other. Finally, the assessment of transport investments will be explored using the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). The CEA assesses the distributional effects of transport investments for utilitarism, sufficientarism and prioritarism approaches and addresses distinct needs associated with different population groups in respect to their transpor

need based travel behavior analysis new potential for mobility survey

Abstract This paper defines a need-based theoretical framework for evaluating transport policies and investment. It focuses on the assessment of personal transport needs as a fundamental part of human rights and social inclusion. The paper starts by elaborating a need-based methodology, where users' satisfaction together with the identified time threshold define types of trips (i.e. origin-destination, purpose, mode, and distance), which help to identify if mobility needs are covered or not. This paper focuses on how to use traditional survey mobility data for checking the satisfaction of users' needs. The dataset includes the mobility survey carried out in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area during 2013. The results aim to show planners and policy makers where to direct their policies and transport investments in public transport networks and services

HABIT o cómo medir la subjetividad en la movilidad en transporte urbano

Tradicionalmente en los modelos de transporte, las variables explicativas de la elección modal del usuario se reducen a las variables objetivas (coste del transporte, tiempo de viaje, etc.). Sin embargo, la literatura más reciente reconoce que el perfil del usuario así como sus percepciones, influyen también en la elección modal. Por ello, antes de formular un modelo de demanda de transporte, es conveniente integrar factores más subjetivos (percepciones y actitudes) de los usuarios del sistema de transporte. Para evaluar dicha influencia se ha optado por realizar una encuesta en las nuevas estaciones de la línea 2 de Metro, al Sureste de Madrid. Será una manera de medir la consistencia de los hábitos cuando una nueva infraestructura de transporte como el Metro se pone en marcha. La toma de datos se realiza a través de encuestas de preferencias reveladas a los usuarios del nuevo Metro. Gracias a dicha encuesta se puede conocer el anterior modo de viaje utilizado por los usuarios para realizar el mismo trayecto, por lo que se dispone de datos para evaluar el cambio de modo. En concreto, el encuestado responde a preguntas sobre el motivo del viaje, la disponibilidad de vehículo propio y el motivo principal para cambiar de modo. La encuesta de movilidad realizada en la nueva infraestructura permite recoger para desarrollar una metodología capaz de estimar los efectos de shock e inercia del cambio modal. Este artículo utiliza modelos de elección discreta integrando variables cuantitativas (coste del viaje, por ejemplo) y cualitativas (motivo del cambio modal) para explicar la elección modal. Los primeros resultados muestran que los viajes obligados (trabajo y estudios) que antes del Metro se realizaban en coche, presentan poca resistencia al cambio

Transit Use by Young People in Times of Financial Austerity: A Cause of Equity Concern?

This study investigates the effect of price and travel time fairness and spatial equity in transit provision on the perceived transit service quality, willingness to pay, and habitual frequency of use. Based on the theory of planned behavior, we developed a web-based questionnaire for revealed preferences data collection. The survey was administered among young people in Copenhagen and Lisbon to explore the transit perceptions and use under different economic and transit provision conditions. The survey yielded 499 questionnaires, analyzed by means of structural equation models. Results show that higher perceived fairness relates positively to higher perceived quality of transit service and higher perceived ease of paying for transit use. Higher perceived spatial equity in service provision is associated with higher perceived service quality. Higher perceived service quality relates to higher perceived ease of payment, which links to higher frequency of transit use

IoT, Intelligent Transport Systems and MaaS (Mobility as a Service)

IoT (Internet of Things) applications are crucial in Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). MaaS (Mobility as a Service) is an advanced model of ITS in which public institutions, private operators and citizens are deeply connected since means of transport are virtualized in mobility resources and provided to users through the Internet. This contribution, after a short introduction, addresses legal concerns focusing on three aspects: (1) security of technological platforms and infrastructures, (2) protection of user\u2019s personal data, (3) communication among devices and in the IoT ecosystem

The relationship between young people's transit use and their perceptions of equity concepts in transit service provision

This study investigates the effect of price and travel mode fairness and spatial equity in transit provision on the perceived transit service quality, willingness to pay, and habitual frequency of use. Based on the theory of planned behavior, we developed a web-based questionnaire for revealed preferences data collection. The survey was administered among young people in Copenhagen and Lisbon to explore the transit perceptions and use under different economic and transit provision conditions. The survey yielded 499 questionnaires, analyzed by means of structural equation models. Results show that higher perceived fairness relates positively to higher perceived quality of transit service and higher perceived ease of paying for transit use. Higher perceived spatial equity in service provision is associated with higher perceived service quality. Higher perceived service quality relates to higher perceived ease of payment, which links to higher frequency of transit use