An approach to modeling bike-sharing systems based on spatial equity concept

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An urban bikeway network design model for inclusive and equitable transport policies

Abstract This study suggests an optimization framework to plan and design a network of bike lanes in an urban context, based on equity principles and subject to a given available budget. The novelty of the proposal consists in an objective function that aims at minimizing the existing inequities among different population groups in terms of accessibility/opportunity to the bikeways. The proposed methodology represents a reliable decision support system tool that could help transport authorities/managers to select the priority areas of their future investments related to the cycling infrastructures. To prove the effectiveness and value of the methodology, an application with relevant analysis to a test case study is presented

A green logistics solution for last-mile deliveries considering e-vans and e-cargo bikes

Abstract The environmental challenges and the initiatives for sustainable development in urban areas are mainly focused on eco-friendly transportation systems. Therefore, we introduce a new green logistics solution for last-mile deliveries considering synchronization between e-vans and e-cargo bikes, developed as a Two-Echelon Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows and Partial Recharging (2E-EVRPTW-PR). The first echelon represents an urban zone, and the second echelon represents a restricted traffic zone (e.g., historical center) in which e-vans in the first and e-cargo bikes in the second echelon are used for customers' deliveries. The proposed 2E-EVRPTW-PR model aims to minimize the total costs in terms of travel costs, initial vehicles' investment costs, drivers' salary costs, and micro-depot cost. The effectiveness of the proposed solution has been demonstrated comparing two different cases, i.e., the EVRPTW-PR considering e-vans for the first case, and the 2E-EVRPTW-PR considering e-vans and e-cargo bikes for the second case. The comparison has been carried out on existing EVRPTW-PR instances for the first case, and on novel 2E-EVRPTW-PR instances for the second case, in which customers of initial EVRPTW-PR instances have been divided into two zones (urban and restricted traffic zones) by using Fuzzy C-mean clustering. Moreover, results encourage logistics companies to adopt zero-emission strategies for last-mile deliveries, especially in restricted traffic zones

A fuzzy data meta training system for ranking hub container terminals

The potential and critical aspects of any transport service can be highlighted through the estimation of appropriate performance indicators of the examined system. Commonly, container terminal analysis is based first on the evaluation and comparison of quantitative parameters that describe the level of service of the terminal and, on the other side by means of performance indicators related to terminal productivity. In this paper a Fuzzy Inference System for evaluation of a synthetic performance indicator is proposed. This tool could help planners and managers in terminals performances analysis and ranking as well as in assessing the effects of possible intervention on the systems. The proposed approach is suitable in the case of hub container ports. In fact this system is characterised by significant uncertainties and it is not always governed by certain rules, rational behaviour, so that it cannot be easily represented by traditional mathematical techniques and models. In our opinion, could be convenient to define the values of the considered parameters by explicitly define them in an approximate way, that is to say by fuzzy sets

Study of the Accessibility Inequalities of Cordon-Based Pricing Strategies Using a Multimodal Theil Index

The implementation of an appropriate pricing policy in an urban area could alleviate both environmental and congestion problems by encouraging a shift towards more sustainable modes of transportation. However, any positive net social welfare balance delivered by the policy can hide unacceptable regressive effects. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate any change in relative levels of accessibility among different categories of transport network users. This study focuses on the application of a cordon-based congestion pricing scheme on a multimodal network, where private cars and public transportation coexist, and includes a sensitivity analysis by varying the size of the charging area and the amount of the toll, for a monocentric urban reality. Taking into account an elastic demand associated with each proposed charging scenario, the related distributional effects are explored using the Theil index, with a quantitative assessment of the inequalities in the accessibility variations across the users of the network

Better for everyone: an approach to multimodal network design considering equity.

We propose a formulation of the Network Design Problem (NDP) to support transport planners in dealing with multimodal networks in contexts characterised by different (and sometimes conflicting) interests and limited resources in a transparent way. We expect that the implementation of the method can increase the acceptability of transport schemes.The proposed formulation expands the scope of traditional NDP approaches: firstly, it takes public transit into account alongside private transport. Then, it considers the relevance of equity among other planning goals, enabling the achievement of solutions with a fair distribution of transport impacts (benefits and costs) among the users. Finally, it proposes the conjoint use of fuzzy and rigid goals and constraints to improve the quality of the solutions.Equityis defined as the mode-specific relative variation of the overall mobility between Origin-Destination (OD) pairs. We propose two specifications ofthe equitable NDP: one uses a crisp approach, with objective function equal to the overall network cost. The other is a fuzzy maximisation of the level of satisfaction generated by a certain network configuration. The level of satisfaction depends on the extent at which a given solution achieves private and public transport equity and overall network cost targets.We illustrate the approach in the case of a signal time planning problem in a small network. The evaluation of the performance of crisp and fuzzy optimisation shows that the former approach providesbetter solutions to private transport and vice versa. We propose that, when using fuzzy optimisation, the decision maker should evaluate a set of nearly-optimal solutions selected on the basis of Pareto optimality

Toward Sustainability: Bike-Sharing Systems Design, Simulation and Management

The goal of this Special Issue is to discuss new challenges in the simulation and management problems of both traditional and innovative BSSs, to ultimately encourage the competitiveness and attractiveness of BSSs and contribute to the further promotion of sustainable mobility. We have selected thirteen papers for publication in this Special Issue. Their contributions are summarized and discussed in the following section

Equità e accessibilità nella pianificazione della mobilità sostenibile

One relevant challenge in the field of sustainable mobility is to plan and operate transport services equitable from a geographical and a social point of view. New forms of mobility can exacerbate pre-existing inequalities in the access to public transport systems by excluding some urban areas such as low-income neighborhoods or outskirts, where residents could benefit most from more supply. The goal of this work is to frame these aspects and discuss them taking into account the most recent studies, highlighting the key aspects worth to being explored by researchers and transport planning professionals

Planning and Design of Equitable Free-Floating Bike-Sharing Systems Implementing a Road Pricing Strategy

Promoting a more sustainable development of urban realities is one of the most important goals of the recent decades. One possible strategy to undertake in order to achieve this objective is the implementation of a road pricing: tolling private cars when passing by certain roads of the network could be a way to tone down the traffic congestion and, at the same time, encourage the shifting towards more sustainable means of transport. In this context, we suggest a method to distribute in a fair way the outcomes/revenues of this pricing strategy. In particular, we propose to design a free-floating bike-sharing system whose resources could be allocated in the territory according to spatial and social equity principles. The relation between the amount of the tolls, the number of days of application of the policy, and the pursued equity is investigated, and both a numerical application (to a test network and to a real case study) and a sensitivity analysis in support of the method are enclosed