Pedestrian Road Accident Index for Municipalities: The Portuguese Case

Portuguese road traffic accidents statistics show that the number of accidents with fatalities and serious injuries has in general decreased in recent years. However, the number of accidents involving pedestrians is still high when compared with those observed in other countries of the European Union. In order to assess this problem, an index of pedestrian road traffic accidents for municipalities that could be used in decision-making about pedestrian safety measures is proposed. The use of absolute values of accidents involving pedestrians (running over) does not allow itself a reliable comparison of pedestrian safety level between municipalities. In this sense, the approach proposed uses the information available in the Portuguese database PORDATA to calculate a municipal index that takes into account the degree of exposure of pedestrians to accident, based on national and municipal resident population annual growth rates and number of pedestrian's casualties. This index allows to identify the municipalities with unfavourable deviation to national numbers of road accidents involving pedestrians (per 10000 inhabitants), supporting the plan and allocation of human and economic resources for the diagnosis, definition and implementation of safety measures. The results obtained can be visualized in a GIS for a more comprehensive comparison between municipalities. The analyses performed for Portugal showed that, in general, municipalities with higher resident population annual growth rates, located mostly along the coastline and in more consolidated urban areas, tend to present better index values, which points to the need to intervene in less consolidated areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhancing Civil Engineering teaching through 3D Computer Aided Design

3D interpretation of 2D drawing is not easy for most of the Civil Engineering first-year students. Some do it naturally but most need to be trained to master this skill. In this paper, the implemented teaching methodologies aiming to facilitate the acquisition of three-dimensional project visualization skills are presented. These methodologies were developed during the last two years targeting first-year Civil Engineering students at the University of Beira Interior (Portugal). After a first contact with 2D project representation through manual drawing, students progressively elaborate computer-aided design (CAD) project starting with simple 2D drawings and culminating with a 3D project of a pre-existing building. Students are also motivated to improve their 3D graphic representation skills through a classroom contest where the winning project is printed in 3D. The training in 2D and 3D graphic representation is complemented during the second year with several in situ surveys and computer-aided drawing of topographic data. This approach proved to be very interesting for competence acquisition, qualifying students for a better 3D representation and interpretation. Students also found this methodology to be motivating.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Using Binary Logistic Regression to Explain the Impact of Accident Factors on Work Zone Crashes

For consolidated road networks, the identification, programming, and implementation of maintenance actions enables addressing the deficiencies identified in the infrastructure, ensuring the provision of an adequate service to users. The performance of such actions along the infrastructure lifetime makes it necessary to study the impact that road work zones may have on road crashes since these areas change locally and temporarily the traffic conditions offered to users (lower speeds, the presence of work equipment and workers, narrow lanes, changes in vertical and horizontal signs, etc.). This study aims to analyze the Portuguese official road work zones crash data from 2013-2015 period by using binary logistic regression models to identify the most significant factors influencing work zone crashes. Official data was processed in order to be used in a statistical analysis software and the binary logistic regressions were performed for the analysis of Portuguese work zone crashes by the type of crash (pedestrian, angle, rear-end and run-off-road), driver age groups (under 25 years, 25 to 64 and over 65 years) and a predominant contributing factor as speeding, unexpected obstacle on the road and the disregard for vertical road signs and safety distance (main contributing factors identified in this study). Results obtained shows that factors as “urban environment”, “one driver involved is running straightly”, “clean and dry pavement” and “daylight” have positive impact in a large number of models. The identification of these factors allows supporting the definition of strategies aimed at the reduction of the number and severity of crashes in road work areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Modelling Road Work Zone Crashes’ Nature and Type of Person Involved Using Multinomial Logistic Regression

The sustainable development goals “Good health and well-being” and “Sustainable cities and communities” of the United Nations and World Health Organization, alert governments and researchers and raise awareness about road safety problems and the need to mitigate them. In Portugal, after the economic crisis of 2008–2013, a significant amount of road assets demand investment in maintenance and rehabilitation. The areas where these actions take place are called work zones. Considering the particularities of these areas, the proposed work aims to identify the main factors that impact the occurrence of work zones crashes. It uses the statistical technique of multinomial logistic regression, applied to official data on road crashes occurred in mainland Portugal, during the period of 2010–2015. Usually, multinomial logistic regression models are developed for crash and injury severity. In this work, the feasibility of developing predictive models for crash nature (collision, run off road and running over pedestrians) and for type of person involved in the crash (driver, passenger and pedestrian), considering only one covariate (the number of persons involved in the crash), was studied. For the two predictive models obtained, the variables road environment (urban/rural), horizontal geometric design (straight/curve), pavement grip conditions (good/bad), heavy vehicle involvement, and injury severity (fatalities, serious and slightly injuries), were identified as the preponderant factors in a universe of 230 investigated variables. Results point to an increase of work zone crash probability due to driver actions such as running straight and excessive speed for the prevailing conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Proposal of an Airport Pavement Maintenance Management System for Cape Verde

In order to ensure safe and efficient operation of aircrafts, airport operators are faced with the need to maintain airport runway, taxiway and apron pavements in good condition, within a given budget. In this context, this paper describes the first developments and the methodological approach of a doctoral work with the following objectives: to improve and validate in-vehicle technique for pavement inspection using GNSS, video image capture and Geographic Information System, increasing the degree of automation of pavement distress identification; to develop a procedure for the definition of preventive maintenance strategies for airport pavements, adapted to Cape Verde airport system, using modelling techniques to predict pavement performance and definition of service and trigger levels; and also to develop or calibrate an existing computer application that can be used as a decision support tool

Making Cycling Spaces in Hilly Cities

Traffic congestion and environmental pollution in cities have stimulated the rise of policies to encourage practices of less polluting, and more economic and healthier modes of transportation, such as cycling. Several factors influence bicycle use, including the steep gradients which can limit it use, but do not completely prevent it. In this context, urban planning and transport engineering play a key role in promoting cycling, with particular emphasis on the definition and design of cycling networks at hilly cities, according to the citizens’ needs on their daily commutes. To address this challenge, this paper describes the starting developments and the methodological approach of a doctoral research having the following goals: to define the data to be considered in feasibility studies of designing cycling mode in hilly cities; to develop a bicycle suitability model based on demographic, travel-generating poles, type of bicycles (regular vs. electric) and road network criteria; to develop a model to support the definition of cycling network based on connectivity, network intersections, integration with other modes of transportation, parking and safety; and to define a procedure for assessing solutions and define cycling routes hierarchy, having as case study the hilly city of Covilhã, at Serra da Estrela mountain

Pedestrian Environment Quality Assessment in Portuguese Medium-Sized Cities

The features of pedestrian spaces contribute to sustainable urban mobility and consequently to improve the quality of the built environment. A pedestrian space free of obstacles, with slight slopes, continuous, agreeable, attractive and safe, is definitely a space that invites to enjoyment and socialization. With the aim of improving the pedestrian circulation conditions, the present paper describes a set of approaches for assessing the quality of pedestrian environment and presents an adapted approach that can be used in medium-sized cities. Land use, pedestrian facilities and road/traffic attributes are the most common topics addressed in the pedestrian environment evaluation. These attributes can be expressed in scores and their spatial distribution can be represented using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), supporting the decision making process of pedestrian system improvement. For Portuguese medium-sized cities, the Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index (PEQI) was adapted and tested through a case study in Covilhã city. The main steps of the methodology include the definition of relevant data, preparation of survey forms, training of data collection teams, data collection, database organization, PEQI calculation and GIS data visualization, management and maps production. The case study focused on the areas that have a significant pedestrian flow, either because of commercial, services and recreation activities, or because they are important links of the public transport system. As main findings, it was possible to conclude that the selected approach allows a great flexibility in the incorporation of new attributes and weights according to specific technical goals and scenarios (calibration).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

GIS-Based Transport Accessibility Analysis to Community Facilities in Mid-Sized Cities

Transport accessibility is an important issue for the sustainable development of cities. This work presents a GIS-based accessibility analysis approach that can be applied to assess accessibility to community facilities in medium-sized cities using publicly available data. For that purpose, a case study was developed using the road network and public transport data from Covilhã municipality, in Portugal. Data collected on websites were treated and organized to build the network dataset and perform network analyses with the aid of the ArcGis® Network Analyst extension (creation of service areas and Origin-Destiny (OD) cost matrices). Four accessibility evaluation analyses were performed for two transport modes: accessibility to the municipality main community facilities by private and urban public transport (isochronous and OD matrices), by inter-urban public transport (time); and accessibility by private transport between civil parishes (isochronous and OD matrices). The population and the territory covered by different travel times were also determined. The case study results showed that the accessibility in Covilhã is quite reasonable, either using private transport inside the municipality (maximum 30 minutes for covering nearly 95% of the resident population and 83% of the territory), or urban public transport inside the urban perimeter (maximum 50 minutes). However, the periphery civil parishes of the municipality have lower levels of accessibility for inter-urban public transport (reaching 115 minutes). The utility of the approach was validated through the results obtained in the case study, where it was possible to observe patterns of accessibility across the municipality for the considered modes, making it possible to improve the overall accessibility through the identification of priority areas of intervention.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Detecting Risk Factors of Road Work Zone Crashes from the Information Provided in Police Crash Reports: The Case Study of Portugal

Several studies have shown that European police crash reports provide different detail degrees of work zone crash-related data. In this sense, the present study aims to verify the possibility of identifying significant risk factors involved in the occurrence of road work zone crashes with casualties, based on the official data usually available, through a descriptive, binary logistic, and probit regression statistical analysis. To accomplish the analysis, a total of 2597 police-reports related to 1767 Portuguese work zone crashes that occurred during the 2013–2015 period were considered and binary logistic and probit regression models were estimated by the main type of crash, contributing factor, and driver age group. Fifteen explanatory variables, selected based on the literature review and crash data provided in police crash reports, were considered in the analysis. The results obtained for the estimated coefficients and goodness-of-fit test values were found very similar for both link functions (logit and probit) and it was possible to identify risk factors. The modeling results pointed to excessive speed, disregard for vertical signs, luminosity, intersections, and motorcycle and heavy vehicle involvement as the most significant risk factors. Given the results, it is possible to conclude that binary logistic regression can be used in the statistical analysis of the available police official work zone crash data to identify and get some insight into the risk factors involved in work zone crashes. Data analysis also revealed the need to promote adequate and complete crash report filling by police officers. While police crash reports are not revised and standardized to incorporate more detailed work zone crash information, this approach can be used to support a more efficient road operation decision making and the review of some aspects related to work zone layout design.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prioritization of railway proximity interventions: The case of the Portuguese railway network

The mission of a national railway administration is to provide conditions for the efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability of rail transport. In this context, this study aims to fill a gap in rail infrastructure management through the adoption of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and quadrant analysis to obtain a priority evaluation matrix for railway proximity interventions (small-scale, medium/short-term interventions close to the customer). In order to achieve the network manager’s general goals, an extensive collection of railway activities and an iterative procedure, which combines the strategic vision of different operational units, were adopted. Moreover, a multi-criteria and hierarchy process based on quadrant analysis to select the interventions with greater potential to achieve a set of objectives over five years, was defined. The proposed methodology was applied in a real case within the Infrastructures of Portugal, SA competencies and needs (Portuguese railway network manager). The identification of a set of fundamental interventions from a technical and non-technical point of view was performed and allowed a more efficient resource allocation. This allowed listing the most relevant interventions in both technical and non-technical perspectives (19–25% of total interventions) and also from an essentially technical point of view (27–31% of total interventions). These correspond to the interventions located in the two most relevant quadrants (Q1 – develop and Q2 – validate) and to more than 70% of the total investment. The presented approach and results constitute the first three iterations to be monitored and evaluated in the revision of future plans in order to increase reliability levels, safety conditions and service quality. The methodology has the potential to be adapted to different scenarios (in particular budgetary) and future proximity intervention plans, thus being an essential decision support tool for an efficient allocation of the company’s resources.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio