Economics and Finance

Discretization and Validation of the Continuum Approximation Scheme for Terminal System Design

Ouyang, Yanfeng
Daganzo, Carlos F.
2003

This paper proposes an algorithm that automatically translates the "continuum approximation" (CA) recipes for location problems into discrete designs. It is applied to terminal systems but can also be used for other logistics problems. The study also systematically compares the logistics costs predicted by the CA approach with the actual costs for discrete designs obtained with the automated procedure. Results show that the algorithm systematically finds a practical set of discrete terminal locations with a cost very close to that predicted. The paper also gives conditions under which the...

Economies of Density, Network Size and Spatial Scope in the European Airline Industry

Romero-Hernandez, Manuel
Salgado, Hugo
2005

In this article we use four different indices to measure cost performance of the European Airline Industry. By using the number of routes as an indicator of Network Size, we are able to estimate indicators of Economies of Density, Network Size and Spatial Scope. By estimating total and variable cost functions we are also able to calculate an index of the excess capacity of the firms. For this purpose, we use data from the years 1984 to 1998, a period during which several deregulation measures were imposed on the European airline industry. Some of the implications of this deregulation...

Simulation Techniques to Obtain Confidence Intervals for Willingness to Pay Measures

Espino, Raquel
Ortuzar, Juan de Dios
Roman, Concepcion
2004

We obtain confidence intervals for willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures derived from a mode choice model estimated to analyse travel demand for suburban trips in the two main interurban corridors in Gran Canaria island, using a mixed RP/SP data base. We considered a specification of the systematic utility that incorporates income effect and interactions among socioeconomic variables and level-of-service attributes, as well as between travel cost and frequency. As our model provides rather complex expressions of the marginal utilities, we simulated the distribution of the WTP (in general,...

Intelligent Transportation Systems and Infrastructure A Series of Briefs for Smart Investments

Bayen, Alexandre M.
Shastry, Shankar
2017

The last decade has witnessed an unprecedented convergence of communication, control, and sensing that can potentially transform transportation infrastructure and delivery. At the most basic level, efficient operation and maintenance of our nation’s transportation infrastructure requires real time data exchange provided by intelligent transportation system technology. When implemented, these technologies have the potential to revolutionize the nation’s economic vitality by moving people and goods more quickly, efficiently, safely, and at lower cost to consumers.

Flexibility in California Transportation Funding Programs and Implications for More Climate-Aligned Spending

Segal, Katie
Elkind, Ethan
Lamm, Ted
2021

Flexibility in California Transportation Funding Programs and Implications for More Climate-Aligned Spending examines key features of the legislative authority for transportation planning and finance in California, including local option sales taxes for transportation, and assesses the amount of flexibility that current laws and practices allow for reprioritizing projects as problems and priorities change.

SimUAM: A Comprehensive Microsimulation Toolchain to Evaluate the Impact of Urban Air Mobility in Metropolitan Areas

Yedavalli, Pavan
Burak Onat, Emin
Peng, Xin
Sengupta, Raja
Waddell, Paul
Bulusu, Vishwanath
Xue, Min
2021

Over the past several years, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has galvanized enthusiasm from investors and researchers, marrying expertise in aircraft design, transportation, logistics, artificial intelligence, battery chemistry, and broader policymaking. However, two significant questions remain unexplored: (1) What is the value of UAM in a region’s transportation network?, and (2) How can UAM be effectively deployed to realize and maximize this value to all stakeholders, including riders and local economies? To adequately understand the value proposition of UAM for metropolitan areas, we develop...

Evaluation of California State and Regional Transportation Plans and Their Prospects for Attaining State Goals

Deakin, Elizabeth
Chow, Chun Ho
Son, Daisy
Handy, Susan
Barbour, Elisa
Lee, Amy
Rodriguez, Emil
Gahbauer, John
Coutin, Talia
Matute, Juan
Rios Gutierrez, Alejandra
Rios Gutierrez, Nataly
Segal, Katie
Elkind, Ethan
Lamm, Ted
2021

Assembly Bill (AB) 285 (Friedman, 2019) requires the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) to submit a report to the Legislature by January 31, 2022, that includes the following:An overview of the California Transportation Plan (CTP). An overview of all regional Sustainable Communities Strategies (SCS) and any alternative planning strategies, as needed. An assessment of how the implementation of the CTP and regional plans “will influence the configuration of the statewide integrated multimodal transportation system.”  A “review of the potential impacts and opportunities for...

Aviation System Performance Measures

Gosling, Geoffrey D.
1999

Within the transportation community, there is a growing recognition of the need to consider decisions addressing future investments in the transportation system from a multimodal perspective. This viewpoint has been given added weight by the passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in 1991, which not only recognized the importance of viewing the transportation system from an intermodal perspective, but also stressed the need to address the efficiency with which the system meets the transportation needs of its users. This approach was reinforced with the...

Role of Trust and Compassion in Willingness to Share Mobility and Sheltering Resources in Evacuations: A Case Study of the 2017 and 2018 California Wildfires

Wong, Stephen D.
Walker, Joan L., PhD
Shaheen, Susan A, PhD
2020

Advances in the sharing economy – such as transportation network companies (e.g., Lyft, Uber) and home sharing (e.g., Airbnb) – have coincided with the increasing need for evacuation resources. While peer-to-peer sharing under normal circumstances often suffers from trust barriers, disaster literature indicates that trust and compassion often increase following disasters, improving recovery through additional resources and support. We hypothesize that trust and compassion could trigger willingness to share transportation and sheltering resources during an evacuation.

Examination of Key Transportation Funding Programs in California and Their Context

Gahbauer, John
Matute, Juan
Coutin, Talia S.
Rios Gutierrez, Alejandra
Rios Gutierrez, Nataly
2021

Examination of Key Transportation Funding Programs in California and Their Context assesses the congruence between funding programs and state goals for transportation. Particular attention is given to major funding sources, such the State Operation and Protection Program, and programs designed to promote key state goals, including the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, the Transformative Climate Communities program, and the Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant program.