Travel Behavior

Use Characteristics and Mode Choice Behavior of Electric Bikes in China

Cherry, Chris
Cervero, Robert
2006

In 2005, ten million electric bikes were produced in China. Strong domestic sales are projected for coming years, raising concerns about the sustainability and potential regulation of this fairly new mode. Policy makers are wrestling with development policy on electric bikes with little information about who uses them, why they are used, and what factoes influence the electric bike travel. This paper probes these questions by surveying electric bike usage in two large Chinese cities, Kunming and Shanghai. Demographic comparisons are made between the different modes and cities as well as...

Improving City Mobility through Gridlock Control: an Approach and Some Ideas

Daganzo, Carlos F.
2005

This paper examines the effect of gridlock on urban mobility. It defines gridlock and shows how it can be modeled, monitored and controlled with parsimonious models that do not rely on detailed forecasts. The proposed approach to gridlock management should be most effective when based on real-time observation of relevant spatially aggregated measures of traffic performance. This is discussed in detail. The ideas in this paper suggest numerous avenues for research at the empirical and theoretical levels. An appendix summarizes some of these.

The Environmental Impacts of Logistics Systems and Options for Mitigation

Sathaye, Nakul
Li, Yuwei
Horvath, Arpad
Madanat, Samer
2006

This paper presents a discussion directed at determining the most progressive options for shifting the freight logistics industry towards having more sustainable-oriented goals. The authors first discuss transportation sustainability and the concept of green logistics. This is followed by a discussion on externalities resulting from vehicle emissions and indirect environmental externalities. The problem of environmental externalities is then examined, with focus on emissions and other related data. The authors then examine options for reducing environmental externalities. They discuss...

Exploring the Effect of Turning Maneuvers and Route Choice ona Simple Network

Gayah, Vikash V.
Daganzo, Carlos F.
2010

A simple symmetric network consisting of two tangent rings on which vehicles obey the Kinematic Wave Theory of traffic flow and can switch rings at the point of tangency is studied. An online adaptive simulation reveals that if there is any turning whatsoever the two-ring system becomes unevenly loaded for densities greater than the optimal density. This reduces flow. Furthermore, the two-ring system jams at significantly lower densities than the maximum density possible.

Direct Ridership Model of Bus Rapid Transit in Los Angeles County

Cervero, Robert
Murakami, Jin
Miller, Mark A.
2009

A Direct Ridership Model (DRM) for predicting Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) patronage in Southern California is estimated. Attributes of bus stops and their surroundings constitute the data observations of the DRM, enabling a fairly fine-resolution of analysis to be carried out on factors that influence ridership. The best-fitting DRM revealed that service frequency strongly influences BRT patronage in Los Angeles County. High intermodal connectivity, with both feeder bus routes and rail-transit services, also significantly induces BRT travel. Population densities also contribute to BRT...

Clockwise Hysteresis Loops in the MacroscopicFundamental Diagram

Gayah, Vikash V.
Daganzo, Carlos F.
2010

A recent study reported that the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram of a medium size city exhibited a clockwise hysteresis loop on a day in which a major disturbance caused many drivers to switch to unfamiliar routes. This paper shows that clockwise loops are to be expected when there are disturbances, especially if the disturbances cause a significant fraction of the drivers to not change routes adaptively. It is shown that when drivers are not adaptive networks are inherently more unstable as they recover from congestion than as they are loaded. In other words, during recovery congestion...

China's Urban Transportation System: Issues and Policies Facing Cities

Cherry, Chris
2005

China is the most populous country in the world. With a population of 1.3 billion, meeting the housing and transportation needs of this vast country are on the forefront of the political and academic agenda in China and throughout the world. China has experienced phenomenal economic and social growth and as a result the Chinese have desired more mobility and living space. The effects of these desires are beginning to be seen in new auto oriented ex-urban developments that have larger living spaces than the traditional urban centers and whose road infrastructure is developed to support high...

Residential Relocation and Commuting Behavior in Shanghai, China: The Case for Transit Oriented Development

Cervero, Robert
Day, Jennifer
2008

This paper examines the effects of residential relocation to Shanghai’s suburbs on job accessibility and commuting, focusing on the influences of proximity to metrorail services and neighborhood environments on commute behavior and choices. The policy implications of the research findings on the planning and design of suburban communities in large cities like Shanghai are addressed in the conclusion. Our research suggests that TOD has a potentially important role to play in placing China’s large, rail-served cities on a more sustainable pathway.

Complete Streets: From Policy to Practice in the San Francisco Bay Area

Pande, Swati, M.S.,MPP
Martinez, Martin MPP
2014

This paper describes how regional funding guidelines can affect local adoption of Complete Streets projects. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization for the nine-county Bay Area region in California, has developed a funding approach called the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) for the allocation of funds for the 2012-2016 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Surface Transportation Program (STP) across the Bay Area. Each jurisdiction receiving funding through OBAG was required to demonstrate compliance with Complete Streets (CS)...

Gap acceptance for vehicles turning left across on-coming traffic: Implications for Intersection Decision Support design

Ragland, David R.
Arroyo, Sofia
Shladover, Steven E.
Misener, James A.
Chan, Ching-Yao
2005

A left-turning vehicle (Subject Vehicle, SV) attempting to cross the path of an oncoming vehicle (Principal Other Vehicle, POV) at an intersection typically does not have the right of way. The main task of the SV driver is to find an adequate opportunity in opposing traffic to initiate the left-turn maneuver. To reduce the probability of a conflict, warning systems, such as Intersection Decision Support (IDS) systems, are being developed. These systems alert drivers of SV vehicles attempting to negotiate a left turnabout traffic approaching from the opposite direction. The current paper (i...