Showing papers in "Journal of Transport and Land Use in 2018"

Identifying appropriate land-use mix measures for use in a national walkability index

Abstract: Walkability indices can guide planning and policy for more sustainable and liveble cities. Land-use mix is an important component of walkability that can be measured in a number of ways. Many land-use mix measures require fine-scaled land-use data that are not always available, especially when analyzing walkability across larger geographic extents. This study investigated the feasibility of calculating a national walkability index in Australia, using metropolitan Melbourne as a case study. The study focused on the dual challenges of selecting an appropriate measure of land-use mix and identifying an appropriate land-use data source. We calculated an entropy land-use mix measure with three different Australian land-use datasets. Our comparison of the resulting land-use mix measures highlighted the differences in the land-use datasets and led to our conclusion that none of the three land-use datasets was appropriate for use in a national land-use mix measure. Therefore, we also developed two new exploratory “intensity” measures of land use — daily living and local living — that were able to be calculated nationally with readily available data. Modelled associations with transport walking and comparisons with the entropy land-use mix measures indicate that these new measures were appropriate for assessing national land use in a national walkability index.

Home telework, travel behavior, and land-use patterns: A path analysis of British single-worker households

Abstract: This work analyzes the effects of home-based teleworking on the number of trips and weekly miles travelled by mode and purpose for one-worker households in Great Britain using data from the National Travel Survey for the period between 2005 and 2012. Two path analysis models are developed, one considering weekly trips and travel distances by mode and the other weekly trips and travel distances by purpose. Both models consider teleworking frequency in the context of home and workplace land-use characteristics, commuting distance, car ownership levels and weekly trips and travel distances. This framework allows us to explicitly model endogenous relations in the chains of decisions relating these variables. The results suggest that home-based teleworking is a strategy used by people to cope with long and costly commutes. Workers living in less transit accessible areas and with longer commutes tend to work from home more frequently. The main conclusions relating to teleworking frequency point to the fact that it increases weekly miles travelled, particularly by car, while it does not reduce commuting distances travelled. These results suggest that home-based teleworking is not an effective travel demand management strategy, particularly because it seems to increase car use. The overall main result is that teleworkers travel more by more polluting transport modes.

Measuring transit-oriented development (TOD) network complementarity based on TOD node typology

Abstract: Recent research on the assessment of transit-oriented development (TOD) has focused on individual transit nodes. However, we argue that having such a TOD level value is not sufficient to understand the role each transit node plays within a TOD network. In other words, a transit node may have a low performance when evaluating its individual TOD level, but it may serve an important role within the TOD network, for example, as a feeder node. In this paper, a TOD typology was developed based on built-form indicators to identify the roles different types of nodes play within the transit network and to discuss complementarity effects between TOD nodes within the TOD network. The study area is the Arnhem-Nijmegen city region in the Netherlands, which has a TOD network of 22 train stations. Results identified three types of roles: suburban residential, characterized by low population and job densities; urban residential, marked by low destination accessibility and low diversity of land-uses; and urban mixed core, which featured higher densities of jobs, population, and diversity of land uses. Based on the TOD typology, a correspondence analysis was conducted to measure the potential complementarity effect of the TOD network system, i.e., the extent to which nodes in different typologies can complement each other to strengthen the characteristics of the TOD as a network. The results illustrated that differentiation among the TOD nodes in terms of residential housing prices and building uses contributed to a more diversified offer in terms of activities and functions of the TOD region and indicates complementarity between stations. Thus, TOD should be assessed and planned in a network system perspective, with the understanding that the nodes are pieces that contribute to the performance of the network.

Transport disadvantage, social exclusion, and subjective well-being: The role of the neighborhood environment—evidence from Sydney, Australia

Abstract: This study explores the effects of the neighborhood environment on transport disadvantage, social exclusion, personal health and subjective wellbeing (SWB) using survey data collected in Sydney, Australia. The data is analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Overall, our model supports the hypothesis that a walkable neighborhood environment helps to reduce transport disadvantage and increase social inclusion. Neighborhood density has negative effects on both physical and mental health, but a positive effect on SWB. Further, a cohesive neighborhood environment is associated with less transport disadvantage, more engagement in political and civic activities, more social help, better mental health and higher SWB. By contrast, perception of crime in a neighborhood is associated with more transport disadvantage and worse physical health. Neighborhood aesthetics and the neighborhood social environment have stronger effects on SWB than other neighborhood environment characteristics.

Trends in integrated land use/transport modeling: An evaluation of the state of the art

Abstract: Integrated land-use/transport models have five decades of history of both widely recognized successful implementations and implementations that remained far behind their originally stated goals. This paper summarizes the state of the art of integrated land-use/transport modeling and reports on findings from the Symposium for the Integration of Land-Use and Transport Models in Raitenhaslach, which is near Munich, in 2016. From these sources, the paper identifies major challenges in integrated land-use/transport modeling and proposes paths that support successful implementations. Particular attention is given to the coordination of short- and long-term decisions, the technical integration of models, microscopic versus macroscopic frameworks and appropriate levels of model complexity. The paper concludes with five themes that require further research to ensure that integrated land-use/transport models will keep up with modeling needs in the future.

Residential self-selection in quasi-experimental and natural experimental studies: An extended conceptualization of the relationship between the built environment and travel behavior

Abstract: Despite a large body of research suggesting that the built environment influences individual travel behavior, uncertainty remains about the true nature, size, and strength of any causal relationships between the built environment and travel behavior. Residential self-selection, the phenomenon whereby individuals or households select a residential area based on their transport attitudes, is a frequently proposed alternative explanation for the reported associations. To resolve the issue of residential self-selection, longitudinal studies are often recommended. In this paper, we argue that intervention study designs are insufficient to fully resolve the problem and that intervention studies on the built environment and travel behavior may still be biased by residential self-selection. The aim of this paper is to extend existing conceptualizations of the relationships between the built environment, travel behavior, and attitudes and to provide suggestions for how a causal relationship between the built environment and travel behavior may be ascertained with more accurate estimates of effect sizes. We discuss the complexities of determining causal effects in intervention studies with participants who relocate, and the biases that may occur. We illustrate the complexities by presenting extended conceptualizations. Based on these conceptualizations, we provide considerations for future research. We suggest repeating analyses with and without individuals who relocated during the study, and with and without statistical controls for residential relocation. Additional quantitative and qualitative analyses will be necessary to obtain more accurate effect size estimates and a better understanding of the causal relationships.

Land-use transport models for climate change mitigation and adaptation planning

Abstract: The adoption of the Paris Agreement has committed the world to limiting anthropogenic climate change to 2°C above preindustrial levels, adapting to climate risks, and fostering climate resilience. Given the high proportion of global emissions released by cities and the concentration of people living in urban areas, this will require an unprecedented reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and transformation of the built environment on a yet unparalleled timescale. This poses substantial challenges for urban land-use and transport planning and for the use of land-use transport models (LUTM), which have historically been developed to test incremental changes rather than the rapid transformations implied by the Paris Agreement. This paper sets out the need for a new generation of tools to support the planning of a transition toward a low-carbon and resilient future, arguing that land-use and transport modeling tools are crucial to support this process. Recent developments in urban integrated assessment that link models of land-use and transport with other environmental models of greenhouse gas emissions and climate hazards show promise as platforms to assess the potential of urban policies in achieving the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. The paper concludes by defining challenges for the LUTM community if it is to achieve these goals. Crucial will be the adoption of new modeling approaches to better represent rapid social and technological change and to concurrently assess the resilience and sustainability implications of different land-use and transport policies. Simple models to explore multiple scenarios of change must be integrated with more sophisticated models for detailed design. Collaborative approaches will be necessary to allow multiple stakeholders to use these tools to explore urban futures and design radical urban transitions across multiple and interdependent urban sectors.

Accounting for uncertainty and variation in accessibility metrics for public transport sketch planning

Abstract: Accessibility is increasingly used as a metric when evaluating changes to public transport systems. Transit travel times contain variation depending on when one departs relative to when a transit vehicle arrives, and how well transfers are coordinated given a particular timetable. In addition, there is necessarily uncertainty in the value of the accessibility metric during sketch planning processes, due to scenarios which are underspecified because detailed schedule information is not yet available. This article presents a method to extend the concept of "reliable" accessibility to transit to address the first issue, and create confidence intervals and hypothesis tests to address the second.

Different destination, different commuting pattern? Analyzing the influence of the campus location on commuting

Abstract: There is a vast literature on the relationship between built environment and travel, emphasizing the importance of built environment as a determinant of travel. However, the majority of studies focuses on the characteristics of origins and neglects the influence that the destination might have on travel, despite the already demonstrated importance of destinations to explain travel. In this paper, we test the relationship between residential and workplace built environment and the commuting pattern of staff and students of the University of Lisbon, a multi-campus university. Data was obtained through a dedicated travel survey, containing 1474 georeferenced individuals. Chi-square analyses were developed to analyze differences between staff and students and between different campuses. A logistic regression model was developed to explain car commuting, controlling for socio-demographic data. Two different models were developed for students and staff. Our results show the built environment and associated multimodal accessibility of the campuses are important explanatory variables of commuting. Free parking at the campus is crucial for car commuting, especially for students. These results emphasize the importance of measuring destinations as explanatory variables and promoting good urban integration of the campus in the city, increasing its multimodal accessibility.

Does metro proximity promote happiness? Evidence from Shanghai

Abstract: Although an increasing number of scholars are evaluating rail transit benefits, there have been surprisingly few studies of the links between metro proximity and happiness. The principal objective of this paper is to assess the benefits of metro proximity for individual’s happiness. A key challenge to empirically answering this question is the fact that residential location is likely to be the result of self-selection, i.e., personal preference, such that living around a rail station can increase residents’ happiness. Taking advantage of the largely exogenous residential locations of those who bought their house 10 years earlier than the operation of their nearest metro station and those households living in non-market housing in Shanghai, we find proximity to a subway station robustly promotes happiness at the individual level. These results suggest that the development of rail transit and transit-oriented development (TOD) are promising ways to increase happiness.

An integrated microsimulation approach to land-use and mobility modeling

Abstract: This paper presents an overview of the design and status of a new type of land-use simulation module integrated into SimMobility, an agent-based microsimulation platform The module, SimMobility Long-Term (LT), is designed to simulate how the interrelations between the transportation and land-use systems manifest themselves in the housing and commercial real estate markets, household and firm location choices, school and workplace choices, and vehicle ownership choices At the heart of the LT simulator is a housing market module simulating daily dynamics in the residential housing market that (a) “awakens” households that begin searching for new housing; (b) accounts for eligibility, affordability, and screening constraints; (c) constructs plausible choice sets; (d) simulates daily housing market bidding; and (e) represents developer behavior regarding when, where, what type, and how much built space to construct, taking into account market cycle and uncertainty The LT simulator and SimMobility’s activity-based, mid-term (MT) simulator are integrated in that the agents in the LT module (eg, individuals in households) are the same agents simulated in the MT module (eg, activity participation and trip-making), and agents’ simulated behaviors in the MT module provide measures of (utility-based) accessibility that figure into relevant decisions in the LT simulator This paper describes the SimMobility model and the LT framework, presents estimation results for two component models of the housing supply side, and demonstrates the use of the simulator by comparing housing market outcomes with and without the introduction of one year’s worth of supply of new public housing Overall, the LT simulator represents an effort to advance urban system modelling by explicitly simulating the dynamic interactions of disaggregated agents in real estate markets and encapsulating the information of agents’ daily activity participation in their long-term mobility-relevant choices

Investigating cyclist interaction behavior through a controlled laboratory experiment

Abstract: Nowadays, there is a need for tools to support city planners in assessing the performance of cycling infrastructure and managing bicycles and mixed flows. Microscopic and macroscopic bicycle traffic models can be used to fulfill this need. However, fundamental knowledge on individual cyclist interaction behavior (which should underpin these models) is hardly available in literature. Detailed bicycle traffic data are necessary if we want to gain insight into cyclist interaction behavior and develop sound behavioral theories and models. Laboratory experiments have been proven to be one of the most effective ways to collect detailed traffic data. For this reason, a controlled experiment aimed to investigate cyclist interaction behavior has been carried out at Delft University of Technology. This paper describes the experimental design, the resulting microscopic bicycle trajectories, and some preliminary results regarding one of the most common interaction situations: the bidirectional interaction. The preliminary results reveal how and to what extent cyclists interact in bidirectional cycling. It is found that cyclists perform a clearly-visible evading (collision avoidance) maneuver when they have face-to-face encounters. During these maneuvers, changes in speed and displacements in the lateral direction are observed. Cyclists start to deviate from their original path when they are around 30 m from each other, and they strongly prefer passing on the right-hand side. Moreover, the expectation of gender differences in cycling behavior reported in the literature is confirmed: our results show that women generally cycle more slowly than men and deviate more from their intended paths in face-to-face encounters. More observations will be available in the next stage of data analysis. These findings can be used to formulate improved microscopic bicycle traffic models for infrastructure design and policy development.

Not all crashes are created equal: Associations between the built environment and disparities in bicycle collisions

Abstract: Historically disadvantaged populations are disproportionately represented in bicycle crashes. Previous research has found that Black and Hispanic bicyclists and areas with higher populations of non-White residents, lower median income, and high poverty experience bicycle crashes more frequently than others. Although existing research has explored the role of socioeconomic status and the built environment in predicting crash frequency, few scholars have studied how these factors account for disparities along racial and ethnic lines. Using a database of 7,088 bicycle crashes over a three-year period in the San Francisco Bay Area, this study examines the influence of socioeconomic, transportation, and land-use characteristics as potential causes of differences in bicycle crash occurrences among racial and ethnic groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. While areas of high poverty and high land-use intensity are associated with higher numbers of bicycle crashes overall, lower-traffic streets and bicycle infrastructure do not affect the frequency of crashes involving Black and Hispanic cyclists. Black bicyclists have a disproportionate risk of being involved in a crash in poor urban neighborhoods, controlling for other factors. These findings draw attention to the need for planners to consider how socioeconomic differences and vulnerability at the neighborhood level play a role in safety.

A social equity analysis of the U.S. public transportation system based on job accessibility

Abstract: Access to quality public transportation is critical for employment, especially for low-income and minority populations. This study contributes to previous work on equity analyses of the U.S. public transportation system by including the 45 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in a single analysis. Year-2014 Census demographic data were combined with an existing 2014 dataset of transit job accessibility. Then, transit equality and justice indicators were developed and a regression analysis was performed to explore trends in transit job accessibility by race and income. The findings suggest that within individual MSAs, low-income populations and minorities have the highest transit job accessibility. However, the overall transit ridership is low, and in certain MSAs with high transit job accessibility both high and low income populations have high access levels but middle income populations do not. Within individual MSAs, on average, accessibility differences by income are greater than accessibility differences by race. The relative importance of race versus income for injustice increases with MSA size. In upper mid-size and large MSAs, differences by race increase. Also, the differences by race are greater among low-income populations. Accessibility-related equality and justice indicators are only one of many issues that comprise the wider discussion of equity.

The sustainable transport pathway: A holistic strategy of Five Transformations

Abstract: In this paper, a holistic strategy of the “Five Transformations” is introduced to offer a comprehensive and synergetic theory to tackle various daunting challenges faced by the transport sector and ultimately pave the way to sustainable transport. The Five Transformations span across city development, the economy, vehicle technology, modal-split and lifestyles at various geographical scales. Building on the current literature and empirical evidence, this paper advocates for fundamental changes in all aspects of the society beyond transportation. To move forward, this paper scrutinizes the association between land-use planning and the Five Transformations. It is clear that land-use policies are important drivers in implementing and reinforcing the policy instruments under the Five Transformations.

Suburbanization, land use of TOD and lifestyle mobility in the suburbs: An examination of passengers’ choice to live, shop and entertain in the metro station areas of Beijing

Abstract: In the process of suburbanization of large growing cities, transit passengers have an undeniable role to play in terms of local traffic, car use, and petrol consumption It is widely believed that transit-oriented development (metro station) could encourage people to live and consume near transit station areas through walking and cycling rather than travelling by car However, opinions on this are still mixed In addition, the existing literature is dominated by analyses of residents, while analyses of passengers remain scarce This paper fills this gap by looking at metro station areas in Beijing Using survey data, the study found mixed land use attracts passengers to shop more within metro station areas than in other places More non-residential land developments attract more patrons to dine and access entertainment within metro station areas Surprisingly, land use in the metro station areas was unrelated to passengers’ choice to live within metro station areas, while housing prices and income had significant effects Personal preferences for travel mode have an effect, and those who dislike travel tend to shop and seek entertainment locally This study suggests that land-use planning in metro station areas could be helpful in shaping more sustainable mobility in the process of suburbanization of China’s growing cities

Exploring links between the sustainability performance of urban public transport and land use in international cities

Abstract: Sustainability is a major driver of world policy for cities, and public transport is said to be a more sustainable mode of travel than other modes. But how do public transport (PT) systems in different cities compare to each other? This paper measures the relative sustainability of public transport systems between cities rather than between modes within cities. However, its primary focus is to explore the extent to which public transport sustainability is influenced by land use. Do cities with low-density land use automatically have poor sustainability performance? Do high-density megacities always have good sustainability performance relative to other cities? Does land use mean some cities cannot improve sustainability performance? These are some of the questions this research seeks to explore through an empirical study of land use and PT sustainability metrics using correlation/cross sectional and regression analyses. Results suggest that westernized, developed countries (Western Europe, North America, and Oceania) have good environmental and social sustainability performance but poor service effectiveness and economic performance. Asia and Latin America perform the other way around, better on economic and service effectiveness and worse on social and economic performance. Eastern Europe is the one region with higher sustainability performance all around. Prague, Dakar and Tokyo are at the top of 98 cities studied, while Dubai, Shizuoka (Japan), Denver, and Johannesburg perform the worst. Land-use results show that population and job density present the highest correlation with PT sustainability metrics, implying that about a third of overall sustainability performance of public transport in cities might be explained by land use. Higher-density land use improves sustainability performance. A wider range of land-use indicators is more strongly correlated with the service effectiveness categories of sustainability indicators and to less strongly correlated with the economic sustainability indicators, suggesting that Western cities with poor service effectiveness and economic sustainability performance should densify cities to address sustainability challenges. Policy implications and areas for future research are explored.

Do I walk or ride the rickshaw? Examining the factors affecting first- and last-mile trip options in the historic district of Manila (Philippines)

Abstract: Historic urban centers (HUCs) such as the Ermita District in Manila display a compact, mixed, and human-scale urban form Because of these features, people in these areas still depend on either walking or riding a pedicab (also known as cycle rickshaws) to reach their destinations The latter mode, considered an informal non-motorized transport (NMT), is widely preferred by commuters as their first- and last-mile trip option to navigate the narrow street network of these historic districts However, it is unclear what factors affect an individual’s first- and last-mile choices Through a face-to-face intercept survey, respondents were asked about their relative preference between the two mode choices to capture the factors that influenced their decision to walk or to ride the pedicab within Ermita By utilizing logit choice analysis, the study identified statistically significant mode-specific, as well as qualitative, variables that influenced individual decisions The probability outcome showed that the most significant factors were access and/or egress time, cost over travel time, safety, and accessibility of the walking environment It is also important to note that pedicab users had a longer average trip distance (about a kilometer) than walkers, and women, including those who were accompanied by children, preferred to use pedicabs Results from this study can help district-level planning and policymaking in three ways: (1) by improving the physical environment through encouraging the use of NMT such as walking and pedicab riding as crucial first- and/or last-mile options for individuals in HUCs; (2) by aligning routes and regulations for pedicab services to be part of an overall transport service provision, and (3) by undertaking infrastructure improvements for safer walkway environments for pedestrians, considering the implications of walking and pedicab riding to individual, population-level health outcomes and overall quality of life

Full Cost Accessibility

Abstract: Traditional accessibility evaluation fails to fully capture the travel costs, especially the external costs, of travel. This study develops a full cost accessibility (FCA) framework by combining the internal and external cost components of travel time, safety, emissions, and money. The example illustrated compares FCA by automobile and bicycle on a toy network to demonstrate the potential and practicality of applying the FCA framework on real networks. This method provides an efficient evaluation tool for transport planning projects.

Modelling route choice of Dutch cyclists using smartphone data

Abstract: This paper analyzes the GPS traces recorded by cyclists in the framework of the Mobile Mobility Panel throughout the Netherlands. The objective of this paper is to analyze bicycle route choice via network attributes and trip length over a sequence of trips by approximately 280 bicycle users, who were asked to register their trips by means of a specific smartphone application. Approximately 3,500 bike trips were recorded throughout the Netherlands over a four-week period in 2014. The bike trips have been matched to a specific bicycle network built and updated by a Dutch cyclists’ union. Route choice models were estimated, using both the binomial logit model and the mixed multinomial logit model with Path-size logit model formulation. The chosen alternatives were part of the choice set for the mixed multinomial logit model. Also, the shortest route was generated for each origin-destination pair. The results show that trip lengths and trip distribution over time reveal a population sample much used to cycling, frequently and over long distances. Furthermore, when considering the composition of chosen routes in terms of link type, the usage of cycleway links is frequent. For repeated trips, the shortest route option tends to be chosen more; frequent cyclists, on systematic trips, tend to optimize their trip and prefer the shortest routes. This is even truer for males and for non-leisure trips. The estimated probabilities for both multinomial and binomial models show that the binomial model tends to overestimate the probabilities of choosing the shortest route. This result is stronger in non-leisure trips, where people tend to choose a more personalized route, instead of the shortest. This research contributes to the generation of a more efficient distribution of bicycle trips over the network. Future research can more specifically address the intrapersonal variation in route—destination choice given the availability of longitudinal data.

Exploring correlates of passenger satisfaction and service improvement priorities of the Shanghai-Nanjing High Speed Rail

Abstract: Assessing passenger satisfaction is essential to enhancing loyalty and increasing ridership on high speed rail (HSR). Many studies explore passenger satisfaction with transit and conventional railway, but there are only a few that look at HSR. Although the HSR studies provide information on the relationship between service quality and passenger satisfaction, few identify the attributes that have the largest impact or improvement priorities for existing HSR. This study employs multivariate regression and importance-performance analysis to identify influential attributes and service improvement priorities for the Shanghai-Nanjing HSR. We found that the most important correlates of passenger satisfaction were staff attitudes, convenience of ticket purchase, and ease of the access trip. In general, passengers are satisfied with HSR services, especially with the attributes that are critical to overall HSR satisfaction. However, we found that improving toilet sanitation and seat comfort on the Shanghai-Nanjing HSR would increase passenger satisfaction.

The case for microsimulation frameworks for integrated urban models

Abstract: The primary objective of this paper is to “make the case” for adoption of microsimulation frameworks for development of integrated urban models. Similar to the case of activity-based travel models, microsimulation in integrated urban models enables such models to deal better with: heterogeneity and non-linearity in behavior; identification of the detailed spatial and socioeconomic distribution of impacts, benefits and costs; tracing complex interactions across agents and over time; providing support for modelling memory, learning and adaptation among agents; computational efficiency; and emergent behavior. The paper discusses strengths, weaknesses and challenges in microsimulating urban regions, including the extent to which microsimulation models are still subject to Lee’s famous “seven sins of large-scale modelling,” as well as the extent to which they may help alleviate or reduce these sins in operational models. The paper concludes with a very brief discussion of future prospects for such models.

The effect of light rail transit service on nearby property values: Quasi-experimental evidence from Seattle

Abstract: This paper examined the effect of the construction of light rail transit stations on surrounding residential property values in Seattle, Washington. It studied sales of homes in the areas around the seven stations that serve primarily residential areas in the Rainier Valley, using a difference-in-differences regression technique to obtain plausibly causal estimates of the effect of new rail service. For these seven stations, the estimated impact of light rail service was positive for only one station and negative for two stations. Estimated impacts for the other stations were small and statistically insignificant. These results suggest that light rail service did not provide value to the neighborhoods in the Rainier Valley of Seattle. I speculate that the transport service provided by light rail was not a significant improvement relative to the bus lines that serviced the area before light rail was built.

Public transport use among the urban and rural elderly in China: Effects of personal, attitudinal, household, social-environment and built-environment factors

Abstract: Public transport brings significant benefits to the aging society by providing essential mobility to the elderly. However, few studies have investigated the factors that impact public transport use among the urban or rural elderly. This study explored the effects of personal, attitudinal, household, social environment, and built environment factors on the public transport trips of the elderly. The research data was collected from 274 urban and rural neighborhoods of Zhongshan, a medium-sized Chinese city. The negative binomial regression models suggest that, all else being equal, living in a neighborhood with a high level of public transport service, abundant green space along walking routes connecting home and bus-stops, or a relatively balanced structure of age or income is strongly connected to more public transport trips of the elderly. The results also indicate that a strong preference for public transport is significantly related to the public transport use among the elderly. These findings facilitate our understanding of the correlates of public transport use while providing insights into achieving an effective design of policies to encourage public transport use among the elderly in China.

An agent- and GIS-based virtual city creator: A case study of Beijing, China

Abstract: Many agent-based integrated urban models have been developed to investigate urban issues, considering the dynamics and feedbacks in complex urban systems. The lack of disaggregate data, however, has become one of the main barriers to the application of these models, though a number of data synthesis methods have been applied. To generate a complete dataset that contains full disaggregate input data for model initialization, this paper develops a virtual city creator as a key component of an agent-based land-use and transport model, SelfSim. The creator is a set of disaggregate data synthesis methods, including a genetic algorithm (GA)-based population synthesizer, a transport facility synthesizer, an activity facility synthesizer and a daily plan generator, which use the household travel survey data as the main input. Finally, the capital of China, Beijing, was used as a case study. The creator was applied to generate an agent- and Geographic Information System (GIS)-based virtual Beijing containing individuals, households, transport and activity facilities, as well as their attributes and linkages.

Accessibility, urban form, and property value: A study of Pudong, Shanghai

Abstract: The effects of metro system development and urban form on housing prices highly depend on the spatial temporal conditions of the urban neighborhoods. However, scholars have not yet comprehensively examined these interactions at a neighborhood-scale. This study assesses metro access, urban form, and property value at both district- and neighborhood-levels. The study area is in Pudong, Shanghai where metro system development coincides with rapid urban growth. 279 neighborhoods are systematically and randomly selected for the district-level investigation and 31 neighborhoods selected from Pudong for neighborhood-level investigation. The analysis of variance shows that metro access is more positively correlated to property price in Pudong. The Pearson correlation, principle component, and ordinary least square regression analyses find that while accessibility attributes have positive influence on housing prices, neighborhood characteristics also exhibit pronounced impact on property price change over time. This study extends our knowledge on how metro system development interacts with land use efficiency; discusses planning policies corresponding to development stage that produce more sustainable urban form.

Measuring low-stress connectivity in terms of bike-accessible jobs and potential bike-to-work trips: A case study evaluating alternative bike route alignments in northern Delaware

Abstract: When road segments with high traffic stress are excluded, the remaining network of low-stress roads and trails can be fragmented, lacking connections between many origin-destination pairs or requiring onerous detour. Low-stress connectivity is a measure of the degree to which origins (for this study, homes) and destinations (jobs) can be connected using only low-stress links and without excessive detour. Revision 2.0 to Level of Traffic Stress criteria is introduced and applied to the road and trail network of northern Delaware. A propensity model is proposed to reflect people’s declining willingness to ride a bike with greater trip length and detour, accounting for the impact to health and other benefits of cycling. New connectivity measures are introduced that can be interpreted as the number of bike-accessible jobs and the potential number of bike-to-work trips, powerful measures for evaluating alternatives. These connectivity measures are applied in a case study evaluating alternative alignments for a bike route between Wilmington and Newark, Delaware’s two largest cities, separated by a distance of about 20 km through a largely suburban landscape. The case study explores the benefits of enhancing alternatives with branches that help connect to population and employment centers. We also find that the connectivity gain from constructing multiple alignments is greater than the sum of connectivity gains from individual alignments, indicating that complementarity between the alternatives, which are spaced roughly 5 km apart, overshadows any competition between them.

How much is enough? Assessing the influence of neighborhood walkability on undertaking 10-minute walks

Abstract: Neighborhood walkability is increasingly perceived as an effective way to support individuals’ health, since living in a walkable environment is associated with increases in utilitarian walking Yet, while people are more likely to walk in more walkable neighborhoods, increased walkability can also lead to walking shorter distances, thus mitigating the positive health outcomes associated with walkable environments Given that the World Health Organization recommends physical activity to be performed in sessions of at least 10 minutes, the aim of this research is to explore the relationship between neighborhood walkability and individuals’ likeliness of walking in sessions of at least 10 minutes A multilevel logistic regression is generated using data from the Montreal, Canada, 2013 Origin-Destination Survey The results show that the probability of walking at least 10 minutes for shopping purposes is equally high in the 80-89 and 90-100 Walk Score neighborhoods In contrast, car ownership is a strong predictor of walking at least 10 minutes, especially in higher Walk Score neighborhoods These findings suggest that transport policies aimed at reducing car ownership, combined with land use policies, can be most effective in supporting the minimal 10-minute sessions of walking for shopping purposes This study provides a nuanced assessment of walkability and is of relevance to researchers and planners wishing to assess and develop policies for increasing health benefits through active transportation

If we build it, who will benefit? A multi-criteria approach for the prioritization of new bicycle lanes in Quebec City, Canada

Abstract: Many cities across the world are actively promoting cycling through investments in cycling infrastructure, yet ensuring that the benefits from these investments are distributed equally in a region and not benefiting only one group is an important social goal. The aim of this study is to develop a methodology that can help in identifying where new bicycle facilities can be built in a region while prioritizing investments for those who need them most. The study uses Quebec City, Canada, as an example since the city has recently made a strong commitment to provide safe and attractive bicycle infrastructure to its residents. It also uses a GIS-based grid cell model to identify priority areas for cycling investment in different parts of the city. This is followed by a proposal for a new set of facilities based on a multi-criteria approach. These proposed facilities are then evaluated through a level of usage analysis to determine which routes will provide the maximum benefit to existing and potential cyclists. Finally, an equity analysis is conducted to evaluate whether the new facilities will meet some of the travel needs of individuals residing in socially deprived neighborhoods. This step in the evaluation process proposes a new social equity component in bicycle planning processes. This research can be of value to planners, engineers and policymakers working toward investments in bicycle facilities because it shows the full process of planning and evaluating different cycling facilities while incorporating social equity principles.

The importance of understanding perceptions of accessibility when addressing transport equity: A case study in Greater Nottingham, UK

Abstract: To deal with issues of equity in transport, increasing attention is being paid to addressing inequalities in accessibility. Existing approaches to measuring accessibility tend to focus on objective measurement, often using journey time as an indicator of spatial separation of people from places. However, using objective measures of spatial accessibility could obscure inequities in accessibility that occur due to differences in perceptions of accessibility among (groups of) individuals. This paper uses data from a case study in Greater Nottingham, UK, to demonstrate that there are differences between self-reported and objective measures of journey time access to destinations. Self-reported journey times to a number of destinations by walking, public transport, and car are compared with a nationally available dataset of accessibility indicators. Then, factors associated with self-reported journey times are investigated to understand what accounts for differences between individual’s self-reported understanding and objective measures of journey time accessibility. Results show that there is a difference between self-reported and objective measures, and that objective measures usually underestimate journey time accessibility. These differences occur because of demographic factors (e.g., age), trip familiarity, and destination definition. If accessibility metrics are to be used to address issues of social inequity related to transport, then there is a need to consider how diverse perceptions of accessibility relate to objective measures and to develop approaches that can account for social as well as spatial variation in accessibility.