Evaluation of Two Tolling Strategies for Highway 407 in Toronto

Author(s):  
Ali Mekky

Two tolling strategies were recently suggested for Highway 407 in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The GTA is one of the fastest growing urban areas in North America with a population of about 5 million. Highway 407, a six-/four-lane freeway, has been considered for many years as a relief for Highway 401—the busiest highway in North America, used by more than a million vehicles per day. Highway 407 is being planned and constructed as a toll highway. The first strategy investigated is to encourage long distance travelers to use Highway 407 by reducing the toll rate from CD$0.075/km to $0.06/km after the first 10 km. This is modeled by using multiclass trip assignment with generalized cost. Aside from the class of drivers who are not going to use the highway for various personal reasons, there are two main classes of drivers—namely, drivers who travel 10 km or more, and those who travel less than 10 km. The second strategy investigated is to put extra tolls on Highway 407 ramps connecting the highway with widened Highways 427, 400, and 404. The purpose of the second strategy is to recover the cost of widening these highways near Highway 407 through ramp toll revenues. The GTA mathematical model, within the EMME/2 environment, and the evaluation process used are described. Evaluation results are discussed.

Author(s):  
Ali Mekky

Highway 407 (a four- to six-lane freeway), in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) (with a population of 5 million) has been considered for many years as a relief for Highway 401, the busiest highway in North America. Highway 407 is being planned as a toll highway. Ideally, the driver of each car should have a transponder in the car to identify the vehicle for electronic toll billing purposes. The value of the toll (variable toll) would depend on the number of kilometers traveled on the highway. However, to attract some of the drivers who do not want their origins and destinations to be tracked, a fixed-toll option might be available. A study was developed to estimate the changes in the travel and the revenue of Highway 407 if a fixed-toll option were allowed simultaneously with a variable one. The GTA mathematical model, within the EMME/2 environment, was used. Although the available transportation planning packages were not originally designed for evaluating these kinds of toll strategies, it is possible to do the evaluation using several multiclass generalized cost assignment runs with feedback loops. The mathematical model and the evaluation process used are described. One of the results of the evaluation is the finding that allowing fixed-toll operation does not increase the number of users of Highway 407 (operating under a variable toll scheme) but will increase the revenues in a marginal way. Therefore, it is concluded that using only a variable toll rate would maximize the net revenue for the year under consideration.


Author(s):  
Ali Mekky

Tolling strategies recently tested for Highway 407 in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are described and analyzed. The GTA is one of the fastest-growing urban areas in North America, with a population of about 5 million. Highway 407, a six-/four-lane freeway in the GTA, has been considered for many years as a relief for Highway 401. It is the busiest highway in North America and is used by more than 1 million vehicles per day. Highway 407 is being planned and constructed as a toll highway. Four strategies are compared. In the base strategy, the toll rate per kilometer is fixed and the value of the toll paid depends on the distance traveled on the highway. In Strategy 2, vehicles on Highway 407 are tolled on the entrance ramps as well as at some points on the highway (main “virtual” plazas). In Strategies 3 and 4, each driver has two choices. The first is to pay a toll depending on the distance traveled. The second is to pay a certain fixed toll once the driver crosses certain points on the highway (mainline plazas) and on the exit ramps. The strategies are compared from the points of view of the number of users, the vehicle-kilometers on the highway, the revenues, and the average toll paid. The GTA mathematical model, within the EMME/2 environment, is used. The mathematical model and the evaluation process are described.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1775-1791
Author(s):  
Nazila Aghayi ◽  
Samira Salehpour

The concept of cost efficiency has become tremendously popular in data envelopment analysis (DEA) as it serves to assess a decision-making unit (DMU) in terms of producing minimum-cost outputs. A large variety of precise and imprecise models have been put forward to measure cost efficiency for the DMUs which have a role in constructing the production possibility set; yet, there’s not an extensive literature on the cost efficiency (CE) measurement for sample DMUs (SDMUs). In an effort to remedy the shortcomings of current models, herein is introduced a generalized cost efficiency model that is capable of operating in a fuzzy environment-involving different types of fuzzy numbers-while preserving the Farrell’s decomposition of cost efficiency. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, the present paper is the first to measure cost efficiency by using vectors. Ultimately, a useful example is provided to confirm the applicability of the proposed methods.


2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-147
Author(s):  
Alina A. Aleksandrova ◽  
Maksim S. Zhuzhin ◽  
Yuliya M. Dulepova

Energy saving today is an integral part of the development strategy of agricultural organizations. Considerable attention is paid to the modernization and automation of technological processes in agricultural enterprises, which can improve the quality of work and reduce the cost of production. The direction of modernization is to reduce the consumption of electric energy by improving the water treatment system in livestock complexes. (Research purpose) The research purpose is to determine the potential of solar energy used in the Nizhny Novgorod region and to determine the possibility of its use for water heating in livestock complexes and to consider the cost-effectiveness of using a device to heat water through solar energy. (Materials and methods) Authors used an improved algorithm of Pixer and Laszlo, applied in the NASA project «Surface meteorology and Energy», which allows to calculate the optimal angle of inclination of the device for heating water. (Results and discussion) Designed a mock-up of a livestock complex with a solar water heater installed on the roof, protected by patent for invention No. 2672656. A mathematical model was designed experimentally to predict the results of the plant operation in non-described modes. (Conclusions) The article reveales the optimal capacity of the circulation pump. Authors have created a mathematical model of the device that allows to predict the water heating in a certain period of time. The article presents the calculations on the energy and economic efficiency of using a solar water heater. An electric energy saving of about 30 percent, in the economic equivalent of 35 percent.


2021 ◽  
pp. 097275312199849
Author(s):  
Raghuram Nagarathna ◽  
M Madhava ◽  
Suchitra S Patil ◽  
Amit Singh ◽  
K. Perumal ◽  
...  

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major noncommunicable disease. While mortality rates are increasing, the costs of managing the disease are also increasing. The all-India average monthly expenditure per person (pppm) is reported to be ₹ 1,098.25, which translates to an annual expenditure of ₹13,179 per person. Purpose: While a number of studies have gone into the aspect of the cost of disease management, we do not find any study which has pan-India reach. We also do not find studies that focus on differences (if any) between rural and urban areas, age or on the basis of gender. We planned to report the cost of illness (COI) in diabetes individuals as compared to others from the data of a pan-India trial. Methods: Government of India commissioned the Indian Yoga Association to study the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in India in 2017. As part of the questionnaire, the cost of treatment was also captured. Data collected from 25 states and union territories were analyzed using the analysis of covriance (ANCOVA) test on SPSS version 21. Results: There was a significant difference ( P < .05) between the average expenses per person per month (pppm) of individuals with self-reported known diabetes (₹1,357.65 pppm) and others (unknown and/or nondiabetes individuals–₹ 999.91 pppm). Similarly, there was a significant difference between rural (₹2,893 pppm) and urban (₹4,162 pppm) participants and between those below (₹1,996 pppm) and above 40 years (₹5,059 pppm) of age. Conclusion: This preliminary report has shown that the COI because of diabetes is significantly higher than others pointing to an urgent need to promote disease-preventive measures.


Author(s):  
Ewa Krogulec ◽  
Jacek Gurwin ◽  
Mirosław Wąsik

AbstractThis paper describes the complex hydrogeological, legal framework and socioeconomic costs of the groundwater protection in major groundwater basins (MGBs) in Poland in accordance with European directives. The hydrogeological criteria developed in Poland for establishing MGBs and the principles of their protection provide more details to the directives that are in force in Europe, which define the general principles for groundwater protection. The procedure of establishing MGB protection zones is connected with a change in local plans and land development and requires an analysis of the cost–benefit relationship in the sphere of social economy in the sector of public economics. The cost assessment was performed on the basis of data from hydrogeological documentations, and the aggregation of subareas to which the same existing and planned development can be attributed. A legal analysis of bans, orders and restrictions together with the identification of the risk of claims in specific hydrogeological and development conditions was a fundamental issue of research. These costs depend on the acreage and land use of the protected area. The unit costs of MGB protection, calculated per 1 km2 of the protection area, for six sample basins were estimated at €120 to €208,000/2 years/1 km2. The highest costs are generated by establishing protection in urban areas, while the lowest costs are generated in forest areas.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
Lihui Zhang ◽  
Xuezhong Wang ◽  
Hong Li ◽  
Nianliang Cheng ◽  
Yujie Zhang ◽  
...  

To better evaluate the variations in concentration characteristics and source contributions of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during continuous haze days and non-haze days, hourly observations of atmospheric VOCs were conducted using a continuous on-line GC-FID (Airmo VOC GC-866) monitoring system during 1–15 March 2019, in urban areas of Beijing, China. The results showed that the total VOC concentrations during haze days and non-haze days were 59.13 ± 31.08 μg/m3 and 16.91 ± 7.19 μg/m3, respectively. However, the average O3 concentrations during the two haze days were lower than those of non-haze days due to the extremely low concentrations at night instead of the reported lower photochemical reaction in daytime. The ratio of OH radical concentration during haze and non-haze days indicating that the rate of photochemical reaction during haze days was higher than those of non-haze days from 13:00–19:00. The stable air conditions and the local diesel emission at night were the main reasons for the decreased O3 concentrations during haze days. Six major sources were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), namely, diesel exhaust, combustion, gasoline evaporation, solvent usage, gasoline exhaust, and the petrochemical industry, contributing 9.93%, 25.29%, 3.90%, 16.88%, 35.59% and 8.41%, respectively, during the whole observation period. The contributions of diesel exhaust and the petrochemical industry emissions decreased from 26.14% and 6.43% during non-haze days to 13.70% and 2.57%, respectively, during haze days. These reductions were mainly ascribed to the emergency measures that the government implemented during haze days. In contrast, the contributions of gasoline exhaust increased from 34.92% during non-haze days to 48.77% during haze days. The ratio of specific VOC species and PMF both showed that the contributions of gasoline exhaust emission increased during haze days. The backward trajectories, potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) showed that the air mass of VOCs during haze days was mainly affected by the short-distance transportation from the southwestern of Hebei province. However, the air mass of VOCs during non-haze days was mainly affected by the long-distance transportation from the northwest.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Nasiri Khalili ◽  
Mostafa Kafaei Razavi ◽  
Morteza Kafaee Razavi

Items supplies planning of a logistic system is one of the major issue in operations research. In this article the aim is to determine how much of each item per month from each supplier logistics system requirements must be provided. To do this, a novel multi objective mixed integer programming mathematical model is offered for the first time. Since in logistics system, delivery on time is very important, the first objective is minimization of time in delivery on time costs (including lack and maintenance costs) and the cost of purchasing logistics system. The second objective function is minimization of the transportation supplier costs. Solving the mathematical model shows how to use the Multiple Objective Decision Making (MODM) can provide the ensuring policy and transportation logistics needed items. This model is solved with CPLEX and computational results show the effectiveness of the proposed model.


1983 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
W. Ted Hinds

Acidification processes in western North America will probably increase in scope and visibility over the foreseeable future. Localized acidification seems more probable for the next few decades than does a generalized acidified deposition over the western States. At least part of current acid deposition downwind of urban areas is associated with automobile emissions. However, increases in coal combustion for power generation might be expected to increase sulphur dioxide concentrations, along with several related acidifying agents. Interactions of air pollutants with orographic precipitation and snowmelt may bring some areas to public attention much earlier than others, depending upon site-specific matters of climate, topography, soils, water-bodies, and biota. Lakes and streams on windward slopes facing large urban or industrial sources of sulphur and nitrogen oxides may be most seriously at risk.


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