scholarly journals Achieving Sustainable Mobility in the Szczecin Metropolitan Area in the Post-COVID-19 Era: The DEMATEL and PROMETHEE II Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12672
Author(s):  
Witold Torbacki

This article presents the idea of modelling and supporting the decision-making process in the field of development directions of a sustainable transport system in a metropolitan area. The global COVID-19 pandemic is causing changes in the perception of the public transport system by passengers. Users’ concerns for their own safety may lead to a shift away from public transport. Policy makers are advised to pay attention to these new phenomena that are hindering the development of sustainable transport in urban areas. Thus, many projects for the development of sustainable urban transport mobility, prepared before COVID-19, require re-analysis and adaptation to the decision-making processes of choosing the preferred means of transport by citizens. The scientific aim of this article was to develop a mathematical model based on the hybrid DEMATEL-PROMETHEE II method, supporting city decision-makers in the decision-making process regarding the selection of appropriate measures supporting the development of sustainable transport. The issues covered in the article include economic, informational and legal aspects, including electromobility, the principles of a low-emission society, and sustainable collective transport. The model was prepared for the needs of the Szczecin Metropolitan Area, where the construction of the Szczecin Metropolitan Railway, delayed by COVID-19, is underway and is to be the main axis of the public transport system. Finally, the article provides a ranking of groups of measures, dimensions and criteria that should be taken into account by decision-makers and planners in the modified plans for the sustainable development of metropolitan transport systems in the period after COVID-19.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4384
Author(s):  
Hanhee Kim ◽  
Niklas Hartmann ◽  
Maxime Zeller ◽  
Renato Luise ◽  
Tamer Soylu

This paper shows the results of an in-depth techno-economic analysis of the public transport sector in a small to midsize city and its surrounding area. Public battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell buses are comparatively evaluated by means of a total cost of ownership (TCO) model building on historical data and a projection of market prices. Additionally, a structural analysis of the public transport system of a specific city is performed, assessing best fitting bus lines for the use of electric or hydrogen busses, which is supported by a brief acceptance evaluation of the local citizens. The TCO results for electric buses show a strong cost decrease until the year 2030, reaching 23.5% lower TCOs compared to the conventional diesel bus. The optimal electric bus charging system will be the opportunity (pantograph) charging infrastructure. However, the opportunity charging method is applicable under the assumption that several buses share the same station and there is a “hotspot” where as many as possible bus lines converge. In the case of electric buses for the year 2020, the parameter which influenced the most on the TCO was the battery cost, opposite to the year 2030 in where the bus body cost and fuel cost parameters are the ones that dominate the TCO, due to the learning rate of the batteries. For H2 buses, finding a hotspot is not crucial because they have a similar range to the diesel ones as well as a similar refueling time. H2 buses until 2030 still have 15.4% higher TCO than the diesel bus system. Considering the benefits of a hypothetical scaling-up effect of hydrogen infrastructures in the region, the hydrogen cost could drop to 5 €/kg. In this case, the overall TCO of the hydrogen solution would drop to a slightly lower TCO than the diesel solution in 2030. Therefore, hydrogen buses can be competitive in small to midsize cities, even with limited routes. For hydrogen buses, the bus body and fuel cost make up a large part of the TCO. Reducing the fuel cost will be an important aspect to reduce the total TCO of the hydrogen bus.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0308518X2110271
Author(s):  
Yao Shen ◽  
Yiyi Xu ◽  
Zhuoya Huang

As an extension of public space, the public transport system in modern society is an arena for cross-group interactions. Uncovering social segregation in public transport space is an essential step in shaping a socially sustainable transport system. Based on 2011 origin–destination flow data for London, we simulate the working flows between each pair of connected tube stations for every occupation with minimised transfer times and travelling hours and calculate the multi-occupation segregation index for all tube stations and segments. This segregation index captures the density and diversity aspects of the working population. The results demonstrate that segregation levels vary significantly across stations, lines, and segments. Transfer stations and tube segments in the city centre do not necessarily have lower levels of segregation. Those stations or segments close to a terminus can also be socially inclusive, e.g., Heathrow. Victoria is the line with the lowest levels of segregation, and Green Park is the most socially inclusive station during commuting peaks. The proposed mapping approach demonstrates the spatial complexity in the social performance of the public transport system and provides a tool for implementing relevant policy with improved precision.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelrahman Muhsen ◽  
Abu Toasin Oakil

The transport sector has always had high energy demand and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change. To improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions, Riyadh is introducing an integrated public transport system. Per capita energy consumption is much lower for public transport than for private vehicles, such as cars and taxis. This study investigates the potential impact of Riyadh’s proposed public transport system on car and taxi trips.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (15) ◽  
pp. 4315
Author(s):  
Mark Richard Wilby ◽  
Juan José Vinagre Díaz ◽  
Rubén Fernández Pozo ◽  
Ana Belén Rodríguez González ◽  
José Manuel Vassallo ◽  
...  

Bicycle Sharing Systems (BSSs) are exponentially increasing in the urban mobility sector. They are traditionally conceived as a last-mile complement to the public transport system. In this paper, we demonstrate that BSSs can be seen as a public transport system in their own right. To do so, we build a mathematical framework for the classification of BSS trips. Using trajectory information, we create the trip index, which characterizes the intrinsic purpose of the use of BSS as transport or leisure. The construction of the trip index required a specific analysis of the BSS shortest path, which cannot be directly calculated from the topology of the network given that cyclists can find shortcuts through traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, etc. to reduce the overall traveled distance. Adding a layer of complication to the problem, these shortcuts have a non-trivial existence in terms of being intermittent, or short lived. We applied the proposed methodology to empirical data from BiciMAD, the public BSS in Madrid (Spain). The obtained results show that the trip index correctly determines transport and leisure categories, which exhibit distinct statistical and operational features. Finally, we inferred the underlying BSS public transport network and show the fundamental trajectories traveled by users. Based on this analysis, we conclude that 90.60% of BiciMAD’s use fall in the category of transport, which demonstrates our first statement.


Author(s):  
Lindsey B. Green-Simms

You have crossed that awkward, deeply uncomfortable, sometimes shameful social state of being without a car. I mean in some countries where the public transport system works, not having a car is no big deal. But you are in Nigeria, where public transport is living hell, and owning a car can be the difference between life and social death....


Author(s):  
Pragati Jain ◽  
Prerna Jain ◽  
Roopesh Kaushik

Sustainable mobility demands the inclusion of environment, social and economic sustainabil-ity. Public transport especially the bus system can be explored to fulfill these three sub goals. Globally the uses of personal vehicles have noticed an exponential growth owing to high per capita income and not up to the mark standards of public transport system. The emphasis on the requirement to probe significant questions while designing urban transport policies moti-vates this study to investigate what an ideal public bus system should be like, in the eyes of, those who either do not use or have shifted from public to private mode of travel. A survey on 1554 respondents is conducted to identify the various attributes that the public desire for, of a public bus system. These 12 items or attributes are clubbed into four categories using factor analysis. The logit regression run on the binary outcome "Shift" variable of opting or not opt-ing for public bus system with the four predicator variables (institutional, personnel, personal and qualitative) obtained using factor analysis shows positive association of improvement in these predicators to the outcome of opting for public transport.


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