Asian Transport Studies最新文献

The growing utilization of autonomous cars may affect people's residential location choice behavior and change the population distribution in a city, contrary to compact city policy. This paper proposes a model to estimate the time-series impacts of autonomous cars on population distribution in a city. The model basically consists of the primary factors cohort method and a housing land location equilibrium model. The location equilibrium model considers the residential location choice behavior of individuals, while prior models have been based on the behavior of households. We applied the model to Niigata City, Japan and analyzed the impact of permission to utilize autonomous cars (an increase in car availability to non-drivers) in the whole area of the city and only in the suburbs. Results indicated that permission to utilize autonomous cars only in the suburbs may lead to urban sprawl.

The efficient operation of container terminals facilitates the seamless flow of goods across borders. New technologies such as big data, data mining, and simulation models, have emerged in the maritime industry, enabling optimization and performance evaluation. This study investigated how data science using operational data can improve container terminal operations, drive efficiency, enhance throughput, and bolster competitiveness in the shipping sector. Decision-making within container terminals, particularly in determining optimal container stacking locations, poses a significant challenge owing to the multitude of factors at play. By analyzing the datasets, new strategies and policies can be simulated to minimize container rehandling operations. This study focuses on the Hakata International Container Terminal in Japan, where daily operational data from rubber-tired gantry equipment are used to investigate container movements. A significant reduction in the total number of movements required to perform container-handling operations was demonstrated by implementing data-driven strategies and simulation modeling.

The East Japan Railway Company is planning a new access railway line to the Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport. This paper proposes an evaluation method for the development of the new airport access line considering the socioeconomic characteristics of the Greater Tokyo Area and indicates what is needed to increase its social value. As the evaluation method, we develop an econometric model that considers commuters’ trip behaviors across prefectures and the relationship between the increased number of Meeting, Incentive Travel, Convention, Exhibition and Event (MICE) visitors and the regional economy. We also conduct a simulation analysis using an empirical econometric model and a cost-effectiveness analysis based on multiple scenarios. The results indicate that a 50% increase in MICE visitors is needed to make the present discounted value of the total increase in the gross regional product larger than the construction cost of the line.

In high-density pedestrian crossflow locations, pedestrians considerably affect the vehicle flow. On arterial roads where speed is the main concern, unanticipated pedestrian crossings generate conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians, thereby creating congestion and increasing the travel time cost. In this study, the viability of various pedestrian crossing facilities is evaluated in terms of the flow characteristics and benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Grade-separated pedestrian crossing facilities offer high mobility and save travel time costs for vehicles; however, these are sometimes discouraged because of high construction costs. The optimal crossing facility is determined by comparing the travel time costs for both the vehicles and pedestrians. This study argues that grade-separated crossings yield a superior BCR in areas with limited pedestrian traffic, whereas in densely pedestrianized areas, pedestrian signals boast the highest BCR among all pedestrian crossing facilities. These findings will improve the planning of cost-effective pedestrian crossing facilities.

This study analyzed the relationship between gaze behavior and physical functions of elderly drivers at unsignalized intersections, which have spatial characteristics that make elderly drivers more likely to be on the at-fault side of a collision. Twenty-nine elderly and 14 non-elderly drivers were asked to view 360-degree videos from five different routes of two unsignalized intersections under conditions similar to actual driving. The results were as follows. (1) The eye movement distance (EMD) was shorter for elderly drivers in most of the driving sections, with the section "At slowdown" on non-priority roads being the section where a significant difference was likely to occur. (2) For both elderly and non-elderly drivers, the amount of EMD was significantly related to visual and general physical functions such as flexibility, equilibrium, and agility.

Ride-hailing has been introduced and has become popular in many major cities worldwide. The service often relies on the use of dynamic pricing, in which fares are adjusted in real time. Therefore, understanding the impact of fare on demand is necessary for the operation of ride-hailing. The aim of this study is to empirically investigate the impact of fares on demand through price elasticities using the session data of Uber taxis from Uber Japan's experiments in two cities: Nagoya and Kyoto. A mixed logit model with a flexible mixing distribution was estimated to capture the taste heterogeneity among riders, which increased the reliability of the result. The estimation results indicated that most riders were price inelastic, with an average price elasticity of approximately −0.2 to −0.1. These findings are useful for ride-hailing companies and policymakers because they provide valuable information to enable the maximization of profit or benefit to customers.

Electric mobility is a potential solution to address the environmental challenges posed by climate change. In addition, car-sharing can serve as a solution to local problems, such as traffic congestion and parking pressure in nonurban areas. Although electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more common in car-sharing fleets globally, the momentum is less prominent in Japan. In this study, the potential of EV sharing to serve domestic tourists in Japan’s nonurban areas was investigated by examining tourists’ choices in transportation mode to reach their destinations and the use of EV sharing after arrival. A hybrid choice model was specified to analyze the effects of observed and latent factors on tourists’ behavior. Although the analysis results generally indicate strong obstacles to EV sharing, reducing the cost of access to EV-sharing services in nonurban areas where public transportation and parking services are limited could increase potential demand.

This study evaluated drivers' collision avoidance behavior by focusing on the timing of their visual detection of pedestrians when turning right at signalized intersections. A headset-based virtual reality driving simulator was used to monitor drivers' behavior. The experiment showed that early detection of pedestrians can reduce the potential for severe conflicts. Drivers found it difficult to detect pedestrians early when using a gap between oncoming vehicles to turn right. Based on gaze tracking, we propose and validate a safety level that could potentially evaluate the potential for conflict between pedestrians and a right-turning vehicle. To increase safety level reliability, the speed of the right-turning vehicle should be included in addition to the eye measurements.

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a major planning tool to promote green transport mode share. There are many previous studies in this field but with very diverse research focuses and outcomes. This study has classified the research purposes of previous studies into four categories: exploratory; potential and challenges; performance evaluation; and in-depth investigation. To identify critical factors that might influence green transport systems, a systematic literature review is delivered via a meta-analysis. Specifically, green transport mode share was set as the dependent variable and a proxy for TOD outcomes. From the model results, several key factors are identified. For example, built environment planning (e.g., pedestrian sidewalks) plays a critical role in green transport systems. The main findings of this paper can provide clear direction to current TOD, such as how to improve TOD outcomes and providing planning guidance for potential TOD.