Latin American Transport Studies最新文献

Bicycles are a sustainable alternative for urban mobility; however, their usage depends mainly on safety, convenience, and infrastructure availability, which have been widely studied. However, most studies have overlooked the importance of bicycle parking facilities in the network-planning process. In this work we aim to draw attention to the importance of including bicycle parking (BP) facilities in a well-thought-out bicycle infrastructure planning process highlighting the detrimental effects of not doing so for transportation equity, using Bogotá, Colombia, as a case study, where bicycle trips have multiplied in the last few years, reaching a 6.6 % modal share in 2019. To this end, we present a geospatial analysis and machine learning approach to assess the network coverage of bicycle parking spots. Additionally, we compared the city's bicycle trip patterns and applied a survey to know the perception of users (n = 397). The results show that the current distribution of bicycle parking in the city does not favour equity, given that it is not in line with the origin and destination of bicycle trips. This could widen socio-territorial inequity by affecting accessibility to bicycle use for daily commutes. To the best of our knowledge, this study presents the first assessment of the impact of parking distribution on the planning of bicycle infrastructure in the Global South.

Over the past 15 years, São Paulo, a megacity in Southeastern Brazil, has tackled its enduring mobility challenges by constructing over 500 km of bike routes and supporting various cycling initiatives, including recreational cycling programs, mobility strategies and bikeshare. Despite the generally positive impacts of these initiatives, the absence of robust causal evidence on their benefits can pose serious challenges for future investments in light of the existing social dynamic favoring the use of automobiles. Driven by the need to reduce motorized transport in Brazilian cities, we investigate the causal effects of bicycle routes on ridership between 2007 and 2017, focusing on travellers highly exposed to bike routes developed between 2008 and 2015. Using Difference-in-Differences models alongside Household Travel Surveys conducted before and after the interventions, we observed a modest but positive increase in cycling mode choice probability, ranging from 0.60 % to 1.37 %, among the highly exposed treatment groups. Our findings provide policymakers with valuable insights to support future cycling infrastructure planning and investment, demonstrating their potential net benefits even in car-dependent urban areas. By integrating these results into existing economic appraisal tools, policymakers can further assess additional benefits related to physical activity, health, and emissions reduction.

Increasing concerns over the significant number of crimes occurring at and around bus stops have motivated the analysis of intervening factors to propose solutions to this problem. However, models found so far overlook important features of crime data: spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity. In addition, crime predictor data has shown to be multicollinear in previous studies. To tackle these issues, this paper analyzes mobile phone thefts and robberies at 19,329 bus stops in São Paulo (Brazil) based on Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), using components retained from a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as explanatory variables. A comparison is carried out between GWR and a non-spatial Transformed Linear Regression (TLR), and a Negative Binomial Regression (NBR) with uncorrelated predictors. Effects on crime from 9 PCs, representing central areas, bus transit level of service, transport infrastructure, land use and sociodemographic features, were proven to have high spatial variability. Changes in the surrounding environment can cause higher or lower increases in mobile phone thefts and robberies at stops according to their spatial location. Results showed that GWR performs better than NBR and TLR in predicting bus stop crime, thus compensating for a loss of information associated with PCA. In addition, GWR was able to completely incorporate the spatial dependence found in the non-spatial model, which covered the nearest 96 neighboring stops. The proposed method can effectively detect critical bus stops and regions, contributing to crime prevention. GWR coupled with PCA can also help identify the best locations to install new bus stops.

Maritime transportation plays a pivotal role in the Brazilian economy, accounting for 88 % of exports and 73 % of imports in 2021. This substantial contribution has positioned Santa Catarina State as the second-largest container handler in the country, representing 24 % of the national total. Given the significance of Itapoá Port, which ranks fifth in containerized cargo handling, and the city of Joinville, known for its substantial cargo movement through the Port, this study focuses on the intricate dynamics of the maritime supply chain in this region. The primary contribution of this paper is the proposal of an inland container terminal and waterway service between Joinville and Itapoá Port, evaluated through an Agent-Based Simulation Model and financial analysis. The proposed framework demonstrates both operational and economic viability and emerges as a competitive option, yielding a 2 % reduction in costs for end customers compared to the current scenario. The results indicate a positive impact on the level of service offered to customers in Joinville, with a notable 65 % reduction in truck dwell time. Additionally, this approach fosters a more environmentally sustainable operation, achieving a 65 % decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. These outcomes are realized through a significant 49 % reduction in the number of trucks and an 84 % decrease in their average travel distance.

This study evaluates the decarbonization potential within Brazilian maritime cabotage by comparing carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from conventional fuels - specifically, Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil and Marine Diesel Oil - with those from Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil. Utilizing a life cycle assessment approach alongside a mathematical model based on operational schedules from four leading Brazilian maritime cabotage companies in the container sector, this research quantifies the environmental benefits of switching fuels. The results demonstrate that transitioning to Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil could significantly reduce annual emissions, from 1395,466 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent to 343,950 tons, amounting to a 75.4 % decrease. This noticeable decrease underscores the critical importance and viability of incorporating hydrogenated vegetable oil into the maritime sector's fuel mix as part of Brazil's broader decarbonization strategy. This research highlights the need for strategic policy reforms and strengthened collaboration across sectors to advance Brazil's maritime sustainability efforts.

Despite the popularity of ridesourcing service usage across the world, there are some research gaps, especially regarding emerging economies countries. Thus, the literature on ridesourcing in developing countries is still scarce and many issues are still unknown. In this paper, a literature review is conducted on the impacts of ridesourcing in developing countries, summarizing the main topics of discussion, and proposing research questions for future studies. The main impacts discussed are related to: (1) travel behavior, (2) other travel modes, (3) traffic externalities, (4) ridesplitting, (5) labor relations, and (6) COVID-19 implications. The main findings are that ridesourcing has significant impacts on urban traffic, the environment, and social welfare. However, these findings are from few countries, which leaves a huge number of developing countries out of the analysis. It would be helpful for future studies to reflect on how similar (or different) other countries are from those included in this study. Furthermore, there are few studies that include both developed and developing countries in the same analysis and questions such as (or whether) a developing country can extrapolate ridesourcing use, patterns, or expectations based on findings from a developed country are still unknown.

Despite the historical core-periphery urbanization pattern marked by profound inequalities in Latin American cities, the emergence of new suburban structures may introduce more complex dynamics of accessibility. In this study, we conduct a novel investigation into inequalities in accessibility to non-work urban opportunities in the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (MRBH), utilizing a combined analysis of a cumulative opportunity accessibility indicator and population distribution to assess both social and spatial discrepancies. The findings reveal that low-income households experience significantly lower accessibility to urban opportunities, while the development of new suburban structures results in high accessibility levels in high-income neighborhoods. These results highlight two contrasting processes of segregation: low-income groups being displaced to distant peripheral areas with limited accessibility, while high-income groups settling in low-density residential developments with abundant motorized accessibility to nearby opportunities.

Located in South America, Brazil has continental dimensions and a population of approximately 203 million. As expected, the country has many mobility challenges and issues, as well as various research gaps and opportunities to promote improvements in urban transportation planning. This article aims to present some of these mobility challenges, such as the lack of transportation surveys and data in many Brazilian cities, decreased demand for public transport, increased demand for ridesourcing, telecommuting, COVID-19, and freight transport. We also mentioned the National Association for Transportation Research and Teaching (ANPET in Portuguese) and its important role in promoting annual conferences and supporting transportation research and education in the country. After making some critical reflections, we have outlined various research challenges that aim to improve the future of mobility in Brazil.

The cargo release time in Brazilian ports is a critical factor that impacts the competitiveness of companies. This paper analyzed the port choice process from companies in two states in the Southeast region of Brazil: Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. We used Stated Preference data. Multinomial logit and mixed logit with error components models were estimated. We analyzed the following attributes: taxation, road transport tariff, ship calls, port tariff, sea freight tariff and cargo release time. The experimental designs were structured using an efficient design for Rio de Janeiro, and a Bayesian efficient design for Minas Gerais. A comparison of the port choice behavior was carried out between the states. For each state, the Value of Time (VOT) was calculated referring to the willingness of companies to pay for the reduction of one unit (day) of cargo release at ports. The estimated VOT for companies in RJ was R$/t.day 387.45 (77.49 U$S/t.day) and for companies in MG, it was R$/t.day 364.93 (72.98 U$S/t.day). The results indicate that the estimated values may vary according to characteristics, such as company size and product type.