Journal of Public Transportation最新文献

Several studies highlight how the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns have permanently changed the way people travel, but there has been less focus on impacts outside major metropolitan areas, where alternative transportation modes are more limited or scarce. This case study focuses on the long-term effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns on public transit and bikesharing using micro-level data in Lane County, Oregon. Lane County reflects the nearly 3,000 small U.S. counties that are a mixture of rural and urban landscape. Findings show that both transportation modes have begun to recover after large reductions in usage, though bikesharing seems to be less resilient relative to public transit 18-months post-lockdown. Additionally, findings show changes in bus ridership and bikeshare trips differed based on sociodemographic characteristics, though bikeshare trips were more sensitive to change. For example, there were statistically significant differences in bikeshare trips among tracts with a higher proportion of Black, Hispanic, or low-income residents, but no such differences for bus ridership. Given that small U.S. counties are typically less diverse, if not addressed, inequitable access could worsen in the long-run. Results from this case study could help inform other small U.S. counties, especially those that do not have the resources to collect micro-level data and are based around a university or where public transit is free for a large portion of the population, on future local policies regarding urban mobility and equity.

Several approaches have been proposed and adopted by researchers and decision-makers to improve and deal with public transport operation issues, especially travel demand management (TDM) measures. Disruptions like lockdowns provoked by weather conditions, political riots, special events, natural disaster issues, or the recent COVID-19 pandemic create a need for tools to manage public transport demand and supply o keep users circulating in an efficient, convenient and safe manner. Our work develops a simulation tool of the operations of a public transport system using smart card, GTFS and census data to evaluate the impacts of different intervention scenarios using the pandemic context as a case study. Using a pre-pandemic baseline scenario, we study the impact of several travel demand and public transport supply measures, focusing the analysis on waiting times and crowding conditions inside vehicles and platforms. As a result, we generate easy-to-analyze visual outputs that facilitate prioritizing actions at the metropolitan and district level, identifying where and when waiting times and crowding conditions would exceed certain thresholds.

Integrated passenger freight transport (IPFT) is a tactical solution that can potentially reduce travel demand and the costs of first- and last-mile services. Although the scientific interest in this topic increased in the last decade, IPFT contributions are still mostly related to the definition of a general framework. Conversely, the design of the service attributes and the evaluation of the operational performances have been object of less attention. To address such a research gap, this paper presents the results of a Delphi survey with international stakeholders. The aim is to verify the minimum requirements upon the introduction of the IPFT in both urban and rural contexts, including fare reductions for users, which are necessary to compensate for the differences as compared with passenger-only and freight-only services. The survey results indicate the necessity of an efficient service in terms of information, environmental performances, space division, and security (the last aspect refers more to passenger than to freight transport). Other attributes, such as cleanliness on board, are more debated. Policymakers and practitioners can use these findings as a benchmark for the definition of performance requirements and boundaries for designing the service. The suitability of the IPFT scheme in real-case contexts is then verified. New suburban and urban IPFT services are designed by modifying the characteristics of two existing urban and suburban bus lines that operate in the Italian provinces of Forlì-Cesena and Rimini according to both the results of the Delphi survey and the territorial specificities. The scheme’s suitability to the existing schedules is finally determined. As next steps, the new design has to be assessed through a) a stated preference survey submitted to potential users of the service; b) a supply model that verifies the matching of supply and demand under the new configuration, and c) an economic evaluation of the service, which considers the perspective of single actors.

Demand-responsive transportation (DRT) is a flexible form of shared mobility in which service provision is shaped by the user demand. DRT has been considered a sustainable mobility solution, as it reduces CO₂ emissions from fixed-route services and encourages a mode shift from private cars to shared mobility. Given that public acceptance is a key for the wider diffusion of DRT, this study explored the factors affecting usage intention for DRT in the Republic of Korea. Drawing on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and the initial trust model (ITM), a conceptual framework was developed that linked attitudinal and psychological factors to behavioral intention for DRT usage. 1168 valid observations were collected from adults aged 19–64 years in the Republic of Korea using a structured online survey, and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that the four UTAUT constructs (performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and environmental concerns) were directly related to intention for DRT usage. Indirect impacts of perceived safety, structural assurance, familiarity, performance expectancy, and effort expectancy on initial trust were also found. Consequently, the constructs with the greatest total effect on usage intention were (in order of relevance) initial trust, performance expectancy, social influence, and structural assurance. As one of the few attempts to examine public acceptance of DRT, it is expected that findings from this study could contribute to the literature by providing insights into potential users’ attitudes toward DRT. This study further offers guidance on designing interventions intended to promote a transition toward increased operational efficiency through policy developments for DRT, thereby achieving sustainable development.

Many city bus systems have gone through crises--dropping ridership and unsustained finance--across countries over the past decades. Previous studies revealed that despite the soaring public subsidies on traditional bus services, the quality of bus services was unimproved and the responses to demand changes remained sluggish. A large number of bus users were, consequently, shifted to other transport modes, leading to a steady ridership decline which further worsens transit agencies’ financial condition. To deal with the dilemma, we integrate market-based customized bus services (MCBSs) into the traditional bus systems and propose a hybrid city bus model. Using data from Shanghai, China, we found that the MCBS had effectively responded to changing demand and achieved substantial ridership growth, maintained a healthy financial status, and provided social benefits to the transportation system. The success of MCBSs in Shanghai proves that the public transit system still has great potential and could be demand-responsive and financially sustainable at the same time. In the meantime, MCBSs have significantly helped improve transport equity in suburban areas. The hybrid city bus model can serve as a reference for different cities to reorganize their bus systems and regain the popularity, vitality, and social equity of bus services.