Baha Alshalalfah

Relationship between Immigrant Settlement Patterns and Transit Use in the Greater Toronto Area

Much of the research on immigrants has centered on their economic assimilation or integration. Few scholarly articles have examined the impact that immigrants have on the transportation system, especially those immigrants who have bypassed central city locations and settled in suburban areas where transit infrastructure is more limited. This paper addresses this issue by focusing on two interrelated issues: (1) the effect immigration has on metropolitan public transportation infrastructure in terms of high usage rates, and (2) the effect the governing structure in metropolitan areas has on immigrant settlement and integration in terms of the need for government investments in public transportation in the suburbs. The greater Toronto area is used as a case study to examine these issues. The implications for transit and immigration policies across different urban scales and levels of government are also discussed. The study concludes that transit needs to be recognized as a key ingredient for the success of the immigrant settlement process, which requires the involvement of all levels of government in the provision of modern and effective public transit services.

Feasibility of Flex-Route as a Feeder Transit Service to Rail Stations in the Suburbs: Case Study in Toronto

Flex-route transit service is a promising option to serve low-density urban areas. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility and benefits of replacing feeder fixed-route transit routes in a suburban area by flex-route service. Three routes in the City of Oakville (a suburb of Toronto) that connect with the regional commuter rail (GO Transit) were chosen for the analysis. A simulation of the routes under the existing structure and under several flex-route designs was performed. The results show that assigning an appropriate slack time is essential in having an effective flex-route service and that more slack time does not necessarily translate into more ridership. The results also show that improving the performance of the transit service, in terms of passenger per vehicle revenue hours, will occur only if the ratio of the increase in ridership relative to the added slack time is more than the ratio of the existing ridership relative to the scheduled running time of the original fixed-route service.

Aerial ropeway transportation systems in the urban environment: state of the art

The evolution of public transit modes has been remarkable, fueled by the need for different transit modes to handle different demand levels, urban environment patterns, and natural constraints and barriers. One of these needs is the desire to overcome geographical and topographical barriers such as mountains, valleys, and bodies of water, which cannot be conquered by conventional transit modes without very large investments and changes made to the natural topography. Aerial ropeway transit (ART), a type of aerial transportation mode in which passengers are transported in a cabin that is suspended and pulled by cables, is one of the solutions to such cases. ART has its origins in aerial lifts that have been used for decades in Alpine ski resorts to transport skiers and tourists in cable-suspended cabins. The use of aerial transportation in the urban environment, which was once considered an unlikely possibility, has gained more attention worldwide, and it is now used as a public transit mode in several terrain-constrained urban areas around the world. This article describes the origins of aerial transportation and its advantages, components, service characteristics, available technologies, and applications around the world. The paper concludes with a fair assessment of the existing ART technologies.

Experiences with Aerial Ropeway Transportation Systems in the Urban Environment

The main purpose of conventional transit systems is to serve concentrated travel patterns in urban areas, where they usually have high levels of success. Unconventional transit modes have also found success in specific conditions, fuelled by the need for transit modes that handle different demand levels, urban environment patterns, and even natural constraints and barriers. In many urban contexts, geographical and topographical barriers such as mountains, valleys, and bodies of water, and the very large infrastructure costs associated with overcoming these barriers, may not permit the implementation of conventional public transportation systems. In such cases, transit agencies may look to unconventional modes of travel to serve the needs of the residents of these areas. Aerial ropeway transit (ART), a type of aerial transportation in which passengers are transported in cabins that are suspended and pulled by cables, is one of the solutions that has shown its implementation rise in the past decade. This paper attempts to shed some light on ART technology by presenting experiences with this technology from both the United States as well as other parts of the world including the reasons for building these systems and their service and operational characteristics as well as other case-specific information. The paper concludes with an assessment of experiences with these systems including their benefits and limitations as well as a discussion of the advancements needed for ART technologies to be a fully recognized transit mode.

Feasibility study of aerial ropeway transit in the Holy City of Makkah

The planning and implementation of a multimodal transportation system in the Holy City of Makkah to handle the huge volumes of pilgrims to the City is not a straightforward mission, as Makkah poses numerous challenges including its unique seasonal demand patterns, mountainous terrain, and limited space. Aerial ropeway transit (ART), a promising transport technology solution, could be an important component of this system. This paper presents the results of a technical and economic feasibility study to explore the potential of introducing ART service in Makkah. The study reveals that, overall, ART service on some corridors in Makkah is technically feasible, and with some necessary enforcement measures to attract ridership could become a profitable transportation investment. Specifically, the study recommends using ART for special user groups and service/emergency crews during peak seasons and opening ART to the public as a premium service during the off-peak season.