Changmin Jiang

Transport Networks and Impacts on Transport Nodes

n Abstractn n Transport networks are comprised of gateway and hub cities where goods are transshipped between transport modes along established trade corridors. The economics of gateways and hubs depends on the competitiveness of their trade corridors. Trade corridor routes are determined by geophysical features, political borders, proximity to markets, and investment in transportation infrastructure. The advantages of location can be altered by changes in transportation and communications technologies that favor some locations at the expense of others. Over time, hierarchies of hub and gateway cities have formed based on their trade of goods and increasingly on the services they provide. This chapter sets out a framework to analyze the evolution of transport networks and nodes where transshipments occur.n n

Policy and Regulations of Transport Nodes and Nodal Systems

This chapter provides a wider perspective of the regulatory oversight of airports as critical nodes within air transport systems. The chapter begins with a spatial assessment of airports within wider transport systems, where spatiality, nodal concentration, network density, and gravity are considered as variables that comprise the economic viability of nodal systems. The chapter then interrogates some of the policy frameworks that govern airports, in particular ownership and regulatory oversight of charges. The chapter concludes with a case study of airport regulation in Canada.

Sustainability and Resilience of Transport Nodes and the Nodal System

This chapter investigates the issue of sustainability and resilience related to transport nodes and nodal systems. It illustrates the major impacts of climate change on transport nodes and nodal systems, both positive (e.g., the opportunities for Arctic shipping and ports) and negative (e.g., rising sea levels, more frequent hurricanes). In view of these opportunities and challenges, it discusses the major issues of transport nodes and nodal systems in developing resilience against such impacts with reference to a number of real world experiences. At the end, a model is developed to analyze effective adaptation planning for transport nodes and nodal systems.

Planning Transport Nodes and Nodal System Projects

This chapter introduces the basic principles and practices of transport node and nodal system planning, with a special focus on the roles of institutions in the planning process and outcomes of transport infrastructure projects. Through an investigation of two projects undertaken during the past two decades in East Asia and North America, namely, site selection for the construction of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (a transportation node in Hong Kong, China) and the construction process of CentrePort Canada Way [a highway dedicated to enhance the connection between CentrePort Canada (Winnipegs inland terminal) and the Trans-Canada Highway in Canada], respectively, it identifies the major issues in transport project planning, notably how institutions would act as a barrier and a catalyst. We argue that institutions can act as both a barrier and a catalyst in the planning and outcomes of transport project planning, depending on real circumstances as well as on how decision-makers react to shocks and challenges. Indeed, one is unlikely to comprehensively understand and implement (often capital-intensive) transport projects effectively and efficiently if they do not understand the impacts that institutions can have on them. Hence it adds substantial insight into a very important aspect that transportation planners, managers, and policymakers need to tackle when undertaking project planning.

Transport Nodes and Supply Chain Sustainability

There is growing academic and practitioner interest in sustainability across the supply chain, including at transport nodes. This chapter develops a definition of supply chain sustainability, adopting a broad supply chain concept and a perspective of sustainability spanning four dimensions: economic, environmental, social, and cultural. Sustainable supply chain thinking is applied to the context of transport nodes, with a special emphasis on “inland ports.” Several cases of sustainability initiatives at existing inland ports serve as examples of what is possible. Promotion of inland ports is a cross-cutting theme, since supply chain sustainability initiatives tend to involve customers—and alter the traditional cost/service trade-off in logistics.

Climate Change and Its Impacts: Opening Up the Arctic Seas for Maritime Transport

The chapter examines the opening up of the Arctic seas for maritime transport. We recognize that the natural environment is undergoing a dramatic transformation in the Arctic due to climate change. Such a change may create many new opportunities for maritime transport. Indeed, any economic development in a changing Arctic is likely to be accompanied by increased commercial shipping, tourism, and the extraction and transportation of natural resources. However, all these activities carry the risk of environmental pollution, such as oil spills in ecologically sensitive areas, and these prevent the Arctic from achieving its full potential. Moreover, the complex nature of developing maritime transport in the Arctic accentuates the problem of (excessively) heavy emphasis on economic assessments, while the social and environmental implications are often overlooked. Thus the chapter assesses the potential value of Arctic maritime transport by reviewing the major economic literature on the opening up of the Arctic seas for maritime transport. It also identifies some major research gaps that should need to be addressed.The chapter examines the opening up of the Arctic seas for maritime transport. We recognize that the natural environment is undergoing a dramatic transformation in the Arctic due to climate change. Such a change may create many new opportunities for maritime transport. Indeed, any economic development in a changing Arctic is likely to be accompanied by increased commercial shipping, tourism, and the extraction and transportation of natural resources. However, all these activities carry the risk of environmental pollution, such as oil spills in ecologically sensitive areas, and these prevent the Arctic from achieving its full potential. Moreover, the complex nature of developing maritime transport in the Arctic accentuates the problem of (excessively) heavy emphasis on economic assessments, while the social and environmental implications are often overlooked. Thus the chapter assesses the potential value of Arctic maritime transport by reviewing the major economic literature on the opening up of the Arctic seas for maritime transport. It also identifies some major research gaps that should need to be addressed.

Innovation in Transport Nodes and Nodal Systems

Innovations that lead to new transportation systems are very infrequent. When they have happened, the results have been disruptive because changing transportation costs affects the economic advantage of location. Construction of a new generation of cargo airships is proposed as a means of overcoming the economic disadvantage of the Canadian Shield and Arctic region. This geographic area, which has no road or rail links, accounts for 70% of Canada’s land mass. Many design concepts are being put forward, and it seems only a matter of time before this technology emerges. This chapter considers the infrastructure requirements of gateways and hubs to support cargo airships. The hubs are likely to be located at developed infrastructure interfaces with other modes of transport in Southern Canada. For Northern Canada, virtually every lake could be an initial gateway, with permanent infrastructure developing at locations with sufficient traffic.

Congestion in Transport Nodes and Nodal Systems

In this chapter, we present two recent developments regarding congestion in transport nodes and nodal systems. The first development focuses on the congestion that is related to airlines’ baggage policies, and its implications on the relationship between airport congestion internalization and airlines’ market power. We find that irrespective of the market structure of airlines, airlines will always offer fewer checked bags than the socially optimal level. However, the oligopoly equilibrium checked bag volume might be higher or lower than the monopoly volume. The second development focuses on two transport nodes that are linked together by the congestion “knock-on” effect. We find that with the presence of the knock-on effect, liners will operate less in terminals, and an increase in a liners operation in one terminal will decrease its operation in another. Furthermore, whether the profit-maximizing terminal charges are set at higher or lower levels than the overall optimal terminal charges depends on the magnitude of the knock-on effect.

Measuring Transport Nodes and Nodal Systems

In this chapter, to illustrate the usefulness of graph theoretical tools in measuring the relative importance of transport nodes within nodal systems, we apply this methodology to a case study of the Chinese High-Speed Rail (HSR) system. In particular, we use different concepts of centrality, including degree, strength, closeness, and betweenness, to measure and rank the connectivity of different cities with HSR stations over the years, with specific consideration given to the different weights of ties. With a close look at the Chinese HSR network development pattern, we argue that it is carefully planned: (1) a complicated network consisting of subnetworks was first developed and then each was connected with one other once they became close enough and (2) a simultaneous instead of sequential schedule for multiple HSR segments is now in place at any particular time. Moreover, we also identify the geographical differences in the development of the Chinese HSR system. We find that the Chinese HSR network expands all of the lower-elevation, more populous, and more prosperous regions of China but leaves out the other regions. In addition, the Chinese HSR system started to develop from the northern part but as from 2013, Central China and East China have taken over top places in the ranks. South China is also showing increasing prominence on the closeness rank.