Luigi dell’Olio

Modeling the Effects of Pro Bicycle Infrastructure and Policies Toward Sustainable Urban Mobility

AbstractThis paper aims to determine the potential of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transport in a medium-sized Spanish city (Santander, in northern Spain) with strong inclines and relatively inclement weather. For this purpose, a general methodology has been designed that could serve as an example for other areas. First, potential bicycle users in the city are characterized and identified through a household survey, which included a complete travel diary. Then they were asked to participate in a stated preference survey designed to find out the relative importance of certain key variables, previously identified, associated with making bicycle journeys. These data were used to estimate mixed logit models allowing to correctly treat the pseudopanel nature of the data. The results indicate that the most important variables among potential users are the cost and the climate, followed by the availability of infrastructure such as cycle paths and an extensive network of both public and private bicycle d...

LUTI Model for the Metropolitan Area of Santander

This article presents a land use and transport interaction model (LUTI model) to simulate the overall equilibrium of an urban system. The proposed system of integrated models combines random utility theory with hedonic regression techniques and a transport model with equilibrium between supply and demand to estimate the location of population, economic activities, and average real estate prices in different zones within an urban system. The LUTI model was applied to the metropolitan area of Santander (Spain) to check its base year goodness of fit and therefore its ability to predict the impacts of introducing different transport policies. In the case of Santander, the property price and population/economic activity location submodels showed sensitivity to the different accessibility and transport characteristics of each zone, and the model as a whole provided a good degree of fit.

Modeling the Service Quality of Public Bicycle Schemes Considering User Heterogeneity

This article proposes a methodology for studying the quality of service perceived by users of a public bicycle scheme. The public is involved from the first phases of the research through their presence in focus groups to identify the relevant variables asked about in the survey. Ordered probit models have been calibrated that consider systematic variations in preference and random parameters. The results highlight the importance of safety and available information above other service variables, as well as the adjustment in perception of overall quality after considering each of the characteristics of the service, as it is proposed in this methodology.

Data Mining Approaches

This chapter explores some of the data mining (DM) techniques being used in the evaluation and modeling of public transport quality. The three most commonly used techniques are artificial neural networks, Bayesian networks, and decision trees. The main reason behind the growth in their use is that these techniques have some advantages over traditional statistical methods; nevertheless they also have presented some limitations such as their complexity and the need for huge databases, among others. The presentation of the three techniques begins with a brief description of each of their main applications in the field of public transport quality analysis along with their theoretical background. Each of the three techniques will then be applied to analyze the data from the same customer satisfaction survey, thereby enabling direct comparisons to be made between the results. The chapter concludes with a comparative analysis of the main advantages and disadvantages of each of the evaluated DM techniques.

Bus Size and Headways Optimization Model Considering Elastic Demand

This article proposes an optimization model for designing the intervals (headways) and sizes of buses circulating on public transport networks by minimizing the system’s operating and user costs. The proposed model takes into account congestion on the public transport system and works by considering elastic demand, allowing the analysis of the repercussions of modifications made to the operational characteristics of the public transport system on changes in users’ mode of transport. An in-depth sensitivity analysis checks the influence the value of time has on the final model results, and these results are compared with those from a model using inelastic demand. The validity of the proposed model is shown by applying it to the city of Santander, Spain. Finally, the consideration of elastic demand is shown to be beneficial in response to proposed operational changes rather than the assumption of a fixed and known public transport trip matrix.

Geo-Social Differences in the Perception of Quality

This chapter will introduce the main geosocial differences found from the perspective of the user in the analysis of public transport service quality in a variety of territorial contexts according to the 2014 World Bank classification of the Gross National Income per capita of each nation. The differences relate to the date these studies started, the actors involved in such analyses (researchers, operators, and/or transport administrators), and the methodological approach used to obtain and process the information about user perception of service quality. Different survey and data collection techniques are explained along with the methodology used to extract the information from the survey. In some cases, these methodologies can be quite sophisticated using complex mathematical models and data mining algorithms, which are often combined in the same analysis to extract more precise information from the data. Finally, the variables the users considered to be the most important are identified for the different public transport industries, operating fields, and territorial contexts.

Chapter 6 – Most Basic Methods

This chapter will introduce a series of methodologies which can be applied to determine the most influential factors in the study of quality in public transport. These methodologies provide important information highlighting the points that need addressing to make improvements in quality. The methods used to determine the importance of the main factors affecting quality in public transport are described and supported by the development of two methods: factorial analysis and importance-performance analysis. This is followed by the presentation of a series of indexes and procedures which have been used to study public transport service quality: SERVQUAL, SERVPERF, and Quattro. These indexes also reveal the attributes considered to be most representative of service quality, forming the starting point for the studies that are developed later.

Public Participation Techniques and Choice of Variables

This chapter will describe the introduction of public participation into qualitative research. The most recently used on-line techniques will be presented after introducing the more established methods of involving the public and explaining how important their opinion is in the planning and management of transport systems. Specialized participation methods such as the Delphi, Charette, Livingstone, and mixed methods will be analyzed, among others, while looking at the various techniques and tools being used, such as focus groups, mega focus groups and in-depth interviews.

Designing a Survey for Public Transport Users

This chapter describes the process of designing a survey for people using public transport. User satisfaction surveys are differentiated from stated preference surveys, and a variety of methods are described for calculating a representative sample about the characteristics of public transport users and their service assessments. Brief descriptions are provided for intercept interviews, telephone interviews, postal interviews, and online internet interviews. Each of these methods will have its advantages and disadvantages described in relation to the main goal of guaranteeing the representativeness of the sample. Finally, the limitations of cross-sectional surveys will be addressed in terms of their ability to obtain information about user choice.

How to Study Perceived Quality in Public Transport

This chapter aims to provide an overall view of the birth and development of research into the quality users of public transport perceive they receive from the service. The procedures and manuals developed in the European Union and the United States will be described to support public transport managers and operating companies in accurately assessing their services. The main characteristics and methodological aspects inherent in this concept will also be described along with the principal methods used for evaluating quality being classified in a way that differentiates between aggregate methods and disaggregate methods and, in turn, between those methods based only on user perceptions and those based on their expectations and perceptions together. Brief descriptions will be provided about various methods such as the SERVQUAL model, the SERVPERF model, the IPA model, and the Zones of Tolerance, as well as some of their varieties. Finally, the different methodologies used to obtain the importance users place on each attribute describing their public transport service will be addressed, differentiating between the stated importance method and the derived importance method, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages in each case.