Ruben Cordera

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.

Demand for environmentally friendly vehicles: A review and new evidence

ABSTRACT Although the need for more environmentally friendly vehicles was recognized some decades ago, this new market has not yet established itself. Consumer behavior needs to be studied to ascertain when people will decide to purchase hybrid or electric vehicles rather than conventional ones. An in-depth review of the state-of-the-art has identified existing deficiencies and these are addressed in this paper, proposing a new approach that is applied to the case of Santander in Spain. Emphasis is placed on the role of citizens in researching the local market and their requirements with respect to such vehicles; our model assumes variability in user preferences, an utmost requirement as concluded from the literature review. Results suggest that the highest demand for cleaner vehicles would be achieved in two ways: firstly, by penalizing conventional vehicles in terms of costs/km; secondly, by providing incentives directed at lowering the purchasing price of hybrid and electric vehicles. Finally, as demand becomes more elastic, the preferred strategy should initially focus on hybrid vehicles.

Optimal Stopping Location of a High Speed Train using GIS and Multicriteria Decision‐making

This article develops a methodology using a Geographical Information System (GIS) to evaluate the best location to stop a high speed passenger train when faced with an undesired event. The proposed method is based on multicriteria decision-making where different stretches of line which could be chosen as the stopping point are ranked depending on the characteristics of the line, the surrounding area and its accessibility for equipment. The method was integrated into the GIS to develop an expert support system for decision makers faced with different kinds of undesired events. It has been applied to a case study on the high speed line between Valladolid and Madrid (Spain). The proposed method is new and has not previously been applied to high speed railway networks and could be adapted to other case studies. The speed of the algorithm provides an almost instantaneous reply within seconds of an emergency situation occurring. The method can therefore be part of an overall support system for decision making in undesired rail events.