S. Basbas

Applications of GPS technology in the land transportation system

Abstract The global positioning system (GPS) allows the accurate positioning of an object using satellite signals. There are a lot of applications of this technology in many scientific fields all over the world. In recent years, the rapid increase in the development of the geographic information system technology (GIS) has led to the development of GPS/GIS applications. Therefore, the geometric and geographic information obtained by the use of GPS can be introduced to GIS database and thus thematic maps can be produced. In the framework of this paper, a short overview of applications in the area of transportation in Greece and abroad is presented. Emphasis is placed on an ongoing application in railway mapping, through the presentation of its pilot phase in Greece. The use of modern technologies, the problems identified and the results produced are presented and discussed.

URBAN ROAD PRICING AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS: THE THESSALONIKI CENTRAL AREA CASE

Urban road pricing involves direct charging of drivers for the use of the road network, usually during peak periods. The main objectives for the introduction of a road pricing scheme, in a congested city network, include reduction of delays, environmental improvement and revenue increase. These objectives are closely associated with the concepts of sustainable mobility in urban areas with respect to social equity, economic effi ciency and environmental responsibility. This paper attempts to estimate the potential interrelation between urban road pricing and sustainable mobility management policy by modelling the impacts (traffi c network operation, environmental indices and revenue) of a hypothetic implementation of cordon tolls in the city centre of Thessaloniki (situated in northern Greece), which faces severe traffi c and environmental problems. The evaluation was carried out using the SATURN traffi c simulation model, which was developed at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, UK. SATURN is a well-known transport analysis model which is widely used. In order to assess the impacts of traffi c scenarios, the software runs a simulation-assignment procedure simultaneously using commonly accepted algorithms that originate from transport theory such as all-or-nothing assignment, Wardorp’s principles. The road network used in SATURN for the purposes of this research consists of 813 nodes and 293 zones. Furthermore, an analysis was carried out regarding the contribution of the extracted model indicators to the establishment of an overall strategy concerning sustainable transportation and mobility in Thessaloniki’s central area. Various scenarios were examined depending on the year of the analysis and the alternative transport mode in use. These scenarios were compared with different road charging scenarios. Parameters such as traffi c volumes, speed, vehicle emissions were estimated. A comparative analysis of these values in conjunction with the defi nition of sustainable mobility and development in general was performed, concluding that innovative measures can reassign the trip patterns in urban areas, thereby improving the transport system operation in terms of sustainability. Undoubtedly, the use of powerful assessment tools such as SATURN for the evaluation of the impacts of various Transportation Demand Management measures like road charging will provide valuable assistance to policy makers and the transportation planners involved in the specifi c process.

The Impact Of E-commerce On Transport

Within the framework of this paper the impact of e-commerce on transport is examined and discussed. This relatively new way of commercial activity affects modern way of life and also the environment and energy consumption. The paper attempts to identify the advantages and disadvantages of e-commerce in regards to freight transport and person trips. The use of Internet is also examined as a precondition for the success of e-commerce. Results have shown that there is need for further research in order to obtain more robust results about the implications of e-commerce on transport.

Advances in City Transport: Case Studies

Chapter 1: Adelaide: innovations in transport systems, infrastructure and services Introduction Overview of Adelaide and its transport systems The O-Bahn guided busway The Southern Expressway - a fully reversible road Bus priority and public transport information Conclusion Chapter 2: Vehicular pollution in Bangalore: an overview General history The British Cantonment After Indias independence Population Parks and gardens Meteorological conditions Growth of motor vehicles in Bangalore Status of air pollution in Bangalore Pollution due to automobiles in Bangalore city Air pollutant concentration at selected junctions Ambient air quality Some efforts taken by the authority to reduce vehicular pollution levels Measures for reducing vehicular pollutants Chapter 3: Impact assessment of Bilbaos metro Introduction Database Methodology Results Conclusions Chapter 4: Innovating urban public transport: some recent developments in the Netherlands Introduction A view on the transport system Seamless multi-modal mobility Using ICT for improving urban transport Urban spatial development A Dutch case: Phileas in Eindhoven Conclusions and discussion Chapter 5: Transport and air quality in Santiago, Chile Urban characteristics of Santiago Trip characteristics Transport and air quality evolution in Santiago (1991-2001) The 2001-2010 urban transport plan for Santiago Conclusions Chapter 6: Transport air pollution in Sao Paulo, Brazil: advances in control programs in the last 15 years Introduction City traffic and transport programs Air pollution control programs Air emissions Air quality Air quality trend in the central area The future Chapter 7: Issues in transportation planning - the Singapore experience Introduction Land use and transport planning Travel demand management Public transport operations Traffic engineering and control Conclusion Chapter 8: Development of an integrated transportation system in Thessaloniki: current situation and future prospects Introduction Trip and vehicle characteristics in T.M.A. Presentation of the existing transportation system Planned major transport infrastructure projects Evaluation of transport infrastructure scenarios through the use of modelling Transport telematics applications Traffic and air pollution Conclusions

Evaluation Of A Sustainable Urban Transport System Through The Use Of The Transecon Methodology

The concept of ‘sustainable development’ is an achievement of policy as it introduces a new philosophy on matters regarding environmental protection and natural resource management. This paper begins by investigating the origin of the term ‘sustainability’ and the deeper social and economic causes of its emergence, through its historical evolution. The necessity for achieving sustainable development in the transport sector is pointed out and the policies which will lead to this objective are set forth. To the degree, however, that this concept alters our perceptions and introduces a new reasoning, this can result in a qualitative alteration of our analytic and synthetic planning tools. For instance, revision of the assessment criteria and the addition of new social and environmental parameters led to the creation of new methods and techniques of evaluation, capable of incorporating the new data. However, the process through which the assessment and the calculation of parameters is realised is evaluation; therefore, this change in the way of assessment essentially lies in the differentiation in the approaches and the evaluation criteria. The traditional evaluation with purely economic (quantitative) criteria has been replaced (or at least supplemented) by more integrated evaluation techniques (multicriteria and socio-economic analyses) that take into account both quantitative and qualitative criteria. The multicriteria evaluation methodology, which resulted from the TRANSECON (Urban Transport and Socio-Economic Development) Project, is used in this paper, in order to evaluate an investment of the Public Transport Operator of Thessaloniki concerning its network expansion. The paper aims at the examination of two things; fi rstly the possibility of adapting and applying the TRANSECON methodology to this specifi c investment pointing out the essential assumptions and secondly to examine how a non-viable investment in economic terms can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.

Public Acceptance In Financing Urban Transportation Projects Using The Value Capture Concept

The need for transportation infrastructure and services continuously increases in urban areas worldwide but at the same time the availability of public resources is shrinking. This paper refers to the potential use of alternative financing strategies for transportation infrastructure, which are based on the Value Capture Finance (VCF) concept. A factor which has a significant role in the potential success or failure of VCF implementation is public acceptance. The objective of the present paper is thus to examine the potential introduction of a VCF for the financing of Thessaloniki’s metro system in Greece. More specifically, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted, focusing on the public acceptance factor. The case study is the area around a central metro station, located in the heart of the urban complex. The research presented is based on a questionnaire-based survey which took place in spring 2014 and was addressed to visitors of the area around the planned metro station. The majority of the survey’s participants consider that the urban environment is very likely to be upgraded due to the enhancement of accessibility as an effect of the new metro station. Nevertheless, the public’s enthusiasm is reduced significantly when the discussion reaches their willingness to pay in order to cover a part of the project’s construction cost.

MOTORIZED ROAD TRANSPORT: ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS– A POLICY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

Transport plays an essential role in economic and social development and in the creation of wealth for the societies. at the same time, transport contributes considerably to many environmental problems, e.g. air pollution and noise. according to european commission’s statistics, in the year 2000, the transport sector contributed 29% of all cO 2 emissions in the eU, of which road transport was responsible for 83%. another serious problem, with environmental and economic impacts, is congestion. Building new transport infrastructure is unlikely to give a reliable solution to any problem and thus the need for new approaches in transport policy has been recognized. In this paper, a policy assessment framework is presented, in order to assist the responsible bodies and policy makers to draw up a strategy for sustainable transport and mobility and to propose some simple measures for tackling the adverse effects of road transport.

Evaluation of Bus Transfer Stations from the Passenger’s Point of View

This paper describes how bus transfer stations play a key role in the overall performance of the public transport system. Within the framework of this paper the profile of passengers who use bus transfer stations together with their evaluation of the services and infrastructure provided at these stations is presented and discussed. In addition, results concerning the overall evaluation of the Public Transport system are also presented. These results are obtained through the use of questionnaire-based surveys that were taken in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. Results have shown that passengers’ priorities vary according to whether they are car owners or not. Results also show that the provision of information is much more important to passengers at bus transfer stations than to the rest of the bus passengers.

Relative Contribution of Various Diesel Vehicle Classes to the Thessaloniki Urban Air Pollution

Within the framework of this paper an attempt is made in order to assess the relative contribution of the main diesel vehicle classes; namely, buses, taxis and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to the air pollution of the Thessaloniki (Greece) urban area based on an emission factors approach. Data sets refer to the situation before and after the construction of the city ring road. Findings show the significant contribution of the ring road to the urban air pollution decrease. This reduction could be mainly attributed to the observed significant traffic decrease of HGVs in the city center between 1988 and 1998. Small changes have been observed during the same period for the bus and taxi traffic in the city center. Also, the improvement of the diesel fuel quality and the temporal renewal of the diesel vehicles are considered as important factors for the observed temporal decreasing trend of the air pollutants with diesel oil origin.

The use of environment friendly public transport system in historical urban areas

Traffic management measures in urban areas with high density of historical and cultural land uses were recently designed and implemented at major Greek cities. Among these measures, special attention was given to measures which led to improvement of the level of accessibility of the land use system by using the public transportation system. This paper examines the introduction of environment friendly public transportation system, and more specifically of minibuses. The specific measure was designed for two of the most historical urban areas in Greece: the area of the old city of Thessaloniki and the old city of Rhodes. Minibuses were proposed to replace the conventional fleet in order to use the full street network in these areas in a satisfactory way, and successfully meet the spatial demand for public transportation. The proposed measure is expected to result in a considerable improvement of the traffic conditions in the examined areas and a remarkable reduction of air pollutant emissions attributed to buses.