Applied Sciences

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15 pages, 2094 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Micromobility Tendencies of People and Their Transport Behavior

by Alica Kalašová and Kristián Čulík

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(19), 10559; https://doi.org/10.3390/app131910559 - 22 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1331

Addressing transport in cities requires a change in people’s behavior and a better distribution of different transport modes’ performances—a change in the modal split. This article focuses on detailed research on the transport behaviors of residents and their attitudes towards possible changes. We [...] Read more.

Addressing transport in cities requires a change in people’s behavior and a better distribution of different transport modes’ performances—a change in the modal split. This article focuses on detailed research on the transport behaviors of residents and their attitudes towards possible changes. We developed a questionnaire and distributed it online and physically. The data came from an anonymous survey, and basic statistical methods and a correlation analysis were applied to them. One of the research tasks was to find the correlations between individual characteristics. The analysis showed that the respondents’ education influenced their opinions about transport behavior. The results showed that the most common means of shared mobility was bicycles. The paper contains detailed results regarding the use of private cars and transport behavior in general. In addition, the study presents other significant findings regarding the average number of vehicles in households, the types of vehicles, and their usage patterns. The results of our study are useful for practical applications, because they describe traffic behavior patterns and can improve future decision making and transport planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Mobility and Sustainable Cities)

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24 pages, 8735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Approach Based on Simulation and Optimisation for the Intermodal Dispatching of Public Transport and Ride-Pooling Services

by Ester Lorente, Esteve Codina, Jaume Barceló and Klaus Nökel

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(6), 3803; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13063803 - 16 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1500

Abstract

This paper provides a simulation and optimisation-based system to combine public transport (PT) with ride-pooling services (RP). According to the International Transport Forum (ITF), the RP could be established as a feeder of PT and included as the first or last leg of [...] Read more.

This paper provides a simulation and optimisation-based system to combine public transport (PT) with ride-pooling services (RP). According to the International Transport Forum (ITF), the RP could be established as a feeder of PT and included as the first or last leg of the journey with the option of transferring to/from PT in between. The system contains a dispatching core that uses an optimisation model with heuristic parameters to quickly analyse the potential permutations for each request. This topic is frequently based on simplistic modelling in the literature, and it has not been extensively tested in major urban regions. The whole metropolitan region of Barcelona is employed in this study, with a large realistic simulation model encompassing a 20 × 15 km area with a PT network of about 3000 stations and 300 route lines and nearly 114,000 traffic links. This enables for a more accurate evaluation of system performance and trip quality computation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Mobility and Sustainable Cities)

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15 pages, 6857 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyzing the Occupied Space of Passengers with Reduced Mobility in Metro Station Platforms: An Experimental Approach Using a Tracking System

by Sebastian Seriani, Pablo Guzman and Taku Fujiyama

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(3), 1895; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13031895 - 1 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1323

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the occupied space of passengers with reduced mobility when boarding or alighting a train through an experimental approach based on a virtual tracking tool system to obtain their exact position. The designed experiments considered a [...] Read more.

The objective of this study is to analyze the occupied space of passengers with reduced mobility when boarding or alighting a train through an experimental approach based on a virtual tracking tool system to obtain their exact position. The designed experiments considered a train and its adjacent platform, in which 21 volunteers were recruited, 3 with reduced mobility. The results indicated that passengers with reduced mobility required up to 80% more space, compared to a passenger without reduced mobility, when waiting to board the train. The passenger who occupied the largest space was the one with a pram, reaching 1.70 m²/passenger, represented as a polygon. In addition, when passengers started to walk, the space used increased due to limb movement. In the alighting process, passengers with reduced mobility used almost twice the space required for the boarding process due to the relatively larger platform space occupied as each passenger alights and walks away, whereas when boarding, each passenger has less space to share with the other people waiting for the train to arrive or for the doors to open. These results could help practitioners improve the design of the platform or implement control measures, such as adding waiting areas for those passengers with reduced mobility. Further research is needed regarding other types of stations and density situations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Mobility and Sustainable Cities)

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21 pages, 3157 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of Postal Service Delivery Time and Energy Cost with E-Scooter by Machine Learning Algorithms

by Hakan İnaç, Yunus Emre Ayözen, Abdulkadir Atalan and Cem Çağrı Dönmez

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(23), 12266; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122312266 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1981

Abstract

This research aims to estimate the delivery time and energy cost of e-scooter vehicles for distributing mail or packages and to show the usage efficiency of e-scooter sharing services in postal service delivery in Turkey. The machine learning (ML) methods used to implement [...] Read more.

This research aims to estimate the delivery time and energy cost of e-scooter vehicles for distributing mail or packages and to show the usage efficiency of e-scooter sharing services in postal service delivery in Turkey. The machine learning (ML) methods used to implement the prediction of delivery time and energy cost as output variables include random forest (RF), gradient boosting (GB), k-nearest neighbour (kNN), and neural network (NN) algorithms. Fifteen input variables under demographic, environmental, geographical, time, and meta-features are utilised in the ML algorithms. The correlation coefficient (R²) values of RF, GB, NN, and kNN algorithms were computed for delivery time as 0.816, 0.845, 0.821, and 0.786, respectively. The GB algorithm, which has a high R² and the slightest margin of error, exhibited the best prediction performance for delivery time and energy cost. Regarding delivery time, the GB algorithm’s MSE, RMSE, and MAE values were calculated as 149.32, 12.22, and 6.08, respectively. The R² values of RF, GB, NN, and kNN algorithms were computed for energy cost as 0.917, 0.953, 0.400, and 0.365, respectively. The MSE, RMSE, and MAE values of the GB algorithm were calculated as 0.001, 0.019, and 0.009, respectively. The average energy cost to complete a package or mail delivery process with e-scooter vehicles is calculated as 0.125 TL, and the required time is approximately computed as 11.21 min. The scientific innovation of the study shows that e-scooter delivery vehicles are better for the environment, cost, and energy than traditional delivery vehicles. At the same time, using e-scooters as the preferred way to deliver packages or mail has shown how well the delivery service works. Because of this, the results of this study will help in the development of ways to make the use of e-scooters in delivery service even more efficient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Mobility and Sustainable Cities)

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17 pages, 7751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Using the Tecnomatix Plant Simulation for Simulation and Visualization of Traffic Processes at the Traffic Node

by Gabriel Fedorko, Vieroslav Molnár, Jan Strohmandl, Petra Horváthová, David Strnad and Vlastimil Cech

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(23), 12131; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122312131 - 27 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2479

Abstract

Simulation software Tecnomatix Plant Simulation was originally created for a modelling and subsequent simulation of production and logistics processes. Its variability, however, opens its use also in other areas such as transport in urban agglomerations. Based on that, research was implemented to verify [...] Read more.

Simulation software Tecnomatix Plant Simulation was originally created for a modelling and subsequent simulation of production and logistics processes. Its variability, however, opens its use also in other areas such as transport in urban agglomerations. Based on that, research was implemented to verify the program’s application in urban transport, specifically to visualize and simulate traffic processes at the traffic node. The paper describes a methodology which made it possible to create a simulation program for traffic light intersections, and presents examples of the simulation model application. The proposed methodology will enable the application of Tecnomatix Plant Simulation to create a complex simulation model of the logistics process. It will mainly enable to simulate the field of production logistics and city logistics within one simulation model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Mobility and Sustainable Cities)

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23 pages, 10486 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Advanced Travel Demand Synthesis Process for Creating a MATSim Activity Model: The Case of Ústí nad Labem

by André Maia Pereira, Ali Enes Dingil, Ondřej Přibyl, Vojtěch Myška, Jakub Vorel and Milan Kříž

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(19), 10032; https://doi.org/10.3390/app121910032 - 6 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1694

Abstract

In this study, an activity-based travel demand model of the Ústí nad Labem district (Czech Republic) is created. To do this, an advanced travel demand synthesis process is presented by utilizing the Eqasim framework, which is a pipeline-processing, initial raw data to simulation [...] Read more.

In this study, an activity-based travel demand model of the Ústí nad Labem district (Czech Republic) is created. To do this, an advanced travel demand synthesis process is presented by utilizing the Eqasim framework, which is a pipeline-processing, initial raw data to simulation step. The framework is extensively modified and extended with several algorithms in order to utilize multiple data points for increasing realism in mobility for travel demand models. Two major extensions are provided. First, the pipeline framework is improved to estimate inbound and outbound trips of the study area, comprising a main city and 23 surrounding municipalities. The extended framework assigns synthetic gates for the study area as hubs for the inclusion of inbound and outbound trips. Second, the pipeline framework is advanced to provide a more compatible match of travel destination and activity location state. To do this, the extended framework assigns a capacity for each facility identified for the study area, the expected number of visitors to each facility, and the number of residents in each building. The resulting demand model is presented and the generated trips are evaluated based on locational, transport mode, and sociodemographic characteristics with origin–destination (OD) bundling. Additionally, distribution analyses of the present model are conducted to understand the matching results on a detailed level. The results demonstrate that the present model provides a reasonable output for transport researchers when testing different mobility scenarios and the provided extensions helps them to reduce implausible reflections of the distribution of travel and activity characteristics in household travel surveys while creating demand models, thus increasing realism. Lastly, open-source playground and code repository for further future improvement of synthetic travel synthesis methods are created, which enhances a deep understanding of the preparatory and methodological backgrounds required for complex activity-based simulations in order to inspire transport planners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Mobility and Sustainable Cities)

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17 pages, 314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Model of the Virtual Air Carrier as a Concept for the Revival of Air Transport in the Slovak Republic

by Tatiana Remencová and Alena Novák Sedláčková

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(19), 9755; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199755 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1897

Abstract

The air transport market has been exposed to the biggest crisis in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. Many airlines have tried to stay in the market, but the impact of various factors was so strong that some airlines [...] Read more.

The air transport market has been exposed to the biggest crisis in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. Many airlines have tried to stay in the market, but the impact of various factors was so strong that some airlines were forced to stop of the operation. In this way, the pandemic verified the fundamental pillars of airline business models and at the same time pointed out weaknesses in the entire air transport system. Flexibility has become one of the most important features for sustaining any business. The article is focused on the complex processing of the issue of the virtual airline and proposes the concept of a virtual air carrier, considering the current starting points of the market, on which it will have sufficient potential to establish itself, at the level of EU. At the same time, it proposes possibilities for the development of air transport in the Slovak Republic through the introduction of a virtual air carrier as a tool for revitalizing the air transport market in the Slovak Republic. Based on the results of the research, the article defines how and under what conditions a potential virtual carrier could operate, from ticket sales to possible cooperation with other airlines. The aim of the article is to demonstrate that the model of virtual air carrier is a solution for maintaining a stable level of air traffic in several countries in the EU that have lost their air carriers during the pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Mobility and Sustainable Cities)

14 pages, 2019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Impact of COVID-19 on Micromobility Using Statistical Methods

by Vladimíra Štefancová, Alica Kalašová, Kristián Čulík, Jaroslav Mazanec, Martin Vojtek and Jaroslav Mašek

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(16), 8128; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12168128 - 13 Aug 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2341

Abstract

The situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous social and economic impacts and has significantly affected the modal split. Many cities worldwide have adopted various blocking policies that affect how people travel. Micromobility systems, such as scooters and bicycle sharing, were among [...] Read more.

The situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous social and economic impacts and has significantly affected the modal split. Many cities worldwide have adopted various blocking policies that affect how people travel. Micromobility systems, such as scooters and bicycle sharing, were among the transport systems affected by COVID-19. Electric scooters and shared bicycles provide comfortable and fast first-/last-mile connections for short-distance rides. The shared nature of these modes, together with the spread COVID-19, has contributed to the declining use of these services. The quantification of the impact of COVID-19 on shared services was demonstrated by this research through various mathematical methods. Satisfaction with the use of alternative modes of transport during the pandemic was determined based on the evaluation of a questionnaire survey. Independence tests of qualitative features and statistically significant associations that were demonstrated with a correspondence analysis were used for comparison. The main conclusion of the research was to point out the reasons for the preference for alternative modes of transport and to highlight the impacts on health and fears of contracting COVID-19 when using micromobility services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Micro-Mobility and Sustainable Cities)

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