Abstracts from the

Journal of Public Transportation

Volume 13, No. 4, 2010 

Rakesh Belwal and Shweta Belwal, Sohar University, Oman

Abstract

Public transportation services are vital for civic life. Recently, many countries in the Middle East have turned their attention towards developing and improving their public transport systems, as problems such as traffic congestions in cities, low mobility, high individual costs of transport, and a rural-urban divide in services have arisen. This study is a public needs assessment and opinion survey of an area in one such Middle Eastern country, the Al-Batinah region of Oman. The study finds public transport services in Oman are minimal and do not match demand, and there is an excessive reliance on private cars. Marketing of public transport services is constrained by certain environmental issues, particularly the socio-cultural and physical environments. The study is innovative from both an approach and implementation perspective and will help policy makers in Oman think about long-term strategies towards establishing viable public transport solutions. Full text (pdf)

Mohamed A. Foda, Arab Academy for Science & Technology and Ahmed O. Osman, University of Toronto

Abstract

Bus stops attain their importance to the transit service from being the main points of contact between the passenger and the bus. Considering spatial attributes, both the location and the spacing of bus stops significantly affect transit service performance and passenger satisfaction, as they influence travel time in addition to their role in ensuring reasonable accessibility. Knowing that every transit trip begins and ends with pedestrian travel, access to a bus stop is considered a critical factor for assessing the accessibility of the stop location. In this research, transit stop access coverage is estimated based on the actual pedestrian road network surrounding the stop. Accordingly, new indices are developed to assess a bus stop location on a more spatial basis. These indices measure the accessibility of a bus stop through the surrounding road network in addition to the ratio of actual access coverage to the ideal access coverage of a stop. Full text (pdf)

Karen L. Frost, Gina Bertocci, and Sheryll Sison, University of Louisville

 Abstract

The objectives of this study were to characterize the ingress and egress activities of wheeled mobility device (WhMD) passengers using fixed-route large, accessible transit vehicles (LATVs), and to examine factors associated with incidents occurring on ramps. A retrospective review of public transit video surveillance footage of WhMD-seated passengers accessing fixed-route LATVs was conducted. Ingress and egress activities were characterized based on travel conditions and characteristics of the WhMD and LATV ramp. Incidents were identified based on predetermined criteria, and chi-square analysis was performed to identify WhMD and/or ingress/egress characteristics associated with incidents. Video records of 250 WhMD trips were analyzed. A total of 39 incidents occurred during ingress and 12 incidents occurred during egress. Results indicated that the frequency of incidents was significantly greater for scooter users and passengers who ascended the ramp using a rear-facing WhMD orientation. Narrow LATV ramp width was associated with the greatest number of incidents, followed by problems related to LATV door width and steep ramp slope. Full text (pdf)

P. S. Kharola, Geetam Tiwari, and Dinesh Mohan Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Abstract

Vehicle crashes are a major concern in rapidly growing urban agglomerations. They also have attracted the attention of researchers, academicians, and policy makers. A large body of research literature exists that throws light on the magnitude of this problem and also indicates the interventions required. In a vast majority of Indian cities, buses are the main mode of public transport. An externality of the bus-based public transport system, like any other mode of transport, is the injuries and fatalities arising out of the crashes involving them. Buses are involved in 12-20 percent of fatal crashes in Indian cities. This paper presents an analysis of the fatal crashes that involved public transport buses in Bengaluru, India. The study suggests that low floor buses with mechanical doors and segregated pedestrian and bicycle lanes can have a major impact on reducing fatal crashes of bicycles and pedestrians involving buses. Full text (pdf)

Panayotis G. Michaelides, Athena Belegri-Roboli, and Theocharis Marinos National Technical University of Athens

Abstract

Efficiency measurement traditionally has been an important approach of evaluating public firm performance. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the technical efficiency of Trolley Buses of the Athens and Piraeus Area (TBAPA) in Greece for the year 2003. The estimation of technical efficiency is based on the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and employs the Cobb-Douglas specification of the production function. Meanwhile, an attempt is made to investigate the explanatory power of other factors on the organization’s technical efficiency, such as the impact of other competitive means of transportation and the distance of the areas that each line connects. The panel data set consists of the monthly observations of the 20 lines of TBAPA for the year 2003. Finally, our findings are compared with those from Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a popular approach in the literature, providing, in general terms, consistent results. Full text (pdf)

Kari Edison Watkins, Brian Ferris, and G. Scott Rutherford, University of Washington

Abstract

Publishing information about a transit agency’s stops, routes, schedules, and status in a variety of formats and delivery methods is an essential part of improving the usability of a transit system and the satisfaction of a system’s riders. A key staple of most transit traveler information systems is the trip planner, a tool that serves travelers well if the both origin and destination are known. However, sometimes the availability of transit at a location is more important than the actual destination. Given this premise, we developed an Attractions Search Tool to make use of an underlying trip planner to search online databases of local restaurants, shopping, parks and other amenities based on transit availability from the user’s origin. The ability to perform such a search by attraction type rather than specific destination can be a powerful aid to a traveler with a need or desire to use public transportation. Full text (pdf)

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