<p>The road network is extremely valuable. Road Administrationsare expected to invest maintenance funding in a way thatreturns maximum benefit to road users. Cost-benefit analysis isone method to ensure that an adequate return in terms ofbenefits results from committing expenditure. Today,cost-benefit calculations are frequently used as a base fordecision making of investments. The surges for such methods inthe maintenance management sector are increasing.</p><p>Up to the present, one reason for not analysing costs andbenefits for various maintenance management measures has beenthe lack of knowledge about comfort benefits for road users inquantitative monetary terms. The aim with this thesis is toinvestigate motorists’apprehension of pavementmaintenance management and winter maintenance operations. Thefinal goal is to find out their willingness to pay fordifferent levels of road maintenance management. Those valuescan later be used in cost-benefit calculations and also ineffect models of road maintenance management.</p><p>Due to the pioneer status of this study, focus groups andin-depth interviews as well as a number of pilot studies havebeen carried out before a main survey with stated choiceexperiments could be designed. These exploratory studies showedthat the interviewees were familiar with the types of roadsurface damage that exist and in many cases mastered the sameterminology as the Road Administration and others. Showingpictures of well-known types of road damage lead to highermonetary valuations of getting better road standard incomparison with just text descriptions. One reason for thatcould be the requisite severness of the damage in order toillustrate a certain road maintenance shortage. The respondentswith the text descriptions could have stated their preferencesfor an, in their own minds, average shortcoming while the groupwith access to photograph of road damage all saw the samesevere damage. Illustrations of different road maintenancestandards make it possible to control the respondentsinterpretation of the maintenance management standard valuatedbut could lead to high monetary estimations.</p><p>Driving comfort was very important to the interviewees inthe exploratory studies. That was manifested in the pilotstated choice surveys, which resulted in high willingness topay for better pavement management.</p><p>The main study consisted of two surveys; the first one wasabout pavement maintenance management and was carried out inOctober to November 2000 and the second one took place inFebruary to March 2001 and was about winter maintenanceoperations. Both the pavement and the winter survey includedattitude questions and two stated choice experiments. Theresult showed that the maintenance management status of theroad network was important to car users. For example, the worstpavement damage was roughness; the motorists were willing topay 1.7 SEK (Swedish Crowns) per kilometre to avoid roadsdamaged in their full length. The least harmful damage of thosestudied was cracks; the willingness to pay to avoid that was0.5 SEK per kilometre. For more rapid snow clearance, the carusers were willing to pay 60 to 80 SEK per year for getting theroads cleared from snow one hour earlier than the currentstandard implies. The willingness to pay for driving on bareroads in comparison with snow roads was 0.4 SEK per kilometre.Statistical tests on the models showed that the parametervalueswere well estimated.</p><p>In the pavement as well as in the winter survey, a clustergroup analysis was performed in order to test the heterogeneityof attitudes and behaviour to road maintenance management. Theanalysis resulted in two separate groups in each survey. Onegroup consisted of drivers who reported to be very influencedby the level of maintenance management regarding chosen speed,joy of driving and so on. The other group reported to be lessinfluenced and had lower acceptance of higher road tax for thepurpose to increase the maintenance management standard.Separate stated choice models revealed that the differences inattitudes could also reflect the respondents’willingnessto pay for higher road maintenance standard. However, thedifferences were only small and the different groups’monetary valuations were not found to be significantlydifferent from each other.</p><p>The result of this study, better knowledge aboutmotorists’apprehension of maintenance management, theirattitudes to driving comfort and road standard and theirmonetary valuations of different levels of pavement maintenanceand winter maintenance operations, opens up the possibility tomake cost-benefit analysis of various maintenance managementprojects. The impact of the monetary values found in this studyhas been studied in a limited cost-benefit analysis.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>stated choice, stated preference, valuationsof maintenance management, driving comfort, road standardevaluation</p>

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This research aims at developing a better understanding of commuters preferences and mode switching behaviour towards local transit for work trips. The proposed methodological approach incorporates three main stages. The first introduces a conceptual framework for modal shift maximized transit route design model that extends the use of demand models beyond forecasting transit ridership to the operational extent of transit route design. The second deals with designing and implementing a socio-psychometric COmmuting Survey for MOde Shift (COSMOS). Finally, the third stage focuses on developing econometric choice models of mode switching behaviour towards public transit. Advanced mode shift models are developed using state-of-the-art methodology of combining Revealed Preference (RP) and Stated Preference (SP) information. The results enriched our understanding of mode switching behaviour and revealed some interesting findings. Some socio-psychological variables have shown to have strong influence on mode shift and improved the models in terms of fitness and statistical significance. In an indication of the superiority of the car among other travel options, strong car use habit formation was realized for car drivers, making it hard to persuade them to switch to public transit. Further, unlike conventional choice models, the developed mode shift models showed that travel cost and in-vehicle travel time are of lower importance compared to other transit Level of Service (LOS) attributes such as waiting time, service reliability, number of transfers, transit technology, and crowding level. The results also showed that passengers are more likely to shift to rail-based modes (e.g. LRT and subway) than rubber-tyred modes (e.g. BRT). On the other hand, the availability of park-and-ride facilities as well as both schedule and real-time information provision did not appear to be significant for mode switching to public transit for work trips. This research provides evidence that mode shift is a complex process which involves socio-psychological variables beside common socio-demographic and modal attributes. The developed mode switching models present a new methodologically sound tool for evaluating the impacts of alternative transit service designs on travel behaviour. Such tool is more desirable for transit service planning than the traditional ones and can aid in precisely estimating transit ridership.

This research aims at developing a better understanding of commuters preferences and mode switching behaviour towards local transit for work trips. The proposed methodological approach incorporates three main stages. The first introduces a conceptual framework for modal shift maximized transit route design model that extends the use of demand models beyond forecasting transit ridership to the operational extent of transit route design. The second deals with designing and implementing a socio-psychometric COmmuting Survey for MOde Shift (COSMOS). Finally, the third stage focuses on developing econometric choice models of mode switching behaviour towards public transit. Advanced mode shift models are developed using state-of-the-art methodology of combining Revealed Preference (RP) and Stated Preference (SP) information. The results enriched our understanding of mode switching behaviour and revealed some interesting findings. Some socio-psychological variables have shown to have strong influence on mode shift and improved the models in terms of fitness and statistical significance. In an indication of the superiority of the car among other travel options, strong car use habit formation was realized for car drivers, making it hard to persuade them to switch to public transit. Further, unlike conventional choice models, the developed mode shift models showed that travel cost and in-vehicle travel time are of lower importance compared to other transit Level of Service (LOS) attributes such as waiting time, service reliability, number of transfers, transit technology, and crowding level. The results also showed that passengers are more likely to shift to rail-based modes (e.g. LRT and subway) than rubber-tyred modes (e.g. BRT). On the other hand, the availability of park-and-ride facilities as well as both schedule and real-time information provision did not appear to be significant for mode switching to public transit for work trips. This research provides evidence that mode shift is a complex process which involves socio-psychological variables beside common socio-demographic and modal attributes. The developed mode switching models present a new methodologically sound tool for evaluating the impacts of alternative transit service designs on travel behaviour. Such tool is more desirable for transit service planning than the traditional ones and can aid in precisely estimating transit ridership.

The research presented in this thesis focuses on determining the value of irrigation water in southern Alberta. Utilizing a stated preference method, the research represents a successful attempt at applying contingent behavior scenarios to estimate irrigation water supply and demand, and thus irrigators willingness to pay/accept (WTP/WTA) for water through a hypothetical water market during droughts. The research also aims to assess the effectiveness of water markets in conserving water and promoting water productivity and efficiency. The findings reveal that irrigators WTP during droughts is within the range of $1.22-4.90/acre-inch ($0.012-$0.048/m3), varying over various levels of water scarcity. It is found that the presence of water markets plays a crucial role in water reallocation and improves water productivity and efficiency, the extent of which depends on how active are water markets. / Agricultural and Resource Economics

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Redland Shire Council (RSC) has recently completed the preparation of Integrated Local Transport Plan (ILTP) and started its implementation and monitoring program. One of the major thrusts of the ILTP is to reduce the car dependency in the Shire and increase the shares of sustainable environmental-friendly travelling modes, such as walking, cycling and public transport. To achieve these objectives, a mathematical model is needed that is capable of modelling and forecasting the travelling mode choice behaviour in the multi modal environment of Redland Shire. Further, the model can be employed in testing the elasticity of various level-of-service attributes, under a virtual travel environment, as proposed in the ILTP, and estimating the demand for the new travelling alternatives to private car, namely the bus on busway, walking on walkway and cycling on cycleway. The research estimated various nested logit models for different trip lengths and trip purposes, using the data from a stated preference (SP) survey conducted in the Shire. A unique computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) instrument was designed, using both the motorised (bus on busway) and non-motorised travelling modes (walking on walkway and cycling on cycleway) in the SP choice set. Additionally, a unique set of access modes for bus on busway was also generated, containing hypothetical modes, such as secure park and ride facilities and kiss and ride drop-off zones at the busway stations, walkway and cycleway facilities to access the busway stations and a frequent and integrated feeder bus network within the Shire. Hence, this study created a totally new virtual travel environment for the population of Redland Shire, in order to record their perceived observations under these scenarios and develop the mode choice models. From the final model estimation results, it was found that the travel behaviour forecasted for regional trip-makers is considerably different from that of local trip-makers. The regional travellers for work, for instance, were found not to perceive the non-motorised modes as valid alternatives to car, possibly due to longer trip lengths. The value of time (VoT) determined for local work trip-makers (16.50 A$/hr) was also found to be higher than that of regional work trip-makers (11.70 A$/hr). From the survey analysis, a big part of the targeted population was found to be car captives, who are not likely to switch from cars to public transport; even if a more efficient transit infrastructure is implemented. In the past, the models have been generally calibrated using the mode choice survey data only, while that of the captive users were ignored. This yields a knowledge gap in capturing the complete travel behaviour of a region, since the question of what particular biases can be involved with each model estimation parameter by the captives remain unresolved. In this research, various statistical analyses were performed on the car captive users' data by categorising them into various trip characteristics and household parameters, in order to infer the relative influence of the car captive population on the travel behaviour of the study area. The outcomes of the research can assist the policy makers in solving the strategic issues of transit planning, including the future development of a busway corridor, with an efficient transit access mode network. The research findings can also be utilised in evaluating the feasibility of developing walkways and cycleways in the Shire, along with appraising the relative influence of car captive users on the travel behaviour forecasts for the study area.

A malha rodoviária brasileira é caracterizada por vias com níveis de qualidade heterogêneos. Em geral, rodovias que possuem cobrança de pedágio apresentam melhor estado de conservação. Essa dissertação tem como objetivo avaliar a escolha de rota de diferentes classes de usuários, considerando-se a cobrança de pedágio e a diferença na qualidade das vias. A avaliação envolveu a realização de duas fases de pesquisa. A primeira fase buscou estimar os valores monetários dos atributos de tempo e distância de viagem através da técnica de Preferência Declarada. A segunda fase utilizou estes valores monetários como parâmetros da função de custo generalizado da modelagem de alocação de tráfego para estimar a escolha de rota dos usuários. A partir da metodologia proposta, um estudo de caso foi realizado em um trecho rodoviário que apresenta uma rodovia pedagiada e uma rota concorrente de menor qualidade sem cobrança. Os resultados da aplicação prática não refletiram os dados de fluxo observados nas rodovias avaliadas. A partir desta constatação, um questionário complementar foi elaborado buscando identificar o comportamento habitual dos usuários na região de estudo. Através dos resultados da pesquisa complementar, verificou-se que a maioria dos entrevistados não possuía conhecimento sobre a rota alternativa. A utilização dos dados provenientes destes usuários na modelagem não se mostrou apropriada, uma vez que sua escolha de rota não é baseada nas relações de tempo, distância e penalidades nas vias, consideradas nos modelos de alocação de tráfego. Com isso, pode-se verificar neste estudo que os princípios e limitações das técnicas e ferramentas utilizadas, bem como de sua utilização conjunta, devem ser avaliados. / The Brazilian road system is characterized by roads with heterogeneous level of quality. Generally, tolled roads present better quality conditions than those not tolled. This work aimed to evaluate the route choice of different user’s classes considering toll collection and roads of different qualities. This evaluation was carried out with a methodology composed of two phases preceded by definition of the study region and the users classes considered. The first phase intended to estimate monetary values of time and distance through the Stated Preference technique. The second phase used these monetary values as parameters in an assignment model generalized cost function to estimate user’s route choice. From the proposal methodology, a case study was carried out in a road stretch that presents a tolled highway and a worse quality and without charge alternative route. The practical application results did not reflected the observed flow data in the evaluated highways. From these results, a complementary questionnaire was elaborated to identify the habitual user’s behavior in the study region. It was observed that the majority of the interviewed ones did not have knowledge of the alternative route. Using these data in the modeling was not appropriate because their route choice is not based in time, distance and road penalties relationship like in the assignment models. Thus, it was verified in this study that the principles and limitation of the used techniques and tools, as well as the joint use of these, might be taken in consideration.

Estacionamentos dissuasórios são locais destinados a transferência de um modo de transporte de baixa capacidade, automóvel, para um modo de transporte de alta capacidade. A principal vantagem do uso do estacionamento dissuasório, em relação às demais medidas de gerenciamento de demanda, é a manutenção da flexibilidade, associada às viagens de automóvel, no trecho inicial da viagem. Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a demanda para um modo combinado de transporte composto por automóvel, estacionamento dissuasório e transporte público, obtida pela atração de viagens atualmente realizadas em automóvel. É proposto um método de previsão de demanda baseado em quatro etapas dentre as quais estão a modelagem das viagens de automóvel, que fornecerá os dados necessários para as etapas posteriores, e a aplicação de um modelo Logit para previsão da divisão modal. O método foi aplicado a um estudo de caso que consiste na construção de três estacionamentos dissuasórios, ao longo do trajeto de uma linha de transporte público atendida por BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), na cidade de Porto Alegre. Os resultados permitiram avaliar a influência dos atributos, descritivos de cada modo de transporte, na escolha do modo de viagem pelo usuário e identificar o percentual de transferência de viagens para o modo combinado, em nível agregado, considerando o total de viagens, e em nível desagregado através da análise por zonas de origem e destino das viagens. O método foi considerado adequado e os resultados foram coerentes com a literatura. / Park and rides are places to transfer from one low capacity mode of transport, car for example, to a high capacity transportation mode. The main advantage of using park and rides, when comparing to other policies of demand management, is to maintain flexibility, related to traveling by car, in the first stage of the journey. This study aims to analize the demand for a combinated transport mode composed for car, park and ride and public transport, obtained by the attraction of trips currently made by car. In this work, a method based on four steps is proposed for demand analize, and among them are the modeling of car trips, which will provide the necessary data for the subsequent stages, and the implementation of a Logit model for predicting the modal split. The method was applied to a case study, which consists in the construction of three park and rides along the route of a public transport line served by a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), in Porto Alegre. The results allowed to evaluate the influence of the attributes that describe each mode of transport in the user’s trips mode choices and to identify the percentage of transfer of trips to the combined mode, in an aggregated level, considering the total travel, and in a disaggregated level by analyzing the origins and destination zones. The method was considered appropriated and the results were similar to the literature.