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This research puts forth an examination of the relationship between municipal planning and short line freight railroads. Methodologically, it employs a content analysis framework that explores local master plans and zoning bylaws for the presence of concepts relevant to short line railroads. A historically omitted topic, the railroads are found to be frequently omitted from plans, often conflicting with civic and recreational interests despite their increasingly efficient ability, economic and environmental, to service numerous industries. Zoning bylaws show a disfavor to these entities, and at times may exceed their authority. Moreover, they may create physical and legal limitations to new, rail-sustained industry, as well as the rehabilitation of former industrial clusters. Findings related to regulatory preemption, transportation and land use policy, corridor conversion, and shifting land use patterns are presented. Consequentially, daunting implications may resonate for both the railroad and municipalities. Recommendations encompass municipal, regional, and state policy, as well as opportunities for multi-agency collaboration, economic development initiatives, and revised regulatory structures.

The advent of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and smart cities, powered by sensors and cyber-physical systems, has transformed urban mobility planning through data-driven approaches. Advances in communication technologies enable the collection of large-scale mobility data, offering valuable insights into mobility patterns within urban road networks. Key sources of this data, such as vehicular travel durations and driver trajectory behaviors, are crucial for understanding the dynamics of traffic flow and drivers' interactions with urban road systems. This dissertation presents geospatial probabilistic machine learning models designed to capture spatiotemporal and contextual properties of vehicular mobility patterns in urban environments. It further emphasizes how these insights can address operational challenges, particularly in emergency response systems, where ambulances interact closely with urban road networks. Optimizing decision-making in such systems is intricately linked to efficient navigation, accurate travel duration prediction, and effective routing, all of which are deeply tied to understanding mobility patterns and dynamics. By its stochastic nature, mobility data is inherently uncertain, dynamic, sparse, and noisy, influenced by diverse spatiotemporal and exogenous factors. Probabilistic models are particularly well-suited for addressing these challenges, as they effectively handle uncertainty, variability, and noise, and their extensions, in the right way, are capable of handling sparse information and dynamic conditions. This dissertation focuses on probabilistic models, emphasizing their robustness and ability to generalize to new scenarios and cities, making them a powerful tool for effectively learning urban mobility dynamics and enhancing transportation systems' resilience and sustainability.

The main aim of transport stakeholders has always been to transport freight efficiently, as this efficiency contributes to the growth and success of their business. A country like Namibia is no different as the efficiency of transport lies in the effective utilisation of carrier capacity in any direction. Due to the various types of freight, transport operators rarely have the capacity to cover all freight movement requests. This research put the empty runs experienced by most of the Namibian transporters at 33%. Empty runs could however be reduced through collaboration and sharing of capacity among transport stakeholders. Multi-agent systems (MAS) are various individual computer agents that are configured independently to interact with other agents to achieve one goal. These systems have been explored as an approach to achieve collaboration among transporter stakeholders. Taking into consideration the characteristics and requirements of MAS, this research was able to conduct a feasibility of its implementation within Namibia. Concluding with an evaluation of available Multi-agent based systems that could achieve collaboration and reduce empty runs in the Namibian transport environment. / Information Science / M.Tech. (Information Technology)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Auto Carrier Transport (ACT) is the motor ferrying division of Grindrod South Africa (Pty) Ltd and is contracted to transport the product of 15 different vehicle manufacturers. The division is responsible for ensuring that the combined annual volumes of each contract, totalling over 300 000 vehicles per year, are delivered to the right place, at the right time, and in the right condition. ACT's operating mandate thus focuses on the outbound logistics of new vehicles, which implies moving cars from either the local manufacturing plants, or from the import facilities at the ports, to the respective dealer networks all across Southern Africa. One of the key operational processes regarding the transportation of vehicles is the allocation of cars to carrier loads, also known as load building. Once cars have been allocated to a load, a carrier is then used to transport the load. The existing load building operation is completely manual, with operators simply assigning cars to loads as best they see fit. No support systems exist. Thus, given the complexity of the load building problem, and the manual processes used, existing load building practices result in suboptimal payload performances. A Linear Programming Model was developed to improve the manner in which vehicles are categorised, and then assigned to loads. When compared against the results of load building operators, it was found that the model could potentially improve the company's contribution margin by 5.8 percent. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Auto Carrier Transport (ACT) is die motorvoertuig vervoerafdeling van Grindrod Suid Afrika (Edms) Bpk en word gekontrakteer vir die vervoer van die produkte van 15 verskillende motorvervaardigers. Die afdeling is verantwoorde1ik om te verseker dat die jaarlikse volume van elke kontrak (met 'n gekombineerde volume van meer as 300 000 motorvoertuie per jaar) betyds afgelewer word, op die regte plek en in die regte toestand. ACT se operasionele mandaat fokus dus op die uitgaande logistiek van nuwe motorvoertuie met die implikasie dat motorvoertuie vanaf die plaaslike vervaardingsaanleg, of die invoer fasiliteit by die hawens, na die ooreenstemende handelaarsnetwerke in Suider Afrika vervoer word. Een van die kern operasionele prosesse rakende die vervoer van motorvoertuie, wat bekendstaan as vragtoekening, is die toedeling van motorvoertuie tot vragmotor vragte. Sodra 'n motorvoertuig aan 'n vrag toegeken is, word dit deur middel van 'n vragmotor vervoer. Die bestaande vragtoekeningsproses word per hand uitgevoer deur operateurs wat eenvoudig motorvoertuie aan vragte toedeel soos hulle goeddink sonder die gebruik van enige besluitnemingsondersteuningstelsels. Aangesien vragtoekening 'n baie komplekse probleem is wat per hand uitgevoer word, is die resultate suboptimaal. 'n Lineêre programeeringsmodel is ontwikkel om die klassifikasie van motorvoertuie te verbeter waarna die motorvoertuie aan vragte toegeken word. In 'n vergelyking tussen die model se resultate en die van die operateurs is daar bevind dat die model die maatskappy se wins per eenheid met 5.8 persent kan verbeter.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mode choice modelling is an important and versatile tool that can aid decision makers with transit related strategies and scenario planning. The traditional approach to modelling public transport is labour intensive and requires many resources. The expensive nature of developing mode choice models can also act as a deterrent for developing a model. Not having access to a functional mode choice model can force decision makers to make important decisions without having access to proper information. There is therefore a need to provide a simplified solution for developing a functional mode choice model that can be developed and maintained with fewer resources. This research project explores the possibility of developing a simplified alternative approach to public transport modelling that can model mode choice behaviour with the same degree of accuracy as traditional models. The modelling steps employed in this research project were the typical four step demand modelling approach, but the principles employed differ slightly. The focus area of this research project is the development of simplified utility functions and the calibration thereof. Typical mode choice models coincide with many assumptions, variations and uncertainties. In this research project the proposed utility functions are simplified by incorporating most of the assumptions and intangible components of the utility function into a single station to station specific calibration factor. The hypothesis is that a simplified alternative approach to the utility functions can still provide a model that is purpose built and functional. The application of the proposed mode choice model is to model the mode choice between the Gautrain and private vehicles as the major mode of transport.

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

ABSRACT The diploma thesis deals with analysis the public transportation planning environment with focus in planning of public transport network service. In the introductory chapter there are shown and described different methods of public transport network planning and analysed influencing factors. Consequently the thesis examines the institutional framework as the principal factor and analyses contemporary Slovak public transportation legislative. Following the analyses are the first results and the suggestions of modifications presented. In the next part authors alternate method of public transport network rationalisation is shown. Despite traditional planning attitudes the thesis integrates into the issue also question of time geography. In the author methodology there are vast qualitative parameters defined. The parameters dealt with the system and also with the number of operated station and tracks. The methodology is consequently presented at the case study of Slovak long-distance public transport service. KEY WORDS Public transportation, Public transportation service, transportation planning, institutional influences, transport integration, Slovakia.