Atualmente as dificuldades enfrentadas no deslocamento urbano são consideradas um dos maiores problemas, especialmente nas grandes cidades. O planejamento adequado do sistema de transporte urbano é fundamental para minimizar o tempo e os custos de deslocamento, melhorando a qualidade de vida da população e o próprio funcionamento do ambiente urbano. Esta dissertação parte da premissa de que os sistemas de simulação podem ser usados para estudar diferentes alternativas para melhorar o sistema de transportes, servindo de base para a tomada de decisão de forma a otimizar o deslocamento urbano. Assim, este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um modelo computacional para simulação do sistema de transporte urbano. O modelo proposto combina características dos modelos mesoscópicos e microscópicos, incluindo o comportamento dos usuários no planejamento da rota. Um framework para o desenvolvimento de aplicações de simulação é descrito e testado com uma implementação usando como cenário o Metropolitano de São Paulo (Metrô), considerando-se dados da pesquisa Origem-Destino para teste e validação do modelo aqui proposto. / Nowadays, the difficulties faced in urban displacement are considered a major problem, especially in big cities. Proper urban transport system planning is essential to minimize travel time and costs, improving quality of life and improving the urban environment. This master thesis starts from the premise that simulation systems can be used to study different alternatives to improve the transport system, so that decision making can be better justified and can optimize the urban displacement. Therefore, this work presents the development of a computational model for urban transportation system simulation. The model proposed targets mesoscopic and microscopic models, including user behaviors of route planning. A framework for development of simulation applications is described, with an implementation using as scenario the Metropolitano of São Paulo (Metrô) for model testing, considering data from Origem-Destino survey for testing and validation of the model here proposed.

Atualmente as dificuldades enfrentadas no deslocamento urbano são consideradas um dos maiores problemas, especialmente nas grandes cidades. O planejamento adequado do sistema de transporte urbano é fundamental para minimizar o tempo e os custos de deslocamento, melhorando a qualidade de vida da população e o próprio funcionamento do ambiente urbano. Esta dissertação parte da premissa de que os sistemas de simulação podem ser usados para estudar diferentes alternativas para melhorar o sistema de transportes, servindo de base para a tomada de decisão de forma a otimizar o deslocamento urbano. Assim, este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um modelo computacional para simulação do sistema de transporte urbano. O modelo proposto combina características dos modelos mesoscópicos e microscópicos, incluindo o comportamento dos usuários no planejamento da rota. Um framework para o desenvolvimento de aplicações de simulação é descrito e testado com uma implementação usando como cenário o Metropolitano de São Paulo (Metrô), considerando-se dados da pesquisa Origem-Destino para teste e validação do modelo aqui proposto. / Nowadays, the difficulties faced in urban displacement are considered a major problem, especially in big cities. Proper urban transport system planning is essential to minimize travel time and costs, improving quality of life and improving the urban environment. This master thesis starts from the premise that simulation systems can be used to study different alternatives to improve the transport system, so that decision making can be better justified and can optimize the urban displacement. Therefore, this work presents the development of a computational model for urban transportation system simulation. The model proposed targets mesoscopic and microscopic models, including user behaviors of route planning. A framework for development of simulation applications is described, with an implementation using as scenario the Metropolitano of São Paulo (Metrô) for model testing, considering data from Origem-Destino survey for testing and validation of the model here proposed.

The purpose of this research is to develop and test a widely available, ready-to-use method for adjusting the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for urban context using regional household travel survey data. The ITE Handbook has become the predominant method for estimating vehicle trips generated by different land uses or establishment, providing a method for data collection and vehicle trip estimation based on the size of the development (e.g. gross square footage, number of employees, number of dwelling units). These estimates are used in traffic impact analysis to assess the amount of impact the development will have on nearby transportation facilities and, the corresponding charges for mitigating the development's negative impacts, with roadway expansions, added turning bays, additional parking or traffic signalization, for example. The Handbook is often criticized, however, for its inability to account for variations in travel modes across urban contexts. For more than fifty years, ITE has collected suburban, vehicle-oriented data on trip generation for automobiles only. Despite the provision of warnings against application in urban areas, local governments continue to require the use of the ITE Handbook across all area-types. By over predicting vehicle traffic to developments in urban developments, developments may be overcharged to mitigate these developments locating in urban environments despite the lower automobile mode shares, discouraging infill development or densification. When ITE's Trip Generation Handbook overestimates the vehicle impact of a development, facilities are also overbuilt for the automobile traffic and diminishing the use of alternative modes. When ITE's TGH underestimates this impact, adjacent facilities may become oversaturated with traffic, pushing cars onto smaller facilities nearby. Currently, there is momentum amongst practitioners to improve these estimation techniques in urban contexts to help support smart growth and better plan for multiple modes. This research developed and tested a method to adjust ITE's Handbook vehicle trip generation estimates for changes in transportation mode shares in more urban contexts using information from household travel surveys. Mode share adjustments provide direct reductions to ITE's Handbook vehicle trip estimations. Household travel survey (HTS) data from three regions were collected: Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Baltimore, Maryland. These data were used to estimate the automobile mode share rates across urban context using three different adjustment methodologies: (A) a descriptive table of mode shares across activity density ranges, (B) a binary logistic regression that includes a built environment description of urban context with the best predictive power, and (C) a binary logistic regression that includes a built environment description of urban context with high predictive power and land use policy-sensitivity. Each of these three methods for estimating the automobile mode share across urban context were estimated for each of nine land use categories, resulting in nine descriptive tables (Adjustment A) and eighteen regressions (Adjustments B and C). Additionally, a linear regression was estimated to predict vehicle occupancy rates across urban contexts for each of nine land use categories. 195 independently collected establishment-level vehicle trip generation data were collected in accordance with the ITE Handbook to validate and compare the performance of the three adjustment methods and estimations from the Handbook. Six land use categories (out of the nine estimated) were able to be tested. Out of all of the land uses tested and verified, ITE's Trip Generation Handbook appeared to have more accurate estimations for land uses that included residential condominiums/townhouses (LUC 230), supermarkets (LUC 850) and quality (sit-down) restaurants (LUC 931). Moderate or small improvements were observed when applying urban context adjustments to mid-rise apartments (LUC 223), high-turnover (sit-down) restaurants (LUC 932). The most substantial improvements occurred at high-rise apartments (LUC 222) and condominiums/townhouses (LUC 232), shopping centers (LUC 820), or coffee/donut (LUC 936) or bread/donut/bagel shops (LUC 939) without drive-through windows. The three methods proposed to estimate automobile mode share provides improvements to the Handbook rates for most infill developments in urban environments. For the land uses analyzed, it appeared a descriptive table of mode shares across activity density provided results with comparable improvements to the results from the more sophisticated binary logistic model estimations. Additional independently collected establishment-level data collections representing more land uses, time periods and time of days are necessary to determine how ITE's Handbook performs in other circumstances, including assessing the transferability of the vehicle trip end rates or mode share reductions across regions.

Improving the efficiency of traffic operations along arterials is currently a priority for many agencies as their roadway infrastructure is built out to the largest possible capacity within the urban environment. Many advanced systems are being implemented to optimize traffic signal timing. Air quality is typically not a consideration when these decisions are made. The relationship between exposure to air pollution and traffic signal timing has not been fully explored by other researchers. This study is the first research effort to combine detailed traffic signal timing data (at 5 second intervals) and air pollutant exposure data. Results show that longer green time along the busy arterial reduces pollutant levels, while increased volume per cycle increases pollutant levels. This research quantifies the factors that contribute to pedestrian, bicyclist, and transit user exposure at a busy intersection along an urban arterial. The factors include traffic signal timing, weather related variables, traffic volumes, and heavy vehicle and bus presence. Additionally, the impact of an adaptive traffic signal system on air quality is assessed to understand the implications of signal timing on air pollutant exposure.

This thesis explores the relationship between crime, transportation network connectivity, and engineered facilities built to increase walkability through a case study of twenty-five sites within the city of Spokane, Washington. Using data spanning between 2008 and 2010, the author developed a GIS model representing conditions of the built environment, social and economic demographics, and crime rates within the randomly chosen sites. A partial F-test revealed little to no evidence that the transportation network connectivity affected crime rates within the study sites. Using permutation tests, the author found that specific pedestrian facility infrastructure correlated to higher crime rates as defined for the specific study sites. In all, this research provided patterns between crime rates and transportation networks which may be further explored in future research. / Graduation date: 2012

In Turkey, the only city that currently operates BRT is Istanbul. There are researches that focus on different BRT systems in the world, yet there has not been a comprehensive, systematic and comparative evaluation of the BRT experience in Istanbul. There seems to be an urgent need to study this BRT investment, with a particular focus on planning, operation and ridership characteristics with a comparative approach. This thesis analyses the BRT corridor in Istanbul and answers the question whether Metrob&uuml / s in Istanbul is a success or not. In order to understand the criteria for defining success, planning, operation and ridership characteristics are identified based on the previous literature and particularly the analysis of three best practice cases that currently operate BRT / these are Curitiba, Bogota and Mexico City. The study sets the criteria in planning, operation and ridership of BRT systems drawn by previous studies and answers by people who were involved in these projects. It compares the best practice cases and the Istanbul Metrob&uuml / s / focusing on planning and operation characteristics and using primary indicators of performance and ridership. The study reveals strength and weaknesses of the Istanbul Metrob&uuml / s in comparison to best practice BRT cases in the world. The findings provide lessons both for the future extensions of the BRT in Istanbul and for other cities that may consider implementing this transit technology.

Bridges in the US are severely damaged or suffer collapse from fires at significant rates, even when compared to other hazards such as earthquakes. Fire-induced bridge collapses are perpetuated by the general lack of installed fire protection systems. Therefore, new materials and applications are needed to mitigate structural damage that can be caused to civil infrastructure by severe fires. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to further the development of new fire protection applications in transportation structures. Specifically, the investigation centers on the development of new applications in passive fire protection materials, within the context of shielding steel-girder bridges against severe fire effects. A steel-girder bridge has been selected for study, and a high-resolution finite element model has been formed based on the corresponding bridge structural drawings. Temperature-dependent structural material properties and thermal properties have been synthesized and incorporated into the model. Additionally, a representative fire scenario has been formed (in part) based on a recent fire incident that occurred at the selected bridge site. The fire scenario also incorporates the characteristics of a fully loaded gasoline tank truck fire, where a means of incorporating the severe fire into the finite element model (as thermal loading) has been identified and enacted. Coupled thermal-mechanical finite element analyses have been carried out using the (unprotected) steel-girder bridge model. An additional finite element simulation has been carried out, where the steel-girder bridge model has been fitted with a refractory cement material that insulates the underside of the bridge spans. Also, a finite element simulation has been carried out where the steel-girder bridge model has been fitted with intumescent coating material as insulation against fire effects. Both the refractory cement and the intumescent coating materials have been found to possess robust insulation characteristics from the simulation results. Namely, the finite element analysis results indicate that, in the event of a bridge fire, both materials are capable of preventing the buildup of damaging temperatures in underlying structural members. Accordingly, the refractory cement and intumescent coating materials have been identified as successful passive fire protection materials for the fire scenario and bridge case considered.

With this dissertation, it is intended to improve our understanding of the effects of urban rail systems on the mobility of women, their accessibility and their extent of experiencing the city they live in, that is their urban geography. The main aim is to understand whether women who live nearby an urban rail system and who use this system have higher levels of mobility and wider urban geography when compared with those who live in places without an urban rail access and those who do not use urban rail systems. In search for the effects of metro usage on mobility, as well as the factors affecting metro usage, the study is built on four main fields in transportation studies: mode choice theory, activity based travel theory, time-geography theory and women studies. Women living on Ankara metro line and in Ke&ccedil / i&ouml / ren constitute the main case study in this thesis. With the help of a comprehensive questionnaire, applied on captive public transport women riders, it is assessed whether the Ankara metro has positive effects on the mobility of women living nearby the metro stations, whether women who use the metro have higher mobility and wider urban geography, and whether the metro can be effective in enhancing the mobility and urban geography of women who are identified as particularly vulnerable in the literature. Understanding the factors, in cases where expected positive impacts on mobility have not been realized, is also important to contribute to the theoretical discussions that the study is built on.

This thesis proposes a framework to design and analyze sustainability within complex urban transportation systems. Urban transit systems have large variability in temporal and spatial resolution, and are common in lifecycle analyses and sustainability studies. Unlike analyses with smaller scope or broader resolution, these systems are composed of numerous interacting layers, each intricate enough to be a complete system on its own. In addition, detailed interaction with the system environment is often not accounted for in lifecycle studies, despite its strong potential effects on the problem domain. To manage such complexity, this thesis suggests a methodology that focuses on integrating existing modeling constructs in a transparent manner, and capturing structural and functional relationships for efficient model reuse. The Systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML ) is used to formally implement the modeling framework. To demonstrate the method, it is applied to a large scale multi-modal transportation network. Analysis of key network parameters such as emissions output, well-to-wheel energy use, and system capacity are presented in a case study of the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Results of the case study highlight several areas that differ from more traditional lifecycle analysis research. External influences such as regional electricity generation are found to have extremely large effects on environmental impact of a regional mobility system. The model is used to evaluate various future scenarios and finds that existing policy measures for curbing energy use and emissions are insufficient for reducing impact in a growing urban region.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-84).