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Commuter rail systems, operating on unused or under-used railroad rights-of-way, are being introduced into many urban transportation systems. Since locations of available rail rights-of-way were typically chosen long ago to serve the needs of rail freight customers, these locations are not optimal for commuter rail users. The majority of commuter rail users do not live or work within walking distance of potential commuter rail stations, so provision of quick, convenient access to and from stations is a critical part of overall commuter decisions to use commuter rail. Minimizing access time to rail stations and final destinations is crucial if commuter rail is to be a viable option for commuters. Well-designed feeder routes or circulator systems are regarded as potential solutions to provide train station to ultimate destination access. Transit planning for main line or feeder routes relies upon static demand estimates describing a typical day. Daily and peak-hour demands change in response to the state of the transport system, as influenced by weather, incidents, holiday schedules and many other factors. Recent marketing successes of “smart phones” might provide an innovative means of obtaining real time data that could be used to identify optimal paths and stop locations for commuter rail circulator systems. Such advanced technology could allow commuter rail users to provide real-time final destination information that would enable real time optimization of feeder routes. This dissertation focuses on real time optimization of the Commuter Rail Circulator Route Network Design Problem (CRCNDP). The route configuration of the circulator system – where to stop and the route among the stops – is determined on a real-time basis by employing adaptive Tabu Search to timely solve an MIP problem with an objective to minimize total cost incurred to both transit users and transit operators. Numerical experiments are executed to find the threshold for the minimum fraction of travelers that would need to report their destinations via smart phone to guarantee the practical value of optimization based on real-time collected demand against a base case defined as the average performance of all possible routes. The adaptive Tabu Search Algorithm is also applied to three real-size networks abstracted from the Martin Luther King (MLK) station of the new MetroRail system in Austin, Texas. / text

Current transportation methods within the Central Arizona region revolve primarily around automobiles. In order for the region to become more economically resilient and environmentally sustainable, alternative transportation methods must be considered. One such alternative that has shown great promise in other regions of the United States is rail transport. Rail transport, including commuter rail or high speed rail, has proven to not only be an effective alternative to automobile transport, but also as a more environmentally sustainable transportation option. The I-11 Super Corridor study, a part of the University of Arizona’s Sustainable City Project 2014, applied next generation urban planning design ideas to the planned Interstate 11 corridor, a major transportation artery that will connect Mexico and Canada. This study inspired this project’s focus on the concept of identifying suitable routes for new transportation infrastructure within the central and southern Arizona regions. Through the incorporation of commuter or high speed rail within central and southern Arizona, a more resilient regional economy and environment can be created. The previous I-11 Super Corridor study presented the incorporation of different regional factors, including population density and economic statistics, to determine suitable routes for future transportation corridors. This project integrates the utilization of specific local and regional data and advanced GIS analysis to determine suitable routes for new rail transport corridors within Maricopa, Pinal and Pima Counties.

abstract: It is commonly accepted that undergraduate degree attainment rates must improve if postsecondary educational institutions are to meet macroeconomic demands. Involvement in co-curricular activities, such as student clubs and organizations, has been shown to increase students' satisfaction with their college experience and the rates by which they might persist. Yet, strategies that college administrators, faculties, and peer leaders may employ to effectively promote co-curricular engagement opportunities to students are not well developed. In turn, I created the Sky Leaders program, a retention-focused intervention designed to promote commuter student involvement in academically-purposeful activities via faculty- and peer-lead mentoring experiences. Working from an interpretivist research paradigm, this quasi-experimental mixed methods action research study was intended to measure the intervention's impact on participants' re-enrollment and reported engagement rates, as well as the effectiveness of its conceptual and logistical aspects. I used enrollment, survey, interview, observation, and focus group data collection instruments to accommodate an integrated data procurement process, which allowed for the consideration of several perspectives related to the same research questions. I analyzed all of the quantitative data captured from the enrollment and survey instruments using descriptive and inferential statistics to explore statistically and practically significant differences between participant groups. As a result, I identified one significant finding that had a perceived positive effect. Expressly, I found the difference between treatment and control participants' reported levels of engagement within co-curricular activities to be statistically and practically significant. Additionally, consistent with Glaser and Strauss' grounded theory approach, I employed open, axial, and selective coding procedures to analyze all of the qualitative data obtained via open-ended survey items, as well as interview, observation, and focus group instruments. After I reviewed and examined the qualitative data corpus, I constructed six themes reflective of the participants' programmatic experiences as well as conceptual and logistical features of the intervention. In doing so, I found that faculty, staff, and peer leaders may efficaciously serve in specific mentoring roles to promote co-curricular engagement opportunities and advance students' institutional academic and social integration, thereby effectively curbing their potential college departure decisions, which often arise out of mal-integrative experiences. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011

abstract: Informal public transport is commonplace in the developing world, but the service exists in the United States as well, and is understudied. Often called "dollar vans", New York's commuter vans serve approximately 120,000 people every day (King and Goldwyn, 2014). While this is a tiny fraction of the New York transit rider population, it is comparable to the total number of commuters who ride transit in smaller cities such as Minneapolis/St Paul and Phoenix. The first part of this study reports on the use of commuter vans in Eastern Queens based on a combination of surveys and a ridership tally, all conducted in summer 2016. It answers four research questions: How many people ride the vans? Who rides the commuter vans? Why do they ride commuter vans? Do commuter vans complement or compete against formal transit? Commuter van ridership in Eastern Queens was approximately 55,000 with a high percentage of female ridership. Time and cost savings were the main factors influencing commuter van ridership. Possession of a MetroCard was shown to negatively affect the frequency of commuter van ridership. The results show evidence of commuter vans playing both a competing and complementary role to MTA bus and subway transit. The second part of this study presents a SWOT analysis results of commuter vans, and the policy implications. It answers 2 research questions: What are the main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of commuter vans in Eastern Queens? and How do the current policies, rules and regulations affect commuter van operation? The SWOT analysis results show that the commuter van industry is resilient, performs a necessary service, and, with small adjustments that will help reduce operating costs and loss of profits have a chance of thriving in Eastern Queens and the rest of New York City. The study also discusses the mismatch between policy and practice offering recommendations for improvement to ensure that commuter vans continue to serve residents of New York City. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Urban and Environmental Planning 2017

The transportation sector is considered one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in metropolitan areas, and any efforts to reduce these emissions requires strategic management of multiple transportation modes. This paper presents a method to identify opportunities to reduce GHG emissions by expanding commuter bus services and incentives to shift commuters from private cars to transit. The approach uses a nested multinomial logit model for mode choice in a region that includes driving alone, carpooling, walking, cycling, and using four possible transit modes (ferry, commuter rail, rapid transit and bus) by walk access or driving access. A model of existing conditions was calibrated with data from the Boston metropolitan area. Using an emission factor model based on average speeds from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the net effect of new commuter bus service on GHG emissions from transportation was estimated. Potential GHG reductions are weighed against the capital and operating costs of new transit services to quantify the cost-effectiveness of a new commuter bus service for isolated origin-destination pairs. This modeling framework is used to optimize fares and bus frequency in order to identify the corridors with the most cost-effective potential for GHG reduction. Results are presented for the Boston region, demonstrating the feasibility of implementation and the potential magnitude of benefits for cost-effectively reducing GHG emissions associated with transportation. The method is general and can be applied in other cities around the world.

This thesis deal with extended EV-55 version concept according to CS/FAR- 23 Commuter category specifications. Thesis objectives are design weights determination, mass analysis, calculation of aeroplane performances and comparison of aeroplane performances with current aeroplane.

Med 6000 resenärer per dag är spånga en av Sveriges större stationer. Stationen genomgick sin senaste ombyggnad 2004 där endast halva stationen byggdes om. Resultatet blev att stationen idag består av två delar från två olika årtionden. Detta har medfört problem i såväl stationens arkitektoniska utformning som i dess planlösning i kombination med resenärers rörelsemönster. Den befintliga planlösningen orsakar köbildningar samt trängsel vid rusningstrafik i flera delar av stationen. Det är placeringen av trapporna som orsakar trängsel och försvårar orienteringen i byggnaden. I projektet utfördes en undersökning som visade att de största problemen uppstår vid rusningstrafik 06:00-08:00 för avresande till Stockholms centralstation och 16:00-18:00 för ankommande från Stockholm centralstation. Utefter detta blev syftet till projektet att skapa en planlösning som bidrog med bättre komfort för ankommande och avresande. Stationen skulle dessutom utformas så att den blev mer välkomnande för besökande och förbipasserande. Arbetet grundar sig på att besvara frågeställningen: Går det att utföra en ombyggnad som eliminerar de mest framstående problemområdena? Den största begränsningen i detta projekt var perrongens förutbestämda bredd. Arbetet är även avgränsat till den arkitektoniska aspekten av ombyggnaden. Utefter detta byggdes målet att, genom undersökningar av Spånga station, skapa en planlösning som bidrar till bättre funktion än idag. Dessutom skulle den utvändiga utformningen ge en estetiskt sammanhållen byggnad. För detta projekt användes AutoCAD för skissprocessen och Revit Architecture 2015 för att färdigställa förslagshandlingarna. Resultatet blev en byggnad med stora glaspartier som möjliggör ett bra dagsljusinsläpp samt en större planlösning med två utbyggnader i form av vänthallar. I den nya planlösningen kunde nästan alla problemområden elimineras. Då perrongens bredd visade sig vara en större avgränsning är trott behövdes en del behandlingar av problemområden uteslutas. De nya utbyggnaderna har lett till att stationen har fått en mera enhetlig utformning då trappuppgången intill kopplats till den befintliga byggnaden. Nu har stationen också fått en mer helhetsbild då de stora glaspartierna vandrar kring byggnaden och binder ihop alla delar. Det stora glaspartiet bidrar också till mer öppenhet mot resenärer och förbipasserande. / With an entirety of 6000 travelers per day Spånga station is one the most frequented stations. The commuter station underwent its latest reconstruction 2004 where only half the station was rebuilt. The adjustments made where not thorough, subsequently dividing the station into two parts from different time periods. This has caused problems with the station floor plans and architectural design. The current floor plans encourage queues and congestion at rush hour in several parts of the station. The cause for this is the placement of the stairs since their location results in the orientation of the building. The project conducted a study which revealed that the main problems arise during rush hour, which is 06: 00-08: 00 for departures to Stockholm Central Station and 16:00-18:00 for arrivals from Stockholm Central Station. The purpose of the project was to create floor plans that provided a more flexible flow pattern for all passengers. The stations exterior design would be formed more welcoming for the travelers. The project is based on answering the question: Is it possible to perform a reconstruction that eliminates the most prominent problems? The station would also be designed so that it became more welcoming to visitors and passersby. The main limitations of this project were the platform predetermined width. The work was also limited to the architectural restrictions of the reconstruction. The aim is to contribute floor plans that provide better arrangements by studies made during the project. Furthermore, the exterior design is meant provide an aesthetically cohesive building. AutoCAD was used to obtain primary drawings and Revit Architecture 2015 to finalize the draft documents. The station's exterior shape is linked together with a glass section that delivers more sunlight into the station. The station has been expanded with two larger waiting rooms providing a more spacious feeling. Draft documents show that the new floorplan has eliminated practically all the problem areas. All the faults with the station could not be abolished for various reasons but mainly due to the restrictions placed by the platforms size. The concept drawings for the new station show that there is a more distinct connection through the stations exterior. The glass section extends around the entire building which creates a link to the remaining parts of the station whilst providing an agreeable view for by-passers and travelers