Assessing the First and Last Mile Problem for Intercity Passenger Rail Service

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Lorena Losada Rojas ◽  
Konstantina “Nadia” Gkritza ◽  
V. Dimitra Pyrialakou
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Short Distance ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Last Mile ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Rail Service

The first and last mile of a trip has been used to describe passenger travel with regards to getting to and from transit stops/stations. Solving the first and last mile (FMLM) problem extends the access to transportation systems and enlarges the number of passengers from a remote community, such as rural areas. The FMLM problem has been addressed in different public transit contexts, mainly within urban areas. However, it is also an important part of the journey in an intercity trip; yet, limited research efforts have been undertaken to examine the FMLM problem that intercity passenger train riders face. This paper fills in this gap and further, aims to identify the best strategies that could serve as a FMLM solution for short distance intercity passenger rail service (i.e., corridors that are less than 750 miles long according to the Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act, 2008). The Hoosier State Train (HST) service, a short-distance intercity passenger rail that connects Chicago and Indianapolis four days a week, was chosen as a case of study. The HST has four intermediate stops located in Indiana. For some of those intermediate stops HST is the only intercity public transit service offered to reach either Chicago or Indianapolis. In order to explore opportunities to enhance the HST ridership, an on-board survey was conducted in November and December 2016. The findings of this survey suggested that there are riders who travel from counties further away from a county with a station to reach and complete their journey on the train. Moreover, it was found that most of the respondents drove or rented a car, or were dropped off to reach a train station in Indiana. Unlike the results from the Chicago station, the majority of riders boarding the train from one of the Indiana stations did not use ridesharing services or public transportation. These findings suggest that there is a possible gap into the FMLM travel options for intercity rail riders and alternative options to fill this gap should be considered. This paper discusses the case study results of an accessibility analysis aiming to identify the areas in need of first/last mile service where there are no public transportation services and/or it is costly to reach a station from a desired origin. To that end, a cost surface for the different modes available in the area of study was created to determine the average travel cost to the nearest station. The analysis was carried out in ArcGIS using origin-destination data from the on-board survey, transportation network information from the U.S. Bureau Transportation Statistics, and general transit feed specification (GTFS) data. Subsequently, some of the best strategies identified were modeled around the station (e.g., shuttle buses to/from the station) in order to examine how the accessibility would increase after a strategy implementation. The results of this study may have far-reaching implications for planning strategies that can enhance access to the train stations. Finally, the FMLM strategies could assist intercity passenger rail service providers attract a larger number of passengers.

Population Levels of Well-Being In a Peri-Urban Area of a Metropolitan Region, A Case Study of Selangor Northern Corridor, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 76-83
Author(s):  
Y. Saleh Et.al
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Transportation Network ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Socioeconomic Environment ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Study Results

This article seeks to identify the levels of well-being of residents of Selangor Northern Corridor, Lembah Klang-Langat Extended Metropolitan Region (EMR). The study involved 400 respondents consisting of the heads of household in peri-urban areas of Selangor Northern Corridor of Lembah Klang-Langat EMR. Respondents were selected via a simple random sampling method. A 1-5 Likert scale questionnaire was used as a research instrument. Based on the well-being index, a variety of variables involving well-being were listed, although the author of this study used four variables, namely housing, transportation, socioeconomic environment and land use. The housing variable consisted of three sub-variables, comprising area selection, safety and facilities. The transport variable included two sub-variables: public transportation and transportation network. The socioeconomic variables society and economy, while the sub-variables for land use were types of activities and property ownership. The study results indicate that the questionnaire’s reliability level was acceptable as the Cronbach’s alpha value of each variable exceeded 0.8. Transportation and socioeconomic environment stood at high levels, while housing and land use were at moderate levels. These findings demonstrate that the level of some of the community’s well-being was high or moderate due to urban sprawl. This means that humans will adapt to the environment in various ways so that it can accord with human needs.

scholarly journals Abortion: Still Unfinished Agenda in Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirgha Raj Shrestha ◽  
Shibesh Chandra Regmi ◽  
Ganesh Dangal
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Health Care Cost ◽  
Abortion Service ◽  
Unsafe Abortion ◽  
Safe Abortion ◽  
Government Structure ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
The Government

Unsafe abortion is affecting a lot, in health, socio-economic and health care cost of many countries. Despite invention of simple technology and scientifically approved safe abortion methods, women and girls are still using unsafe abortion practices. Since 2002, Nepal has achieved remarkable progress in developing policies, guidelines, task shifting, training human resources and increasing access to services. However, more than half of abortion in Nepal are performed clandestinely by untrained or unapproved providers or induced by pregnant woman herself. Knowledge on legalization and availability of safe abortion service among women is still very poor. Stigma on abortion still persists among community people, service providers, managers, and policy makers. Access to safe abortion, especially in remote and rural areas, is still far behind as compared to their peers from urban areas. The existing law is not revised in the spirit of current Constitution of Nepal and rights-based approach. The existence of abortion stigma and the shifting of the government structure from unitary system to federalism in absence of a complete clarity on how the safe abortion service gets integrated into the local government structure might create challenge to sustain existing developments. There is, therefore, a need for all stakeholders to make a lot of efforts and allocate adequate resources to sustain current achievements and ensure improvements in creating a supportive social environment for women and girls so that they will be able to make informed decisions and access to safe abortion service in any circumstances.

scholarly journals Environmental Characteristics Associated with Older Adults’ Social Participation: The Contribution of Sociodemography and Transportation in Metropolitan, Urban, and Rural Areas

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (22) ◽  
pp. 8399
Author(s):  
Mélanie Levasseur ◽  
Daniel Naud ◽  
Jean-François Bruneau ◽  
Mélissa Généreux
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Social Deprivation ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Environmental Characteristics

Although social participation fosters older adults’ health, little is known about which environmental characteristics are related to greater participation in social activities. The Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 2737), a transportation survey, and multiple secondary data sources were used to identify the environmental characteristics associated with older Quebecers’ social participation according to living area. Greater social participation was associated with: (1) a higher concentration of older adults (IRR = 2.172 (95% CI 1.600, 2.948); p < 0.001), more kilometers traveled by paratransit (IRR = 1.714 (95% CI 1.286, 2.285); p < 0.01), a lack of medical clinics (IRR = 0.730 (95% CI 0.574, 0.930); p = 0.01), and more funded home adaptations (IRR = 1.170 (95% CI 1.036, 1.320); p = 0.01) in large metropolitan areas; (2) larger paratransit fleets (IRR = 1.368 (95% CI 1.044, 1.791); p = 0.02) and a lower density of road intersections (IRR = 0.862 (95% CI 0.756, 0.982); p = 0.03) in regular metropolitan areas; (3) less social deprivation (IRR = 1.162 (95% CI 1.025, 1.318); p = 0.02) in urban areas; and (4) a higher concentration of older populations (IRR = 2.386 (95% CI 1.817, 3.133); p < 0.001) in rural areas. According to these findings, social participation interventions should target the local environment—for example, by providing more social interaction opportunities for older adults living in younger neighborhoods and by improving access to public transportation, especially paratransit.

scholarly journals A Cross-sectional Survey of Rehabilitation Service Provision for Children with Brain Injury in Selangor, Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-58
Author(s):  
Ee Lin Tay ◽  
Chee Piau Wong
Keyword(s):  
Brain Injury ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Rehabilitation Service ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
Persons With Disabilities

Purpose:  Rehabilitation services in Malaysia are provided by both governmental and non-governmental agencies but there are challenges, such as the lack of integration between agencies, and accessibility barriers to services especially for the population of urban poor and people in the rural areas. With the help of a survey, this project aimed to gain a better understanding of rehabilitation services provided for children with brain injury within the state of Selangor and Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.Method:  A list of 205 organisations that provide rehabilitation services for children with neurological injuries was compiled. The researchers attempted to verify the services by visiting the facilities or via telephone or email communication if visits were not possible.Results: The researchers were able to verify 83% of the organisations identified. There are 40 hospitals and 17 service providers for acute and / or chronic physical rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities of all ages, including children.Conclusion: Findings showed the unequal distribution of rehabilitation service provision by districts. Service providers were concentrated in the urban areas. Setting up new healthcare facilities is one of the solutions but the costs for development, construction, and manpower could be high. An alternative solution is proposed, namely, the use of a home-based virtual rehabilitation programme.

scholarly journals Prevalensi dan Determinan Hipertensi di Pulau Jawa, Tahun 2004

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Zamhir Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Hypertension Status ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Measurement ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Ecological Measurement ◽  
The Individual

Hipertensi merupakan faktor risiko utama kardiovaskuler yang merupakan penyebab utama kematian di seluruh dunia. Peningkatan umur harapan hidup dan perubahan gaya hidup meningkatkan faktor risiko hipertensi di berbagai negara. Tujuan penelitian ini (1) Mengetahui prevalensi hipertensi dan penyebarannya di Pulau Jawa tahun 2004. (2) Mengetahui faktor-faktor sosiodemografi yang berhubungan dengan kejadian hipertensi. (3) Mengetahui kontribusi dan dampak potensial masing-masing faktor tersebut. Penelitian dengan rancangan studi Ekologi Multilevel ini menggabungkan variabel tingkat pengukuran individu dengan tingkat pengukuran ekologi dalam analisis bersama, dengan unit analisis individu. Analisis kontekstual dilakukan melalui kerangka konsep hipertensi, menggunakan metode analisis regresi logistik ganda, dengan status hipertensi sebagai variabel dependen. Data variabel dependen dan variabel perancu yang merupakan data pengukuran tingkat individu diambil dari data SKRT 2004. Data sosiodemografi tingkat pengukuran ekologi sebagai variabel independen utama, diperoleh dari Profil Kesehatan Indonesia, Statistik Indonesia, Statistik Kesehatan, Statistik Kesejahteraan Rakyat, danData Departemen Dalam Negeri, unit pengamatan provinsi. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan prevalensi hipertensi di Pulau Jawa 41,9%, dengan kisaran di masing-masing provinsi 36,6%-47,7%. Prevalensi di perkotaan 39,9% (37,0%-45,8%) dan di perdesaan 44,1% (36,2%-51,7%). Kata kunci: Hipertensi, faktor sosiodemografiAbstractHypertension is a main risk factor of cardiovascular disease which is ranked as number one cause of death in the world. The increase of life expectancy and changes in life style have increased the prevalence of hypertension risk factor in both developed and developing countries. The objectives of this study are (1) To know the prevalence and distribution of hypertension in di Java island, in year 2004. (2) To know sosiodemographic factors related to hypertension. (3) To know the contribution of each sosiodemographic factor toward hypertension. The study used multilevel ecologic study design that integrated both individual and ecological level variables measurement. The analysis method used in this study was contextual analysis and multiple logistic regression with hypertension status as dependent variable. The individual level measurement of variables such as hypertension status and age, job, education and sex is taken from Household Health Survey (SKRT) 2004. The sosiodemographic data which was ecological measurement level served as the main independent variables were taken from Indonesian Health Profile, Indonesian Health Statistics, Public Welfare Statistics and data from Department of Internal Affair, particularly from Province Surveillance Unit. The study results showed that the prevalence of hypertension in Java Island was 41.9%, with range of prevalence in provincial level of 36.6%-47.7%. The prevalence in urban areas was 39.9% (37.0%-45.8%) and in rural areas was 44.1% (36.2%-51.7%)Keywords: Hypertension, sosiodemographic factors

scholarly journals An Analysis of Floral Consumption Values and Their Difference for Genders and Geographic Regions

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tzu-Fang Yeh ◽  
Li-Chun Huang
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Consumer Choice ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Diagnostic Value ◽  
Female Consumers ◽  
Consumption Values ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Consumer Choice Behavior ◽  
Consumption Value

Studying the value of consumption is believed to have diagnostic value in the analysis of consumer choice behavior and, therefore, is helpful in improving the efficiency of the market. The objective of this study was to identify the consumption value that consumers seek from floral products, while also clarifying the context of that consumption value. A total of 644 valid questionnaires from a consumer survey were used for the statistical analysis. The statistical results of the factor analysis revealed that sensory hedonics, emotion conditioning, curiosity fulfillment, monetary worth, and showing care to others were the main types of the consumption value in relation to floral products. Different consumer groups were found to emphasize different types of floral consumption value. Female consumers reveal a stronger demand for the value of emotion conditioning and curiosity fulfillment, while male consumers are more likely to seek the value of sensory hedonics. Consumers in rural areas reveal a stronger demand for the value of curiosity fulfillment and monetary worth, while the consumers in urban areas reveal a stronger demand for the value of emotion conditioning, with regard to the consumption value of flowers. The study results provide florists with the key value points as they seek to increase the attraction of floral products to consumers.

scholarly journals Water supply challenges in urban and rural areas of Eastern Cape

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mpumelelo Dolo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
The World ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Water is regarded as the most important substance found on earth. There is no substitute for it. The daily running of production businesses, industrial firms and agricultural production that help sustain the economy of countries are largely dependent on the availability of water for them to function. The importance of water cannot be over emphasised. The food which is consumed daily depends on water; it can therefore be safely concluded that without water there would be no food, and without food there would be no life. Despite the importance of water in relation to human life, animals and plants, research studies show that the its availability becoming increasingly deficient around the globe. Water levels of major dams and rivers around the world are dropping, limiting the supply of potable water to those dependent on them. Global warming is one factor that is influencing the dropping of water levels, through evaporation. Other factors include climate change, drought and population growth. In South Africa, the government has been fighting a continuous battle of trying to address the backlog of water infrastructure, particularly in the areas which were disadvantaged by the apartheid government. These areas include rural areas, small towns (semi-urban) and townships. The Eastern Cape province in South Africa is top of the list from a backlog point of view. Rural dwellers migrate to urban areas for various reasons such as better education, better health care, job opportunities and more efficient services. Water supply is one of the services which is more adequately supplied in the cities compared to the rural areas. Even though the supplied water in the urban areas of the Eastern Cape is not the best standard when compared to other cities around the country or the world, it is still at an acceptable standard. Thus, this study was conducted to seek ways of improving the supply of water in the urban and rural areas of the Eastern Cape. The availability and the quality of water differs between the urban and rural areas. The purpose of this study was to seek ways of bridging the gap between these areas while improving the standard of water supply in both rural and urban areas. While working towards improving the lives of the Eastern Cape people, the study also seeks to promote water preservation and awareness to the people of the province. In order to find better alternatives which have been tested in various places around the world, an in-depth literature review was conducted in the study. This functioned as an effective comparison of what is obtained in different places around the world and the context of this study, which is the Eastern Cape. A survey method was used to gather data regarding the problems surrounding water supply and options that could be adopted to remedy those problems. The survey was conducted in the form of a self-observation assessment, questionnaire for households in urban and rural areas and interview sessions with prominent government entities and local technical service providers. The survey covered the whole spectrum of individuals and groups that play a major role in the supply and usage of water. The study was conducted within three municipalities of the Eastern Cape. These municipalities cover approximately two-third of the Eastern Cape considering the size of population in those areas. The municipalities covered by the study were: Amathole District Municipality (ADM), Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) and OR Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM). The findings from the study showed that indeed the standard of water supply between urban and rural areas was not equal. This relates to the purification methods, the convenience of collecting water by users, the quality of infrastructure being constructed (due to good or poor monitoring during construction) and the quality of the water as well as operation and maintenance response from the various service providers. Moreover, it was found that there was an acceptable level of awareness by citizens when it comes to using water, and precautions to save it were being taken by some. However, some dominant factors such as poor management, poor infrastructure resulting in leaks, climate change, run-offs and population growth were putting a strain on the existing water resources which is not coping with the increasing demand by people. Recommendations made in the study to balance the supply of water in rural areas and urban areas include: improving the purification of water so as to achieve a standard quality within the Eastern Cape; that rural areas be allowed to have an option of having yard or house connections, particularly those who are willing to pay rates at a scale suiting their class or standard; and that water service providers make it their responsibility to extend reticulation networks if there is expansion or development of more houses in rural areas in order to keep the distance minimal to standpipes

scholarly journals Passive Wi-Fi monitoring in the wild: a long-term study across multiple location typologies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ribeiro ◽  
Nuno Nunes ◽  
Valentina Nisi ◽  
Johannes Schöning
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Long Term Study

Abstract In this paper, we present a systematic analysis of large-scale human mobility patterns obtained from a passive Wi-Fi tracking system, deployed across different location typologies. We have deployed a system to cover urban areas served by public transportation systems as well as very isolated and rural areas. Over 4 years, we collected 572 million data points from a total of 82 routers covering an area of 2.8 km2. In this paper we provide a systematic analysis of the data and discuss how our low-cost approach can be used to help communities and policymakers to make decisions to improve people’s mobility at high temporal and spatial resolution by inferring presence characteristics against several sources of ground truth. Also, we present an automatic classification technique that can identify location types based on collected data.

scholarly journals Measuring Spatial Mismatch between Public Transit Services and Regular Riders: A Case Study of Beijing

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitao Jin ◽  
Fengjun Jin ◽  
He Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Transit ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Urban Transit ◽  
Allocation Policy ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Transit Services ◽  
A Cell

Public transit services should favor space equity, and the concern of this study is how the allocation of public transportation resources corresponds to the needs of transit users. Identifying mismatches between urban transit resources and regular transit users benefits the transportation resource allocation policy. This study introduces a location maximum likelihood estimation method and a cell space collector mechanism to explore distribution differences of regular transit riders and transit stations based on data mining. In Beijing, 5.37 million regular transit users were identified, and their first-morning transit stations were found to be within 2 km from their last transit stations used the day before. As their locations were estimated, differences in ratios of the regular transit riders to residents were found among areas. Most regular transit users were located in the suburban areas of 5–20 km from the center of Beijing, and the spatial distribution of transit stations declined from the center to the peripheral urban areas. This mismatch between public transit services and regular transit riders sheds light on urban transportation policies.

scholarly journals Attitudes of Students Enrolled in the Pedagogical Formation Programs towards the Teaching Profession

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yalcin Ozdemir ◽  
Sabri Gungor
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Education Faculty ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Formation Programs

This study was conducted to examine the attitudes of students enrolled in the pedagogical formation programs in order to become teachers towards the teaching profession. The students either graduated from faculties other than the education faculty or they were still enrolled in undergraduate programs of faculties other than the education faculty. The study group is made up of randomly selected 491 students enrolled in the pedagogical formation programs of Kafkas University and Ömer Halisdemir University during the 2016-2017 academic year between 6 and 15 January, 2017. To collect the study data, “Attitude Scale towards Teaching Profession” was used. Arithmetic mean, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and LSD post hoc tests were conducted in the analysis and interpretation of data. In the study, it was determined that as the ages of students enrolled in the pedagogical formation programs increase, they showed more positive attitudes towards the teaching profession. Females had more positive attitudes than males, graduates more than students, Ömer Halisdemir University students more than Kafkas University students, and students who lived mostly in urban areas more than students who live in rural areas. Furthermore, according to the study results, teaching profession attitudes of students enrolled in pedagogical formation programs differ according to their faculty, mother and father’s education and monthly family income. 

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