scholarly journals Understanding Taxi Drivers’ Multi-day Cruising Patterns

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 467-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Zong ◽  
Xiao Sun ◽  
Huiyong Zhang ◽  
Xiumei Zhu ◽  
Wentian Qi

This study investigates taxi drivers’ multi-day cruising behaviours with GPS data collected in Shenzhen, China. By calculating the inter-daily variability of taxi drivers’ cruising behaviours, the multi-day cruising patterns are investigated. The impacts of learning feature and habitual feature on multi-day cruising behaviours are determined. The results prove that there is variability among taxis’ day-to-day cruising behaviours, and the day-of-week pattern is that taxi drivers tend to cruise a larger area on Friday, and a rather focused area on Monday. The findings also indicate that the impacts of learning feature and habitual feature are more obvious between weekend days than among weekdays. Moreover, learning feature between two sequent weeks is found to be greater than that within one week, while the habitual feature shows recession over time. By revealing taxis' day-to-day cruising pattern and the factors influencing it, the study results provide us with crucial information in predicting taxis' multi-day cruising locations, which can be applied to simulate taxis' multi-day cruising behaviour as well as to determine the traffic volume derived from taxis' cruising behaviour. This can help us in planning of transportation facilities, such as stop stations or parking lots for taxis. Moreover, the findings can be also employed in predicting taxis' adjustments of multi-day cruising locations under the impact of traffic management strategies.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2329
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Macioszek ◽  
Agata Kurek

Continuous, automatic measurements of road traffic volume allow the obtaining of information on daily, weekly or seasonal fluctuations in road traffic volume. They are the basis for calculating the annual average daily traffic volume, obtaining information about the relevant traffic volume, or calculating indicators for converting traffic volume from short-term measurements to average daily traffic volume. The covid-19 pandemic has contributed to extensive social and economic anomalies worldwide. In addition to the health consequences, the impact on travel behavior on the transport network was also sudden, extensive, and unpredictable. Changes in the transport behavior resulted in different values of traffic volume on the road and street network than before. The article presents road traffic volume analysis in the city before and during the restrictions related to covid-19. Selected traffic characteristics were compared for 2019 and 2020. This analysis made it possible to characterize the daily, weekly and annual variability of traffic volume in 2019 and 2020. Moreover, the article attempts to estimate daily traffic patterns at particular stages of the pandemic. These types of patterns were also constructed for the weeks in 2019 corresponding to these stages of the pandemic. Daily traffic volume distributions in 2020 were compared with the corresponding ones in 2019. The obtained results may be useful in terms of planning operational and strategic activities in the field of traffic management in the city and management in subsequent stages of a pandemic or subsequent pandemics.


Author(s):  
Le Huy Hai ◽  
Le Mai Xuan Truc ◽  
Nguyen Quoc Trung

Aim and Objectives: Nowadays, nanomaterials technology is developing very quickly and bringing high economic efficiency for many industries including paint. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of paint properties when replacing TiO2 powder coating with nano TiO2 at different ratios. Materials and Methods: The research method is selecting the traditional alkyd paint formula, then replacing this coating powder TiO2 with nano TiO2 to monitor the properties of the paint film over time. Methods of analyzing the properties of the paint film are based on Vietnam standards. Results: The study results showed that TiO2 coating powder replaced by TiO2 nanomaterials has increased the properties of the paint film, improving the thickness, gloss, and durability of the paint film. Nano TiO2 increases from 0.5% to 24% by weight, the impact increased by about 11% (73 to 82 kg.cm), Glossy 60° increased by about 12%, Glossy 85° increased by about 12%, especially the durability of paint film over time increased nearly double. Nano TiO2 is a more expensive material than TiO2, so it should replace less than 4% by weight to increase the quality of the paint film, this ratio is changed according to the actual equipment requirements. Conclusions: The higher the rate of replacing TiO2 materials with TiO2 nano, the better the properties of the paint film. Therefore, nano-material TiO2 is a good coating in alkyd resin for metal paint, it improves the properties of paint film better than TiO2 material.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 697
Author(s):  
Xiang Gao ◽  
Linying Chen ◽  
Pengfei Chen ◽  
Yu Luo ◽  
Junmin Mou

The transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) has significant impact on traffic capacity of waterways, especially the approach channels shared by LNG carriers and other types of ships (general cargo ships, container ships, etc.). Few studies take the behavioral characteristics of LNG carriers and their impacts into consideration. In this paper, we propose a framework for capacity analysis of shared approach channels based on the spatial–temporal consumption method. It consists of three modules: (1) the tide module predicts the tidal height and tidal time for identifying the time windows for LNG carriers; (2) the spatial–temporal consumption module is introduced to calculate the capacity of approach channels; (3) the LNG carrier navigation module is for analyzing the characteristics of LNG carriers and the impact on the capacity of approach channels. A spatial–temporal indexed chart is designed to visualize the utilization of the spatial–temporal resources. A case study on the approach channel of Yueqing Bay near the east coast of China is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the framework. The utilization rates of the approach channel and the impact of LNG carriers are presented using our method. The results of the case study indicate that the proposed traffic capacity analyzing framework can provide support for making traffic management strategies.


Author(s):  
Zihan Hong ◽  
Hani S. Mahmassani ◽  
Xiang Xu ◽  
Archak Mittal ◽  
Ying Chen ◽  
...  

This paper presents the development, implementation, and evaluation of predictive active transportation and demand management (ATDM) and weather-responsive traffic management (WRTM) strategies to support operations for weather-affected traffic conditions with traffic estimation and prediction system models. First, the problem is defined as a dynamic process of traffic system evolution under the impact of operational conditions and management strategies (interventions). A list of research questions to be addressed is provided. Second, a systematic framework for implementing and evaluating predictive weather-related ATDM strategies is illustrated. The framework consists of an offline model that simulates and evaluates the traffic operations and an online model that predicts traffic conditions and transits information to the offline model to generate or adjust traffic management strategies. Next, the detailed description and the logic design of ATDM and WRTM strategies to be evaluated are proposed. To determine effectiveness, the selection of strategy combination and sensitivity of operational features are assessed with a series of experiments implemented with a locally calibrated network in the Chicago, Illinois, area. The analysis results confirm the models’ ability to replicate observed traffic patterns and to evaluate the system performance across operational conditions. The results confirm the effectiveness of the predictive strategies tested in managing and improving traffic performance under adverse weather conditions. The results also verify that, with the appropriate operational settings and synergistic combination of strategies, weather-related ATDM strategies can generate maximal effectiveness to improve traffic performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S016-S017
Author(s):  
Q Zhang ◽  
L Fachal ◽  
R Shawky ◽  
M Parkes ◽  
C Anderson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) can develop complications including stricturing and penetrating disease [1, 2]. Although reliable baseline predictors of disease progression are urgently needed to inform management strategies, few studies have comprehensively explored the phenotypic and genetic determinants of disease progression in a sufficiently powered cohort. Methods We used data from 13,926 patients with CD in the UK IBD BioResource to investigate the effects of clinical phenotypes and genetics on CD progression. Median follow-up was 10.6 years and total follow-up was 193,033 patient-years. We applied the Montreal classification system to define disease as B1 (inflammatory), B2 (stricturing) and B3 (penetrating). Patients with B2 or B3 disease (N = 5,185) were compared to patients with B1 disease (N = 8,471) in a multivariate model fitted with both phenotype data and a polygenic score that we developed. Associations with q-values (false discovery rate adjusted p-values) less than 0.05 were defined as statistically significant. Results CD progression occurred over time from diagnosis (Figure 1). Consistent with previous findings, we confirmed factors including smoking, disease location and perianal disease were associated with disease progression [3] (Table 1). The impact of a genetic influence on disease progression was confirmed and shown to be independent of genetic effects on disease location [4]. Early prescription of medications showed a protective effect on disease progression: Infliximab, adalimumab and thiopurines significantly reduced the chance of B2/B3 progression when prescribed within two years of diagnosis. Additionally, we observed a decreased progression to B2/B3 disease in patients diagnosed recently (between 2012–2020) compared to those diagnosed before 2012. This finding persisted after conditioning on exposure to biologics and correcting for follow-up time and interval to first thiopurine prescription, and thus may be indicative of other improvements in standards of care in recent years. Conclusion Using a large, well-characterised cohort we confirm the importance of disease location, smoking status and genetics on disease progression. We highlight the positive impact of early medication prescription on disease progression and discover an independent signal relating to potential improvements in the standard of care in CD over time. These results create the framework for reliable predictors of CD progression that may better guide future CD management strategies. References


Author(s):  
Gail Mores ◽  
Rhonda McNicoll Whiteman ◽  
Jenny Ploeg ◽  
Patricia Knobl ◽  
Miriam Cahn ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground:Caregivers are often unprepared and overwhelmed with the responsibilities of providing care to stroke survivors, which can lead to negative physical and psychological effects.Purpose:To evaluate the impact of the Family Informal Caregiver Stroke Self-Management (FICSS) program on burden and life changes resulting from providing care among family caregivers of stroke survivors.Methods:A prospective pre-test and post-test design using quantitative and qualitative data was used to evaluate the program with a convenience sample of 42 caregivers. The four-module facilitated program consisted of small group-guided discussion. Quantitative evaluations were completed at baseline, 2 weeks and 6 months (post-intervention), and qualitative data were collected at 2 weeks and 6 months. Life changes and burden were measured using the Bakas Caregiving Outcome Scale (BCOS) and the Oberst Caregiving Burden Scale (OCBS), respectively.Results:The BCOS scores increased consistently over time, showing significant differences at 6 months compared with 2 weeks (mean difference: 5.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.30-10.28,p=0.04) and baseline (mean difference: 7.58, 95% CI: 2.92-12.23,p=0.001). The OCBS time scores decreased consistently over time, showing a significant difference at 6 months compared with baseline (mean difference: −5.20, 95% CI: −0.96 to −9.44,p=0.02). The OCBS difficulty scores fluctuated over time, resulting in no overall difference from baseline to 6 months. Qualitative themes were consistent with the positive quantitative findings.Conclusion:Study results suggest that the FICSS program may result in reduced caregiver burden and improved life changes resulting from providing care.


Author(s):  
Cecilia Kadeha ◽  
Priyanka Alluri ◽  
Thobias Sando

Traffic congestion is one of the major problems facing transportation agencies, especially in urban areas. Agencies are exploring ways to use the existing transportation infrastructure efficiently by deploying appropriate traffic management strategies. One of these strategies is the use of express lanes, which are expected to effectively mitigate congestion and increase the reliability of highway facilities. Express lanes are managed toll lanes, separated from general-purpose lanes within a freeway facility. The goal of this study was to quantify the mobility benefits of express lanes by comparing the performance of express lanes with that of their adjacent general-purpose lanes, and by assessing the performance of the general-purpose lanes when the express lanes were open versus when the express lanes were closed. The Buffer Index (BI), a travel time reliability measure, was selected as the performance measure. The analysis was based on 95Express, express lanes along I-95 in Miami, Florida. Overall, the results indicated that BIs for the express lanes were significantly lower than the BIs for the general-purpose lanes, and the BIs for the general-purpose lanes were significantly lower when the express lanes were open compared with the periods when the express lanes were closed. The study results showed mobility improvements on both the express lanes and the general-purpose lanes, although the extent of the improvements varied by direction (i.e., northbound and southbound) and time of day (i.e., a.m. peak, p.m. peak, daytime off-peak, and nighttime off-peak). Transportation agencies may use these findings to quantify and evaluate the mobility benefits of the express lanes and the general-purpose lanes on express lane facilities.


Author(s):  
Sawanpreet Singh Dhaliwal ◽  
Xinkai Wu ◽  
John Thai ◽  
Xudong Jia

A number of studies in the past quantified the effect of rain on traffic parameters but were limited to wet areas. This research expands the literature by studying the effect of rain in a dry area such as Southern California and considering regional differences in the impact. Traffic data (loop detectors) and precipitation data (rain gauges) from the Los Angeles, California, metropolitan area were analyzed to access the effect of rain on traffic stream parameters such as free-flow speed, speed at capacity, and capacity. Rainfall events were categorized as light, medium, and heavy as discussed in the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual. Density plots and fundamental diagrams for rain types proved that free-flow speed, speed at capacity, and capacity were reduced by 5.7%, 6.91%, and 8.65%, respectively, for light rain; 11.71%, 12.34%, and 17.4%, respectively, for medium rain; and 10.22%, 11.85%, and 15.34%, respectively, for heavy rain. The reductions for free-flow speed were lower, whereas for speed at capacity and for capacity, they were higher than those reported in the 2010 manual. Moreover, headway increased during rain; this finding shows cautious driving behavior. Multiplicative weather adjustment factors were computed to compensate for the loss of speed and capacity. Also demonstrated was the spatial and temporal effect of rain on traffic. Downstream traffic was not much affected by a rainfall event, whereas the upstream traffic was negatively affected. This study is expected to support weather-responsive traffic management strategies for dry areas.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Cools ◽  
Elke Moons ◽  
Geert Wets

Abstract This paper focuses on the effect of weather conditions on daily traffic intensities (the number of cars passing a specific segment of a road). The main objective is to examination whether or not weather conditions uniformly alter daily traffic intensities in Belgium, or in other words whether or not road usage on a particular location determines the size of the impacts of various weather conditions. This general examination is a contribution that allows policymakers to assess the appropriateness of countrywide versus local traffic management strategies. In addition, a secondary goal of this paper is to validate findings in international literature within a Belgian context. To achieve these goals, the paper analyzes the effects of weather conditions on both upstream (toward a specific location) and downstream (away from a specific location) traffic intensities at three traffic count locations typified by a different road usage. Perhaps the most interesting results of this study for policymakers are the heterogeneity of the weather effects between different traffic count locations, and the homogeneity of the weather effects on upstream and downstream traffic at specific locations. The results also indicate that snowfall, rainfall, and wind speed diminish traffic intensity, and high temperatures increase traffic intensity. Further generalizations of the findings might be possible by studying weather impacts on local roads and by shifting the focus of research toward travel behavior.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document