Like many mega cities in developing countries, commuters in Bangkok face problems of insufficient public transport under control of the government. Thus, passenger vans play important roles in providing alternative to serve these commuters. Conventional bus operators considered that the passenger vans were competitors to take the passengers. The government claimed that this competition caused lower revenue for the bus operators. Therefore, the government enforced regulations of maximum price and entry for the passengers vans. But market structure between the passenger vans and conventional buses is unclear. For evaluating the effect of these regulations, the study aimed to identify the market structure of public transport for commuters between the passenger vans and conventional buses using the northern corridor of Bangkok as a case study area. Oligopoly markets with implications of product differentiation and collusion were discovered from results of case study surveys. Deregulation of entry and price was recommended.

View full abstract

For years, urban development in Southeast Asian cities like Bangkok in Thailand and Metro Manila in the Philippines has resulted in serious traffic problems. To cope with this situation, the formal Traffic impact assessment (TIA) was recently started. This paper aims to explain the current TIA applications in these two cities and compare their strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, obstacles are discussed together with possible remedies. We have classified the obstacles into four issues, namely institutionalization and legislation, unavailability of standard process, lack of knowledge, and budget limitation. Pragmatic examples are elucidated to provide clear perceptions. The study proposes two strategic points, concerned players and implementation stages. Five players, including governments, developers, consultants, academic persons, and community, should be encouraged to fulfill significant roles in three stages: promotion for the necessity, formulation, and evaluation processes. Ultimately, it is expected to be a case study to learn how to effectively set up TIA.

View full abstract

After Hanshin-Awaji huge earthquake disaster in 1994, it has been important for urban disaster prevention to build a comprehensive evacuation program of a large earthquake occurrence. In this program, it is substantial to observe human behavior for the evacuation time. Thus, we should introduce a new methodology based on behavior-oriented agent system, that is, a multi-agent model. In this study, first of all, the production rules of the attributive groups were constructed on basis of the questionnaire survey for the inhabitants. Next, using the set of production rules, we developed a multi-agent system model for evacuation. An agent in this study is a person that can perceive its environment through sensors and decide the activity through effectors. We simulate multi-agent system in a district in Kushiro City of Hokkaido, Japan. Finally, we concluded to build the reproduction of the human traffic behaviors and their interactions during earthquake impact and to be simulated multi-agent model including seven agent groups obtained the results of questionnaire survey.

View full abstract

The optimal shelter locations for the flood evacuation planning are studied in this paper. We assume that the authority can control the traffic in certain part of the network while the evacuees choose which shelter to go and by which route. The shelter location problem is posed as a Stackelberg game, consisting of the leader (authority) determining the shelter locations to minimize the total evacuation time and the follower (evacuees) choosing the destination (shelter) and route to evacuate. The problem is formulated as a bi-level programming. The upper level problem is a location problem that models the authority's decision. A combined distribution and assignment (CDA) model is proposed to model the evacuees' decision as the lower level problem. In this study, the bi-level programming problem is solved using genetic algorithm. Numerical example with a real world network is given to demonstrate the application of the proposed model.

View full abstract

After a severe earthquake, the roadway systems usually will get different levels of damage, and thus the capacity of those roadways will be reduced, which will cause the traffic congestion. How to maintain traffic functions reasonably to facilitate saving more lives will be the utmost mission task after quakes. This paper aims at providing appropriate traffic control strategies in response to various situations occurred in earthquake disaster areas. The study proposes a fuzzy multi-objective programming to represent the real situations and generate corresponding traffic control strategies. The strategies are expected to guide the emergency vehicles and control other disturbing traffic flows in/out the disaster areas. The objective of the model is to allow as many non-rescue vehicles to enter the disaster areas as possible based on two conditions: do not delay the moving of rescue vehicles and do not exceed the left available roadway capacity. Since the decision process of this traffic control problem is similar to the static two people Stackelberg game (regulators and road users), it is formulated as a bi-level fuzzy multi-objective optimization model. To prove the feasibility, this paper has conducted a numerical case study using a small sample data from the earthquake-raided areas. To solve the model efficiently, the fuzzy set theory been applied to solve the model. A numerical example shows that this study can create an effective way to implement traffic regulation during earthquake disaster.

View full abstract

In this research, we formulate the emergency evacuation and rescue network reconstruction problem as a bi-level programming network design model. The upper level problem is a decision of minimized system cost under limited resources. The lower level problem is one of the constraints for the upper level problem that considers users equilibrium route choice behaviors. We also consider the multi-class users' route choice behaviors in the lower level problem. In solving the problem, the variational inequality sensitivity analysis method, generalized inverse matrix method, diagonalization method, and gradient projection method are adopted to develop the solution algorithms for the bi-level model. The numerical test results indicated that the Stackelberg equilibrium solution of the emergency evacuation and rescue network reconstruction for natural disasters bi-level programming model do exist. More significantly, the optimal network reconstruction planning, disaster victim emergency evacuation and rescue route planning under multi-class user route choice conditions can be achieved.

View full abstract

Transportation network interruption seriously influences not only passenger transport but freight transport as well. Further, It adversely affects regional economic activitiy. Because among the adverse effects of transportation network interruption, regression of regional economy due to freight traffic decrease is most serious, the authors aimed to develop a method for measuring the amount of economic impacts caused by transportation network interruption. We created a method to calculate the amount of economic impacts by using an inter-regional input/output table. The developed method was applied to an actual case in Hokkaido, the interruption of rail freight transportation caused by Mt. Usu eruption. As a result of the calculation, the total damages in Hokkaido area were estimated to be 78 billion yens including those resulting from the ripple effects. The damages for agriculture and food industries were more serious than those for other fields.

View full abstract

This study has adopted a historical approach in tracing urban development of selected urban centers in Asian cities: Makati City, and Cebu City, Philippines; Taipei City, Taiwan; and Bangkok, Thailand. The study selects the certain time periods of each study area where rapid or intensive urban development was experienced. Focusing on the dynamic movements of the major urban areas, the study seeks factors which are necessary for and effective on the urban development in the Asian context. Through the study, followings were found out: i) transportation infrastructure development was basically the leading factor of the development where comprehensive planning system was existed; ii) “autocratic” planning system is also applicable approach to improve the planning system and functions of transportation infrastructure in urban development, and iii) initiatives of private sector in urban development enhance the output of investment as well as lighten the load of national and local government. (148)

View full abstract

The Western-influenced street design concepts have failed to address problems uniquely experienced within Asian streets. This results in unsound solutions and overshadows the need to conserve our unique heritage. To achieve a sustainability-oriented mobility culture requires the revival of the Asian street culture based on the premise that the present space utilization is a consequence of and reflects the underlying pedestrian culture of the past. The discussion centers on street space development in two Asian cities, namely: Edo period Tokyo, under seclusion policy, and Manila, a colonial city. The study draws on the historical survey of urban spaces, visual analysis of pictorial representations and analysis of existing literature. The discourse will focus on the major planning instruments, urban open space morphogenesis; pedestrian and street culture; and the emergent spaces, both movement and non-movement. Finally, it will provide initial recommendations on how to improve sidewalk space and contribute towards an Asian perspective in pedestrian transport studies.

View full abstract

To identify travel patterns and examine their influential factors in the context of developing countries, this paper first develops a hybrid model, which consists of a data mining approach (Exhaustive CHAID), an aggregate logit model and a structural equation model. Data mining approach is used to systematically identify travel patterns. Aggregate logit model is used to describe the zonal shares of travel patterns, reflecting the stochastic characteristics of travel pattern choices. Structural equation model is adopted to represent not only the correlated structure of unobserved factors related to choice of travel patterns, but also the influence of complex cause-effect relationships in a much more sophisticatedly statistical and practical way. The effectiveness of the proposed hybrid model is then examined using person-trip data from 10 developing cities collected by JICA. Furthermore, a comparative analysis is conducted in order to explore the similarities and differences among travel patterns in different cities.

View full abstract

There exist various factors influencing the sustainability of urban development. This paper attempts to establish a simplified dynamic structural equation model in order to capture complex cause-effect relationships existing in the measurement of sustainability over time, considering data availability in developing countries. Dynamic evaluation is realized by introducing the concept of state dependence and latent variables are introduced to represent indicators of urban sustainability, i.e., transportation, land use and energy consumption in this study. Then, an extensive set of land use, transportation and energy data, collected from 46 cities in developed and developing countries at three different points in time (1970, 80 and 90), is adopted. Model estimation results suggest the validity of the resultant model. Moreover, it is also confirmed that transport supply policies supporting economic activities were the main factors determining energy consumptions.

View full abstract

On the basis of analyzing the characteristic of people flow in the venue, this paper discussed the evacuation model of people flow in the venue and divided the evacuation of people flow into three stages: leaving the venue, walking from the venue exit to the bus station and being evacuated by means of transportation at the bus station. This paper studied the characteristics of evacuation of every stage, and designed the corresponding model of evacuation. Finally, this paper analyzed, and calculated emphatically the time needed for the first course of evacuation. The studying conclusion can offer certain reference for the evacuation of people flow in the venue during the Olympic Games in a safe, fast, and orderly way.

View full abstract

Railway stations are viewed, as a part of Railway Landscape (RL)—a railway infrastructure considered in terms of visual amenity and functional efficiency. Perception of RL and its deterioration in Japan are discussed, with focus on railway stations that became to uniform and rationalized, with too many commercial advertisements, and their comparison with European ones. The purpose of the comparison is to identify problems of Japanese stations, and find out what lies behind a successful design of many European ones. The paper describes the objectives of “Station Renaissance” - a rediscovering railways trend that was initiated by railway operators in Europe - and indicates different approaches in Europe and Japan. “Context Sensitive Design” (CSD) is introduced, as a new comprehensive method of transportation planning and design, which among other considerations includes aesthetics of transportation infrastructure. It is suggested, that while CSD in USA and much the same concepts in Europe generally refer to planning and design of highways, similar concept—“Context Sensitive Design for Railways” (CSDR) - can be applied for railways. The paper concludes that CSDR approach can successfully improve aesthetics of Japanese stations.

View full abstract

Recently, the conflicts between infrastructure development and preservation of social environment such as cultural heritage are increasing. To solve this problem, public forums are necessary. However, it is almost never possible to listen to all public opinions and recommendations. One of the techniques to settle issue in forum is a social survey with a questionnaire on neutral ground. This paper aims to make discussion easier by quantitatively analyzing people's views when in conflict, and determining how to effectively quantify them by focusing on developing a process to mitigate conflict among the Mugishima Castle Evaluation Committee (MCEC) members. To study this matter, two types of questionnaires were carried out. The first questionnaire is about valuing cultural heritages and discontent for infrastructure delay using contingent valuation method (CVM). The second questionnaire aims to examine the effective of committee participation and CVM questionnaire among committee members.

View full abstract