In order to evaluate the economic impacts of sets of interdependent major interregional infrastructure investments, such as transportation, as welll as to allow calibration to data at the regional level, a framework for a probabilistic Spatial Computable General Equilibrium (SCGE) model is introduced. Firstly, the foundations of a probabilistic approach to spatial planning using aggregate data are described. Then, a short-run probabilistic spatial supply model for analysis of multi-sectoral regional production and interregional trade is presented, followed by a sketch of a companion model of spatial household demand. Finally, the short-run spatial supply and demand models are embedded in a long-run sequential dynamic framework, potentially allowing the timing, location and scope of sets of large infrastructure inventments to be better coordinated.

View full abstract

This paper addresses the need of researches for transportation planning of the elderly and the disabled, and reviews the principle features of there researches in Japan. The prospect of future study problems are also reviewed.

View full abstract

Rate of peoples who have physical difficalty when they use transport are surveyed. Relation of transport difficulty, age and their mobility is analyzed to make comprehension of diabled person's mobility and elderly's one. Theoretical analysis are checked by the data on mobility in Habikino City. Hayashi's quantification technique is used to analyze those relationship. Mobility of them are explained by difficulty and personal attributes.

View full abstract

Public transport service is poor for the elderly in Japan. Therefore this study aims to examine basic issues of special bus service planning. The first is to clarify the travel behavior of elderly people and point out transportation problems. The second is to classify the elderly from a point of view of mobility. The third is to estimate ceefficients of generalized time and the value of time in order to build the generalized time model of elderly people.

View full abstract

This paper aims to define the Special Transport Service (ST service) for the Elderly and the Disabled (E & D), and to discuss its planning theory, role in public transport and its implementing planning process.
First, to understand how far conventional transport serves the E & D mobility, the relation among ST service, taxi, and mass transit is described. Secondly, what level of service is required? To whom must ST service be provided? Thirdly, the details of ST service organization, scheduling, process of system are given. Finally, the problem and future scope of ST service in Japan are proposed.

View full abstract

In recent years, traffic accidents that elderly drivers could not adapt the rapid change of the traffic environment are rapidly increasing. The purpose of this study is to make clear problems of driving circumstance for elderly drivers by means of AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process). Values of the weight for safety facility, vehicle and road factors which consists of driving circumstance are calculated. However driving ability is extremely different among elderly drivers. This study also aims to make clear the relationship between the amount of information through eyesight and driving attitude or driving ability of the elderly. The analysis was conducted into distribution of eyemarks and kinds and time of attended sight. Also the driving aptitude test “CRT-test” was conducted. Some relationships were obtained on elderly and non-elderly drivers.

View full abstract

In Japan, the population of elderly persons has been increasing, and following this, the number of persons with disabilities is increasing. On the other hand, expressway has been gradually expanded and been one of important facilities for elderly travellers. So, it has been expected that expressway facilities become accessible for travellers with disabilities.
This paper describes services and functions of expressway rest areas focusing on present physical conditions, which include problems, and facility improvement planning.
First, we survey physical conditions of expressway rest areas, for example, some physical objects specially designed for users with disabilities-parking lots, toilets, slope and signs-, the surface of walking space, the boundary of facilities and the distance between facilities. Using the results of survey, we build the data base of rest areas and classify them into six groups through correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. The groups are classified by the scale and accessibility of rest areas, and they show the direction of improvement. And, we propose facility improvement plans based on all of the results and verify their efficiency and feasibility.

View full abstract

The results of GPS surveying are represented in terms of the WGS-84 coordinates which are different from the coordinate adopted in an ordinary surveying. Thus, when applying the GPS for a control survey, one of the most difficult issue is how to relate the results of GPS surveying to the ones represented in the ordinary coordinate system. In this paper, to overcome this difficulties, a coordinate transformation method has been proposed, which can convert the GPS surveying results represented as WGS-84 coordinate into the Tokyo Datum.

View full abstract

This paper presents a formulation and solution procedure for a model which combines residential-location into a combined modal split and assignment model. Main focus is put on how to determine zonal populations endogenously and two models derived from the proposed combined model are presented. The combined land-use and transportation equilibrium model presented here is then applied to Gifu city and its characteristics and validation are examined. The model is enable us to predict the impacts of transportation facilities, the changes in transit fares, etc. on residential location choice, and also the impacts of changes in residential location or employment location associated with supply of housing, new location of firms on the use and performance of transportation systems.

View full abstract

Benefits of water quality improvement in eutrophicated Osaka Bay should be judged in terms of environmental values. In this study, the authors quantify TEV (Total Economic Value) of water quality improvement that is based on citizens' willingness-to-pay shown by questionnaire. The citizens which expect water quality improvement in the future, express their high valuation of water-related environmental amenity. Non-user benefits, which is constituted of option value, bequest value, vicarious value and existence value, is four times as large as user benefits. Therefore, non-user benefits should be added to user benefits in TEV. The estimated TEV of environmental services of bay water is about 500 million dollars per year in the osaka bay area, which corresponds to 0.11% of the annual gross domestic product in metropolitan Osaka with 17 million population.

View full abstract

The conjoint analysis are studied in the marketing sience mainly, which applied to analyzing the consumer's senses in the actual purchase action. In this paper, we deal with the conjoint analysis, and described the some problems to apply the infrastructure planning fields. The results are summarized as follows; (1) we showed that the conjoint analysis is effective method for the individual decision making model. (2) stepwise decision making was modeled based on the prominense hypothesis. (3) we presented the method for translating the qualitative data to the quantitive data using AHP method.

View full abstract

Because environmental resouces of the park are not directly trade in the market, it has been traditionally considered difficult toquantify non-market values, that is, benefits derived from the improvement of environmental quality of the park. In this study, a new non-market valuation method is proposed, where a benefit measurement model for the park improvement works is constructed within the framwork of partial equilibrium by defining the benefits by the equivalent valuation in the utility theory and defining the travel cost of access to the park as the price level. needed by people in order to give up or accept the improvement. The practicality of this method is shown through a case study.

View full abstract