Vol 4 No 4 (2004)
Vol 4 No 4 (2004)
Articles
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Seaports serve hinterlands. Various inland modes such as road, rail, inland waterways and pipeline are used to access the hinterland. The quality of the access to and from the hinterland differs between seaports and affects their competitiveness.
The quality of the hinterland access depends among others on the behaviour of a large variety of actors, such as shipping lines, terminal operators, forwarders, the port authority and the national/regional government. Therefore, effective hinterland access is at least partially an organisational challenge. Together these actors create a ‘hinterland access regime’. The analysis of this regime is central in this paper.
First, the relevance of hinterland access for seaports is briefly discussed. Second, the term ‘hinterland access regime’ is defined and the theoretical framework presented in De Langen (2004) is used to analyse the quality of the hinterland access regime. Third, survey results on the quality of the hinterland access regime in three seaport clusters, Rotterdam, Durban and the Lower Mississippi Port Cluster (LMPC) are discussed. This analysis shows major differences between hinterland access regimes. Fourth, opportunities to improve the hinterland access regime in these three ports are discussed.
Seaports serve hinterlands. Various inland modes such as road, rail, inland waterways and pipeline are used to access the hinterland. The quality of the access to and from the hinterland differs between seaports and affects their competitiveness.
The quality of the hinterland access depends among others on the behaviour of a large variety of actors, such as shipping lines, terminal operators, forwarders, the port authority and the national/regional government. Therefore, effective hinterland access is at least partially an organisational challenge. Together these actors create a ‘hinterland access regime’. The analysis of this regime is central in this paper.
First, the relevance of hinterland access for seaports is briefly discussed. Second, the term ‘hinterland access regime’ is defined and the theoretical framework presented in De Langen (2004) is used to analyse the quality of the hinterland access regime. Third,...
Seaports serve hinterlands. Various inland modes such as road, rail, inland waterways and pipeline are used to access the hinterland. The quality of the access to and from the hinterland differs between seaports and affects their competitiveness.
The quality of the hinterland...
Peter W. de Langen, Ariane Chouly -
This paper reports on a research project that aimed to identify and assess measures which could be used to reduce travel demand while maintaining economic growth and enhancing environmental quality. The research methodology involved a detailed review of past research; contact with over 600 experts from around Europe and elsewhere for ideas on potential measures; detailed questionnaires from over 100 of these experts; and a series of three panel sessions held in different parts of Europe, each of which involved around 16 experts debating the merits of different measures and identifying case study evidence of their effectiveness. The end result was a shortlist of 13 measures, indicative of broad types, which are considered to be effective, and an indication of their effectiveness if applied across the European Union.
Seven illustrative measures are discussed which stand out from the results as having proven potential (though not necessarily at a European scale) to influence transport intensity and/or unit environmental load whilst not having large detrimental effects on GDP. These are the areas where it is felt that European transport policy could most usefully be focussed in terms of decoupling of transport demand and economic growth.
This paper reports on a research project that aimed to identify and assess measures which could be used to reduce travel demand while maintaining economic growth and enhancing environmental quality. The research methodology involved a detailed review of past research; contact with over 600 experts from around Europe and elsewhere for ideas on potential measures; detailed questionnaires from over 100 of these experts; and a series of three panel sessions held in different parts of Europe, each of which involved around 16 experts debating the merits of different measures and identifying case study evidence of their effectiveness. The end result was a shortlist of 13 measures, indicative of broad types, which are considered to be effective, and an indication of their effectiveness if applied across the European Union.
Seven illustrative measures are discussed which stand out from the results as having proven potential (though...
This paper reports on a research project that aimed to identify and assess measures which could be used to reduce travel demand while maintaining economic growth and enhancing environmental quality. The research methodology involved a detailed review of past research; contact...
M.R. Tight, Paolo Delle Site, Olaf Meyer-Rühle -
A system allowing data to be exchanged between two successive trains in a tunnel, while simultaneously measuring the distance between them, would help to optimize train traffic in very long tunnels, without lowering safety standards. A study including both theoretical and experimental phases was conducted to design and optimize such a system and focused on the Channel Tunnel, between France and England, where a minimum range of 5 km is necessary for operational use. A prototype, operating at 2.45 GHz and based on this new concept, produced successful results. Given that this technique would also be useful in any underground rail system, particularly those that are automated, the prototype was also tested on subway lines, in Lille and Paris.
A system allowing data to be exchanged between two successive trains in a tunnel, while simultaneously measuring the distance between them, would help to optimize train traffic in very long tunnels, without lowering safety standards. A study including both theoretical and experimental phases was conducted to design and optimize such a system and focused on the Channel Tunnel, between France and England, where a minimum range of 5 km is necessary for operational use. A prototype, operating at 2.45 GHz and based on this new concept, produced successful results. Given that this technique would also be useful in any underground rail system, particularly those that are automated, the prototype was also tested on subway lines, in Lille and Paris.
A system allowing data to be exchanged between two successive trains in a tunnel, while simultaneously measuring the distance between them, would help to optimize train traffic in very long tunnels, without lowering safety standards. A study including both theoretical...
Martine Lienard, Pierre Degauque, Pierre Laly -
In the UK, the Highways Agency has been investigating the use of Graphical Congestion Display Panels (GCDPs) to display real-time congestion and journey time information relevant to drivers on sections of the trunk road network. A GCDP can potentially display a greater detail of traffic information than traditional Variable Message Signs (VMS). The research described in this paper has investigated driver comprehension of information that may be contained in such signs with a view to establishing prototype design guidelines. A key objective of this concept study was to design and undertake laboratory research to examine whether the content of traffic information messages displayed by the GCDPs could be readily understood, by using a simple driving simulator as a subject workload task.
Sixty subjects participated in the simulator-based study and twenty sign designs were tested, with each sign classified as belonging to one of several different generic types with the best signs recommended to be taken forward for further research and testing. Two methods of measurement were used: verbal responses of the subjects to questions whilst driving the simulator and a written questionnaire after the experiment to record more detailed opinions. Although no single best sign design was identified, the research found that some sign design types were clearly more successful than others.
In the UK, the Highways Agency has been investigating the use of Graphical Congestion Display Panels (GCDPs) to display real-time congestion and journey time information relevant to drivers on sections of the trunk road network. A GCDP can potentially display a greater detail of traffic information than traditional Variable Message Signs (VMS). The research described in this paper has investigated driver comprehension of information that may be contained in such signs with a view to establishing prototype design guidelines. A key objective of this concept study was to design and undertake laboratory research to examine whether the content of traffic information messages displayed by the GCDPs could be readily understood, by using a simple driving simulator as a subject workload task.
Sixty subjects participated in the simulator-based study and twenty sign designs were tested, with each sign classified as belonging to one of...
In the UK, the Highways Agency has been investigating the use of Graphical Congestion Display Panels (GCDPs) to display real-time congestion and journey time information relevant to drivers on sections of the trunk road network. A GCDP can potentially display a greater detail of...
Andy Richards, Mike McDonald, Granville Fisher, Mark Brackstone -
Urban transport systems are critical elements of the urban fabric. They ensure that people have access to goods, services, employment and recreation opportunities, that freight circulates efficiently and they enable local economies to flourish. However, if the high density of buildings is the first defining characteristic of towns and cities, then high volumes of traffic is now the second. Traffic has significant impacts on the environment and on the health of urban citizens, as well as on the overall quality of life in towns. Rising congestion levels are hampering mobility, with increasing costs for the economy (0.5% of Community GDP for road traffic congestion, rising to 1% by 2010).
Urban transport systems are critical elements of the urban fabric. They ensure that people have access to goods, services, employment and recreation opportunities, that freight circulates efficiently and they enable local economies to flourish. However, if the high density of buildings is the first defining characteristic of towns and cities, then high volumes of traffic is now the second. Traffic has significant impacts on the environment and on the health of urban citizens, as well as on the overall quality of life in towns. Rising congestion levels are hampering mobility, with increasing costs for the economy (0.5% of Community GDP for road traffic congestion, rising to 1% by 2010).
Urban transport systems are critical elements of the urban fabric. They ensure that people have access to goods, services, employment and recreation opportunities, that freight circulates efficiently and they enable local economies to flourish. However, if the high density of...
Dominic Stead -
Transport planning has become one of the more complex challenges in our western regions. The tremendous increase in motorised transport in the past decades has had enormous impacts on urban and regional development, social and economic opportunities, environmental quality and technological innovations. Where half a century ago we expected mainly positive impacts of these developments and planned for accommodating them, since about 30 years we are more and more seeking strategies for balancing the advantages with the ever increasing negative impacts. To be mentioned are congestion, traffic accidents, fuel consumption, emissions, noise production, land use, and so on. The process of seeking the right balance is not a smooth one, but a battle based on a lack of knowledge and intervention means, with uncertainty, with unexpected impacts of policy measures, with locked-in behaviour of individuals and firms, with beliefs and changing policy values. In short: transport planning is an ongoing process of often trial- and error based attempts to find the best long term transport management concept for all of us within a dynamic context of rapidly changing conditions. Professionals involved in this battle, often experiencing the failure or only partly success of some policy measure, sometimes start fundamentally doubting whether traffic problems can be tackled by analytical approaches. Such doubts give space to a more normative view, that however has the danger to end in an individual belief.
Transport planning has become one of the more complex challenges in our western regions. The tremendous increase in motorised transport in the past decades has had enormous impacts on urban and regional development, social and economic opportunities, environmental quality and technological innovations. Where half a century ago we expected mainly positive impacts of these developments and planned for accommodating them, since about 30 years we are more and more seeking strategies for balancing the advantages with the ever increasing negative impacts. To be mentioned are congestion, traffic accidents, fuel consumption, emissions, noise production, land use, and so on. The process of seeking the right balance is not a smooth one, but a battle based on a lack of knowledge and intervention means, with uncertainty, with unexpected impacts of policy measures, with locked-in behaviour of individuals and firms, with beliefs and...
Transport planning has become one of the more complex challenges in our western regions. The tremendous increase in motorised transport in the past decades has had enormous impacts on urban and regional development, social and economic opportunities, environmental quality and...
Rob E.C.M. van der Heijden -
What effect does a road safety measure have on the number of casualties, what are the costs, and are there any side effects to be mentioned? The Norwegian researchers Rune Elvik and Truls Vaa have tried to answer these elementary questions. They have done this in a handbook of more than 1000 pages. The authors themselves have admitted that "handbook" is not really the right name, because in a handbook you expect to find instructions or advices about how to draw up and implement the best road safety measures. The authors admit that an encyclopaedia or catalogue is a more accurate name.
What effect does a road safety measure have on the number of casualties, what are the costs, and are there any side effects to be mentioned? The Norwegian researchers Rune Elvik and Truls Vaa have tried to answer these elementary questions. They have done this in a handbook of more than 1000 pages. The authors themselves have admitted that "handbook" is not really the right name, because in a handbook you expect to find instructions or advices about how to draw up and implement the best road safety measures. The authors admit that an encyclopaedia or catalogue is a more accurate name.
What effect does a road safety measure have on the number of casualties, what are the costs, and are there any side effects to be mentioned? The Norwegian researchers Rune Elvik and Truls Vaa have tried to answer these elementary questions. They have done this in a handbook of...
Fred Wegman