ABSTRACT
Since the second half of the twentieth century, maritime transport has been characterized by specific dynamics. There has been an unprecedented growth of freight flows, in a context of decolonization, rapid globalization (second wave), and rise of emerging countries through production delocalization. Ports are key players in the global supply chain, as critical nodes at the interface between land and sea. However, disruptions of all kinds can have important repercussions on this supply chain. Maritime networks have reached a high level of optimality and concentration, but also of vulnerability, as global shipping circulations depend more and more on a handful of major hubs. The aim of this paper is to test the network impacts of the global financial crisis (2008-2009), which caused the collapse of the world demand for goods and significant decreases in GDP and maritime traffic volumes, in order to correlate them with those of the COVID-19 pandemic. Historical, daily data on containership movements allow us to trace such impacts with precision, in order to study port traffic dynamics, network topology, and geographical variations. Methods are borrowed from the field of graph theory and complex networks. This analysis contributes to the literature on network criticalities in general, while it also discusses the capacity of ports and maritime networks to recover from a major shock. © 2023 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.
ABSTRACT
Travel choices in terms of means of transport and frequencies have changed during the recent pandemic period due to mobility restrictions, the growing fear of contagion and, especially in some months, the reduction of public transport capacity during the phases of the pandemic (especially for low demand areas). These trends must be analysed in order to optimize the implementation of possible complementary solutions to fill the deficit of local public transport (TPL) by introducing for example the Demand Responsive Transport services (DRT). A preliminary analysis is useful to identify the most efficient, effective and sustainable solutions in the various contexts, taking into account users and their motivation to travel. A growing need for "on-demand" mobility is linked to the increase in the number of elderly and disabled people. With a lack of alternative services and a reluctance to bear the burden and cost of ownership of vehicles, transport infrastructure will be particularly important to this aging population. Therefore, the improvement of transport services must consider some main characteristics of this modal choice are: being user-oriented;guarantee the accessibility of the service via the web, on specific platforms available on fixed and mobile devices and also enjoy the versatility of use with reference to the areas and users to be served. The present work, therefore, focuses on an evaluation of the literature, defining the main characteristics of DRT in Europe over the last twenty years. The results lay the foundations for a better planning of the service in the post-pandemic phase and a diffusion of bottom-up approaches for the calibration of the service itself through the dissemination of survey campaigns. © 2023 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.
ABSTRACT
Since the second half of the twentieth century, maritime transport has been characterized by specific dynamics. There has been an unprecedented growth of freight flows, in a context of decolonization, rapid globalization (second wave), and rise of emerging countries through production delocalization. Ports are key players in the global supply chain, as critical nodes at the interface between land and sea. However, disruptions of all kinds can have important repercussions on this supply chain. Maritime networks have reached a high level of optimality and concentration, but also of vulnerability, as global shipping circulations depend more and more on a handful of major hubs. The aim of this paper is to test the network impacts of the global financial crisis (2008-2009), which caused the collapse of the world demand for goods and significant decreases in GDP and maritime traffic volumes, in order to correlate them with those of the COVID-19 pandemic. Historical, daily data on containership movements allow us to trace such impacts with precision, in order to study port traffic dynamics, network topology, and geographical variations. Methods are borrowed from the field of graph theory and complex networks. This analysis contributes to the literature on network criticalities in general, while it also discusses the capacity of ports and maritime networks to recover from a major shock. © 2023 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.
ABSTRACT
Travel choices in terms of means of transport and frequencies have changed during the recent pandemic period due to mobility restrictions, the growing fear of contagion and, especially in some months, the reduction of public transport capacity during the phases of the pandemic (especially for low demand areas). These trends must be analysed in order to optimize the implementation of possible complementary solutions to fill the deficit of local public transport (TPL) by introducing for example the Demand Responsive Transport services (DRT). A preliminary analysis is useful to identify the most efficient, effective and sustainable solutions in the various contexts, taking into account users and their motivation to travel. A growing need for "on-demand" mobility is linked to the increase in the number of elderly and disabled people. With a lack of alternative services and a reluctance to bear the burden and cost of ownership of vehicles, transport infrastructure will be particularly important to this aging population. Therefore, the improvement of transport services must consider some main characteristics of this modal choice are: being user-oriented;guarantee the accessibility of the service via the web, on specific platforms available on fixed and mobile devices and also enjoy the versatility of use with reference to the areas and users to be served. The present work, therefore, focuses on an evaluation of the literature, defining the main characteristics of DRT in Europe over the last twenty years. The results lay the foundations for a better planning of the service in the post-pandemic phase and a diffusion of bottom-up approaches for the calibration of the service itself through the dissemination of survey campaigns. © 2023 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V.
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, alongside the traditional statistical and semi-probabilistic methods, through which it is possible to obtain an estimate of the road network performances whatever its geometric-functional configuration, the use of microscopic traffic simulation techniques is widespread, allowing a "dynamic"approach to the problem (e.g. evaluation of infrastructural interventions, traffic management, etc.). The traffic micro-simulation models are able to analyze and process, instant by instant, the movement of single vehicles on the network, on the basis of laws related to the vehicle movement and the driving behavior. Based on this premise, this study proposes an overview of traffic simulation models, with a focus on the advantages of microsimulation. In this direction, the paper presents an application to a real case study in the city of Catania (Italy), in order to evaluate the impact of different traffic regulation strategies in terms of level of service (LoS), road emissions and fuel consuption through scenario evaluations. First results demonstrates that traffic modeling and the implementation of microsimulation tools represent a valid support for the transport policies assessment, providing a basis for future research steps that will address the simulation of larger areas, through before and after analysis and the evaluation of different key performance indicators. © 2022 Author(s).
ABSTRACT
Italy was one of the first country in Europe which was severely affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Several critical issues emerged during the different pandemic phases, especially in the health and mobility sector. Restrictions on public transport reduced the supply of transport, highlighting the need to rethink complementary transport systems. Since May 2020, in the post-lockdown phase, the provision of local public transport has been based on ordinary services, such as bus services, which are mainly intended to meet the needs of systematic travel between the places of residence and work on main development routes of the territory. These services have undergone reductions both in the on-board capacity and in some cases the complete elimination of transit routes. The rebalancing in favour of sustainable modes of transport and the reduction of the share of road mobility is pursued through the encouragement of ad-hoc measures aimed at balancing-off the supply-demand mechanism and improving the quality of services. The application of an on-demand responsive transit system has the ability to improve the transit needs in order to reach the places where personal or family services are provided or to enjoy the resources distributed within desired territory. In Italy since March 2020, new areas of weak demand for transport have been created, i.e. areas with a certain number of users that need to be transferred to and from places that have generally never had access to public transport or have had it restricted. The Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) system is, therefore, used in both urban and suburban areas, allowing even those who do not have their own means of transport (for example, disadvantaged social categories or users with a short stay in the area) or who are suitably equipped (people with reduced or no motor skills), to move around in areas easily. The present work focuses on an analysis of the current state of affairs, starting from the literature and regulations concerning the diffusion of the DRT systems in Italy, and offers some ideas for the optimisation of an integrated public transport service. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 has significantly led to changes in the mobility needs and in user travel behavior, due to the measures adopted to reduce the spread of the virus. While on the one hand this has resulted in a reduction in the number of trips, on the other this has entailed an increase in the use of the private car, considered as the safest form of transportation in urban contexts. Thus, administrations and policy makers have to promote actions and strategies to encourage soft mobility (i.e. walking and cycling), viewed as solutions to reduce transport emissions and ensure social distancing. This often implies the need for a redesign of urban spaces as pedestrians experience uncomfortable or unsafe situations about the surrounding environment. Within this framework, the paper proposes a methodological framework to evaluate the interactions between pedestrians and vehicular traffic using a microsimulation approach. The analyzed case study concerns a road intersection within the S. Benedetto neighbourhood in Cagliari (Italy). A scenario assessment has been performed through the computation of several performance indicators related both to private transport (i.e. level of service and emissions) and pedestrian users (i.e. density;speed and crossing time). The comparative analysis of results demonstrates that this research approach could represent a flexible and effective tool in guiding administrations through the decision-making process during the planning and development of projects for redevelopment of urban spaces and the promotion of soft mobility. Further research will focus on an extended study area, by modelling the behaviour of different categories of pedestrians and introducing in-field data. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
One of the main policies to contain a pandemic spreading is to reduce people mobility. However, it is not easy to predict its actual impact, and this is a limitation for policy-makers who need to act effectively and timely to limit virus spreading. Data are fundamental for monitoring purposes;however, models are needed to predict the impact of different scenarios at a granular scale. Based on this premise, this paper presents the first results of an agent-based model (ABM) able to dynamically simulate a pandemic spreading under mobility restriction scenarios. The model is here used to reproduce the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and considers factors that can be attributed to the diffusion and lethality of the virus and population mobility patterns. The model is calibrated with real data (considering the first wave), and it is based on a combination of static and dynamic parameters. First results show the ability of the model to reproduce the pandemic spreading considering the lockdown strategy adopted by the Italian Government and pave the way for scenario analysis of different mobility restrictions. This could be helpful to support policy-making by providing a strategic decision-tool to contrast pandemics. © 2021 Copyright for this paper by its authors.
ABSTRACT
Recent events related to the COVID-19 pandemic event highlighted some criticalities of transport systems, especially the public sector. The respect for social distancing and a widespread fear of contagion have reduced travel on public transport. In addition, the new trend to reduce daily long-range mobility needs due to the increase in teleworking is present. Following the pandemic, there has been a paradigm shift, from smart cities to smart and sustainable cities (SSCs) in which a new concept of
ABSTRACT
The development of sustainable mobility is linked to technological developments and different forms of vehicle power supply. Despite all the difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore, it is necessary to provide road users with an adequate network of public recharging infrastructures and to facilitate the setting-up of private recharging stations through shared and participatory development plans between the stakeholders and all the institutions involved. The present work introduces an analysis of some of the European Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and the transport supply connected to several cities. After an evaluation of the macro areas of intervention, factors and criteria for the deployment of the electric vehicle linked to the demand responsive transport choice (EV-DRTs) have been defined in terms of user classification and environmental factors, but also considering the services and infrastructures for electric charging. The identification of these factors and criteria allows an exemplification in the development and adaptation of the planning and design concept. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
Studies concerning Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in paediatrics are limited to children mainly selected from hospitals, where patients with complications and co-morbidities are managed. We aimed to describe the course of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a population of children enrolled by place of residence, from diagnosis to recovery, with a long-term clinical and serological follow-up. We identified patients aged <14 years old living in the Turin Health District 3 who had SARS-CoV-2 detected in at least one nasopharyngeal swab from 1st March to 1st June 2020. Epidemiological and clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 infection were collected by way of a telephone inquiry. Enrolled patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 serology in order to provide evidence of seroconversion and persistence of specific antibodies some time after the infection. A total of 46 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection/COVID-19 were identified. The main pattern of viral transmission was intra-family. Eleven children were totally asymptomatic. If symptoms appeared, the disease had a mild course. A single case of COVID-19-related respiratory insufficiency was registered. Among children who underwent serological evaluation, 84% had seroconversion. No significant differences in antibody development were found according to the age and the burden of the disease. Children tested farther from the primary infection had lower antibody index titre values than the others. In conclusion, COVID-19 has a good prognosis in paediatric age. Children are able to develop a valid immune response, although their index titres seem to decrease a long time after the disease.