This document proposes using RFID technology to enhance casual carpooling by recording actual carpooling behavior. This would allow incentives beyond HOV lane access and address issues like personal safety, free riders, and underfilling vehicles. An RFID device in each vehicle would record the IDs of passengers' RFID devices, creating a record of rides. Incentives could then reward registered carpooling without self-reporting. Safety would increase through recording rides and allowing anonymous feedback on drivers. The system could also vary incentives to encourage filling vehicles to capacity.
Paratransit for All - A 2013 Brainstorm on Transit AccessibilityScott Rains
The document discusses ideas generated at a brainstorming session on how to start and expand paratransit services for people with disabilities in less wealthy regions. Some key ideas included using smaller, more affordable vehicles like cycle rickshaws; promoting better planning and accessibility of vehicles; and exploring funding sources as well as sustainable service models including community-based and microfinancing approaches. Over 140 comments and ideas were discussed on topics like vehicle options, operational concerns, funding, and creating customer-focused service models.
MultiModal Transportation in New DElhiHamza Hashmi
The document discusses multimodal transportation in Delhi, India. It defines multimodal transportation as using multiple modes of transportation for a single trip, improving mobility. In Delhi, the metro system serves as the main transportation mode, with connections to buses, walking, cycling, and other modes. The document analyzes metrics like travel time ratios and passenger wait times to evaluate Delhi's multimodal system and identify areas for improvement, such as reducing access and egress times through improved interchange facilities. It concludes that multimodal transportation is effective when access distances are not too large and recommends improving first-mile last-mile connections.
Best alternate transport for dhaka cityM S Siddiqui
All the metropolitan cities contemplate to transport 50 percent of commuters with underground or overhead mass rapid transport system. The authorities of Dhaka should focus on quick completion of on going mass rapid transport system. The strategic plan of 2016-35 should revise and implement to improve the road and parking plan suitable a mage city of Dhaka. This is not only issue of livelihood of rickshaw pullers but also alternate transport of middle-class city dwellers.
Using an Innovative Model to Automate an Efficient Taxi Dispatching System in...Dr. Amarjeet Singh
The world is rapidly changing with the introduction
of innovative technologies to meet the ever-changing demands
of consumers. This research focuses mainly on the study of
the actual taxi system in Mauritius to manage their everyday
activities in an efficient way to earn a good and a decent
earning. With over 6000 drivers in Mauritius, this has caused
a major issue in the transportation sector. According to the
survey conducted in Shanghai, China, the percentage of
empty miles ((total miles-service miles)/total miles) for taxi is
32%, while the waiting time for passenger may extend more
than 1 hour in the rush hours at the worst. The taxi employed
under this actual system is rarely capable of reaching the
customers in the shortest possible time. This is an exigent
problem actually confronting current taxi systems. Thus, an
alternative Interactive Taxi dispatching system is proposed,
whereby the system will be fast and cost effective to transfer
the customer’s request from the operator to the most suitable
vehicle. This dispatch ensures that customers are served
within the shortest time, resulting in satisfying customer’s
demands. Since existing taxi system are working manually,
there is a need to have automatic taxi trip system which
would be easy and efficient. [14] Therefore, the aim of this
paper is to research the pertinence of the use of an Interactive
Taxi Dispatching System as an alternative mode for taxi
drivers to easily be connected with their riders.
The document summarizes plans for the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) in Southern California. ARTIC will serve as a major transportation hub combining rail, bus and other transit options on a 16-acre site. It aims to accommodate over 10,000 daily riders and connect to various modes of transportation in the region. ARTIC's design incorporates sustainability features like energy efficiency and it seeks LEED platinum certification. The development of ARTIC will support growth in the county by providing transportation infrastructure and creating an estimated 5,000 jobs.
The second Discussion Paper in the Paradise Project series, Moving About Paradise compares area coverage and travel times under the Quickway Proposal, the innovative community-based transit plan, and under the SANDAG 2050 transit plan. The Quickway Proposal extends rapid transit access to many more people, connects to many more jobs and other destinations, and saves considerable travel time, in addition to better supporting regional growth and climate change goals.
This report examines potential solutions to reduce single-occupancy vehicle commuting in the Richmond, Virginia region. It analyzes case studies of cash incentive programs for carpooling in Atlanta, Seattle, and Washington D.C. that provided financial compensation of $1-3 per trip. The report recommends that RideFinders apply for a grant to implement a two-to-three month pilot program in Richmond offering cash rewards of up to $50-75 per month for carpooling, modeled after successful programs that increased carpooling rates and ridership retention. Outreach to employers would promote the temporary incentive program aimed at encouraging more commuters to carpool instead of driving alone.
This document summarizes Bhasker V. Bhatt's presentation on multimodal and intermodal transportation planning. It discusses key concepts like multimodal transportation involving the integration of various transportation modes for efficient mobility. Case studies from Singapore and Stuttgart are presented as good examples of multimodal systems through unified ticketing and coordinated timetables. Intermodal transportation is defined as involving more than one mode, with examples of intermodal cargo transportation using containers and intermodal passenger transportation combining various modes. The importance of proper planning for efficient intermodal systems is highlighted.
Paratransit for All - A 2013 Brainstorm on Transit AccessibilityScott Rains
The document discusses ideas generated at a brainstorming session on how to start and expand paratransit services for people with disabilities in less wealthy regions. Some key ideas included using smaller, more affordable vehicles like cycle rickshaws; promoting better planning and accessibility of vehicles; and exploring funding sources as well as sustainable service models including community-based and microfinancing approaches. Over 140 comments and ideas were discussed on topics like vehicle options, operational concerns, funding, and creating customer-focused service models.
MultiModal Transportation in New DElhiHamza Hashmi
The document discusses multimodal transportation in Delhi, India. It defines multimodal transportation as using multiple modes of transportation for a single trip, improving mobility. In Delhi, the metro system serves as the main transportation mode, with connections to buses, walking, cycling, and other modes. The document analyzes metrics like travel time ratios and passenger wait times to evaluate Delhi's multimodal system and identify areas for improvement, such as reducing access and egress times through improved interchange facilities. It concludes that multimodal transportation is effective when access distances are not too large and recommends improving first-mile last-mile connections.
Best alternate transport for dhaka cityM S Siddiqui
All the metropolitan cities contemplate to transport 50 percent of commuters with underground or overhead mass rapid transport system. The authorities of Dhaka should focus on quick completion of on going mass rapid transport system. The strategic plan of 2016-35 should revise and implement to improve the road and parking plan suitable a mage city of Dhaka. This is not only issue of livelihood of rickshaw pullers but also alternate transport of middle-class city dwellers.
Using an Innovative Model to Automate an Efficient Taxi Dispatching System in...Dr. Amarjeet Singh
The world is rapidly changing with the introduction
of innovative technologies to meet the ever-changing demands
of consumers. This research focuses mainly on the study of
the actual taxi system in Mauritius to manage their everyday
activities in an efficient way to earn a good and a decent
earning. With over 6000 drivers in Mauritius, this has caused
a major issue in the transportation sector. According to the
survey conducted in Shanghai, China, the percentage of
empty miles ((total miles-service miles)/total miles) for taxi is
32%, while the waiting time for passenger may extend more
than 1 hour in the rush hours at the worst. The taxi employed
under this actual system is rarely capable of reaching the
customers in the shortest possible time. This is an exigent
problem actually confronting current taxi systems. Thus, an
alternative Interactive Taxi dispatching system is proposed,
whereby the system will be fast and cost effective to transfer
the customer’s request from the operator to the most suitable
vehicle. This dispatch ensures that customers are served
within the shortest time, resulting in satisfying customer’s
demands. Since existing taxi system are working manually,
there is a need to have automatic taxi trip system which
would be easy and efficient. [14] Therefore, the aim of this
paper is to research the pertinence of the use of an Interactive
Taxi Dispatching System as an alternative mode for taxi
drivers to easily be connected with their riders.
The document summarizes plans for the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) in Southern California. ARTIC will serve as a major transportation hub combining rail, bus and other transit options on a 16-acre site. It aims to accommodate over 10,000 daily riders and connect to various modes of transportation in the region. ARTIC's design incorporates sustainability features like energy efficiency and it seeks LEED platinum certification. The development of ARTIC will support growth in the county by providing transportation infrastructure and creating an estimated 5,000 jobs.
The second Discussion Paper in the Paradise Project series, Moving About Paradise compares area coverage and travel times under the Quickway Proposal, the innovative community-based transit plan, and under the SANDAG 2050 transit plan. The Quickway Proposal extends rapid transit access to many more people, connects to many more jobs and other destinations, and saves considerable travel time, in addition to better supporting regional growth and climate change goals.
This report examines potential solutions to reduce single-occupancy vehicle commuting in the Richmond, Virginia region. It analyzes case studies of cash incentive programs for carpooling in Atlanta, Seattle, and Washington D.C. that provided financial compensation of $1-3 per trip. The report recommends that RideFinders apply for a grant to implement a two-to-three month pilot program in Richmond offering cash rewards of up to $50-75 per month for carpooling, modeled after successful programs that increased carpooling rates and ridership retention. Outreach to employers would promote the temporary incentive program aimed at encouraging more commuters to carpool instead of driving alone.
This document summarizes Bhasker V. Bhatt's presentation on multimodal and intermodal transportation planning. It discusses key concepts like multimodal transportation involving the integration of various transportation modes for efficient mobility. Case studies from Singapore and Stuttgart are presented as good examples of multimodal systems through unified ticketing and coordinated timetables. Intermodal transportation is defined as involving more than one mode, with examples of intermodal cargo transportation using containers and intermodal passenger transportation combining various modes. The importance of proper planning for efficient intermodal systems is highlighted.
This document discusses how autonomous vehicle technology could significantly impact transportation planning and public transit. It notes that fully autonomous vehicles could be available by 2030 and ubiquitous by 2040. This would be hugely disruptive as current transportation models and infrastructure investments are based on human-driven vehicles. The document outlines different levels of vehicle automation and describes how different automation levels could change travel demand and models of vehicle ownership. It also discusses how autonomous vehicles could both threaten public transit ridership but also provide opportunities to enhance transit capacity and efficiency through technologies like bus platooning. The key recommendation is that transit agencies will need to adapt by leveraging connected and autonomous vehicle technologies while focusing service on corridors where transit can offer high people-moving capacity.
This document summarizes a study on paratransit systems in Chennai, India. It defines paratransit as flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. In Chennai, paratransit serves areas with limited public transit access and provides first/last mile connectivity. Major paratransit modes include shared autos and taxis that collectively serve over 18 million passengers daily, more than Chennai's mass transit rail system. However, most paratransit vehicles operate without permission. The study suggests recognizing paratransit officially and integrating it with other transit to improve Chennai's transportation system.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Leaned have enabled to development of self driving vehicle technology. They are starting to appear and actual sales may start next year. They can drive, but are they ready to integrate with us?
This document summarizes research on light paratransit vehicles in various cities around the world. It finds that these smaller, privately operated vehicles can address many deficiencies of large, publicly operated transport systems by being more flexible, convenient, and cost-effective. The document reviews successful examples of light vehicle systems in 12 cities, finding they capture large shares of ridership and are often profitable, unlike the losses incurred by larger public systems. It concludes light vehicles could significantly improve transport in London by adding a new, complementary service type.
The document discusses the need for exclusive bus lanes in Bangalore to address the city's traffic congestion issues. It proposes 5 possible bus lane routes totaling about 71 km that could connect important areas and supplement the metro system. The routes would provide faster, more reliable bus transport and discourage private vehicle use. Planning considerations for the bus lanes like underpasses at intersections are also covered.
The document proposes solutions to minimize contact and ensure social distancing at Indian railway stations during the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes crowded conditions that normally exist and identifies vulnerable touchpoints like ticket verification, washrooms, and interactions with porters. The proposed system includes a railway station map, simplified physical interactions, and a mobile app to provide navigation, ticketing, and safety information. Key elements are screening areas at entries, optimized waiting areas and parking, and contactless processes like temperature checks and ticket verification through the app.
This document discusses a proposed smart city taxi ridesharing system. It aims to efficiently match taxi riders and drivers for shared rides, while minimizing increased travel distances and costs for all parties. The system uses an app to receive real-time ride requests from passengers and schedule taxis. It searches for taxis that can pick up new passengers with minimal additional travel distance, while respecting time constraints and ensuring passengers and drivers are fairly compensated. The system was tested using real taxi trip data and demonstrated efficiency and scalability. It is estimated to increase taxi occupancy rates and reduce travel distances compared to no ridesharing. Challenges include defining fair pricing models and addressing high demand scenarios.
2011 ITS World Congress - TAD - Travel Assistance Mobile App to Help Transit ...Sean Barbeau
A discussion of the first real-time transit navigation app that was created to help transit riders with intellectual disabilities use public transportation.
Human drivers have always been an essential requirement in the operation of a motor vehicle. At the same
time, research has repeatedly demonstrated that driver error plays a role in more than 90% of road crashes
(NHTSA 2008; Blanco et al. 2016). As such, in the past two decades, vehicle manufacturers have designed new
and increasingly sophisticated features that provide more assistance to drivers to help mitigate such errors. Such
features are an important precursor to the development of automated vehicles and, currently, expectations are
high that the advent of semi- or fully- automated vehicles will dramatically reduce road crashes
Millions of children in America face food insecurity and hunger, with some only receiving one meal per day at school. Over 12 million children may go to bed hungry each night. While federal programs help, they do not reach all families in need. Food banks struggle to meet rising demand and many must turn families away. Donations are needed to ensure all children have enough nutritious food.
1) The document discusses best practices for digital marketing to baby and kids brands based on consumer data and insights. It covers search engine optimization, content strategy, and integrating online and offline experiences.
2) Key recommendations include conducting keyword and category research, optimizing on-page elements like images and rich snippets, simplifying checkout and payments, and testing different content formats.
3) Integrating online and offline experiences by sharing content across platforms can help amplify messaging and provide a seamless customer experience. Data-driven insights should guide content, site structure, and digital strategy.
Papua. Tempat yang nun jauh dari Ibu Kota Negara Republik Indonesia, yang dihantui konflik tak berkesudahan itu, perlahan mengubah citranya. Berkah K.H Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) itu akan terasa betul jika anda berkunjung ke sana dan berbincang dengan warga setempat, dari lintas elemen. Bahkan yang di daratan kerap berperang, seperti Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua -Organisasi Papua Merdeka (TPN-OPM) dan Tentara Nasional Indonesia, maupun rakyat sipil yang berkubu-kubu, sama terharunya saat mengingat nama Gus Dur
ITK was founded in 1950 by Bahaattin Tatış with just 29 students and 14 teachers, making it a small but important school at the time. It has since grown significantly, now having 30,000 graduates and providing education across multiple school types including primary, secondary, science, and Anatolian high schools. ITK continues Atatürk's principles of modern education in its classrooms.
This document provides guidance on creating a rain garden to capture and filter stormwater runoff. It discusses choosing an appropriate location downhill from structures and away from utilities. The soil should be evaluated for drainage and improved if needed by loosening compacted soil or replacing with a rain garden soil mix. The garden bed is then prepared by defining borders, removing turf, double digging or replacing the soil. The pond area in the center is graded to be 6 inches deep to pond water and allow it to infiltrate the soil. Finally, the garden is planted with suitable native plants adapted to the site's moisture conditions. Any size rain garden can help improve water quality even if it cannot capture all of a site's runoff.
This document discusses techniques for rendering large particle systems at high frame rates using off-screen rendering targets. It describes rendering particles to a lower resolution off-screen target to reduce the fill rate and memory usage compared to rendering at full screen resolution. It also discusses using the off-screen depth buffer to occlude particles behind solid objects, and methods for anti-aliasing such as depth sampling and edge detection to composite the low-resolution particles back at full resolution without appearing blocky.
Nuffnang Blogopolis 2011 - Bloggers working with brandsLouder
This document summarizes Reprise Media's approach to engaging with bloggers. It discusses that Reprise Media is a digital marketing agency that considers bloggers and their social influence. It evaluates bloggers based on metrics like site traffic, links, social engagement, and content quality. Reprise provides sponsored post topics and expects high-quality posts with proper formatting and promotion. The document concludes with tips for bloggers to improve their sites through tools like webmaster tools, site speed optimization, and social media integration.
The document discusses the proper use of adjectives and adverbs. It defines adjectives as words that modify nouns and pronouns, and adverbs as words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. It provides examples of adjectives and adverbs, and discusses their comparative and superlative forms. The document also discusses avoiding unnecessary adverbs and compound adjectives, as well as properly placing modifiers.
This document discusses how autonomous vehicle technology could significantly impact transportation planning and public transit. It notes that fully autonomous vehicles could be available by 2030 and ubiquitous by 2040. This would be hugely disruptive as current transportation models and infrastructure investments are based on human-driven vehicles. The document outlines different levels of vehicle automation and describes how different automation levels could change travel demand and models of vehicle ownership. It also discusses how autonomous vehicles could both threaten public transit ridership but also provide opportunities to enhance transit capacity and efficiency through technologies like bus platooning. The key recommendation is that transit agencies will need to adapt by leveraging connected and autonomous vehicle technologies while focusing service on corridors where transit can offer high people-moving capacity.
This document summarizes a study on paratransit systems in Chennai, India. It defines paratransit as flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. In Chennai, paratransit serves areas with limited public transit access and provides first/last mile connectivity. Major paratransit modes include shared autos and taxis that collectively serve over 18 million passengers daily, more than Chennai's mass transit rail system. However, most paratransit vehicles operate without permission. The study suggests recognizing paratransit officially and integrating it with other transit to improve Chennai's transportation system.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Leaned have enabled to development of self driving vehicle technology. They are starting to appear and actual sales may start next year. They can drive, but are they ready to integrate with us?
This document summarizes research on light paratransit vehicles in various cities around the world. It finds that these smaller, privately operated vehicles can address many deficiencies of large, publicly operated transport systems by being more flexible, convenient, and cost-effective. The document reviews successful examples of light vehicle systems in 12 cities, finding they capture large shares of ridership and are often profitable, unlike the losses incurred by larger public systems. It concludes light vehicles could significantly improve transport in London by adding a new, complementary service type.
The document discusses the need for exclusive bus lanes in Bangalore to address the city's traffic congestion issues. It proposes 5 possible bus lane routes totaling about 71 km that could connect important areas and supplement the metro system. The routes would provide faster, more reliable bus transport and discourage private vehicle use. Planning considerations for the bus lanes like underpasses at intersections are also covered.
The document proposes solutions to minimize contact and ensure social distancing at Indian railway stations during the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes crowded conditions that normally exist and identifies vulnerable touchpoints like ticket verification, washrooms, and interactions with porters. The proposed system includes a railway station map, simplified physical interactions, and a mobile app to provide navigation, ticketing, and safety information. Key elements are screening areas at entries, optimized waiting areas and parking, and contactless processes like temperature checks and ticket verification through the app.
This document discusses a proposed smart city taxi ridesharing system. It aims to efficiently match taxi riders and drivers for shared rides, while minimizing increased travel distances and costs for all parties. The system uses an app to receive real-time ride requests from passengers and schedule taxis. It searches for taxis that can pick up new passengers with minimal additional travel distance, while respecting time constraints and ensuring passengers and drivers are fairly compensated. The system was tested using real taxi trip data and demonstrated efficiency and scalability. It is estimated to increase taxi occupancy rates and reduce travel distances compared to no ridesharing. Challenges include defining fair pricing models and addressing high demand scenarios.
2011 ITS World Congress - TAD - Travel Assistance Mobile App to Help Transit ...Sean Barbeau
A discussion of the first real-time transit navigation app that was created to help transit riders with intellectual disabilities use public transportation.
Human drivers have always been an essential requirement in the operation of a motor vehicle. At the same
time, research has repeatedly demonstrated that driver error plays a role in more than 90% of road crashes
(NHTSA 2008; Blanco et al. 2016). As such, in the past two decades, vehicle manufacturers have designed new
and increasingly sophisticated features that provide more assistance to drivers to help mitigate such errors. Such
features are an important precursor to the development of automated vehicles and, currently, expectations are
high that the advent of semi- or fully- automated vehicles will dramatically reduce road crashes
Millions of children in America face food insecurity and hunger, with some only receiving one meal per day at school. Over 12 million children may go to bed hungry each night. While federal programs help, they do not reach all families in need. Food banks struggle to meet rising demand and many must turn families away. Donations are needed to ensure all children have enough nutritious food.
1) The document discusses best practices for digital marketing to baby and kids brands based on consumer data and insights. It covers search engine optimization, content strategy, and integrating online and offline experiences.
2) Key recommendations include conducting keyword and category research, optimizing on-page elements like images and rich snippets, simplifying checkout and payments, and testing different content formats.
3) Integrating online and offline experiences by sharing content across platforms can help amplify messaging and provide a seamless customer experience. Data-driven insights should guide content, site structure, and digital strategy.
Papua. Tempat yang nun jauh dari Ibu Kota Negara Republik Indonesia, yang dihantui konflik tak berkesudahan itu, perlahan mengubah citranya. Berkah K.H Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) itu akan terasa betul jika anda berkunjung ke sana dan berbincang dengan warga setempat, dari lintas elemen. Bahkan yang di daratan kerap berperang, seperti Tentara Pembebasan Nasional Papua -Organisasi Papua Merdeka (TPN-OPM) dan Tentara Nasional Indonesia, maupun rakyat sipil yang berkubu-kubu, sama terharunya saat mengingat nama Gus Dur
ITK was founded in 1950 by Bahaattin Tatış with just 29 students and 14 teachers, making it a small but important school at the time. It has since grown significantly, now having 30,000 graduates and providing education across multiple school types including primary, secondary, science, and Anatolian high schools. ITK continues Atatürk's principles of modern education in its classrooms.
This document provides guidance on creating a rain garden to capture and filter stormwater runoff. It discusses choosing an appropriate location downhill from structures and away from utilities. The soil should be evaluated for drainage and improved if needed by loosening compacted soil or replacing with a rain garden soil mix. The garden bed is then prepared by defining borders, removing turf, double digging or replacing the soil. The pond area in the center is graded to be 6 inches deep to pond water and allow it to infiltrate the soil. Finally, the garden is planted with suitable native plants adapted to the site's moisture conditions. Any size rain garden can help improve water quality even if it cannot capture all of a site's runoff.
This document discusses techniques for rendering large particle systems at high frame rates using off-screen rendering targets. It describes rendering particles to a lower resolution off-screen target to reduce the fill rate and memory usage compared to rendering at full screen resolution. It also discusses using the off-screen depth buffer to occlude particles behind solid objects, and methods for anti-aliasing such as depth sampling and edge detection to composite the low-resolution particles back at full resolution without appearing blocky.
Nuffnang Blogopolis 2011 - Bloggers working with brandsLouder
This document summarizes Reprise Media's approach to engaging with bloggers. It discusses that Reprise Media is a digital marketing agency that considers bloggers and their social influence. It evaluates bloggers based on metrics like site traffic, links, social engagement, and content quality. Reprise provides sponsored post topics and expects high-quality posts with proper formatting and promotion. The document concludes with tips for bloggers to improve their sites through tools like webmaster tools, site speed optimization, and social media integration.
The document discusses the proper use of adjectives and adverbs. It defines adjectives as words that modify nouns and pronouns, and adverbs as words that modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. It provides examples of adjectives and adverbs, and discusses their comparative and superlative forms. The document also discusses avoiding unnecessary adverbs and compound adjectives, as well as properly placing modifiers.
This Power Point Presentation was put together by www.againstcuts.org to help enlighten people on the state of affairs in California. There is reason for everyone to take the time to go through this as it effects everyone. If you wish to know how your lively hood and your future are being taken away from you and want to do something about it then start here. Informing yourself is the first step towards taking action.
The document introduces the Zend Framework. It discusses that the framework is a collection of PHP classes based on PHP 5 best practices. It aims to simplify common tasks, provide a starting point for applications, and demonstrate PHP 5 best practices. The goals of being an industry-leading framework, requiring few dependencies, and having a minimal object hierarchy are discussed. Reasons for creating another framework include keeping PHP competitive and providing clear licensing. Key aspects of the framework like licensing, installation, MVC pattern, input filtering, mailing, and searching are briefly summarized.
The document introduces the Zend Framework. It discusses that the framework is a collection of PHP classes based on PHP 5 best practices. It aims to simplify common tasks, provide a starting point for applications, and demonstrate PHP 5 best practices. The goals of being an industry-leading framework, requiring few dependencies, and having a minimal object hierarchy are discussed. Reasons for creating another framework include keeping PHP competitive and providing clear licensing. Key aspects of the framework like licensing, installation, MVC pattern, input filtering, mailing, and searching are briefly summarized.
Este documento presenta los conceptos fundamentales de los sistemas de información y las bases de datos, incluyendo las etapas tradicionales del desarrollo de sistemas de información, los problemas inherentes a los sistemas de gestión de archivos, la definición de bases de datos, los niveles de abstracción de datos, y los modelos lógicos de datos basados en objetos y registros.
The document discusses the benefits of meditation for reducing stress and anxiety. Regular meditation practice can help calm the mind and body by lowering heart rate and blood pressure. Studies have shown that meditating for just 10-20 minutes per day can have significant positive impacts on both mental and physical health over time.
Submitted Publication in the Transportation Research Record
November 23, 2015
ABSTRACT
A pilot program in Austin, Texas, tested the practicality of integrating a real-time ridesharing application with a toll operator to process toll discounts for carpools. The toll discounts appeared on monthly toll transaction statements. The program lasted for almost a year on the 183A Toll Road and the US 290 Manor Expressway. Travelers used a smartphone application to track, record, and submit their trips for discounts. Two-person carpools that used the application received a 50 percent discount, and carpools of three or more people could travel toll-free. The program was a partnership between the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, the local toll systems operator, and a private ridesharing vendor. Back-office processes matched trip data from the smartphone application to transactions recorded by the toll systems. A total of 95 unique drivers were provided toll rebates for 2,213 trips during the 10.5-month pilot period. Most trips during the pilot program were rebated for two-person carpools. Individual driver behavior varied considerably. A select few drivers had a high number of carpool trips, while others took a sporadic or infrequent trip. Drivers took a median of 7 trips during the pilot. Future rideshare programs should consider showing higher-dollar rebates that represent annual savings to incentivize behavior. Timely feedback was found to be an important factor for success. Additionally, program sponsors should provide positive customer service and engage users when problems exist that are not under their direct purview.
The document discusses mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) and its future in public transit. It defines MaaS as a service that enables users to plan, book, and pay for multiple mobility options like public and private transportation through a single digital channel. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) represents all modes of public transit in North America and works on advocacy, research, and developing the transit workforce. The document outlines opportunities for MaaS in areas like trip planning, real-time arrival information, open fare payment systems, microtransit, and case studies of MaaS programs in cities. It provides recommendations for transit agencies to implement MaaS, including connecting it to broader visions, developing data
PowerBi Dashboard - Autonomous Transport User Experience Case StudyAmoretteDsouza1
Autonomous driving has lately been a hot topic and is increasingly drawing a lot of attention and popularity. The aim is to transform mobility with the feasibility to move from one place to another in an intelligent, cognitive and reliable system. Driven with AI and machine learning, the system would be tailored to accurately detect humans and objects in motion, including lane curves or obstacles as well, spontaneously.
I worked on a sample case study where two pilot surveys were conducted on shared connected vehicle and bus shuttle designed for commuters. Based on the customer feedback received, I have derived some compelling interpretation that inclines positively to the future of autonomous transport system.
International Journal of Computational Engineering Research (IJCER) is dedicated to protecting personal information and will make every reasonable effort to handle collected information appropriately. All information collected, as well as related requests, will be handled as carefully and efficiently as possible in accordance with IJCER standards for integrity and objectivity.
This document summarizes the findings of a transportation module viability study conducted between April and May 2010. It identifies several inefficiencies in Ghana's current transportation system that drive up costs, such as drivers traveling empty without loads. The document recommends developing a transportation module within the existing esoko system to address these issues. Specifically, it suggests integrating transportation data and trusted parties to facilitate remote trading and increase reliability. Overall, the study concludes a transportation module could reduce business costs and prices by improving coordination and information sharing across Ghana's transportation network.
The document proposes revisions to Los Angeles' Transportation Demand Management ordinance to better address changes in transportation realities over the last 20 years. It recommends adopting variable pricing for on-street parking to reduce demand and encourage alternative modes of transportation. On-street parking prices would vary by location and time of day, with higher prices in high-demand urban areas during peak hours. Expanding the city's ExpressPark intelligent parking system could implement dynamic pricing citywide. Adopting these revisions would help alleviate issues like parking shortages and congestion.
The document discusses several ways that autonomous vehicles and mobility as a service could impact transportation systems. Robo-taxis and shared autonomous vehicles may replace personal car ownership and integrate with public transit. Autonomous trucks, drones, air taxis, and delivery robots also have the potential to transform freight, logistics, and last mile delivery. However, issues around regulation, liability, safety, congestion, and public acceptance must still be addressed for these technologies to achieve widespread adoption.
The document discusses several ways that autonomous vehicles and mobility as a service could impact transportation systems. Robo-taxis and shared autonomous vehicles may replace personal car ownership and integrate with public transit. Autonomous trucks, delivery drones, air taxis, and automated buses and shuttles could transform long-distance freight, package delivery, and short-distance public transit. However, issues around regulation, liability, safety, congestion, and public acceptance would need to be addressed for these technologies to achieve widespread adoption.
The document discusses several ways that autonomous vehicles and mobility services could impact transportation systems. Robo-taxis and shared autonomous vehicles may replace privately owned cars and change travel patterns. Autonomous buses and shuttles could help fill gaps in public transportation networks. The regions that see the most benefit will be those that successfully address regulatory issues like liability and reporting requirements to support deployment. Drone delivery services may accelerate deployment for last-mile delivery of goods.
This document discusses data analytics and optimization methods for assessing a ride-sharing system. It includes:
1) Developing a constraint-based model for acceptable ride matches using inferred parameters from historical trip data to account for route times and flexibility.
2) Analyzing historical trip schedules to identify imbalances between drivers and passengers that could limit participation.
3) Proposing and evaluating allowing drivers flexibility to also be passengers, finding this could potentially reduce unmatched participants by up to 80%.
Recently, rates of vehicle ownership have risen globally, exacerbating problems including air pollution,
lack of parking, and traffic congestion. While many solutions to these problems have been proposed,
Carpooling is one of the most effective solutions to this problems Recently, several carpooling
platforms have been built on cloud computing systems, with originators posting online list of
departure/arrival points and schedules from which participants can search for rides that match their
needs. In this paper, an improved carpool system is described in detail and called the improved
intelligent carpool system (IICS), which provides car poolers the use of the carpool services via a smart
handheld device anywhere and at any time. This IICS Consist the geographical, traffic, and societal
information and used to manage requests and find minimum route. We apply advanced genetic-based
carpool route and matching algorithm (AGCRMA) for this multiobjective optimization problem called
the carpool service problem (CSP).
With the rapid development of the urban social economy, the difficulty of getting a taxi is becoming challenging. The ride-hailing business offers a number of benefits.It is a convenient, affordable, and flexible transportation option that can help to reduce traffic congestion. For more info: https://www.ondemandclone.com/uber-clone/
A �RIDE PALS� SYSTEMBrief descriptionCommuters looking to lower.pdfalekhyajewellers
A RIDE PALS SYSTEM
Brief description:
Commuters looking to lower or share the cost of transportation will be the primary users of this
proposed system. The system will allow commuters to look for any transport-related information
which will assist them while planning their travels. Through the system commuters should also
be enabled with making a reservation for travel, were applicable.
General Requirement:
Ride-sharing is a way for multiple riders to get to where theyre going by sharing a single vehicle,
like a car, van or bus, thats going in their direction. This vehicle may make multiple stops along
a route to pick up and drop off passengers, reducing the need for multiple vehicles on the road.
For example, applications such as BlaBlaCar allow commuters to share a ride and therefore save
on travel costs. They offer different rides and destinations and options for carpooling and bus.
Ride-sharing is a form of shared mobility, but it is not the same as car-sharing. People who car-
share allow a single car to be used among multiple drivers, usually for a fee. For example, using
applications such as Turo, the world's largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace, one may
book any car they want, wherever they want it, from local hosts.
The database which is requested should keep track of different types of transport facilities
available as well as all related data. It should include data about commuters being drivers and
passengers, routes, stops, costs, as well as vehicles, schedules, and availability. Any other data
you consider useful can be added. Your database design should be flexible to provide for future
requirements which may be added, to the extent possible.
Once the database is implemented, you should add realistic sample data and implement, using
SQL, realistic sample queries for potential users.
******create The data model (Entity Relationship Model plus supporting narrative, including
any assumptions made). For the design of the ERM you should use an appropriate CASE tool..
The Transit Passenger Environment Plan is now complete. The plan took a fresh look at how VTA thinks about bus stops.
The Plan was developed over the first half of 2014 with input and review from VTA's advisory and standing committees. For more information, please visit http://www.vta.org/Projects-and-Programs/Planning/Transit-Passenger-Environment-Plan or contact community.outreach@vta.
Government should take a middle road approach to automated vehicles by neither significantly leading nor lagging community choices. This involves a four-phase national process: 1) understanding community attitudes; 2) developing concurrent federal and state legislation; 3) reporting on AV use and infrastructure needs; and 4) continually assessing uptake and identifying opportunities. The role of government is to engage stakeholders, address safety and liability, and plan infrastructure while allowing industry and public preferences to guide automated vehicle adoption.
The document provides an overview of an Automated Guideway Transit Study being conducted to explore options for connecting the Downtown Transit Center to North Bayshore in Mountain View, California. It discusses the following key points:
- Four technology options are being considered: aerial cable transportation, automated transit network, automated people movers, and autonomous transit.
- Three potential corridors along Shoreline Boulevard, Moffett Boulevard, and Charleston Road are being evaluated.
- Preliminary ridership estimates range from 4,900 to 7,560 daily riders and 820 to 1,270 riders during peak hours.
- Evaluation criteria will assess ability to meet demand, costs, neighborhood impacts, and other factors.
- Input is sought from City
MBTA Passenger Communications Report - February 2014Marc Ebuña
A brief analysis of the methods employed to convey information to riders by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the transit authority of the greater Boston metropolitan area. This report also underscores recent successes and identifies areas where significant improvement is needed in order for the transit agency to catch up to the rest of the transport industry. It briefly touches on the need to create a narrative with an appropriate tone with the same tools that enable the agency to listen to its riders, creating a dialogue of credibility and integrity.
This document discusses technologies that can encourage greater public transportation use. It summarizes that location-tracking mobile apps increase passengers' confidence by providing real-time transit information. On-demand transportation services can increase route efficiency. Smart cards and contactless payments alleviate issues with cash and provide user data to help transit agencies. Future technologies like bike sharing, driverless vehicles, and personal rapid transit could further transform public transportation.
Students in a media department class will create short, engaging video interviews with their peers about understanding social and environmental benefits of rainforest certification. The videos will be less than one minute with a personal tone. They will then be shared on dedicated Facebook and Vimeo pages to promote the project and drive traffic. An on-campus event will further showcase the videos and related products.
This document discusses the benefits of green computing and provides tips for creating a more eco-friendly computing system. It begins by explaining how embracing green computing practices can improve energy management, increase energy efficiency, reduce e-waste, and save money. It then provides tips like turning off computers when not in use, using power management settings, purchasing energy efficient electronics, and recycling e-waste. The document encourages adopting these small changes to help the environment while saving on energy costs.
The document discusses the growing problem of electronic waste (e-waste) and its environmental impacts. It notes that e-waste contains valuable but also harmful materials, and that the life span of electronics is decreasing due to advances in technology, leading to more e-waste. The e-waste is polluting due to toxic heavy metals in components and improper disposal practices, especially in developing countries where e-waste is often dumped. Proper e-waste management through reducing waste, reusing electronics, and responsible recycling is needed to limit environmental degradation and health impacts from this waste stream.
The document discusses the 3 immutable laws and best practices of e-waste management: 1) Responsible management requires a comprehensive audit trail, as even inert materials can be hazardous; 2) De-manufacturing should be a last resort, and environmental responsibility extends to final disposition; 3) Highest use is best use, as working units provide greatest benefit if reused. It also outlines the 5 essential e-waste best practices of centralizing, sanitizing, optimizing value, scrutinizing disposition, and analyzing audit trails.
The document discusses the origins and history of green tea. It originated in Southeast Asia and was first used medicinally in China in 2737 BC. It was later used as currency and demand grew as farmers began cultivating it. By the 1850s, England was consuming over 80 million pounds annually. Green tea is grown on plantations in climates with heavy rainfall and elevations between 3,000-7,000 feet. The active compounds in green tea are polyphenols called catechins that may provide health benefits such as cancer prevention and weight loss. Current studies show green tea may help reduce body fat and LDL cholesterol.
This document provides guidance for new community gardeners in Minnesota. It defines community gardens and describes different types. It discusses challenges of plot style community gardening like limited space and rules. Benefits include neighborhood development, education, and food production. The document provides tips for finding a garden, soil testing, selecting plants, weed and pest management, and creating community.
This 3 page document contains brief sections on different topics. Page 1 is titled "Test page title", Page 2 is titled "Title 2", and Page 3 is titled "Title 3". Each page provides a short description of its respective titled topic.
This document discusses organic agriculture in India. It notes that globally organic agriculture makes up 1.6% of agricultural area, with India making up 0.3%. There are currently 11 certification agencies in India. Standards are important for the export and domestic markets, with India following the National Program for Organic Production. Future export demand is expected to grow as major markets like Europe and the US expand.
This 3 page document contains brief sections on 3 different topics. The first page is titled "Test page title", the second page titled "Title 2", and the third page titled "Title 3". Each page provides a short description of its respective titled topic.
This document discusses organic agriculture in India. It notes that globally organic agriculture makes up 1.6% of agricultural area, with Australia leading at 10 million hectares. In India, official estimates range from 37,000-41,000 hectares to 2.5 million hectares including forest areas. The document outlines issues around organic standards, inspection, certification, and input availability in India. It provides statistics on certified agencies, exported organic products, and future export demand for Indian organic goods.
This 3 page document contains brief sections on 3 different topics. The first page is titled "Test page title", the second page is titled "Title 2", and the third page is titled "Title 3". Each page provides a short description of its respective titled topic.
This short document serves as a test case without substantive content. It consists of only the word "Test" followed by the word "document", providing no meaningful information to summarize in 3 sentences or less.
Provide a venue for recycling electronic waste in Brooklynalind tiwari
Air pollution negatively impacts health, biking more can help reduce emissions. Choosing to bike instead of driving for some trips lowers air pollution and benefits both health and environment. Making biking a regular option for transportation where possible cuts down on pollutants and improves individual and community wellness.
This 3 page document contains brief sections on different topics. Page 1 is titled "Test page title", Page 2 is titled "Title 2", and Page 3 is titled "Title 3". Each page provides a short description of its respective titled topic.
The document outlines the code flow for events in a Blackbook application. It describes the controllers, models, and views involved in managing events. The controllers handle functions like listing, adding, editing, and deleting events and polls. The models retrieve and manage event, poll, and category data. The views display listing and detail pages for admins and users to view and manage events.
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization set a goal in 1996 to halve the number of hungry people in the world by 2015. There are currently 842 million hungry people globally, with the majority living in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy for 75% of hungry populations. Providing farmers with access to training, markets, fertilizer, and improved seeds would be more effective and cheaper than sending food aid. While some food aid will still be needed for disasters, wars, and droughts, supporting agriculture can help communities produce their own food to feed themselves and sell surplus.
The document outlines 8 types of waste that should be eliminated: motion, waiting, transportation, overprocessing, overproduction, defects, unused inventory, and unused human capacity. It provides examples of each type of waste and encourages not accepting, making, or passing on waste. The overall message is to identify and reduce non-value added activities in order to improve efficiency.
This 3 page document contains brief sections on different topics. Page 1 is titled "Test page title", Page 2 is titled "Title 2", and Page 3 is titled "Title 3". Each page provides a short description of its respective titled section.
This 3 page document contains brief sections on different topics. Page 1 is titled "Test page title", Page 2 is titled "Title 2", and Page 3 is titled "Title 3". Each page provides a short description of its respective titled topic.
South Florida Workforce and South Florida Commuter Services presented transportation solutions for large employers. They discussed how providing commuter benefits through subsidies, vanpools, and public transportation can help reduce costs associated with employee turnover while providing tax-free benefits. Case studies showed how employers were able to create additional parking, increase productivity, and improve recruitment and retention by participating in these programs.
1. Casual Carpooling—Enhanced
Casual Carpooling—Enhanced
Kalon L. Kelley, Consultant
Abstract
Casual carpooling currently functions in environments where, because there is an
HOV lane, riders and passengers join together to gain access to that lane. In this
article, technology is introduced that will allow casual carpooling to function in
areas without HOV lanes by providing an administrative system that records actual
carpooling behavior so that incentives other than access to an HOV lane can be
made available. This technology also addresses some of the current shortcomings
associated with casual carpooling such as personal safety, the “free rider” problem,
and the disincentive to maximize the number of passengers sharing a ride. The article
concludes with comments on funding enhanced carpool programs including a hypo-
thetical comparison of a program providing monetary incentives for carpooling to
the alternative construction of new HOV lanes.
Introduction
Casual carpooling refers to the sharing of a ride with a driver and one or more
passengers, where the ridesharing between the individuals is not established in
advance but coordinated on the spot. While there may be a variety of motives for
ridesharing, the expression refers primarily to commuting situations where the
driver is incentivized to pick up passengers so as to allow for transit using a high
occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane. This type of carpooling has been around for quite
a number of years and is characterized by its informality and lack of governance.
Meeting sites tend to evolve where there is reasonable parking (for passengers
who may drive to the site and leave their cars) and proximity to major transporta-
tion corridors that provide HOV lanes. Casual carpooling has become a recognized
9
2. Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2007
cultural phenomena in places as diverse as Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Houston,
and San Francisco.
Casual carpooling is often considered a win-win activity. Drivers get access to tran-
sit lanes that reduce the length of their commute; passengers get a free commute
to work. The community benefits by a reduction in vehicles on the road with its
panoply of benefits.
Technology for Carpools
Radio frequency identification devices (RFID) are now used in a variety of environ-
ments involving vehicles. An overview of toll collection systems is described by
Saranow (005), and the U.S. Border Patrol is now using automatic vehicle iden-
tification (AVI) technology to speed border crossings (U.S. Customs 006). While
these transponders identify a vehicle, that is all they do.
RFID devices are also used to identify people. For example, a major oil company
makes available small keychain devices that can be waved by a gas pump to pay for
a gasoline purchase; this technology is being extended to other retailers.
The proposal herein is to use a transponder that, physically comparable to the
dashboard-positioned toll collection transponders, has the additional capability
of reading and storing in memory individual RFID devices when they are passed
in proximity to the transponder. Then, when interrogated, the transponder trans-
mits its ID along with the individual IDs that were read and stored.
There is a one-time registration process where a potential driver registers with the
administrator and receives an enhanced transponder. An individual participating
in the program as a passenger will register and receive an individual RFID device.
The casual carpool begins when a driver enters his vehicle and turns on the tran-
sponder. At a collection point, any rider entering the vehicle passes his RFID device
by the transponder, which beeps to indicate that the device was read and then
records in memory the rider’s ID. As the vehicle has occasion to travel by a reading
station, the transponder will transmit its own ID along with IDs identifying the
occupants. The reading station will periodically transfer its collected information
to the central processing system. This allows for a historical record of carpooling
events (who, where, and when) to be created effortlessly. This is the kind of infor-
mation now manually collected by various carpooling systems to allow for reward-
0
3. Casual Carpooling—Enhanced
ing participants, with the implication that a framework for incentivizing people to
form traditional carpools can apply as well to casual carpooling.
Identifying the transit corridors to be monitored is critical as it will not in general
be possible to have transponder readers on all highways and surface streets that
might be used for commuting. With multiple corridors and destinations, the
placement of readers would need to be done with care, in particular to avoid situa-
tions where commuters are motivated to use a less efficient route simply to ensure
that they pass through a transponder reader and get credit for their commute.
Establishing a casual carpooling collection point would be subject to the same
rationale as at present (density of drivers/riders, parking availability, public transit
options), and it would probably be necessary to have a way of distinguishing “reg-
istered” passengers (those with RFID devices) from those without,3 as a driver will
not get credit for providing a ride to the latter.
Two different contexts for casual carpooling exist. The traditional context is where
an HOV or toll lane exist, and where a carpool is granted access or reduced-fee
privileges on that lane. But casual carpools could exist in any transportation cor-
ridor if there was an incentive for drivers and passengers to participate; for ease of
reference these will be called non-HOV carpools.
Personal Security
The caution “not to accept a ride from a stranger” is taught at an early age. While
there are characteristics of casual carpooling that tend to ameliorate that concern
(random nature of pick-ups; the typical requirement for there to be at least two
passengers with a driver; and in some cases the restricted corridor, as for example,
crossing of the San Francisco Bay Bridge), it clearly is a concern with a significant
number of people in line choosing to decline an offered ride (Burris and Wynn
006) or reporting that the accountability of the third person was a “major factor
contributing to their sense of safety” (Gidal 004). That there are websites that
exist to report on wayward behavior of drivers and/or passengers is indicative of
the concern. While the success of casual carpooling demonstrates that its partici-
pants have by and large adjusted to the security issue, the unanswered question is
how many people presently do not participate but might choose this commuting
model if security could be enhanced?
When a driver invites a rider to enter her vehicle with a transponder and the rider
has an individual RFID device, both driver and rider can be comforted by know-
4. Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2007
ing that the other person’s identity is on file and that the ridesharing activity will
be recorded as the vehicle passes reading stations. In addition, the administrative
system could be designed so as to allow a commuter to provide anonymous feed-
back. For example, suppose a passenger is picked up by someone who drives dan-
gerously. The system could be set up so that later in the day the passenger could
access the Internet, identify himself, and indicate that on that morning’s commute
the driver was not recommended because of their driving. Anonymity would be
preserved as the passenger would not learn who the driver was. Similarly the driver
could record passenger evaluations, again anonymously.4 If the system administra-
tor established behavioral standards, participants with a pattern of inappropriate
behavior reports could be warned or excluded from participation.
Reporting of Carpool Events
Self-reporting of carpooling events when required to obtain incentives is problem-
atic. Underreporting happens due to laziness or forgetfulness, while overreport-
ing can be a deliberate attempt to gain undeserved rewards. With the proposed
technology, this reporting would be fully automated, with the only task required
being the waving of an RFID device by the transponder when entering the carpool
vehicle.
How Many Passengers?
The codified “rules of conduct” associated with casual carpooling serves to put
boundaries on what drivers and passengers do when sharing rides (e.g., limited
conversation and no cell phones). One of the constraints on drivers is not to pick
up more than the minimum number of passengers needed to qualify for use of
an HOV lane (with some exceptions such as late in the commute period when
drivers are infrequent). From the viewpoint of the participants, this is a perfectly
sound policy: it increases the liquidity of the system by “rewarding” more drivers
with passengers. But the flip side is that it encourages low-volume ridesharing and
hence more vehicles on the road.
In an HOV environment, it would be better to maintain liquidity with a dynamic
definition of a qualifying carpool. Suppose there was at the carpool collection
point a message board that defined the number of passengers needed to qualify
for HOV access as of this point in time. During peak periods this number could
be set high (4+) so as to provide an incentive for maximizing vehicle load. This
5. Casual Carpooling—Enhanced
would also serve to bring into equilibrium drivers and passengers, as a driver who
regularly has difficulty finding a complement of passengers will have a diminishing
incentive to leave home alone in hopes of being able to form a carpool. In nonpeak
periods the number of passengers required to qualify might be reduced so as both
to maintain system liquidity and to provide an incentive for drivers and passengers
to shift to nonpeak-hour commuting.
In non-HOV carpools, both drivers and passengers can be incentivized to maximize
vehicle occupancy, either by increasing the rewards to drivers for more passengers
or, more likely, adjusting the program parameters so that rewards are available
only for vehicles with a higher minimum number of passengers. Rewards could
also be adjusted to favor nonpeak-hour commuting. There are endless permuta-
tions of reward structures with which to experiment. One of the more intriguing
observations was made in an Atlanta program (Clean Air Campaign 004) that
showed a very substantial persistence (64%) of alternative transportation use as
long as nine months to a year after the subsidies were eliminated. This suggests a
program design that provided financial incentives initially might not need to be
forever wedded to maintaining them (see also Beroldo 987).
Haphazard Ride Matching
In any casual carpooling arrangement, the ability to match rider destinations with
driver destinations will be imperfect. In some situations this may not matter much
(e.g., in San Francisco with crossing the Bay Bridge), but in others (Washington
D.C. with its multiple collection points and often multiple destinations from each
point) it may. In some meeting places riders self-segregate by destination, while
in others the procedure is for the driver to call out his destination and then to
have the first riders in line for whom that destination works step forward. When
the queue is fairly small, this could be an aggravation for a driver who is unable to
complete his carpool. Signage held by riders as to destination can also be useful.
Some proposals and experiments use cellular phone technology to improve this
“on-the-fly” matching function (NelsonNygaard Consulting Associates 006), but
there are not yet any successful implementations.
While building a database of actual commuting behavior has powerful implica-
tions for creation of traditional “match lists” and prearranged carpools, it can also
be used with casual carpooling. For example, a transponder reader and a message
board could be located at the pick-up site. When a vehicle pulls up, the transpon-
3
6. Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2007
der could be read and the destination displayed on the message board thereby
facilitating decision making by those waiting. Similarly, if the passengers passed
their RFID devices by a reader as they came into the pick-up area, there could be
a message board for drivers indicating destinations and number of people wait-
ing for that destination. Having this information available could be useful to both
drivers and passengers (with no passengers there would be no reason to stop, and
with too many heading to the same destination a passenger might anticipate an
unacceptable waiting period).
Enforceability of HOV Lane Restrictions
There is quite a literature on enforceability of HOV restrictions and considerable
diversity among communities and states in terms of the rigor with which the multi-
occupant requirement is enforced. That there have been efforts to recover Federal
funding for HOV lanes where enforcement is poor (National Transportation Library
993) attests to the problem. Ultimately it comes down to a law official peering
into the window of a vehicle and trying to count occupants, a fairly difficult task to
perform in the best of circumstances, and made problematic by reclining passengers,
small children, dirty or tinted windows, or inclement weather.
Devices to read vehicle transponders can be positioned anywhere along a transit
corridor and can be made part of the portable equipment of an enforcement offi-
cial. When a vehicle passes a reading station, it is interrogated, and if the passenger
count is inappropriate, a warning message or a signal to an enforcement official
could follow. Vehicles without transponders (or with the transponder turned off)
would be treated as violators. The system provides for a technical validation of
occupancy rather than depending on sporadic visual observation.5
Diffusion of Rewards
HOV lanes are established to encourage behavioral change that would increase
the number of occupants in a vehicle.6 To the extent that the lane becomes avail-
able to users who meet the occupancy requirement but for whom there has been
no decision to trade off convenience for sharing a ride, the system gets degraded
(Lehman et al. 994). For example, a family on vacation has probably not decided
to include an extra family member just to qualify for HOV access but may none-
theless enjoy this access. A mother driving her children to school has probably not
made a carpooling decision, while another mother who drives her neighbor’s chil-
4
7. Casual Carpooling—Enhanced
dren along with her own may well have. The inability of the system to distinguish
among participants who should have access to the reward from those who should
not results in bizarre results such as the family breadwinner who commutes to
work accompanied by spouse (to qualify for HOV access), where after drop-off the
spouse then returns home in the vehicle only to repeat the process at the end of
the day. In this case the availability of the HOV lane has doubled the vehicle usage
on the highway, resulting in two round-trips rather than one.
Minimizing “free riders” (vehicles that meet occupancy requirements and gain
access to an HOV lane without any behavioral change to increase occupancy lev-
els) should follow from the eligibility requirements established during registration.
For example, a program might only register commuters who have an identified
place of employment, thereby eliminating most of the fortuitous eligibility (exam-
ples cited above). Although some people will benefit without having changed
their behavior (e.g., a neighborhood carpool that shifts to utilize a new HOV lane),
and some people might benefit even when there is a questionable net societal gain
(e.g., the bus rider who chooses to casually carpool because it is faster), a careful
definition of eligibility should limit this.
First and Last Miles
One of the least tractable problems with casual carpooling is the “first mile” and “last
mile”—the connections from home to the casual carpooling collection point and
the connections from the drop-off point to work (with the directionality reversed
on the way home). One approach to addressing this could be to adopt the transit
center (or “hub-and-spokes”) approach used in many municipal bus lines, wherein
a passenger boards a bus and goes to the transit center and then shifts to another
bus to complete the trip. While this would not fit all urban areas, in places where it
was feasible the logistics are not difficult. Drivers and passengers would be identified
both in the approach to the hub as well as when exiting, and any monetary reward
programs could reflect what was happening. Drivers could be rewarded both for
bringing passengers to the hub and for transporting a probably different group to
their general area of employment. Message boards at the hub could be updated in
real time to show how many vehicles were approaching (along with estimates as to
time of arrival) that were bound for any particular destination.
In a non-HOV environment, the possibilities for fine-tuning the operation of an
enhanced casual carpooling program are endless. If, for example, persons resid-
5
8. Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2007
ing in an area consistently failed to find rides, the formula for rewarding drivers
could be adjusted so as to increase the incentive for picking up passengers in that
area, and this could be done until a state of approximate equilibrium between
passengers and drivers was reached. Conceptually, this could be viewed as a mini
municipal bus system without fixed schedules and operating without exchange
of money between riders and drivers, but operating with enough frequency that
concerns about not getting a ride are minimal.
Extending the Reach of Casual Carpooling
As noted earlier, casual carpooling is, at present, closely tied to the incentive of
HOV lane access, although there may be some ancillary incentives such as elimina-
tion of tolls. But the basic incentive from the driver’s viewpoint is reduced transit
time, and for passengers it is some mixture of reduced transit time and the savings
associated with not having to drive. When access to an HOV lane is not available
as an incentive, if an alternative incentive (such as cash or awards) were provided,
it would free casual carpooling from its dependence on HOV lanes thereby greatly
extending the environments in which casual carpooling could be effective.
Numerous employer-based programs reward carpoolers with economic benefits
(free parking, monthly cash payments, and merchandise awards), and these pro-
grams do not depend on the existence of HOV lanes to make them work. Because
they depend on self-reporting of carpool activities, the rewards are usually mod-
est or temporary, and they usually work only within a company and not across a
community.
Estimates of what it would cost to induce someone to commute using alternative
transportation (other than an SOV) can be made using historic trip reduction
tables (Victoria Transport Policy Institute 005) projected to the current year as
well as reports from actual employer-based programs (Clean Air Campaign 004;
National Transportation Library 993; Victoria Transport Policy Institute 006).
The tables distinguish environments that differ by degree of transit infrastruc-
ture present as well as costs for parking, but the financial incentive needed to
cause significant shifts from SOVs to alternative modalities is not large. Given the
persistence of carpooling behavior once started, a program might start with rela-
tively large incentives that are reduced over time. Endless opportunities exist for
experimentation by a program manager, and data as to the relationship between
amount of incentive and participation would accumulate over time.
6
9. Casual Carpooling—Enhanced
Funding
With the ability to monitor actual carpooling events, employers can incentivize
their employees to carpool as an alternative to using an SOV, and the program
need not be limited (as is typically the case now) to programs where all the par-
ticipants are employed by the same company.
Further, the ability of the system to record carpooling events could help in moti-
vating Congress to extend the Commuter Benefit Program to add carpools to
the list of modalities (currently public transit or vanpools) that are eligible for tax
benefits. That they have not been included has reflected the difficulty of verifying
carpooling events, but in the proposed environment, the historical record is cap-
tured and available for audit.
But the largest source of funds should come from the Regional Transportation
Boards and state and federal agencies that have as their mandate the construc-
tion and operation of transportation systems. The old paradigm of simply building
more roads to accommodate ever-increasing traffic should no longer be the only
game in town.
To illustrate the point, in the Regional Transportation Plan for Santa Barbara
County (Parsons Brinckerhoff 006), the estimates for construction of adding
an HOV lane in both directions of a .8-mile section of Highway 0 (currently
two lanes in each direction) came to $58 million (006 dollars), and this did not
include the cost of additional infrastructure at freeway exits and entrances. After
completion of some operational improvements (now scheduled to begin in 008),
the plan estimates that 600 vehicles per peak hour would need to be eliminated to
improve traffic flow to a “D” level of service (the minimum level of service accept-
able in the Santa Barbara Congestion Management Program.)
If the number of riders (including the driver) to qualify for a financial incentive
was set at 4+, this reduction could be achieved by moving 600 SOV drivers into
qualifying carpools during each of two peak hours. If drivers were incentivized by
a payment of $0/day (to provide a carpool to Santa Barbara in the morning and
then back home in the evening), and riders were incentivized by a payment of $4/
day, the total cost for each peak hour would be 00 (drivers) X $0 + 600 (former
SOV drivers) X $4 = $4,400. As the program would operate for two peak-hour
periods per day and approximately 50 workdays/year, the annual cost would be
$4400 X X 50 = $. million. If operational costs were $.5 million/year, the total
7
10. Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2007
amount would be $.7 million. This is well under the $3. million estimated annual
maintenance cost of the proposed HOV lane.
The empirical justification for the incentive numbers used in this example is that
() they are well in excess of what the trip reduction tables (Victoria Transport
Policy Institute 005) projected to 007 from their base year suggest would be
required to cause the needed percentage of drivers to shift from an SOV to alter-
native transportation, and () they also exceed the incentives actually used in a
variety of carpooling programs (Transportation Demand Institute 997; Victoria
Transport Policy Institute 007).
The comparison to HOV maintenance costs is imperfect (since the HOV lanes
would provide benefits at nonpeak commuting hours, including the weekends
when summer vacation traffic can cause congestion comparable to that of the
workday week), and a more complete analysis would include projections for
future years.7 However, the difference in capital costs8 is so large that it should
cause planners to rethink their historical commitment to capacity building.
Summary
Over the years a number of proposals have addressed the automation of rideshar-
ing (Niles and Tolliver 99; Dickerson 004). While from a systems architecture
point of view the vision of dynamic carpool formation is fascinating, the complex-
ity attending these proposals has made their adoption, even as pilot programs,
problematic. In contrast, the technology proposed herein is simple to implement
and easy for commuters to use. It holds the promise of extending the proven
concept of casual carpooling to a larger regional audience. For regions with HOV
lanes, performance can be enhanced, while for regions without HOV lanes, more
traditional incentive-based programs become possible.
Endnotes
The computation of net reduction in vehicles due to carpooling is complicated
by the fact that there can be mode displacements, for example persons choosing
to carpool who might otherwise use a mass transit alternative (Beroldo 990).
Whether the driver also obtains a personal RFID might depend on whether the
vehicle could have different operators on different days. If this were not the case,
8
11. Casual Carpooling—Enhanced
then the vehicle’s transponder could also serve to identify the driver, and an RFID
device for the driver would not be required.
3
Perhaps by signage, “This line for registered riders only.”
4
This could be a bit tricky with multiple anonymous passengers as any evaluation
by the driver would need to be attributed to the right passenger.
5
Some enforcement issues remain (e.g., a driver potentially “borrowing” individual
RFID devices without having the individuals present in the vehicle), but discussion
of this topic goes beyond this article.
6
Occasionally other objectives exist. For example, some venues encourage pur-
chase of hybrid vehicles by opening HOV lanes to these vehicles apart from occu-
pancy count.
7
The rate at which incentive program costs increase when traffic increases and
more drivers need to become carpoolers may exceed the rate at which HOV main-
tenance costs increase.
8
The capital cost to implement the carpooling program should be comfortably
less than percent of the $58 million to construct the HOV lane.
References
Beroldo, S. J. 987. Duration of carpool and vanpool usage by clients of rides. Trans-
portation Research Record 30.
Beroldo, S. J. 990. Casual carpooling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Transportation
Quarterly 44 (January 990).
Burris, Mark W., and Justin Winn. 006. Slugging in Houston: Casual carpool pas-
senger characteristics. Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting Paper
#06-006.
Clean Air Campaign. 004. http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/35.
Dickerson, Stephen L. 004. U.S. Patent No. 6,697,730.
Gidal, Jessica W. M. 004. Driving with the stranger. LoudPaperMag 4 ().
Lehman, Christopher K., Preston L. Schiller, and Kristin Pauly. 994. Re-thinking
HOV—high occupancy vehicle facilities and the public interest. Institute for
Transportation and the Environment. Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
9
12. Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2007
National Transportation Library. 993. A guidance manual for implementing effec-
tive employer-based travel demand management programs. DOT, p.6 ff. http://
www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/JPODOC5/REPTS_TE/8383.pdf.
NelsonNygaard Consulting Associates. 006. RideNow! Evaluation draft report.
Alameda County Congestion Management Agency (September).
Niles, John S., and Paul A. Toliver. 99. IVHS technology for improving ridesharing.
Proceedings of the 1992 Annual Meeting of IVHS America.
Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas, Inc. 006. 101 in motion final report.
Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (July). www.0inmotion.
com/FileLib/SB-0%0Final%0Report%0FINAL.pdf.
Saranow, Jennifer. 005. Some new reasons to use high-tech tolls. Wall St. Journal
(August 5), Section D.
Transportation Demand Institute of the Association for Commuter Transporta-
tion. 007. See case studies p. –70 (August). www.epa.gov/otaq/statere-
sources/rellinks/docs/tdmcases.pdf.
U. S. Customs. 006. Website describes the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers
Rapid Inspection (SENTRI). http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/frequent_
traveler/sentry.
Victoria Transport Policy Institute. 005. Trip reduction tables. http://www.vtpi.
org/tdm/tdm4.htm.
Victoria Transport Policy Institute. 006. Ridesharing (see case studies and exam-
ples). http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm34.htm.
Victoria Transport Policy Institute. 007. Commuter financial incentives. http://
www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm8.htm.
About the Author
Kalon L. Kelley (kalon@mtnimage.com) is a retired computer software entre-
preneur and college teacher. A member of the Association for Commuter Trans-
portation, Dr. Kelley has published articles on computer science, linguistics, and
transportation. He has been active in recent years in exploring transportation
alternatives for Santa Barbara County, California.
30