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Multiple Airport Regions (MARs) are an increasingly important element of air transportation, enabling capacity distribution, providing redundancies, and potentially improving accessibility for passengers. Prime examples for MARs include London, New York, and Tokyo, and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in China. The scientific community has investigated MAR-phenomena for nearly 40 years now; with the first seminal papers having appeared in the 1980s / 1990s. Despite the significant number of studies in this area, there exists—to the best of our knowledge—no attempt to categorize all papers on this subject. In this study, we address this gap in the literature by collecting the extant studies on the subject and classify them according to their foci and key contributions. Moreover, based on insights from these studies and the highly developing GBA-MAR, we propose and discuss a set of challenges for effective and successful MARs development. We believe that our work is helpful for the relevant communities to maintain an overview of the state-of-the-art as well as working on the open challenges in a goal-oriented way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A redundant transport network enhances the utility of transport services users by offering multiple alternative modes capable of supporting and substituting for each other when one becomes temporarily unavailable. The objective of this paper is to present empirical evidence of the role redundancy may play in e-scooter sharing services when transit services face temporary disruptions. To achieve this, we analyzed trip data from e-scooter sharing services in Turin, Italy, to assess the impact of seven transit strike events on both the frequency counts and the average length of e-scooter trips. The results indicate a substitution effect between transit and e-scooters during transit disruptions. This redundancy pattern follows a spatial distribution characterized by a distance-decay function from transit stops, resulting in a significant increase (+89%) in trips originating in the vicinity of transit stops during a strike event. This paper contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the e-scooter-to-transit redundancy and its spatial heterogeneity, further defining the complementary/competitive relationship between these two modes. Policymakers and planners can enhance the resilience of urban transport networks by considering dynamic fleet management that anticipates transit disruptions and failures while better accommodating the demand shock of e-scooter sharing services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While e-shopping may trigger more but shorter trips, i.e., within walkable distances, frequent e-shoppers see private car as more reliable. However, research addressing the interplay between e-shopping and transport mode choice is scarce and mostly focused on urban areas. Against this background, the paper complements current literature by answering the following research question: Is e-shopping behaviour associated with walking to in-store retail instead of using a private car, and what are the differences between urban and rural environments? Germany serves as the spatial laboratory, with the data from the 2017 Mobilität in Deutschland (MiD) survey providing comprehensive insights on mobility and its socio-economic elements. Three logistic regression models are carried out to explore the impact of e-shopping frequency on transport mode choice for three different spatial settings: large agglomerations (≥100,000 inhabitants), urban counties, and rural counties. The results show that people who buy online more frequently in urban and rural counties tend to reach in-store destinations by car instead of walking. On the other hand, the frequency of e-shopping and walking mode choice do not present any association on large urban agglomerations. The socio-economic analysis shows that car owners tend to reach in-store retail by car, while those with higher household incomes are more likely to walk. The paper ends with a discussion of how the results can inform sustainable transport systems to find a balance between online and in-store shopping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sheds light on the understudied phenomenon of female two-wheeler riders in Bangladesh, and their everyday negotiations of moto-mobility in patriarchal public spaces. In transportation research, female riders have traditionally been characterized as occupying the pillion seat. By conducting ethnographic observations of two-wheeler training clubs in Bangladesh (Dhaka) and qualitative interviews with female riders, the paper expands the discussion of gender and mobility beyond the usual focus on car and public transport in the Global South, which is critical for planning equitable and inclusive transport policies. Using the motility framework (access, competence and appropriation), this paper unravels the cultural, spatial and social dynamics of women's everyday moto-mobility. Through engagement in women-only training clubs which also serve as gendered social spaces, female riders actively build technical and spatial competence. They opt for safety-conscious approaches in driving behaviour, subverting traditional/masculine notions of dominance and authority. The findings also reveal how young riders subvert families and communities to acquire and ride motorbikes, but still largely conform (and adapt) to social norms to manufacture respectability (following normative sartorial choices, sex-segregated seclusion/purdah). In other words, their resistance is in proportion to how much they can assert themselves without facing negative repercussions from communities and society at large. As their presence and performances of micro-subversions rewrite spatial geographies (of risk and respectability), this has implications for reshaping the everyday transport geographies of women in urban public spaces. By presenting gender scripts as an element of appropriation in the constant negotiation of mobility, this paper contextualises motility in a non-western setting, and shows how multiple (seemingly contradictory) gender performances can feed into each other and regroup to facilitate women's access (to mobility) and rights in a gendered city. • Female motorbike riders in Bangladesh negotiate patriarchal urban public spaces. • In doing so, they challenge traditional gender scripts and reconstruct new ones. • Training clubs offer women new and safe spaces for gendered sociality. • Their micro-subversions rewrite spatial geographies (of risk & respectability). • This has implications for everyday geographies of women's mobility in urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the relationship between recurring public transport delays, accessibility to jobs, and travel behaviour in the region of Scania, Sweden. The difference between potential (scheduled) accessibility, observed (actual) accessibility, and behaviour is an important part of this research. This paper contributes to the growing body of literature that uses GTFS data (for both scheduled and actual services) to provide a deeper understanding of temporal variations in accessibility with public transport. Historic public transport data were used to develop a measure for typical delays in the region. The accessibility analysis shows that, on average, recurring public transport delays result in a 4–9% reduction in accessibility to jobs in the region. The loss in accessibility varied depending on the travel time budget that was considered and the location within the region. The accessibility analysis also shows that areas with higher concentrations of households with a lower economic standard experience a smaller loss in job accessibility caused by public transport delays. However, the concentration of these effects depends on the measure that is used. The measurement of typical delays was also analysed in relation to actual trips from the regional travel survey. The statistical analysis found that recurring public transport delays were associated with a lower likelihood of using public transport compared to other motorised modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed rail (HSR) has emerged as a significant mode for intercity transport in several countries, particularly China, setting an environment that may promote integration between air and HSR networks. To better measure the current level of integration of China's air-HSR intermodal network and identify implementation issues, this paper establishes a novel assessment framework that considers three primary areas: service capability, network connectivity and transfer potential. The framework is based on a comprehensive literature review of network measurement and assessment methodologies. Then, fractal theory is used to establish an assessment model that associates the fractal dimension to the level of intermodal integration, which can serve as an important complement to traditional weighting methods. The model and framework are applied to the 10 cities in China with the potential for air-HSR integration. The results show that international hub airports, together with their closest HSR station, do not necessarily perform at a higher integration level than regional hubs. The paper also proposes policy and practical recommendations to enhance air-HSR network integration levels from service supply, network coordination and transfer design perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union's Trans-European Transport Network policy (TEN-T) is a key instrument for developing rail networks and achieving the European Union's modal shift and territorial cohesion objectives as set out in the White Paper on Transport. High-speed rail (HSR) is a key element of this policy, as the core TEN-T rail network is to be designed for high speeds. Since the effectiveness of HSR in achieving its objectives has been repeatedly criticized, it is difficult to justify the high cost of developing rail corridors for such speeds. The European Commission has therefore proposed a reduction in the minimum speeds for HSR in a revised proposal concerning the regulation defining the TEN-T network. In this paper, we apply the betweenness-accessibility methodology to model the contribution of each rail corridor in the European long-distance rail network to the accessibility by rail of EU metropolitan regions. After simulating the completion of the already defined TEN-T network which is to be completed by 2030, we simulate speed increases on all remaining corridors with speeds below 160 km/h up to this speed to evaluate the potential accessibility gains of these speed increases. A total of 13 corridors have been selected for the estimation of their upgrade costs, most of which are in Eastern Europe. The upgrade costs were compared with the potential accessibility gains to provide guidance on the most cost-effective way to improve rail accessibility on the European long-distance rail network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses Sydney rail data to examine the relationship between station level ridership and local and regional accessibility. We use net transit accessibility, which is the additional number of opportunities reachable by transit over walking to represent the regional connectivity value provided by transit. We map accessibility at transit stations, and use the number of opportunities within walking distance as an indicator of local access. We find elements of place (or local) access, including access to jobs and to residents within walking distance (local access), and nodal (or regional) access, including transit access to distant jobs and residential locations are both significant indicators of station level ridership. In particular, the number of jobs within walking distance of a transit station is the best single predictor of transit ridership. This paper highlights the importance of high density around station areas for transit ridership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inland waterways have the potential to enhance port-hinterland connectivity and foster sustainable freight transport. Their development as transport corridors is highly dependent on geography, yet spatial spillovers of port throughput are often overlooked. In Europe, the configuration of inland container terminals can lead to cross-border spillovers. This paper analyzes inland container throughput between 2007 and 2021 in the Rhine-Alpine Corridor to quantify its spatial dependence and economic spillover effects. The assessment involves 43 regions from Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Luxemburg, and Switzerland. A Spatial Durbin Model is developed accounting for economic conditions, fixed effects, and time trends. The results suggest that throughput exhibited spatial concentration patterns, which intensified after water levels dropped in 2018. Second, the spatial dependence is heterogeneous between transport performance in tonne-km vs. TEU-km. Third, technological resources and population density were positively associated with throughput, while the opposite was found for employment and motorways. Notably, the spillovers of technological resources and employment were considerably higher than the local impact. Based on these findings, the paper advises on spatially oriented policies to address low water levels, workforce decline, and the need for new business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Green Belt in England is probably the most longstanding and internationally recognised Urban Growth Boundary (UBG). However, developers, think tanks and academics often accuse UGB's of being the leading cause of the housing affordability problems around the world and articulate an alternative vision of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). This paper, based upon a regional case study of the West Midlands and 74 interviews with planners and planning stakeholders, argues that the debate around TOD in the Green Belt needs to be more cognisant of regional geographical variation in public transport provision. Moreover, drawing upon the views of planners who play a key a role in allocating land for development, the paper underlines that decisions regarding TOD need to made strategically as reflecting the policy's purpose as a regional growth management policy. Reflecting on the broader academic literature, it highlights the need for greater strategic integration of transport and land-use planning alongside reviving strategic planning to evaluate various spatial blueprints for urban growth management. The paper has broader relevance to international debates about the feasibility and potential of TOD, especially in addressing housing affordability problems around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shipping companies are key drivers of maritime trade and crucial in the development of container shipping networks. Each company's strategy shapes differences in port services and shipping routes, creating a complex and interconnected global container shipping network that is difficult to analyze using single-layer or aggregated models. This paper introduces a novel multiplex network modeling approach that leverages a very large set of AIS data and applies a series of structural indices to reveal the unique characteristics and multiple key roles of various shipping company networks. By applying methods such as overlap ratio analysis, HITS analysis, and community detection, the study identifies differences in overlap between ports and routes, hub and authority properties of individual ports, as well as local and regional patterns within the global network. Furthermore, it examines structural differences between the multiplex network, the aggregated network, and individual layers, highlighting the importance of multiplex container networks in understanding ports' roles on both regional and global scales. The findings clarify how different shipping companies shape shipping network patterns, enhance the multiplex network's functional roles, and provide a better understanding of the complex structure of the Global Container Shipping Network (GCSN). Finally, it provides authorities with valuable insights on how to better understand maritime shipping networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The port governance literature has charted the trend towards devolution of port services to the private sector, also showing how the increasing influence of external private actors such as shipping lines and global terminal operators affects decisions on expansion and service provision, producing a more multifaceted and polycentric kind of port governance. In this paper we extend these notions to cover both mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. A growing body of literature on green ports discusses the various actions that can be taken to limit emissions in the port area, while another body of literature is growing on climate change adaptation measures, including the uncertain risks and rewards. Both mitigation and adaptation actions are partly linked to the commercial decisions of port actors but also partly driven by external actors (e.g. society, government, regulators). The analysis produces an updated conceptualisation of port governance under climate change, based on four stakeholder groups (public policy, commercial actors, indirect actors and international shipping governance) and produces three key conclusions. First, concession contracts and commercial relationships will need to change, with a more integrated vision and approach to sharing future (sometimes undefined or uncosted) costs and benefits between the port authority and commercial partners. Second, diversification of the port business model will see a larger focus on energy production and provision, requiring the more explicit inclusion of external stakeholders, particularly energy companies, in port governance. Third, port governance will see a return to prominence of the public dimension, both in terms of national decarbonisation plans and particularly regarding adaptation to an uncertain and turbulent future. As ports are both commercial activities and national infrastructure, these different identities will need to be united in a joint vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several health benefits are associated with cycling, this mode of active transport remains underrepresented. Studies have shown that individuals' preferred mode of transport is influenced by the environment in which they travel. While macro-environmental factors shape active transport, micro-environmental aspects offer adaptable solutions. In this paper, we used novel and promising Virtual Reality (VR) technology to investigate which street characteristics regarding safety and attractiveness are important for promoting cycling for transport in three vulnerable groups in traffic, i.e., adolescents, adults with a low SES, and older adults. Participants cycled through two virtual streets based on existing streets in Ghent, Belgium. The think-aloud method was used to collect qualitative data during cycling and afterward participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire about the VR experience, self-reported cycling behavior, and sociodemographic factors. Transcribed files were analyzed using content analysis, revealing 14 crucial street characteristics. Separate cycling paths, clear markings and traffic signs, even surfaces, calm streets, spacious layouts, and aesthetically pleasing environments were found to be important by all target groups. Adolescents and older adults emphasized slower traffic, visibility, wider cycle paths, high curbs, and sudden unexpected actions. Secure bicycle parking was crucial for adolescents, while older adults valued green environments and had mixed opinions on traffic-calming structures. This study underscores the significance of micro-scale street features in promoting active transport among vulnerable groups. Additionally, it demonstrates the potential of VR for inclusive urban design and citizen-based science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a holistic framework to identify public transport disadvantaged areas in terms of the level of services (LOS), area-based accessibility, and facility-based accessibility by employing the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) dataset. The framework considers the spatial and temporal levels of transit services, the spatial separation by urban functional areas, the availability of facilities based on the cumulative opportunity method, and the minimum time cost based on dual accessibility. A case study is performed in Hong Kong. The results show that the main problem for rural residents using public transport services lies in walking to transit stops/piers instead of long waits at public transport stops or infrequent services. The map of area-based accessibility shows great variations by urban functional areas. Despite being a highly transit-dependent city, we find huge disparities of accessibility to public facilities within Hong Kong and people living in some rural areas have difficulties in accessing basic services such as education, health care and shopping through public transport. Theoretically, this study reinforces the significance of place-based transport disadvantage and its intricate relationship with urban form. Empirically, it provides practical recommendations for public transport planning. The findings can direct transit agencies to re-plan and deploy services such as introducing demand-responsive transit services to better address the needs of people living in transport disadvantaged areas. • A holistic framework to identify public transport disadvantaged areas • Public transport accessibility to a broad range of public facilities is considered • Walking to transit stops, not waiting for vehicles, is a rural transport problem • Rural areas struggle to access education, healthcare, & shopping through public transport • Rural areas need 90+ min for similar opportunities as urban areas within 30 min [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The City of Stockholm is conducting a scenario planning exercise to explore where potential future office development should be planned: closer to the city centre as in the status quo, in peripheral hubs on the outskirts of the city, or dispersed throughout multiple neighbourhoods. To support this exercise, this paper models these three scenarios using a nested work location and dynamic activity-based scheduling model. Our model predicts that high-income individuals have the highest consumer welfare benefits and are over-represented as workers in all scenarios. Developing more central office space will likely reinforce existing geographical patterns of income inequality in Stockholm; developing peripheral or dispersed office space, especially in the south of the city, will challenge these patterns. However, the model also illustrates a tension between the goals of equity and the environment. By taking advantage of existing transit infrastructure and congestion patterns, more central office development will result in lower vehicle kilometers travelled and lower car mode share for commuting than more peripheral or dispersed development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the increasingly complex requirements in the fields of logistics and transport, intensive development and application of intermodal transport is necessary, whereby the planning and development of efficient intermodal terminals (IT) as one of the key intermodal transport sub-systems is crucial. Accordingly, this paper deals with the definition of types of inland IT combining different structural elements and the selection of efficient terminal types (TT). For solving this problem, a novel approach for defining the types of inland IT and a hybrid model for evaluating their efficiency are developed in this paper. The model combines the fuzzy EDAS (Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution) method of multi-criteria decision-making, used for defining the input weight limits based on the requirements of the stakeholders, and the AR DEA (Assurance Region Data Envelopment Analysis) non-parametric method, used for evaluating the efficiency of the types of inland IT. The applicability of the proposed model is demonstrated by solving the problem of selecting the efficient TTs in the group of "small" inland ITs, based on the analysis of real ITs in Europe. For the most efficient TT, the "small" inland road-rail hub terminal, mainly performing basic, supplementary and accompanying functions, is selected. The selected TT represent the benchmark for the other ITs that have the potential to develop into them and become the important elements in the development of the transport networks, regionalization of the ports and geographic expansion of their hinterlands, which are the key initiators of the regions' macro-economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a potentially revolutionary shift towards electric mobility in the passenger vehicle market, the academic and policymaking communities remain wedded to a techno-economic paradigm that may not fully appreciate deeper social and geographic elements of a transition to electric vehicles. In this paper, based primarily on bivariate statistical analysis as well as a hierarchical regression analysis of a survey distributed to >5000 respondents across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, we analyze how perceptions and attitudes towards electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid technologies differ by income, political affiliation, and geography. Although our findings confirm EV ownership and mobility patterns in general are related to income—those with higher incomes both own more EVs and drive more generally—they also confirm that interest in EVs is not so strongly related. Lower income groups seem to ask less from their cars, thus potentially opening up a market for cheaper low-range alternates. Political orientation is correlated to car and EV ownership, with those on the "left" more interested yet those on the "right" more able and willing to buy expensive cars. Moreover, we see variation in preferences across urban and rural subcategories, and our findings strongly suggest that EVs need not be promoted only for city or suburban areas. When controlling for variables, a multilevel regression analysis does not change the overall thrust of these associations. • This paper examines perceptions and attitudes towards electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid technologies • Those with higher incomes both own more EVs and drive more generally • Lower income groups seem to ask less from their cars, opening up a market for cheaper alternates • Political orientation shows counterintuitive relationships concerning vehicle ownership and EV interest rates • EVs need not be promoted only for city or suburban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the need to expand research on air transport regulation from the institutional to the everyday scale of analysis. Employing the Finnish Foreign Service as an example, it demonstrates how an assemblage approach to diplomatic aeromobility, as a fact of diplomatic working life and an item in geopolitical representations, can open up new angles on and directions for air transport and diplomacy research. Without trying to authoritatively delimit the concept, the article examines how the aeromobilities of diplomacy form overlapping, emerging, and mutually constituting networks at multiple scales, from the micro geographies of the airplane cabin and the geographies of the neoliberal state to the macro geographies of international air transport networks. It demonstrates how diplomats as both co-producers and end users of international air transport networks fill the space onboard a network carrier with a unique mobile working culture, co-produce mutually reinforcing representations with the flag carrier, and bring credibility to air service agreement negotiations. The paper suggests that further research on other geopolitical contexts and components of diplomatic aeromobility is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of social economy and health care technology, people are expected to live longer, and the world's population tends to be ageing. As one of the services for elderly people, the concessionary bus travel programme provides a kind of social welfare for elderly people, while peak-hour traffic pressures (e.g., traffic congestion, traffic injuries, and travel discomfort) faced by elderly people have been ignored. This paper attempts to help society create a better travel environment for elderly people by analysing their travel behaviours. Specifically, using household survey data from Beijing, the statistical analysis is used to paint a more detailed picture of daily travel experience of elderly people with regard to departure times, travel purposes, travel mode choices, etc. Then, a nested logit model is employed to interpret travel patterns of elderly people. The results show that the bus plays the most important role in motorized travel of elderly people. Furthermore, the free bus programme has induced only 4.85% of bus travel among elderly people, indicating that the programme has little effect on elderly people's bus choices. Based on the results of the analysis, several options are proposed in this paper to help society adapt to the changing demographics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the implications of so-called 'big data' for the analysis, modelling and planning of transport systems. The primary conceptual focus is on the needs of the practical context of medium-term planning and decision-making, from which perspective the paper seeks to achieve three goals: (i) to try to identify what is truly 'special' about big data; (ii) to provoke debate on the future relationship between transport planning and big data; and (iii) to try to identify promising themes for research and application. Differences in the information that can be derived from the data compared to more traditional surveys are discussed, and the respects in which they may impact on the role of models in supporting transport planning and decision-making are identified. It is argued that, over time, changes to the nature of data may lead to significant differences in both modelling approaches and in the expectations placed upon them. Furthermore, it is suggested that the potential widespread availability of data to commercial actors and travellers will affect the performance of the transport systems themselves, which might be expected to have knock-on effects for planning functions. We conclude by proposing a series of research challenges that we believe need to be addressed and warn against adaptations based on minimising change from the status quo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an innovative method of replicating the multi-modal public transport system in Singapore with high precision using smart card database. It replicates the operation of public transport system with known exogenous passenger demand and provides many operational details, including passenger inter-modal trip chains, operational timetable, and detailed transfer behaviour. The paper elaborates on the methodology of the replication including data cleaning, filtering, processing and converting the collected data to meaningful information such as bus journey trajectories and metro system timetable. Thereafter, actualised passenger trip chains are directly assigned to the replicated public transport supply. The resulting replication covers almost 96% of trips made in public transport in Singapore. It provides solid quantitative information on several aspects to support decision making, including precise temporal and spatial travel demand analysis, transfer pattern analysis, traffic condition investigation and bus utilisation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation is proving to be the most difficult sector for reducing U.S. carbon emissions. With 86% of American commuters continuing to drive to work, meeting the urgent climate-change challenge requires a pronounced shift to alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs). Standing in the way of this transition, however, is the dearth of conveniently located refueling and recharging stations. This paper argues that we cannot generalize from the refueling habits of people driving gasoline cars, or from their stated preferences for where they would need or want stations, because they formed those habits and preferences while using a ubiquitous network of gasoline stations. We also must distinguish among the different behaviors engendered by slow and/or home charging of electric vehicles, flexible refueling and recharging of hybrids and flex-fuel vehicles, and fast refueling/charging AFVs. Therefore, this paper reviews the limited literature on the revealed preferences of where actual early adopters of single-fuel, fast-filling AFVs choose to refuel or recharge when faced with the reality of a sparse network of stations. Refueling preferences have been revealed by (1) surveys asking drivers where they usually refuel, (2) intercept surveys at stations, and (3) GPS and card-swipe data. The few existing studies suggest that drivers adapt by focusing more on convenience of locations than price. Drivers refuel more frequently at the same stations, at higher tank or battery levels, more on work-anchored trips, more in the middle of trips, less often near home, more often on their way, and take larger detours compared with drivers of gasoline and diesel vehicles. To put these results in a broader context, the paper compares them briefly with revealed-preference results for slow charging of electric vehicles and with stated-preference results for hydrogen and similar fuels. The paper discusses the implications of these findings for the initial rollout of fast-refueling station infrastructure and identifies gaps in what we know about actual AFV refueling and recharging behavior. • Alt-fuel vehicles (AFVs) are needed to reverse rise in CO 2 emissions from transport • The paper reviews literature on where actual AFV drivers refuel or recharge • Station choice behavior changes when faced with a sparse network of stations • AFV drivers more often refuel habitually, on their way, mid-trip, and near work • Results differ from gasoline refueling behavior and stated preference surveys [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most bicycle collision studies aim to identify contributing factors and calculate risks based on statistical data (Loidl et al., 2016). The aim of this paper is to follow this approach, focusing on bicycle-motorized vehicle (BMV) collisions through a spatio-temporal workflow. For the spatial dimension (Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) method), a general estimation of the collision risks was obtained and the labour-intensive work of collecting counting data was avoided on the macro-scale level. The temporal dimension (negative binomial modeling method) focused on data from collisions occurring on bridges, enabling the inclusion of traffic exposure (counting data on the micro-scale level). Bridge collision risks and contributing factors related to road environment and cycling facilities were estimated using databases from eight government authorities and field investigation. For the presented case study, 2044 geo-coded bicycle collisions in the Taipei-Capital Region (Taiwan) were analysed. The data set covers three years (2015–2017) and includes all BMV collisions reported by the police. Through the spatial workflow, urban bridges were identified as areas with the highest density of collisions. This is unsurprising given that bicycle facilities on urban bridges face design difficulties due to limited space, discrepancy in elevation and traffic volume. Through this approach the characteristics of BMV collisions on bridges, traffic engineering, road environment, traffic control system, and driving behaviour were then analysed in the temporal dimension. This paper concludes by providing information relevant to traffic engineers concerning the enhancement of bicycle safety on high-risk areas in the city. In this paper, we aim to (1) understand the risk patterns of bicycle collisions spatially (where?) and temporally (when?), from a region-scale (macro) level to a location-scale (micro) level. To this end, a spatio-temporal (two-stage) workflow was developed for the exploration of the collision data. Through the spatial stage, urban bridges were identified as having the highest density of BMV collisions. Building on results from the spatial stage, we sought to (2) further explain "how" bridge infrastructure influences bicycle collisions in Taipei-Capital Region (Taiwan) by studying contributing risk factors. Countermeasures can thus be made to enhance bicycle safety. This paper is organized as follows. Section 2 provides an overview of the literature related to bicycle collision studies. Section 3 describes the study concept of the spatio-temporal workflow and its methodologies. Section 4 presents the study area and provides the descriptive statistics of BMV collisions. Section 5 describes the data used in spatio-temporal modeling. Section 6 discusses the main results and Section 7 finally concludes with the contribution and recommendation of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Extant literature echoes that ports with a high transhipment share (T/S), and thus a high dependency on sea-sea transhipment or T/S flows, are vulnerable. It is less clear whether the vulnerability of T/S oriented container ports leads to more throughput volatility compared to gateway ports (i.e. inland-bound cargo) or ports with a mixed cargo base (i.e. T/S and gateway flows). In this perspective, throughput volatility, which denotes the variability or the dispersion of the cargo throughput in a port throughout a given period, is of great concern to port actors. This paper examines the relationship between throughput volatility in North European and Mediterranean container ports and the sea-sea transhipment incidence/dependency of these ports. First, we group a large sample of North European and Mediterranean ports in transhipment dependency classes ranging from transhipment ports over mixed ports to gateway ports. Second, we calculate the container throughput volatility between 1990 and 2016 based on two volatility measures. Third, we analyse the relationship between these volatility measures and transhipment incidence. Finally, we compare the results per port group (in terms of transhipment incidence level). The statistical test results show that throughput volatility is much higher for transhipment hubs then for other container ports. This paper also points to some regional market-related elements that explain the observed differences in throughput volatility between port groups. This study can help port planners, managing bodies of ports and terminal operators in their decision-making in the field of container port development and commercial strategies. Highlights • We analyse the relationship between container port throughput volatility and transhipment. • A sample of 61 ports is grouped in three transhipment dependency classes. • Two volatility measures are presented and applied. • The statistical findings show that throughput volatility is higher for transhipment hubs than for other container ports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An increase in urban freight transport is inevitable as growing urban populations require more goods, more conveniently. A deeper understanding of the geography and trends of urban freight transport must recognise that it is the aggregate result of a complex web of supply chain interactions. To understand the trends, the behaviour of the underlying supply chains must be understood. Using Global Positioning System (GPS) traces of commercial vehicles and network theory concepts, this paper examines the characteristics of supply chain micro-communities in three urban areas in South Africa. The similarity in the structure of these micro-communities across the three, very diverse, areas suggests that the dynamics that drive supply chain interaction are not dependent on local geography. Four prominent archetypes were identified that account for more than half of the micro-communities in each area. Directionality, geographic dispersion and the balance of importance in the micro-communities are studied in the context of these archetypes. This paper presents a first puzzle piece in deducing urban freight transport patterns from supply chain interaction. Furthermore the results are an empirical benchmark that can validate theoretic models of urban supply chain interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, the focus is on examining children's extra-curricular activities in a high density urban East Asian environment, specifically Hong Kong. The paper offers a framework to understand children's extra-curricular activities time allocation and active travel participation. Three variables of interest are considered: residential location choice (based on residential density), weekly time spent in four different types of out-of-home after-school activities (academic, sports, arts, and other), and level of active travel. The proposed model takes into account common observed and unobserved effects that can be affecting the three outcomes simultaneously. Overall, the findings, based on survey data collected at four primary schools between November 2015 and June 2016 in Hong Kong, show that children's activity and travel behaviour within the same city can differ quite substantially based on neighbourhood environment (notably residential density) and family socio-demographic background. The empirical findings and analysis provide insights for policy development, including those related to (a) targeting children's extra-curricular activity participation for underprivileged groups, (b) promoting work-friendly policies that enable parents to spend more time and participate in more activities together with their children, as well as (c) promoting mixed use and compact development to encourage a more active lifestyle for children and parents alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper investigates potential electric vehicle (EV) adoption among households in Atlantic Canada, a region lagging in terms of EV uptake. The data come from a 2015 S urvey for P references and A ttitudes of C anadians towards E lectric Vehicles or SPACE , with an intent to investigate electric mobility prospects in Canada through a series of socioeconomic, attitudinal, and stated preference (SP) questions. A latent class (LC) random utility model is used to segment Atlantic respondents based on their sociodemographic and environmental attitudes, and to estimate their willingness-to-pay for different vehicular features. A separate model is estimated for leading adoption provinces (Ontario and British Columbia), and compared to the Atlantic model. Results indicate that cash incentives and the quality of battery warranty are important features shaping the choice of vehicle powertrain in the Atlantic sample. Contrary to the model obtained from the leading provinces, electric range, maintenance cost, free parking, and access to high occupancy vehicle lanes are not significant attributes in the Atlantic model. With respect to segmentation, the adoption of EVs in the Atlantic model increases with youth, education, and progressive attitudes towards the environment, while income is not a determining factor. Our results imply some support for EVs among Atlantic consumers, though at less advanced levels than the leading adoption provinces in Canada. However, the high purchase price of EVs, lack of financial incentives, and limited public charging infrastructure are seen as key reasons for low EV deployment in Atlantic Canada. The demographic profiles of the plug-in oriented group, found in this study, suggest targeted decisions regarding policy and marketing. Highlights • Paper compares "leading" and "lagging" regions of Canada in terms of how consumers evaluate the choice among powertrains. • Data come from a 2015 S urvey for P references and A ttitudes of C anadians towards E lectric V ehicles or SPACE. • Latent class choice model outputs suggest a higher share of consumers in leading provinces appear open to electric vehicles. • Plug-in oriented consumers in Atlantic Canada make less nuanced evaluations about EVs than their leading region counterparts. • Leading region consumers more clearly evaluate differences between plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Over the past twenty-five years a considerable amount of literature has emerged that addresses inland port development in a variety of ways and in different institutional contexts. A recurring issue throughout most papers focusing on inland ports is the wide diversity of definitions, actors, functions, levels and geographies that are of relevance. Therefore, a literature review on inland port development contributes to defining the most important streams in inland port research. Recent studies show that the concept of inland ports is clearly much richer and more diversified than merely an extension of deep-sea ports or port logistics. However, as much of the literature is still largely based on individual case studies and anecdotal evidences, the conceptualization of inland ports has proven to be particularly difficult. Therefore, this review paper presents a systematic and integrated review of inland port studies, covering 80 international peer-reviewed academic journal papers on inland port development between 1992 and 2017. The results show that much attention is paid on inland ports as components of the 'transport/logistics/supply chain' systems (follower), while their roles as components of the 'regional' systems (leader) are largely overlooked. Such a tweaked focus is likely to pose significant impacts on planning, management, and governance of inland ports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The accessibility impacts of transport projects ex-post implementation are generally evaluated using cumulative opportunity measures based on a single travel time threshold. Fewer studies have explored how accessibility appraisal of transport plans can be used to evaluate policy scenarios and their impacts for different social groups or examined whether the results of project appraisals are sensitive to the time threshold of choice. This paper analyzes how different scenarios of full and partial implementation of the TransBrasil BRT project in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) will likely impact the number of jobs accessible to the population of different income levels. The analysis is conducted under various travel time thresholds of 30, 60, 90 and 120 min to test whether the results are sensitive to the boundary effect of the modifiable temporal unit problem (MTUP). Compared to a partial operation scenario, the full implementation of TransBrasil that extends this corridor into the city center would lead to higher accessibility gains due to network effects of connecting this BRT to other transport modes. Nonetheless, the size of the accessibility impacts of the proposed BRT as well as its distribution across income classes would significantly change depending on the time threshold chosen for the accessibility analysis. Considering cut-off times of 30 or 60 min, both scenarios of TransBrasil would lead to higher accessibility impacts in general and particularly for low-income groups, moving Rio towards a more equitable transportation system. However, under longer thresholds of 90 and 120 min, an evaluation of this project would find much smaller accessibility gains more evenly distributed by income levels. The paper highlights how time threshold choice in cumulative opportunity measures can have important but overlooked implications for policy evaluation and it calls for further research on the MTUP in future transport and mobility studies. Highlights • The study estimates how the TransBrasil BRT project in Rio de Janeiro will likely impact employment accessibility for different income groups • The full implementation of the proposed BRT could benefit up to 58% of the city population, increasing job accessibility by 11% on average • This BRT project could substantially improve accessibility for lower-income groups and reduce inequalities in access to opportunities • The study shows that the conclusions of equity assessments of transport projects depend on the travel time threshold chosen for cumulative opportunity accessibility analysis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract It is widely accepted that land use and public transport planning should be harmonised in order to provide a viable alternative to car transport. Following the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) concept, many studies and plans aim to concentrate urban development in areas accessible by high-quality public transport. Encouraged by studies asserting the positive relation between urban density and public transport use, scholars and practitioners focused their attention on tools and strategies that increase urban density, thereby overlooking geographical contexts where these strategies cannot be applied. TOD might however be also a valuable strategy in low-density contexts, like lower density parts of metropolitan areas, or suburban areas and small towns. It seems therefore relevant and interesting to develop a methodology to explore the value of TOD strategies in such contexts. Our paper fills this analytical and application gap and proposes to extend the conceptualization and implementation of land use and public transport integration to areas where low-density urban development has already occurred (e.g., low-density suburbs, or areas where the protection of natural and cultural heritage precedes urban development). In such cases, where is not possible to increase urban density around transport nodes, the quality of the transport network plays a decisive role. The approach builds on the Node-Place Model by including evaluations of the quality of feeder networks. We applied the methodology to a case study in the Campania Region in southern Italy, indicating a possible way to evaluate land use and public transport integration while considering, at the same time, the quality of transport as network. The application of the methodology allowed to highlight imbalances between accessibility – by main and feeder transport – and land use intensity, and to sketch urban development strategies and priorities of intervention on the transport network. Highlights • Transit Oriented Development (TOD) research and practice both mainly focus on high density, highly urbanized areas • However, there is evidence that TOD could be a promising strategy also in lower density, less urbanized areas • The paper develops an analytical tool to explore the potential of TOD in lower density areas • The proposed tool is a modification of the node-place model, with extended catchment areas • A case study in the Campania Region is used to illustrate the use of the tool [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper examines the two-way relationship between land use and transportation from the perspective of warehouses in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area. A location choice model is first developed to reproduce the decision process of firms selecting suitable locations to operate warehousing facilities. The results highlight that transportation plays a prominent role in the location of warehouses with proximity to airport, highway infrastructure, and rail to a lesser extent. However, the proportion of industrial land use provides the largest role in the model suggesting that available land and zoning is the most important factor. This paper also studies the impact of warehouse location on freight transportation trips. The resulting analysis highlights that GPS derived trips arising from warehouses near a major airport in Toronto tend to travel 1.8 times further than trips pertaining to other warehouses in the region. This suggests that trips related to the airport are more likely to be connected to a larger supply chain process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Researchers seeking to identify public policies to reduce automobile use have frequently compared characteristics such as population density and freeway provision across metropolitan regions to identify differences, their causes, and their implications for automobile reliance. One frequent comparison has been between metropolitan regions in Canada and the United States given their similar contexts but differing modal shares. However, past studies have produced inconsistent findings with respect to how Canadian and American metropolitan regions can be distinguished with respect to population densities and freeways. In response to methodological concerns with past research, this paper measures population densities and freeways in the 57 North American metropolitan regions with at least one million residents. Two spatial scales (metropolitan region and central core) are used to measure overall density, population-weighted average census tract density, and density of the top 5% of the population. These same spatial scales are also used to measure the absolute and per capita quantities of freeway lanes. The paper provides methodological explanations using Los Angeles and Vancouver as examples. While Canada's metropolitan regions are commonly portrayed as denser and less auto-oriented than their US counterparts, the six largest of Canada's metropolitan regions do not have population higher densities and fewer freeways than all of the 51 largest US metropolitan regions. Indeed, this generalization holds only when individual results are combined to produce national averages, as there are numerous US metropolitan regions that have density and freeways in the same range as Canada's metropolitan regions. The paper discusses some of the differences and recommends approaches for future comparative research into the causes of variation in transport and land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Accessibility by high-speed rail (HSR) depends not only on station-to-station travel time, but also on access and egress times, which can be determining factors in total journey travel time. However, studies focusing on accessibility analyses of access/egress times to/from stations are less extended in the literature and centre mainly on the influence of access times to stations on HSR accessibility levels on a regional scale. This paper's aim is to evaluate the importance of access and egress times to/from HSR stations in an urban context. We carry out a spatiotemporal accessibility analysis that considers the temporal variations of both taxi and public transport travel times. General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) files for public transport and TomTom Speed Profiles data for cars are used to measure access/egress times. These kinds of data allow for the calculation of travel times from/to HSR stations through network analysis GIS tools at different times of the day, and thus a spatiotemporal accessibility measure can be obtained. This accessibility measure is complemented by a mass factors representing the activity 'hotspots' in the visited city throughout the workday, which is derived from Twitter data, while population is considered for city of residence. This method was applied to the two largest metropolitan areas in Spain: Madrid and Barcelona, where the influence of access/egress times acquires a higher relevance for rail-based trips. The results obtained show that access and egress times vary significantly during the day, depending on the levels of traffic congestion and the frequency of public transport services, which are always more favourable for taxis. In addition, weighted average access and egress times at the home end are higher than those at the activity end since population tends to show more dispersed spatial patterns than activities. Another interesting finding is that the first and last mile of the HSR trip usually account for a high percentage increase in travel time (about 35% for taxis and 55% for public transport, respectively). These results have important policy implications. The paper suggests that HSR accessibility can be improved also by improving local transport services, scheduling coordination and land use policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now a long tradition of accessibility research, with an increasingly rich set of frameworks and methods from a distributional perspective. Despite such a positive outlook, many accessibility metrics deployed in research and practice do not consider (dis)utility, which may resonate more clearly with mainstream transport decision-making and planning. This paper seeks to contribute to debates about using utility-based measures as inputs for accessibility assessment of transport infrastructure investments in the Global South using discrete choice modeling and its potential as a bridging language between socially nuanced and economics-driven transport planning practices. This paper uses mixed revealed preferences and stated preferences data collected in Bogotá, Colombia. Then, it uses a logsum accessibility metric to estimate the differentiated impact of a set of infrastructure interventions on the accessibility of residents with different income levels and other socioeconomic conditions. Particularly, the logsum accessibility metric analyses future and structural additions to Bogotá public transport networks, reflecting their effect on the accessibility and consumer surplus in the next 20 years. The proposed approach captures the benefits derived from the transport infrastructure improvements, which has relevance for debates about transport policy and practice in this and similar urban contexts in the Global South. These accessibility gains could be assigned a monetary value to include in project cost-benefit assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Geography is an integral part of the cruise industry since cruises are conducted in the geographical space and thus are submitted to spatial and geomorphological constraints. However, the cruise-literature lacks of research focusing on the geographical aspect of the interactions existing between ports and cruise companies. This paper attempts to fill this gap by examining the spatial networks of two contemporary cruise companies operating in the Mediterranean, using complex network analysis that has been extensively applied to other shipping sectors, such as to the container liner shipping, but not, in a comprehensive context, in the cruise industry. The complex network analysis applied in this paper provides insights about the operational and geographical dynamics of the ports participating in the Mediterranean cruise network, which can help the cruise companies and the port authorities to comprehend and to measure their competitive position in the network. The overall approach develops a novel classification of ports according to their integration in the cruise network, an optimized modularity segmentation of the Mediterranean market by considering both operational and geographical aspects of this network, and an in-depth efficiency comparison between the spatial networks of the cruise companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article examines a strategic area in the promotion of urban cycling, namely the drive to encourage this mode of transportation among children and adolescents. The findings of this paper are supported by a qualitative ethnographic study conducted in the Spanish region of Andalusia, where local and regional government interventions have promoted policies in recent years to foster cycling. Grounded in theories on corporality, this paper highlights the social perceptions of the agents involved in such interventions and stresses the need to combine approaches that promote infrastructure with those that focus on embodied enculturation. The conclusions reached offer proposals aimed at strengthening the promotion of cycling in this area, with a view to overcoming the limited and discontinuous character of training and education observed so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper reports a spatial analysis of Electric Vehicle registrations across the local authorities of the United Kingdom during the early phase of market development. Spatial autocorrelation tests are applied in order to identify any spatial organisation in registrations rates and spatial regression models are specified to consider the effect of socioeconomic, household, and transport system characteristics over registrations. Specific attention is paid to the association between Electric Vehicle registrations and the presence of charging infrastructure to consider if registrations are affected by infrastructure in the immediate and intermediate vicinity. The results of the analysis suggest Electric Vehicle demand exhibits a moderate degree of spatial clustering, which indicates the emergence of lead and laggard markets, and that the spatial variation in Electric Vehicle uptake can be partially explained through other characteristics of the local authorities. Characteristics relating to education level, employment status, income level, population density, dwelling type, household size, car availability, and the presence of Hybrid Electric Vehicles are significant factors in explaining the rate of Electric Vehicle registrations. Moreover, the level of charge point infrastructure installed within a local authority is positively associated with EV demand. From a policy perspective, the results reported in this paper indicate that local conditions are likely to be important in the rate of Electric Vehicle adoption, which may be of use when considering the development of geographically targeted interventions to accelerate Electric Vehicle demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Promoting social equality in transport has become a key concern in building inclusive cities. Inequities in the burden of commuting have attracted increasing attention from researchers. Although many studies have described the facts of transport inequality, there has been little in-depth research on institutional factors that influence commuting inequality. This paper aims to contribute fresh evidence on this topic by examining Beijing as a case study through a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The results of this analysis show that increasing inequality in the commuting burden largely results from existing institutional discrimination against migrants, especially highly-skilled migrants. Beijing's Danwei, Hukou and BGC systems, as well as the city's housing distribution system, create serious institutional barriers to maintaining Beijing's jobs-housing balance, causing extra commuting burdens for highly-skilled migrants. Surprisingly, low-skilled migrants are restricted less by institutional barriers and maintain a good job-housing relationship due to sufficient provisions of informal houses and jobs in a broad range of urban areas. Our study reveals a “back to Danwei house” movement through which local households negotiate the growing commuting burden with the pursuit of quality of life. Based on these findings, we argue that increasing social inequality in the commuting burden may continue to worsen unless institutional discrimination against disadvantaged groups is removed in the process of China's economic transition. Highlights • This paper justifies inequalities in the commuting burden with a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. • Highly-skilled migrants are mostly restricted by institutional constraints to balance job-housing relationships. • The Danwei, Hukou, housing and BGC systems, creates serious institutional barriers to maintaining jobs-housing balance. • Sufficient provisions of informal houses and jobs enable a balanced job-housing relationships for low-skilled migrants. • Local households move back to Danwei houses to negotiate the growing commuting burden with the pursuit of quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the wider benefits of major investments in urban transport and discusses the relevance of giving attention to time and geographical scale in the analysis of employment growth before, under and after the introduction of new urban transport infrastructure. Using descriptive statistics in combination with OLS modelling, the paper analyses the intra-urban employment growth by workplace in regard to the opening of the Copenhagen Metro in 2002. The study identifies strong employment growth in the case of Copenhagen and higher employment growth in metro-served areas compared to non-metro-served areas in the first ten years after the opening of the Metro. The study also finds that when zooming in on the local scale, employment growth has been unevenly distributed along the metro corridor leading to a spatial restructuring of intra-urban employment patterns. This highlights that geographical scale and time is of critical importance when addressing the development of employment in areas that have witnessed investment in infrastructure. Moreover, the paper shows that especially the existing urban structures of the built environment, supporting planning policies, the local economic context and the preconditions for the development seems to be of great importance when assessing intra-urban restructuring of employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buses are often described as a low status mode of transport, or as a mode of transport of last resort. They are widely regarded to be the province of the most socially and economically disempowered members of society. What is unclear is whether the low status of buses deters wider bus use. This paper explores the interplay between status and habitus, suggesting that an anti-bus disposition (an ingrained feeling of incompatibility with bus use) deters bus use amongst a middle-class group of managers and professionals. Further, it proposes that this anti-bus disposition operates in a geographically limited field; that is, people who are deterred from bus use in one location may quite happily use buses in another. The paper concludes with brief recommendations on how to address an anti-bus disposition and encourage bus use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to operationalize a relational approach to the study of port-city interfaces. A relational approach allows for the analysis of how actors are connected, transact, and assign meaning and value to regional development. Much of the literature on port-city interfaces has primarily focussed on late 20th - century transformation processes at the urban waterfront. This fails to appreciate the often-continued presence of port activity within cities and falls short in understanding how the development agendas of port cities are relationally constituted. In this paper, first we argue that the port-city interface is a relational geometry through which heterogeneous flows of actors, assets, and structures are coupled. Second, we present an analytical framework capable of operationalizing such relational approach. The contemporary relational geometries in the bio-based sectors within the port cities of Amsterdam and Ghent are taken as starting points. Analysing these reveal how different coupling mechanisms result in particular development trajectories of the port city, setting the scene for future coupling mechanisms. This paper concludes with a discussion on the value of a relational approach to the study of port-city interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bus Rapid Transit systems exist in over 206 cities and 45 countries around the world. They are seen to provide a much lower cost option of mass mobility than fixed rail or underground systems which developing countries struggle to afford. Whilst BRT systems have undoubtedly been seen to be successful from a transport system perspective, they are more than a transport system innovation. They are often introduced to replace what is seen to be a failing, unsafe and poorly regulated informal transit system. This paper therefore focuses on the process of BRT introduction as a governance reform. The paper draws on African experience where adoption of BRT has been slow relative to South America and South East Asia. Using an in-depth analysis of the introduction of a new system in Ghana and data on levels of governance maturity across the African sub-continent, the paper finds that to understand BRT implementation requires an understanding of how the incumbent transport regime could and will be able to be reorganized. The success of BRT systems that result will depend at least as much on how the reforms are achieved as it will on the usual design concerns which typically occupy transport planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between the formal (governance established in law) and informal institutions (governance not established in law) that underpin the planning, operation and improvement of local and regional public transport, by using case studies of four countries: Britain (more specifically England, outside London); the Netherlands; Germany; and Sweden. The paper uses a framework drawn from the literature on institutional change to analyse the interplay between the formal governance structures and the other actors and organisations that have an influence on public transport, the formal and informal relationships between them, and how informal institutions emerge to increase the effectiveness with which public transport is delivered. By selecting countries with some similarities in institutional structure, it is possible to explore how relationships can differ even within a relatively similar overall framework for public transport. Drawing on qualitative research with actors in the different countries, the research explores how informal institutions help actors negotiate the constraints of formal, statutory institutions. Findings reveal that informal institutions smooth the critical interfaces where formal institutions were producing sub-optimal public transport, thus providing evidence that the two modes of governance are, in fact, highly complementary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]