Search

We employ calibrated and validated MATSim multi-modal model of the Jerusalem Metropolitan Area traffic for assessing the effectiveness of Demand-Responsive-Transport (DRT) with ridesharing as a possible game-changer of the existing equilibrium between public transport and private cars. We investigate the combined effect of congestion charges, parking prices, and shared DRT services on the modal split and demonstrate that the DRT is effective when introduced together with congestion charges or parking prices. The policy effectiveness depends on the choice of the deterrence mechanism – given the overall payment for entering the controlled area, the effect of congestion charges depends on the size of the area. At the same time, parking prices are equally effective for an area of any size and, thus, seem advantageous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By definition, the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) system integrates transportation modes of very different flexibility - taxis, buses, light rail, ride-hailing. MaaS major unknown is the effectiveness of the ride-sharing modes. We employ a calibrated and validated MATSim multi-modal traffic model of the Jerusalem Metropolitan Area (JMA) to assess the introduction of Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAV), as a possible game-changer of the existing equilibrium between the Public Transport (PT) and private cars. First, we confirm the recent empirical observations that ride-sharing modes mostly attract PT users, while their attractiveness for private car users is relatively low. Second, we investigate the problem of preserving travelers' flows to the Jerusalem center while reducing personal car use. For this purpose, we investigate the effect of parking prices and congestion charges in the system with the additional SAV fleet that serves trips to-and-from the center of the city. We propose a balanced set of carrot-and-stick measures to enforce a sustainable modal shift in JMA towards the use of PT and SAV service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been various obstacles to resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict since the United Nations resolved to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. Some of these obstacles have been psychological, with both sides contesting the identity and narrative of the other. More concrete barriers have been the many settlements built by Israel in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967, totaling today over 500,000 Israeli settlers. The commentary addresses these and other obstacles, but it also notes the important changes that have occurred, making resolution of the conflict possible. These include the pragmatic 1988 PLO decision to create a state next to the state of Israel in the West Bank and Gaza, with a capital in East Jerusalem; the exchange of letters of mutual recognition between Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Rabin that preceded the 1993 Oslo Principles, and the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relates experiences of Israelis and Palestinians living separately in Jerusalem. Organization of the political and cultural event `Sharing Jerusalem,' by feminists groups to address lack of coherence between Hebrews and Muslims; Implications of cultures of food and hospitality on inequality in Jerusalem and relationship with occupiers.

The article presents information on the goals in social work practices. There seems to be general agreement among most practitioners, educators, and theorists that social work is or ought to be a problem-solving process. The findings of this study can be understood as one aspect of the attempts of social workers to function within the constraints of their settings, i.e., to adjust their goals concerning cases to, correspond to the resources at their disposal. Jerusalem suffers from social welfare shortages, which are not unique in the country or in the world. There is a severer shortage of hospital beds for the chronically ill; of places in homes for the aged; of space in mental hospitals.