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This research explored the integrated effect that several mobility scenarios had on traffic performance, conflicts, global and local pollutants, and emission-related costs on a University Campus. Emphasis was given to the campus parking areas. It was hypothesized that the implementation of a new direct access to the campus without any capacity restriction may be worse for the overall network performance. A well-calibrated and validated modeling platform of traffic, emissions and safety was used to examine different traffic scenarios in the University of Aveiro, Portugal. These included the replacement of traffic lights by roundabouts, a new direct access to campus and some parking areas, increasing campus walkability and introduction of speed humps on main crosswalks. The analysis was performed both link-by-link and in the overall study area. Mobility scenarios with a new direct access to the campus yielded average reductions up to 9% in both costs and local pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons), and 36% and 32% for the number of stops and traffic conflicts, respectively. Nonetheless, additional traffic conflicts can be expected within campus after the implementation of those scenarios compared to the existing situation when no traffic capacity restrictions are assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimization model proposed in this paper is aimed to assist city councils (or other transport authorities) in the planning of integrated transit-parking policies. The objective is to minimize the joint operating deficit of the transit and parking operators while ensuring given minimum levels of (motorized) mobility in a city. The key decision variables are transit fares and parking fees. The impact of price changes on transit and car modal shares are described by logit functions of the generalized travel costs. The practical utility of the model is illustrated with a case study involving a midsize city in Portugal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pereira da Silva, C.; Nogueira Mendes, R..; Moutinho, G.; Mota, V. and Fonseca, C., 2016. Beach carrying capacity and protected areas: management issues in Arrábida Natural Park, Portugal. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 680-684. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Arrábida Natural Park (Portugal) comprises beaches with high natural and scenic values under huge demand during peak season. Understanding patterns of beach use and the perceptions of users is essential for carrying capacity management. This paper discusses the use intensity and dynamic in two beaches, using data from onsite counting, time-lapse photos and a traffic counter. Users' perceptions regarding general aspects of the beaches and perceived crowding obtained through questionnaires are also presented. The number of users recorded in this study never reached the carrying capacity established and most users feel comfortable with the number of people on the beach. However, parking and traffic were identified as factors of concern: users are not discouraged by the limited parking spaces, often exceeding the formal capacity by parking on the roadside. This type of problem needs to be addressed not only in the context of beach management but also the protected area management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]