Chapter 1 Flashcards
(25 cards)
What are some of the externalities associated with transportation? (i.e. what problems need to be solved)
Congestion (~1 hour (per person daily?))
Emissions (~30% of GHG emissions are due to transportation)
Safety - crash fatalities (~1.2 mil annually worldwide)
What are some trends relevant to transportation?
Growing urban population (more than 50% right, 66% by 2050)
Urban sprawl and car-oriented cities
Continuous growth of motor-vehicle fleet and travel demand
Climate change and electrification of transportation
Automation
Define transportation.
The movement of people and goods from one location (origin) to another (destination)
What is a transport mode? List some examples.
The method or means by which passengers or freight are moved from one location to another
Ex: automobile, commuter train, bus, bike, etc.
Define multimodal transportation.
When more than one mode is involved for the movement of passengers and/or freight.
What are the four main classifications of transportation modes? List some examples for each.
Urban Freight: truck (highway)
Urban Passenger: private auto, transit (bus, metro, commuter train), walking, cycling, vehicle-sharing, etc.
Intercity Freight: truck, rail, ship, pipeline, air
Intercity Passenger: private auto, bus, rail, air
Define a system.
Group of interrelated or interdependent elements or components forming a complex whole.
What are the components of a transportation system?
- The way (ex: roads, railway tracks, waterways, airways)
- Intermodal transfer points: points of connectivity b/w or within modes (ex: terminals, ports, airports)
- Vehicle (ex: cars, buses, trains)
- System controls (ex: highway signals and signs, air traffic control for aircraft)
- Technology of motion (ex: internal combustion engine, electric motor)
- Drivers and pilots
- Passengers and goods
- Organizations
What are the two types of organizations in a transportation system? How are they different?
Facility-orientated organizations: involved in planning, designing, constructing, maintaining and operating fixed facilities (ex: Transports QC, construction firms, port authorities)
Operating organizations (operators): concerned with operating fleets to provide transportation services (ex: transit operators-STM, delivery services, airlines, ship lines, private individuals on bikes)
Operating organizations don’t actually own the infrastructure on which they operate and are not responsible for its maintenance
What is transportation engineering?
A branch of civil engineering focusing on the planning, design, operation and maintenance of transportation systems
It is looking for innovative solutions to address critical transportation-related challenges
What are the four main goals of transportation engineering?
Environmental compatibility: global warming, reduction in emissions (CO2, NOx, PM)
Road Safety: minimize collisions and their consequences (fatalities, injuries, property damage)
Efficiency: minimize aspects such as travel time and fuel consumption
Reliability: minimize time delays, ensure accurate arrival times
In general, the trend in new projects is to move away from highway construction towards what?
Infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation
Traffic congestion relief measures
Improvements in operational efficiency, energy efficiency, environmental mitigation
Improved road safety and accessibility for all population groups
What are some technological solutions being tried out to help with the challenges in transportation?
Shared mobility
Electrification (or alternative energy sources)
Automation: self-driving
Micromobility: small cars
What is shared mobility? What are some examples?
The shared use of a vehicle or other travel mode (such as a scooter/bike). Shared mobility provides a user with short-term access to a mode of travel as needed.
Ex: Uber, CommunAuto, Bixi
Briefly describe an autonomous vehicle.
A vehicle that can travel driverless through the use of scanners to scan the surrounding environment and then control systems to interpret the sensor data and make decisions to navigate.
Give an overview of the issues with transportation and energy.
In Canada in 2017, the transportation sector comprised 23% of the total end-use energy demand (about 53/42 passenger/freight).
Canada is worse than many other countries in energy use for transportation (because of the mostly road-orientated travel)
Essentially, transportation uses a lot of energy.
Give an overview of the issues with transportation and the environment.
In Canada, the transportation sector is the second largest source of GHG emissions (22% of total). In Quebec it’s up to 40% (half of which is from light vehicles).
Continued rise in emissions from passenger light trucks and freight trucks due to the increasing number of vehicles. Also, a rise in freight emissions due to increasing demand of goods.
Higher density neighborhoods (where less car use) have significantly less emissions.
What are some strategies to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions in transportation?
- Car-related strategies: focus on cars themselves
- Public transportation strategies: focus on improving public transportation
- Non-motorized strategies: encourage non-motorized (active) transportation
- Congestion pricing strategies: put price on negative externalities
Describe how car-related strategies can be implemented to help reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions in transportation.
Vehicle technology to improve fuel efficiency: better engine efficiency, decreased weight, better aerodynamics
Alternative sources of energy: electric, hybrid, hydrogen, bio fuels, etc.
Shared mobility: encourage car-sharing (like CommunAuto) or ride-sharing (carpooling)
Putting a carbon tax on fossil fuels
Electrification is the big one: QC wants 2 million EVs by 2030
Describe how public transportation strategies can be implemented to help reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions in transportation.
Overall, public transportation should be improved through:
New transit infrastructure (new trams, metro lines, interurban trains, etc.)
Reduction of transit fares
Increased transit accessibility for elderly and people with disabilities
Providing exclusive right-of-ways (ex: dedicated bus lanes)
Describe how non-motorized strategies can be implemented to help reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions in transportation.
Overall, active transportation should be encouraged by:
Building and maintaining non-motorized infrastructure (bike routes, sidewalks, crosswalks, etc.)
Smart Growth and New Urbanism: developing dense, diverse, and well-designed neighborhoods
Implementing traffic safety programs (to improve behavior of drivers, cyclists, and peds)
Providing public bike sharing systems (ex: Bixi)
Describe how congestion pricing strategies can be implemented to help reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions in transportation.
Car users are forced to pay for their negative externalities. They are therefore aware of their travel’s environmental consequences.
Often, a toll is charged to access a part of an urban area (such as the central business district)
Has been successfully implemented in London, Stockholm, and Singapore (among others)
Give an overview of the challenges with transportation and safety.
A lot of road collisions occur worldwide. As a result:
1.2 million deaths, 50 million injuries annually
Numbers expected to rise by about 65% over the next 20 years
What are some of the factors influencing road safety?
Driver behavior (speed, alcohol/drugs, seatbelts, helmets, distraction)
Roadway conditions (alignment, surface, intersections)
Vehicle conditions (air bags, anti-lock brake, impact-absorbing bumpers)
Weather conditions (visibility, winter)
Traffic conditions (exposure, traffic mix)
