Transport Engineering Exam Questions - Assignment Example

Data on travel behaviour is usually collected by use of universally accepted methods such as personal interviews, global positioning system tracking, geographical information system and personal handy phone system. Other methods such as the social media have set in as tools for data collection with regard to this effect.

• Modal-Split models rely on three main types of factors. What are they?

Answer:

Factors to consider are:

• Accessibility
• Connectivity
• Land use / urban design

(c) For each of the main factors above what are the characteristics and attributes which are most commonly used to calibrate mode choice models?

Answer:

For transit or travel mode level of service the attributes used to calibrate the mode choice models include the type of service, trip distance, trip time, total time of transit, walk time and transit ratio time. Land use or urban design is affected by factors such as population density, the employment levels, parking amenities and their costs, environmental factors availability of parking space. Accessibility is calibrated by factors such as the walk time involved, population density within the transit facilities and regional accessibility.

(d) One of the most common formulations for mode choice models uses the concept of generalised cost of travel and a logit curve.

• Explain what is generalised cost

Answer:

The generalised cost is a variable in the demand function that is meant to indicate the summation of nonmonetary and monetary costs that are incurred during a journey. Nonmonetary function is the time involved but should be converted to money by use of sufficient demand factors (Bruzelius, 1981).

• Explain the logit form of a mode choice model where the only choices available are car and public transport modes.

Answer:

The mode choice model in which the only choices are car and public transport results to a variable demand model. The total demand is apportioned by the different mechanisms which seek equilibrium between the destinations that are plied. When the generalised cost in either choice this case is lower, the alternative shall be chosen by the travellers. A very small number of users shall go for the expensive option which in this case is a car. This shows that the individual preferences may be very different from what is thought as the normal average.

Figure 1: A graph depicting a choice model (Department for Transport, 2006).

Question 2

(a) What is the general purpose of transport economics?

Answer:

The general aim of transport economics is to solve problems related to increasing population mobility. This is done through the analysis of demand levels in order to enhance spatial measure for improved modal balance and technological efficiency.

(b) In March 2008, Melbourne introduced "early bird" fares on suburban trains. If passengers arrive at their destination before 7am Monday-Friday, then the trip is free. Why would the Victorian Government introduce this policy?

Answer: The aim of the early bird program was to persuade peak rail passengers to seek travel to earlier trains in a bid to discourage the overcrowding that was often seen at the Stations. The Victorian government introduced this program to counter the rising cases of congestion during the morning hours that portrayed the city in the wrong picture. (c) Discuss the likely impact of "early bird" fares on demand for train travel before and after 7am, and describe how you would apply economic principles to the task of predicting the effect of "early bird" fares on mode choice and trip timing.

Answer: The train services would be crowded during the wee hours of the morning thereby shifting the demand for these services to the early bird hours. This would therefore shift the modal choice to the train travel thereby an increased demand and low supply during the early bird. The early bird fares shall increase on realizing an upsurge of customers to the morning hours. This would hence strike a balance to the old system of travel which is not desired by the parties involved. (d) How would the "early bird" fares affect "captive" travellers, and why?

Answer: The captive travellers would have to look for other modes of transport or opt for more expensive options which occur during the peak times. The major reason is that the peak prices would seem hiked in comparison to the early bird prices. (e) What will be the major fixed and variable cost of operating a Light Rail system on the Gold Coast? How would an increase in demand for travel affect the short-run balance of fixed and variable costs? What would be the long-run response to this situation?

Answer: The major fixed of operating a light rail system on the gold coast shall include the initial investment of purchasing the equipment, building the new lines and expanding the network. Variable costs include the cash involved in maintenance, hiring the staff and overhead costs such as fuel and electricity used by the stations. An increase in demand would stretch the variable costs with a small effect on the fixed costs since the decision to invest further depends on the profitability and stakeholder projections.

In order to cater for the increasing need to offset the variable costs, the management shall have to source for funding within the farebox or the government subsidies. Increasing the fares shall be the only cause for reduced demand thereby causing equilibrium between demand and supply. Question 3 (a) What is the general purpose of transport project evaluation? Answer: A transport project whether large or small is likely to affect the economic and environmental nature of their setups. Secondly, these projects require massive funding from private and public resources.

Project evaluation shall therefore offer a strategic platform for decision making on which projects to undertake depending on their economic and environmental implications. (b) Explain the difference between financial assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis in terms of viewpoint, what is included/ excluded, and how money is treated. Answer: Financial assessment refers to a detailed analysis of financial data of a project including, net worth statement, Cash flow statement, income tax analysis, financial ratio analysis, debt summary, budget analysis etc .

The financial assessment focuses on Nominal income and present value of revenue requirement. Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) refers to a technique of estimating the totals of the equivalent monetary value of the benefits and costs to the target community of an engineering project to ascertain whether they are worthwhile. The costs and benefits and all cash flows in the project are discounted to either their present vale or future value as per the time value of money. (c) If you were to "account for externalities" in the evaluation of the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project, what would you be considering?

Give some examples of relevant externalities. Answer: Externalities are the side effects or consequences of a project, usually perceived outside the main subject of contention.