bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender Differences in Physical Disability Among an Elderly Cohort
Authors: Murtagh Kirsten Naumann , Hubert Helen B.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We analyzed the role of sociodemographic factors, chronic-disease risk factors, and health conditions in explaining gender differences in disability among senior citizens.

Methods. We compared 1348 men and women (mean age = 79 years) on overall disability and compared their specific activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and mobility limitations. Analysis of covariance adjusted for possible explanatory factors.

Results. Women were more likely to report limitations, use of assistance, and a greater degree of disability, particularly among IADL categories. However, these gender differences were largely explained by differences in disability-related health conditions.

Conclusions. Greater prevalence of nonfatal disabling conditions, including fractures, osteoporosis, back problems, osteoarthritis and depression, contributes substantially to greater disability and diminished quality of life among aging women compared with men.
Walking the Talk: Fit WIC Wellness Programs Improve Self-Efficacy in Pediatric Obesity Prevention Counseling
Authors: Crawford Patricia B. , Gosliner Wendi , Strode Poppy , Samuels Sarah E. , Burnett Claudia , Craypo Lisa , Yancey Antronette K.
Published: December 2008

Six sites of the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participated in a staff wellness pilot intervention designed to improve staff self-efficacy in counseling WIC clients about childhood overweight.

A pre-post test design with intervention and control groups was used; outcome measures included staff perceptions of the intervention’s effects on the workplace environment, their personal habits and health beliefs, and their counseling self-efficacy.

Intervention site staff were more likely to report that the workplace environment supported their efforts to make healthy food choices (P < .001), be physically active (P < .01), make positive changes in counseling parents about their children’s weight (P < .01), and feel more comfortable in encouraging WIC clients to do physical activities with their children (P < .05).
Estimating Deaths Attributable to Obesity in the United States
Authors: Flegal Katherine. M. , Williamson David F. , Pamuk Elsie R. , Rosenberg Harry M.
Published: December 2008

Estimates of deaths attributable to obesity in the United States rely on estimates from epidemiological cohorts of the relative risk of mortality associated with obesity. However, these relative risk estimates are not necessarily appropriate for the total US population, in part because of exclusions to control for baseline health status and exclusion or underrepresentation of older adults.

Most deaths occur among older adults; estimates of deaths attributable to obesity can vary widely depending on the assumptions about the relative risks of mortality associated with obesity among the elderly. Thus, it may be difficult to estimate deaths attributable to obesity with adequate accuracy and precision. We urge efforts to improve the data and methods for estimating this statistic.
Perceived Need for Workplace Accommodation and Labor-Force Participation in Canadian Adults With Activity Limitations
Authors: Wang Peizhong Peter , Badley Elizabeth M. , Gignac Monique A.
Published: December 2008

We examined how perceived need for workplace accommodation affects labor-force participation in people with disabilities. We analyzed a Canadian survey with structural equation modeling to test a model incorporating activity limitations and perceived need for workplace accommodations. The results suggested that the effect of upper- and lower-body activity limitation on labor-force participation was mediated by perceived need for workplace accommodations. Thus, the provision of adequate workplace accommodations could enhance labor-force participation in people with disabilities.
Mortality in 13 French Cities During the August 2003 Heat Wave
Authors: Vandentorren Stéphanie , Suzan Florence , Medina Sylvia , Pascal Mathilde , Maulpoix Adeline , Cohen Jean-Claude , Ledrans Martine
Published: December 2008

We observed the daily trend in mortality rates during the 2003 heat wave in 13 of France’s largest cities. Mortality data were collected from July 25 to September 15 each year from 1999 through 2003. The conjunction of a maximum temperature of 35°C and a minimum temperature of 20°C was exceptional in 7 cities. An excess mortality rate was observed in the 13 towns, with disparities from +4% (Lille) to +142% (Paris).
Municipal Heat Wave Response Plans
Authors: Bernard Susan M. , McGeehin Michael A.
Published: December 2008

Approximately 400 people die from extreme heat each year in the United States, and the risk of heat waves may increase as a result of global climate change. Despite the risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality, many cities lack written heat response plans. In a review of plans from 18 cities at risk for heat-related mortality, we found that many cities had inadequate or no heat response plans. This is an important area for further investigation and government attention.
Alcohol and Opiate Withdrawal in US Jails
Authors: Fiscella Kevin , Pless Naomi , Meldrum Sean , Fiscella Paul
Published: December 2008

We sought to estimate the number of arrestees at risk for inadequately treated drug and alcohol withdrawal in US jails. We used Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program data to estimate prevalence rates of alcohol and opiate dependence. Our results revealed rates of alcohol and opiate dependency among arrestees of approximately 12% and 4%, respectively; only 28% of jail administrators reported that their institutions had ever detoxified arrestees. Inadequately treated drug and alcohol withdrawal in US jails appears widespread. Our data raise important ethical and constitutional questions.
Trends in Overweight Among Adolescents Living in the Poorest and Richest Regions of Brazil
Authors: da Veiga Gloria Valeria , da Cunha Adriana Simone , Sichieri Rosely
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We assessed changes in body mass index (BMI) among Brazilian adolescents.

Methods. In 1975, 1989, and 1997, we conducted household surveys of the weights and statures of a probabilistic sample of about 50 000 Brazilian adolescents aged 10 to 19 years. Weighted prevalences were calculated and an analysis was performed with the sample design taken into account.

Results. Adolescents of rich (southeast) and poor (northeast) regions showed a substantial increase in BMI. In the southeast, the prevalence of overweight, defined by international age- and gender-specific BMI cutoffs, for both genders reached 17% in 1997, whereas in the northeast, the prevalence tripled, reaching 5% among boys and 12% among girls. Older girls living in urban areas in the southeast showed a decrease in prevalence from 16% to 13% in the latter 2 surveys. For all boys and for young girls, the BMI values for the 85th percentile in 1997 were much higher than the 95th percentile values in 1975.

Conclusions. BMI increased dramatically in Brazilian adolescents, mainly among boys; among older girls from the richest region, the prevalence of overweight is decreasing.
Thinness Among Young Japanese Women
Authors: Takimoto Hidemi , Yoshiike Nobuo , Kaneda Fumi , Yoshita Katsushi
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We described changes in body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of thinness among young Japanese women (aged 15–29 years) from 1976 to 2000 by reanalyzing the nationwide data in the National Nutrition Survey, Japan.

Methods. We used height and weight data sets for 30 903 nonpregnant, nonlactating women during the 25-year period. We calculated the mean values of BMI and the prevalence of thinness for 3 age groups (15–19, 20–24, and 25–29 years of age).

Results. Changes in BMI per 10 years were −0.17 kg/m2, −0.22 kg/m2, and −0.34 kg/m2 for each age group, respectively. Extreme thinness (BMI < 17 kg/m2) increased from 2.4% in 1976–1980 to 4.2% in 1996–2000.

Conclusions. Further studies regarding topics such as increased smoking prevalence are needed to identify the underlying causes of increasing thinness.
Long-Term Ethylene Oxide Exposure Trends in US Hospitals: Relationship With OSHA Regulatory and Enforcement Actions
Authors: LaMontagne Anthony D. , Oakes J. Michael , Lopez Turley Ruth N.
Published: December 2008

Objectives. We assessed long-term trends in ethylene oxide (EtO) worker exposures for the purposes of exposure surveillance and evaluation of the impacts of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 1984 and 1988 EtO standards.

Methods. We obtained exposure data from a large commercial vendor and processor of EtO passive dosimeters. Personal samples (87 582 workshift [8-hr] and 46 097 short-term [15-min] samples) from 2265 US hospitals were analyzed for time trends from 1984 through 2001 and compared with OSHA enforcement data.

Results. Exposures declined steadily for the first several years after the OSHA standards were set. Workshift exposures continued to taper off and have remained low and constant through 2001. However, since 1996, the probability of exceeding the short-term excursion limit has increased. This trend coincides with a decline in enforcement of the EtO standard.

Conclusions. Results indicate the need for renewed intervention efforts to preserve gains made following the passage and implementation of the 1984 and 1988 EtO standards.
Statin Treatment, Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque Macrophage Infiltration and Circulating Inflammatory Markers
Authors: Koutouzis Michael , Paraskevas Kosmas I , Rallidis Loukianos S , Barbatis Calypso , Nomikos Alexandros , Tzavara Vasiliki , Tsopanomichalou Maria , Lioupis Christos , Bessias Nikolaos , Andikopoulos Vassilios , Mikhailidis Dimitri P , Kyriakides Zenon S
Published: December 2008

Backround

Statin treatment is considered as first line therapy in patients with atherosclerotic disease. We evaluated the effect of pre-treatment with statins on carotid plaque infiltration by macrophages and on the circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines in patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy.

Patients and Methods

One hundred fourteen patients were enrolled; 89 men and 25 women (mean age 67±8 years; range 42-83 years). Fifty three patients (46%) were on statin treatment at least 3 months before endarterectomy and 61 (54%) had never received statin treatment. The serum levels of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 were evaluated preoperatively. The intensity of macrophage infiltration was evaluated by immunochemistry, using the monoclonal antibody CD 68. The area of the plaque covered by macrophages was measured as a proportion of the whole plaque area, using a custom designed image tool analysis.

Results

Patients on statins had lower serum total cholesterol levels (172±50 vs 194±35 mg/dl, p= 0.014), lower low density cholesterol levels (103±44 vs 123±31 mg/dl, p= 0.010) and lower serum hsCRP levels (1.8 [1.1-3.4] vs 3.4 [1.3-4.9] mg/l, p= 0.03), while SAA, TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1β levels did not differ between the 2 groups. The infiltration of atherosclerotic plaque by macrophages was similar in statin treated patients and in controls (0.55±0.15% vs 0.49±0.19%, p= 0.21).

Conclusion

Patients on statins have similar macrophage accumulation in their carotid atherosclerotic plaques compared with patients not on statins. Inflammatory markers were also similar in both groups except for hsCRP which was significantly lower in those taking statins.
Mast Cells and Angiogenesis in Oral Malignant and Premalignant Lesions
Authors: Michailidou E.Z , Markopoulos A.K , Antoniades D.Z
Published: December 2008

Mast cell contribution to neoangiogenesis during tumorigenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma is not determined yet. Objectives: To associate numerical mast cell density (MCD) to numerical microvessel density (MVD) during the progression of oral leukoplakia without dysplasia and leukoplakia with dysplasia to squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and methods: MVD was analysed immunohistochemically (mouse monoclonal anti-human CD34) in 49 paraffin-embedded specimens, 35 OSCCs, 9 leukoplakias and 5 normal oral tissues. Toluidine blue counterstaining revealed mast cells. MCD and MVD were assessed at the same optical field. Results: MVD increased between: normal oral mucosa, dysplasia (p=0.004), OSCC (p=0.001), leukoplakia and OSCC (p=0.041). MCD increased between: normal oral mucosa, dysplasia (p=0.003), OSCC (p=0.000), leukoplakia and OSCC (p=0.007). MVD was found to depend on MCD (p=0.000) in a percent 28.3% (power curve fit model). Conclusions: Mast cells are attracted at the lesion site and may turn on an angiogenic switch during tumorigenesis in OSCC.
Immunotherapies Towards Tumor Initiating Cells and Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Rajan Prithi , Srinivasan Roopa
Published: December 2008

Active immunotherapy of cancer is a promising treatment modality by inducing long lived tumor reactive immune effector cells. Several vaccine trials have indicated that its effectiveness is probably best when the tumor burden is low. An attractive population of cells to target by this approach may be tumor initiating cells (TICs). Recent research suggests that such types of cells may be precursors to cancer possibly giving rise to metastatic disease. Although more work
is being done to characterize appropriate phenotypic and functional markers, this population of cells would make an ideal target for active immunotherapy in high risk patients, so as to achieve remission over much longer periods of time. This review gives an overview of the potential of immunotherapy and how it may target TICs as a potential treatment option for cancer patients.
Potential of Electricity Generation on the Western Coast of Mediterranean Sea in Egypt
Authors: Ahmed Shata A. , Abdelaty S. , Hanitsch R.
Published: December 2008

Potential of Electricity Generation on the Western Coast of Mediterranean Sea in Egypt

A technical and economic assessment has been made of the electricity generation by wind turbines located at three promising potential wind sites: Sidi Barrani, Mersa Matruh and El Dabaa in the extreme northwest of Egypt along the Mediterranean Sea. These contiguous stations along the coast have an annual mean wind speed greater than 5.0 m/s at a height of 10 m. Weibull's parameters and the power law coefficient for all seasons have been estimated and used to describe the distribution and behavior of seasonal winds at these stations. The annual values of wind potential at the heights of 70-100 m above the ground level were obtained by extrapolation of the 10 m data from the results of our previous work using the power law. The three stations have a high wind power density, ranging from 340-425 to 450-555 W/m2at the heights of 70-100 m, respectively. In this paper, an analysis of the cost per kWh of electricity generated by two different systems has been made: one using a relatively large single 2 MW wind turbine and the other - 25 small wind turbines (80 kW, total 2 MW) arranged in a wind farm. The yearly energy output of each system at each site was determined, and the electricity generation costs in each case were also calculated and compared with those at using diesel oil, natural gas and photovoltaic systems furnished by the Egyptian Electricity Authority. The single 2 MW wind turbine was found to be more efficient than the wind farm. For all the three considered stations the electricity production cost was found to be less than 2 ϵ cent/kWh, which is about half the specific cost of the wind farm.
Alliance Capability: Exploration of Its Path Dependent Development
Authors: Kupke Sören , Lattemann Christoph
Published: December 2008

The fiercely increasing dynamics in many industries, which are a result of globalization, are main reasons for the increasing number of alliances during the past decade. Firms foster the exploitation as well as the exploration processes by engaging in alliances. To do so, firms need specific capabilities, such as an alliance capability. This contribution aims at describing the development process of alliance capability. Alliance capability will be analyzed in this contribution on a theoretical and qualitative basis by performing a case study on a global acting financial institution, operating in a highly dynamic and coopetitive environment, the Deutsche Börse AG.
Why Isn’t the Accident Information Shared? A Coopetition Perspective
Authors: Okura Mahito
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this paper is to investigate both cooperative and competitive strategies of firms that may cause accidents. The firms may exchange information about the previous accidents associated with their products in order to reduce accident probabilities and the amount of damage. Thus, these firms may cooperate on this point. On the other hand, they compete on quantities after deciding whether accident information is to be disclosed. This situation is termed coopetition. In order to address the issue of disclosure of accident information, an economic model is developed and it derives two main conclusions. First, there is a unique equilibrium where firms choose to not disclose their accident information. Second, the equilibrium strategies of firms are Pareto inferior for them when the condition relating to marginal effort costs and potential demands is satisfied. Thus, whether the coopetitive situation that firms exchange their accident information cooperatively and choose their quantity levels competitively is desirable for firms depends on the magnitude of the cost reduction and demand reduction effects.
Innovative Urban Transport Cooperation by Public and Private Sectors in India
Authors: Torres-Montoya Mariana
Published: December 2008

Institutional arrangements for public transport operations in Indian cities typically fall into two categories: an established state transport corporation (STC) or informal public transport services provided by the private sector. In 2006, the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) articulated a national vision to improve public transport in India. A key element of the vision is to vastly improve public transport in organization, efficiency, and overall quality. Although adopted before MoUD's urban transport policy was enunciated, the various reform strategies implemented in Bangalore and Indore in India are excellent models of providing public transportation efficiently and effectively. Since its creation in 1997, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) improved its operations efficiency and eliminated its operating deficit. BMTC uses a two-pronged private-sector approach— outsourcing selected activities and operating like a private company by selling services and commercializing capital assets. BMTC focused on service quality and efficiency and now is the only large profitable STC in India. The city of Indore used a different approach. It created Indore City Transport Services Ltd. (ICTSL), a municipal corporation that implemented a new formal public transport system entirely operated by competitively procured contract operators. ICTSL's entire business, from operations to maintenance to advertising, is outsourced. A new, unique operating model in India, ICTSL created incentives to ensure service and quality by maintaining a competitive environment with a large number of operating contracts and operators. It successfully provides affordable and reliable services where previously there was no formal public transport provider.
Modeling Impact of Transit Operator Fleet Size under various Market Regimes with Uncertainty in Network
Authors: Li Zhi-Chun , Lam William H. K. , Sumalee A.
Published: December 2008

A network-based model is proposed for investigating the impact of transit operator fleet size on a network with uncertainty under various market regimes. The market regimes concerned include monopoly, free competition, and oligopoly. In the proposed model, the transit operator aims to determine fleet size to optimize its objective function while accounting for transit passengers’ travel choice decisions that minimize their own perceived disutility of travel. To consider the uncertainty effects on transit networks, the proposed model incorporates the unreliability component of transit services into the passenger disutility function, which is mainly due to variations in in-vehicle travel time and the dwell time of transit vehicles at stops. A numerical example is used to illustrate the application of the proposed model. Numerical results show that transit service unreliability could significantly influence transit system performance and the travel choice behavior of transit passengers.
Bus Supervision Deployment Strategies and Use of Real-Time Automatic Vehicle Location for Improved Bus Service Reliability
Authors: Pangilinan Christopher , Wilson Nigel , Moore Angela
Published: December 2008

Bus service reliability has long been a top concern for transit agencies and their customers. Improving service reliability, however, has not been easy to accomplish. The use of appropriate recovery times, improved operator training, and better street supervision has produced limited results. Supervision deployment strategies and the use of real-time automatic vehicle location (AVL) information are investigated to improve current supervision practices and enhance bus service reliability. The Chicago (Illinois) Transit Authority's real-time AVL pilot project for Route 20 Madison is the case study for evaluation of the effectiveness of real-time AVL to improve reliability. A simulation model of the route was developed on the basis of archived AVL data and was used to predict the effects on service reliability when real-time AVL information is used in bus supervision. A week-long experiment was carried out both to verify the model and to address the feasibility and scalability of the system. The main conclusion is that real-time AVL does indeed have great potential to improve service reliability. Service restoration strategies previously impossible to execute are now feasible because of this new information stream. However, many obstacles remain to networkwide implementation, including the supervision communications structure and manpower deployment questions. The flood of information into a central control center must also be addressed. Automation techniques and exception-based reporting are strategies to deal with the problem of information overload.
Fleet-Size Model for Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit Systems
Authors: Hsu Lo Rosa , Wu Jer-Wei
Published: December 2008

A fleet-size model was developed as a useful and simplified tool with which to estimate the number of vehicles needed in maximum service for light rail transit (LRT) and bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the early stages of corridor planning or system analysis. In evaluating transit systems, cost estimation is a major factor. However, cost estimation will be insufficient if an adequate fleet size is not considered in the calculation. Thus, establishing a fleet-size model for LRT and BRT is the first step in the process of cost estimation. The developed model considers transit demand, right-of-way configurations, number of stations, headway, type and size of vehicle, and traffic signal timing at the intersection. The model is verified by selecting several existing systems. An example illustrates how the model can be applied in real-world situations.
Public Transit Simulation Model for Optimal Synchronized Transfers
Authors: Hadas Yuval , Ceder Avishai
Published: December 2008

The use of transfers in public transit has the advantage of reducing operational costs and introducing more flexible and efficient route planning. In contrast, the main drawback for passengers is the inconvenience of traveling multilegged trips. To diminish the waiting time caused by transfers, synchronized (timed) timetables were introduced. Their use, however, suffers from uncertainty about the simultaneous arrival of two (or more) vehicles at an existing stop. This can lead to deterioration in system reliability. To alleviate the uncertainty of simultaneous arrivals, operational tactics can be deployed, such as hold, skip-stop, and short-turn, to increase the chances of simultaneous arrival of both vehicles at the same station. Each tactic has positive and negative effects on the total travel time. A dynamic programming model was developed for minimizing the total travel time, resulting in a set of preferred tactics to be deployed. An optimization model based on dynamic programming and a public transit simulation that validates the benefits of such a model are described. The results of the simulation confirm the benefits of the model with a 10% reduction of total travel time and more than a 200% increase of direct transfers (transfers in which both vehicles arrive simultaneously at the transfer point).
Enriching Archived Smart Card Transaction Data for Transit Demand Modeling
Authors: Chu Ka Kee Alfred , Chapleau Robert
Published: December 2008

Transaction data from public transit smart cards represent a continuous stream of detailed travel information for transit demand modeling. Although certain aspects of information are incomplete in unprocessed data, efforts are devoted to deriving a more comprehensive understanding of the system and its users from partial information through data enrichment processes, with a long-term goal of establishing a dynamic model of demand. On the basis of previous work, methods are proposed to estimate the arrival time of bus runs at the stop level by using temporal constraints and to identify linked trips by using spatial–temporal concepts. These enrichments lead to the reconstruction of individual itineraries, the analysis of transfer activity, and the synthesis of vehicle load profiles. The latter provide planners with a detailed spatial–temporal progression of each run, origin and destination stops for each individual transaction, and boarding and alighting activity at each stop. The study draws on more than 37,000 smart card boarding transactions of an average weekday from a midsize transit agency. Results suggest that linked trips represent slightly above 10% of the total number of transactions in the network and the smart card system overestimates the proportion of linked trips by nearly 40%. The outcome is promising and lays a foundation to further enrich the itineraries by associating the boarding and alighting stops with trip generators, deriving trip purposes, and performing multiday analysis.
Smart Parking Linked to Transit
Authors: Shaheen Susan A. , Kemmerer Charlene
Published: December 2008

Rising demand for parking at suburban transit stations, such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District in San Francisco, California, necessitates strategies to manage traveler demand. To better manage parking supply, researchers implemented a smart parking field test at the Rock-ridge BART station from 2004 to 2006 to evaluate the effects of smart parking technologies [changeable message signs (CMSs), Internet reservations and billing, mobile phone and personal digital assistant communications, and a wireless parking lot counting system] on transit ridership and response to service pricing. Researchers used expert interviews, Internet surveys, focus groups, and parking reservation data to conduct this analysis. Survey data indicated that the field test increased BART trips and resulted in 9.7 fewer miles per participant per month on average. Key lessons learned include that it would have been beneficial to anticipate additional time for project scoping and permitting, and that fixed wayfinding signs were beneficial in terms of both directing vehicles from the highway to the smart parking lot and addressing resident concerns about increased traffic. In addition, most participants continued to use the service when fees were implemented. However, CMSs were not widely employed in users’ decision-making processes in this application. Finally, the wireless counting system worked well, with the exception of the in-ground sensors, which were prone to miscounts.
Carsharing
Authors: Fan Wei (David) , Machemehl Randy B. , Lownes Nicholas E.
Published: December 2008

Carsharing provides members access to a fleet of shared-use vehicles in a network of locations on a short-term, as-needed basis. It allows individuals to gain the benefits of private vehicle use without the costs and responsibilities of ownership. The dynamic vehicle allocation problem is addressed in a carsharing context, that is, as a decision-making problem for vehicle fleet management in both time and space to maximize profits for the carsharing service operator. A multistage stochastic linear integer model with recourse is formulated that can account for system uncertainties such as carsharing demand variation. A stochastic optimization method based on Monte Carlo sampling is proposed to solve the carsharing dynamic vehicle allocation problem. Preliminary results are discussed and related insights are presented on the basis of a five-stage experimental network pilot study.
Transit Score
Authors: Lutin Jerome M. , Krykewycz Gregory R. , Hacker Joseph F. , Marchwinski Thomas W.
Published: December 2008

The transit score is a measure that can inform the selection of appropriate transit investments for a given community. The model estimates a measure of the potential for success of various transit investments— the transit score—as a function of the densities of population, employment, and carless households. A version of this methodology was developed in 1989 by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), the metropolitan planning organization for the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden–Trenton, New Jersey, region. The method was adapted and expanded by the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT) in 2000 to evaluate future rail and fixed guideway extensions in its 2020 plan. Several other versions of the transit score methodology are known to exist and have been applied in studies across the United States. In 2005, DVRPC staff, in collaboration with NJ TRANSIT, undertook a project to validate and apply the transit score methodology to areas within the DVRPC region. Three versions of the transit score model were calibrated with linear regression models by using observed transit journey-to-work mode share as a proxy for transit score. Development of the transit score model is documented, revisions and statistical validation are described, and a range of applications of the transit score, both completed and contemplated, are discussed.
Innovative Planning and Financing Strategies for a Downtown Circulator Bus Route
Authors: Cornillie Thomas C.
Published: December 2008

The creation, redefinition, and success of a downtown circulator bus route, the Link, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, are examined. Many in Ann Arbor had long wanted a circulator bus route to connect its diverse downtown business districts with the University of Michigan campus. These desires came to fruition in September 2003, with the launching of the Link by the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) with funding from a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant following a comprehensive planning process that engaged local stakeholders. The route suffered from low ridership and operational problems soon after entering service, prompting many to question its future. However, by implementing an ongoing planning process that continued to engage stakeholders, AATA was able to obtain new ideas that ultimately led to the successful redesign of the route: improving its usefulness and encouraging the formation of new partnerships to finance its ongoing operation.
Diesel Truck Traffic in Low-Income and Minority Communities Adjacent to Ports
Authors: Houston Douglas , Krudysz Margaret , Winer Arthur
Published: December 2008

Container traffic at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, has tripled in the past 15 years, resulting in massive port-related heavy-duty diesel truck (HDDT) traffic on surface streets in the low-income and minority communities of Wilmington and western Long Beach adjacent to the ports. In response to the limitations of existing data on the volumes of HDDTs on surface streets, this study used direct video measurements of surface street traffic at 11 intersections and line segments in these communities to document port-related truck traffic traveling to and from inter-modal facilities, truck service sites, local amenities. and regional goods movement roadways. The volumes of HDDTs often reached 400 to 600/h for several hours immediately upwind of sensitive land uses, such as schools, open-field parks, and residences. Diurnal truck traffic patterns on surface streets varied by intersection, local conditions, and passenger car commute patterns. Given the documented health and environmental consequences of HDDT emissions, the results raise serious public health concerns for the inhabitants who reside, work, attend school, or recreate in close proximity to roadways with HDDT traffic in these communities adjacent to ports. This paper discusses the environmental justice implications of truck-related land use conflicts and current planning and emission control strategies to mitigate the local air pollution impacts of increasing port-related truck traffic in these low-income, minority communities.
Sharing Fast-Speed and Slow-Speed Roads with Bicyclists and Pedestrians
Authors: Audirac Ivonne
Published: December 2008

This paper explores gender differences in drivers’ attitudes toward slow-speed travelers, namely, bicyclists and pedestrians. In exploring the environment–driving–behavior relationship, it differentiates between fast driving environments (i.e., highways and arterials) and slow driving environments (i.e., collectors and neighborhood roads) and posits a dominant culture of fast mobility that engenders aggressive driving behaviors. In this culture, time- and stress-related frustration is a precursor of aggressive driving. The study described in this paper uses data from a survey of drivers in Florida to examine women's and men's attitudes toward slowing down to share the carriageway with pedestrians and bicyclists. It finds differences by gender, with slightly more women likely to be frustrated than men, but male drivers are more prone to behave aggressively.
Gender and Travel Behavior in Two Arab Communities in Israel
Authors: Elias Wafa , Newmark Gregory L. , Shiftan Yoram
Published: December 2008

This research addresses the critical but understudied issue of gender differences in travel behaviors in traditional societies, in general, and in the Arab world, in particular. To avoid known problems of data collection, a careful and labor-intensive survey process was undertaken in two Arab communities in northern Israel. The data gathered through this process were analyzed by a variety of statistical means to reveal that rather stark gender distinctions in travel behavior exist. On the whole, men make more tours, spend more time traveling, make more stops, and spend more time at activities at those stops than women. Men disproportionately travel by private vehicle modes, whereas women disproportionately walk. In the communities surveyed, the amount of transit provided was low and had a correspondingly low mode share. This dearth of transit seems to impair women's travel further. An extensive comparison of adult female and male tour frequencies was undertaken by using bivariate correlations and an ordered logit model. The most striking finding of this analysis was that 1/6th of Arab women do not leave the house to make even a single tour, whereas this proportion is 1/30th for men. The more nuanced statistical analyses revealed that demographic factors affect tour frequency differently for women and men. Effective policy interventions must consider these gender distinctions to address in the best way possible the travel needs of individuals in communities in the Arab world.
Simulation Model for Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Transportation and the Economy in Canada
Authors: Maoh Hanna , Kanaroglou Pavlos , Woudsma Clarence
Published: December 2008

It is widely argued that severe weather events and episodes of poor weather conditions (cold snaps and heat waves) have significant impact on regional economies and transportation systems. Several studies have focused on quantifying this relation from observed data. However, little has been done to simulate and assess the long-term impacts of climate change on regional transportation systems and economies. This is because of the lack of simulation models that are able to link changes in weather events to transportation system performance and interregional trade flows. This paper reports on the development of CLIMATE-C, a tool for simulation of the assessment of the impact of climate on transportation and the economy in Canada. Linkages between transportation and the economy are handled through a random utility-based multiregional input– output model (RUBMRIO), which predicts interregional trade flows by truck and rail among the 76 economic regions of Canada for 43 commodities. But the influence of weather on transportation is handled through speed adjustment factors that account for the reduction in travel speeds because of changes in the frequency of various weather events. Therefore, changes in the frequency of weather events translate into travel delays, which in turn influence trade flows between regions. Sensitivity analysis with the implemented model illustrated its ability to assess the impact of climate change on transportation and the economy in Canada.
Endogenous Regional Economic Growth through Transportation Investment
Authors: Mahady Francis X. , Lahr Michael L.
Published: December 2008

This paper demonstrates how road improvements can be interpreted as productivity improvements in the transportation services industry. Such economic gains are then translated into a general equilibrium context in the case of the Peace Bridge between Buffalo, New York, and Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. Variables exogenous to the model are (a) the measured travel time enhancements to be incurred on the improved link and (b) the forecast value of shipments by each industry to be moved across it. This information is used to estimate industries’ responses to these travel time reductions in terms of direct transportation costs, inventory carrying costs, and the value of failed shipments. Extensive interviews with carriers and producers support the notion that improved travel times encourage producers to extend their market areas and thereby increase their production in the short run. To measure production change, a regional input–output model was recalibrated for each shipping industry's productivity improvements and their trade coefficients were commensurately adjusted. The economic contributions of the shipments to the economic area around Buffalo before and after the improvement were then compared. It is recognized that long-run transportation cost reductions are as likely to occur as reduced costs to producers (rather than as production increases). Nonetheless, it is asserted that by treating producer benefits strictly as production changes, producers’ surplus is more readily measured. Thus, this approach converts the measurable change directly attributable to a transportation investment—travel time savings—into broader economywide changes. Moreover, these changes in jobs, household incomes, and taxes can be reported with industry and geographic specificity, which is often a requirement for valid project-specific evaluations.
Comparing Rail Transit Capitalization Benefits for Single-Family and Condominium Units in San Diego, California
Authors: Duncan Michael
Published: December 2008

This research analyzes and compares the effects that rail transit stations have on values of condominiums and single-family homes in San Diego, California. It is hypothesized that households on the market for a condominium will value proximity to rail stations more than those on the market for a single-family home will and therefore the capitalization benefits are greater for condominiums. Past research has shown that property near rail stations sells at a modest premium (between 0% and 10%) in many U.S. cities. However, most of these studies focus on single-family homes. The hedonic price analysis presented in this paper indicates that condominiums receive capitalization benefits in excess of 10%, whereas the benefits received by single-family properties fall within the more typical range (<10%).
Critical Steps for Enacting Cultural Change
Authors: Lorenz Julie , Link Amy
Published: December 2008

At the direction of newly appointed Secretary Debra L. Miller, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) underwent an agency-wide assessment in 2003 to determine the performance of the agency, including the administration of more than 900 stakeholder surveys. Although the respondents gave the state's physical transportation system high marks, they clearly said that the way in which KDOT was delivering that system could be improved. The agency relied too much on one-size-fits-all solutions rather than being responsive to local needs, and, as a result, KDOT was criticized for being out of touch with local officials. KDOT needed to transition from making decisions primarily on the basis of technical information or formulas to making decisions on the basis of a more collaborative, inclusive approach. To shift the internal culture and its decision-making processes, KDOT developed a phased, strategic approach that was based on external data and that allowed innovation to be driven internally and externally. Phase I used external feedback to assess performance and to develop improvement strategies. Phase II established performance measures to hold the agency accountable for meeting internal and external expectations. Phase III, under way, involves the development of the long-range transportation plan in which collaboration with stakeholders is being institutionalized as KDOT's way of doing business. Through these efforts, KDOT's culture has shifted significantly in just 4 years. This includes improved relationships with local officials and internal acceptance of the need to collaborate when making decisions. Although the effort is still under way, KDOT's initial success can largely be attributed to strong support from top leadership, the implementation of sequential changes, and the close tracking and communication of progress.
Partnerships for Progress
Authors: Toleman Roger , Rose Geoff
Published: December 2008

Road infrastructure institutions and organizations are beginning to face a period of major change that will affect current partnerships in the transportation sector. The fundamental element of this change centers around the increasing importance of the concept of sustainability, which is developing from the increasing realization that the world has geophysical limits and that transportation systems, in common with many other human systems, are putting increasing pressure on these limits. The paper first reviews four perspectives of sustainability: negative, superficial, weak, and strong. It then evaluates how the ethical principles of strong sustainability could translate into transportation sector policy, based on the Swedish Vision Zero approach to road safety, within the overall concept of sustainability across society. Understanding of the implications of a possible sustainable road transportation infrastructure policy involves a preliminary evaluation of potential changes in current transportation institutions in the light of a number of indicated outcomes in a framework of pricing and investment, integration, mobility, and modal change. Four broad classifications of road infrastructure organization are then reviewed: departmental systems, public agencies with a degree of political independence, government-owned companies, and public–private partnerships. In each case, the structures are reviewed to understand the potential for sustainable outcomes from current systems, together with the likely consequences for future elected government functions. The paper concludes with a brief examination of the political process of change and the need for change to bring together community partnerships to support progress.
Analysis of Fatal Run-Off-the-Road Crashes Involving Overcorrection
Authors: Spainhour Lisa K. , Mishra Abhishek
Published: December 2008

In an attempt to identify characteristics that have a strong positive association with overcorrection, data on 579 fatal run-off-the-road (ROR) crashes on state roadways in Florida were analyzed with logistic regression techniques. To overcome shortcomings of traditional analysis methods relying primarily on crash reports, this study relied on case reviews using a broad variety of resources from various disciplines. The data set in this study represents a significant enhancement in accuracy and completeness over that in the initial crash reports; overcorrection was identified using traffic homicide investigation reports. A full model involving 23 explanatory variables was developed, and backward stepwise regression was conducted to identify the most predictive variables. Over-correction cases were strongly associated with alcohol, inattention, high speed, and fatigue and sleeping. Outcomes ranged from roadway departure in the opposite direction, to vehicle impact on returning to the roadway. The study indicated that females were approximately 40% more likely to overcorrect in a fatal ROR crash than males were, with the greatest disparity occurring among middle-aged drivers. Further, while fewer than 20% of fatal ROR crashes occurred where rumble strips were present, drivers were more than 50% more likely to overcorrect than when they were not present. On high-speed (70 mph) roadways with rumble strips, there was almost an 80% higher risk of overcorrection in the crash. Thus, while it appears that rumble strips are effective in preventing many ROR crashes, the contribution of auditory and vibratory sensations of rumble strips to panic oversteering should also be investigated.
Effects of Reduced Visibility from Fog on Car-Following Performance
Authors: Kang Julie J. , Ni Rui , Andersen George J.
Published: December 2008

A study examined the effects of reduced visibility of scene information because of fog on car-following performance. Drivers were presented with a straight roadway scene in a driving simulator and were asked to maintain a predetermined driving distance in response to speed variations of a lead vehicle. Lead vehicle speed varied according to a sum of three prime sine wave frequencies. Five simulated fog density conditions and three average lead vehicle velocities were examined. Car-following performance was assessed using distance headway, variance of distance headway, root-mean-square (RMS) velocity error, control gain, phase angle, and squared coherence. Distance headway decreased only at the highest fog density condition examined. RMS velocity error increased with an increase in fog density. These results indicate that drivers had greater difficulty responding to changes in lead vehicle speed than to changes in headway. Results for squared coherence indicated that the effects of fog were greatest for the highest rate of change in lead vehicle speed (i.e., highest frequency examined). The importance of visual factors for optimal car-following performance is discussed.