NON-MOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION – AN EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE FOR URBAN COMMUNITIES

The continuous growth of the urban traffic threats cities with “thrombosis“, generating social, economic and ecological long term problems. The paper outlines the positive externalities induced by the non-motorized transportation (walking, bicycling or small-wheeled transport) at individual, social and environmental level. This kind of transportation meets the requests of the urban sustainable development, being used stand-alone or as a part of an intermodal chain. Local authorities, education institutes, corporate and non-governmental organizations should be involved in challenging perceptions and attitudes toward non-motorized trips. Beside the infrastructure construction, the early education is mandatory for creating a civic culture regarding the use of non-motorized transportation. The case study in Bucharest shows out the present state concerning the use of non-motorized transportation and the barriers in using it.urban mobility, non-motorized transportation, sustainable transport barriers.

Modeling the transit of containers through quay buffer storage zone in maritime terminals

The maritime container terminal allows the transfer of container flows from maritime vessels to the land transport network and vice versa. The transit capacity through the terminal is affected by the handling capacity of the equipment at the terminal, by the size of the storage areas and least by the technologies used in handling and storing the containers in the terminal. In this paper, the influence of these last two technologies on the duration of the process of unloading/loading of sea vessels within the terminal is analyzed. A discrete simulation model is used to evaluate the sizing method for short-term storage area located on the dock. The manner of allocating the flows of containers on it, as well as the working technology of the handling equipment, have an influence on the number of containers taken over, respectively loaded on the maritime vessels. The simulation model topology is developed following the existing physical structure of a container terminal from Constanta Port, in Romania. The obtained results can help the administration of the container terminal in optimizing the activity of handling, storing, and transferring the flows of containers from the maritime environment to the mainland and vice versa

Performance Analysis of Automated Parcel Lockers in Urban Delivery: Combined Agent-Based–Monte Carlo Simulation Approach

Background: The habitat structure, the environmental impact, the market acceptance, the changes in consumers’ preferences, and the pandemic urged for innovative solutions in urban last-mile delivery. Parcel lockers are among the most preferred solutions by customers due to their home proximity, time availability, and cost efficiency. Methods: This paper introduces an agent-based model (ABM) and a Monte Carlo simulation program to analyze in detail the activity of parcel locker points. The ABM describes the behavior of the agents (customers, parcels, lockers, delivery agents). The simulation is realized using ARENA 12 software. Two scenarios are created based on the number of daily delivery shifts; for each scenario, 300 simulation experiments with various input data are conducted. Results: Three measures of performance (MOPs) are selected to assess the system activity: the number of daily delivered parcels, the delivery time of an order, and the daily delayed orders. The simulation outputs reveal significant predictors of MOPs and disclose moments when actions need to be taken to increase system capacity or change customer behavior. Conclusions: The versatility of the simulation model in terms of input variables makes it a useful decision support tool for planning by highlighting quantitative assessments, organizing delivery activity, along with influences due to customer behavior changes

Assessing the influence of equipment reliability over the activity inside maritime container terminals through discrete-event simulation

Abstract: (1) Background: The reliability of port equipment is of significant interest to industry stakeholders due to the economic and logistical factors governing the operation of maritime container terminals. Failures of key equipment like quay cranes can halt operations or cause economically significant delays. (2) Methods: The impact assessment of these disruptive events is conducted through terminal activity modeling and discrete-event simulation of internal processes. The system's steady-state or transient condition, induced by disruptive events, is statistically assessed within a set of scenarios proposed by the authors. (3) Results: The Heidelberg-Welch and Geweke tests enabled the evaluation of steady-state and transient conditions within the modeled system, which was affected by the reduced reliability of container-handling equipment. (4) Conclusions: The research findings confirmed the usefulness of modeling and simulation in assessing the impact of equipment reliability on maritime container terminal operations. If the magnitude of the disruptive event exceeds the terminal's absorption capacity, the system may become blocked or remain in a transient state without the ability to recover. This underscores the necessity of analyzing the reliability of critical handling equipment and implementing corrective maintenance actions when required

Evaluating the Influence of Data Entropy in the Use of a Smart Equipment for Traffic Management at Border Check Point

The transit through a Border Check Point of cargo vehicles supposes, in the case of the Romanian highway network, the carrying out of a process of weighing and verifying of transport licenses. The limited number of weighing equipment and the long duration of these processes cause large queues and long waiting times. A solution for these problems is to use smart equipment to identify the cargo vehicles and to separate the vehicles that require weighing from exempted ones. The separation process is made using external input data. The quality of received data can generate some dysfunctionality in the separation process. The discrete simulation model can be used to evaluate the influence of the uncertainty over the system serving parameters. A study case is developed for a real situation using real data collected from a Romanian Highway Traffic Control Center (HTMC). The results are used in the implementation of the new smart equipment in a Romanian Border Check Point

Assessing the Influence of Equipment Reliability over the Activity Inside Maritime Container Terminals Through Discrete-Event Simulation

(1) Background: The reliability of port equipment is of significant interest to industry stakeholders due to the economic and logistical factors governing the operation of maritime container terminals. Failures of key equipment like quay cranes can halt operations or cause economically significant delays. (2) Methods: The impact assessment of these disruptive events is conducted through terminal activity modeling and discrete-event simulation of internal processes. The system’s steady-state or transient condition, induced by disruptive events, is statistically assessed within a set of scenarios proposed by the authors. (3) Results: The Heidelberg–Welch and Geweke tests enabled the evaluation of steady-state and transient conditions within the modeled system, which was affected by the reduced reliability of container-handling equipment. (4) Conclusions: The research findings confirmed the usefulness of modeling and simulation in assessing the impact of equipment reliability on maritime container terminal operations. If the magnitude of the disruptive event exceeds the terminal’s absorption capacity, the system may become blocked or remain in a transient state without the ability to recover. This underscores the necessity of analyzing the reliability of critical handling equipment and implementing corrective maintenance actions when required

Evaluating the Influence of Data Entropy in the Use of a Smart Equipment for Traffic Management at Border Check Point

The transit through a Border Check Point of cargo vehicles supposes, in the case of the Romanian highway network, the carrying out of a process of weighing and verifying of transport licenses. The limited number of weighing equipment and the long duration of these processes cause large queues and long waiting times. A solution for these problems is to use smart equipment to identify the cargo vehicles and to separate the vehicles that require weighing from exempted ones. The separation process is made using external input data. The quality of received data can generate some dysfunctionality in the separation process. The discrete simulation model can be used to evaluate the influence of the uncertainty over the system serving parameters. A study case is developed for a real situation using real data collected from a Romanian Highway Traffic Control Center (HTMC). The results are used in the implementation of the new smart equipment in a Romanian Border Check Point