This article presents a methodology to simultaneously modelize private car and public bicycle transport modes, considering their interactions through the modeling of the modal split and the assignment of each mode's trips to the network. Then the model is used to optimize the location of docking stations in a public sharing bicycle system, to achieve a transport system as efficient and sustainable as economically and socially possible. To model the car-bike system, it was necessary to perform a user behavior analysis, emphasizing the characterization of the potential bicycle user. Our objectives were: to discern which variables does the user take into account to choose, in an urban environment, between public bicycle and car; and to modelize bicycle users’ route choice. The proposed methodology is divided into three parts. In the first one, a transport network was created, over which car and bicycle users can be simulated at the same time. The second part is a type of combined modal split-assignment model, with its input coming from a global matrix (car and bicycle trips). A Multinomial Logit model for modal split and network assignment models will follow an iterative process to provide the final OD matrices and service variables for each mode of transport. After the definition and validation of the multimodal model, the third part, an optimization model, has been developed, based on bi-level mathematical programming. The objective is to optimize the location of a system of public bicycle docking stations. A combination of the different optimization criteria and problem reduction strategies has been applied to the real scenario of Santander city (Spain). It has been possible to perform a comparative analysis of the current situation, versus the model's proposal, getting results helpful to the relevant decision–making entities

This article compares the characteristics of urban freight transport in Rome, Barcelona, and Santander and the logistics measures being implemented in the three cities. The analysis is based on three similar surveys carried out in recent years involving interviews with retailers and transport operators. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the similarities and differences in terms of spatial patterns, current regulations, socioeconomic characteristics, commercial structures, freight demand characteristics, and current distribution patterns followed by different transport and logistics operators. The study shows that there are some different patterns of urban distribution that need to be taken into account when implementing city logistics measures in order to meet desired sustainability goals.

The last decade has seen a substantial increase in the perception of the bicycle as a realistic transport alternative to the car. Bicycle-sharing schemes are now a reality in many European cities. They can be large scale or small scale and their use is clearly on the increase. The sharing systems are initially free and then start to charge in order to cover the system running costs and the maintenance of the bicycles. This paper proposes a complete methodology for introducing bike-sharing systems. A methodology is proposed for calculating the potential demand for bicycle use and the willingness to pay of future users for faster journey times, as well as a location model for fixing the bicycle pick-up and drop-off stations made with the help of a geographical information system. The proposed methodology determines the personal profile of the system users, the maximum tariffs to charge in order to guarantee a good take-up, the best system to introduce and the optimum locations of the docking stations, which will depend on certain predetermined criteria.

This paper quantifies the influence badly parked vehicles and on-street parking maneuvers have on average link journey times as a function of the duration of the events and the number of designated maneuvers and flow, by applying an M∕M∕∞ queueing model in which arrival and departure are all Poisson processes. The method has been validated using microsimulations calibrated by in-situ measurements taken in the streets of the city of Santander (Cantabria, Spain). The analysis on the delays shows a good fit for the M∕M∕∞ model for flows of 60–70% of capacity where the error is always lower than 5%. This demonstrates the efficiency of the M∕M∕∞ model for studying how on-street parking maneuvers and badly parked vehicles influence traffic flow and avoids the need to use generally more laborious microsimulation models. Microsimulations are used to calculate the reduction in link capacity for each case in the study and the increases in average journey times for the rest of the road users. This shows the effect t...

The present research addresses the issue of data collection, models and methods for urban freight transport demand investigation and the difficulties related to costs and the fact that few data are often available. Then, it becomes important to investigate the transferability of results in order to improve their use and to assess whether the obtained results is dependent on any particular condition, and whether the lessons learnt in one city can be transferred to other cities. The transfer of a previously estimated model to a new application context can reduce or eliminate the need for a large data collection and model development effort in the application context. Therefore, the main goal of the research is to compare the freight transport demand in two European cities (Rome and Santander) in order to highlight which similarities and differences depend on some factors and demonstrates that there are many different patterns of urban distribution that need to be taken into account. The analysis is based on some similar surveys carried out in the cities that are also very different in terms of spatial and economic patterns. Furthermore, the available surveys in Rome and Santander have been the basis for the calibration also in Santander of a modelling system for urban freight demand forecast set up in Rome. In such a way, the analysis of model and parameter transferability is also investigated