0000000001179775
AUTHOR
Francesco Castelluccio
The forecasting of the roadside pollutant levels to evaluate traffic management measures in Palermo.
The road transport has become the major source of environmental degradation in urban centres. It produces negative externalities (i.e. pollution, delay, etc.) that are usually connected with the queues of traffic flows and the congestion of the road network. The quantitative estimation of roadside pollutant levels is very complex. Many variables are involved such as the type of vehicle (characterized by different antipollution devices, used fuels, engine temperatures, maintenance level of engines, etc.), the different cinematic conditions of the flows, the urban/road network structure, the weather conditions, etc. Therefore it is important to develop scientific tools able to predict roadsid…
Sustainable mobility: “exchange poles” between transport networks and urban structure
An intermodal hub can be defined as a place where transportation networks are organized to facilitate intermodality between different modes. Intermodal hubs should intrinsically have an urban dimension and be globally designed as “plug flows”, being interfaces between transport networks and territory, being an element to create “urbanity”. Intermodal hubs focus technical, social, urban, transport, service aspects and they play a multi-modal, multi-service, multioperator role. Several studies highlight the need to “measure the interdependence” among the various aspects of urban problems, avoiding too specific methodologies. The increasing congestion in urban centres and urban parking problem…
Helicopter lines: demand & cost analysis
The network of heliports as a necessary tool to develop rotorcraft services
The rotorcraft operations will grow as air taxi services and business trips and even as “commuter”, intercity and line services between urban centres and touristic or economic-industrial places of special value. But actually the rising public opposition to helicopter activities reduces the number of available heliports for private and corporate operators, as environmental limits of all type of allowed operations and of suitable sites to construct new infrastructures. So the growth of scheduled rotorcraft services (passengers and freights) has to be supported not only by advances in machine’s technologies, but also by an adequate and strategically distributed infrastructure network. This vis…
Vertical take-off and landing air transport services for the touristic development of a territory.
La riqualificazione della viabilità costiera per la mobilità dolce: il caso di Palermo
The attractiveness and the availability of services offered in urban areas nearby the port terminals are conditioned by the improvement of the connection of different urban transport systems and by the enhancement of the accessibility. But they should be based on the overall improvement of urban mobility. The structural organization of the territory is favored by the presence of links, which realize an infrastructure system to the different levels of connection and accessibility. The interventions could include the requalification of the coastal strip, including the road network component. Attention should be given to the supply quality, the rationalization of a linear model based on the co…
A DEA-based transport heliports' efficiencies evaluation
Purpose - The purpose of the study is the evaluation of the efficiencies of a group of small Italian airports and the comparison with a set of transport heliports to show the difference in the productivity of the two types of infrastructures. Design/methodology/approach - The methodology used for the evaluation is the data envelopment analysis (DEA). Findings - The better performance of the heliports compared to the small inefficient airports. Research limitations/implications - This research is limited by the field of application and the weaknesses of the DEA methodology. However, it could be the first step for further works that will include more accurate models. Practical implications - …
GNSS/WEB-GIS heliport planning in a regional area for VTOL transport services
The role of the helicopter in airport planning and air traffic analysis is fundamental with re-gard to both the qualitative and quantitative increasing of the demand and the technical en-hancement of the aircrafts. This leads to infrastructural and organizational issues. Such a need finds a plausible solution in the implementation of a helicopter service and the creation of a heliport network linked to the airport, road and rail systems. Part of the issue of airport planning and design is the study of helicopters’ utilization for purposes other than commer-cial such as aerial work and civil protection. The helicopter is indeed essential in all those uses based on the capabilities that it ha…
Il sistema dei trasporti per lo sviluppo del turismo in Sicilia
Il sistema dei trasporti può svolgere un ruolo strategico per lo sviluppo del turismo in quelle aree che possiedono un elevato livello di attrattività turistica, ma una scarsa accessibilità. Lo scopo di questo studio è quello di formulare strategie e interventi di natura infrastrutturale e organizzativa per innalzare l’accessibilità di zone dotate di una spiccata attrattività turistica. Questo studio è stato sviluppato riguardo al territorio siciliano, caratterizzato da un prezioso patrimonio culturale e naturalistico. Tra gli interventi si è studiata l’ipotesi di proporre servizi elicotteristici di linea tra alcune località turistiche di particolare pregio come le isole minori. Il costo el…
Modelli di simulazione pedonale in ambito aeroportuale
I terminal aeroportuali rappresentano nodi complessi d’interscambio tra diffe-renti modi di trasporto ed il loro corretto dimensionamento può influire sull’operativi-tà del sistema di trasporto al quale sono connessi, specie se caratterizzato dai vo-lumi di crescita che si registrano su moltissimi aeroporti nazionali ed internazionali.
L’unificazione europea della segnaletica stradale
La sicurezza stradale in Europa è un argomento che riguarda in maniera peculiare l’intero territorio dell’Unione. Nell’Europa dei Quindici (EU-15), sono 375 milioni gli utenti della strada, di cui 200 milioni in possesso di patente di guida, che utilizzano veicoli su un totale di 4 milioni di km di strade. Gli incidenti automobilistici sono oggi causa di più di 40.000 morti e 1.700.000 feriti all’anno sul territorio continentale. Il costo, diretto o indiretto di questa ecatombe, stima la Commissione Europea, è di circa 160 miliardi di Euro, ovvero il 2% del PIL. In Italia a causa di incidenti stradali si registrano circa 8.000 morti all’anno. Il 50% di questi incidenti ha come vittime perso…
TRAVELLING TOWARDS AND FROM MINOR ISLANDS THROUGH NON-CONVENTIONAL AIR TRANSPORT: DEMAND AND COST ANALYSIS
This research addresses the role of innovative forms of passenger air transport in favouring mobility of tourists visiting minor islands. In particular, we studied the feasibility of scheduled transport services using helicopter and seaplane for connecting Sicily in the south of Italy, to the near and very attractive Eolie Islands rapidly. In order to estimate the potential service demand, we allowed for the number of tourists arriving in the Eolie Archipelago during the period 1999-2008. In detail, we considered only the market of visitors with a high willingness-to-pay for time savings (individuals choosing superior hotels) coming from origins at least 300 km away from the Eolie Islands. …
Le isole minori quali poli di attrazione turistica ed i servizi elicotteristici di linea in Sicilia
La continua esigenza di accorciare i tempi di viaggio, che, assieme alla spinta all’economicità delle tariffe, caratterizza fortemente la domanda passeggeri, spinge alla progettazione di sistemi di trasporto innovativi che permettano di ottenere prestazioni efficaci ed efficienti. I modi di trasporto provano a rispondere all’esigenza di garantire una pronta e adeguata copertura di mobilità e, d’altro canto, ad abbattere la difficoltà di riuscire a realizzare sistemi dinamici, che possano adattarsi nel tempo alle fluttuazioni della domanda. Tra i sistemi di trasporto pubblico quello elicotteristico non riveste attualmente un ruolo da protagonista all’interno della complessa struttura della m…
La standardizzazione dei segnali stradali di pericolo nell’unione Europea
The aim of this research is to find a solution for the standardization of road signs in the EU zone by a comparative analysis of different national sign systems to establish a common set from a single country. This work is based on the idea that road sign standardization might increase the safety level of transnational journeys and foster the relationships among the various members of the EU Community. This paper presents the outcome of the first step of the research, which focuses on the harmonization of danger signs. In more detail, a multicriteria approach is applied to rank 19 EU Member States on the basis of three main aspects: the installation cost of new signs, new sign learning issu…
Indicators for sustainable pedestrian mobility
Pedestrians walk everyday to satisfy their basic necessities. They need an environment that reflects their requirements and expectations, in other words "liveable" as much as possible. So we should offer tools that could allow a complete and clear evaluation of the existing walking environment, taking into account both pedestrian requirements and urban environment schemes. To measure pedestrian mobility performance we usually use indicators, which measure performances and grant a quick estimation of progress. Indicators are universally acknowledged synthetic and standard parameters that should help policy makers gauge whether things are going in the right direction or not. They should be ou…
Standardization of Road Danger Signs in the European Union
The aim of this research is to find a solution for the standardization of road signs in the EU zone by a comparative analysis of different national sign systems to establish a common set from a single country. This work is based on the idea that road sign standardization might increase the safety level of transnational journeys and foster the relationships among the various members of the EU Community. This paper presents the outcome of the first step of the research, which focuses on the harmonization of danger signs. In more detail, a multicriteria approach is applied to rank 19 EU Member States on the basis of three main aspects: the installation cost of new signs, new sign learning issu…
L’unificazione della segnaletica stradale verticale nell’ambito dell’Unione Europea: un’applicazione ai segnali di pericolo
La presente memoria illustra la metodologia ed i risultati di un’attività di ricerca finalizzata a studiare il problema dell’unificazione europea dei sistemi di segnaletica stradale verticale, la quale rappresenta uno dei presupposti fondamentali per favorire la crescita dei livelli di efficienza e sicurezza della mobilità delle persone e delle merci in ambito UE. Nella prima fase di tale studio, i cui risultati sono riportati in questo articolo, l’attenzione è stata focalizzata sui cartelli stradali di pericolo, utilizzando una base dati relativa a 19 Stati membri dell’Unione Europea. I set di segnali di pericolo di questi Paesi sono stati confrontati tramite un’analisi a molti criteri, ba…
The Latent Factors Behind the Urban Travel Behaviour
Abstract This research aims to explore the impact of latent variables, mirroring the users’ preferences, on the individual decision making process regarding the mode of transport. The paper describes the first results of an ongoing research activity, which derives from a pilot study carried out in Palermo. The authors have administered to a sample of travellers a questionnaire and they simulated the mode choice behaviour referring to the random utility theory. Then the transport demand over the entire area of Palermo has been studied in order to design the cordon pricing scenario with the application of an additional cost on private car dedicated to a selected area of the historic centre of…
Infrastructure, Tariff and Legal Action: How to Achieve a Climate-Friendly Transport System
Transportation absorbs about 70% of oil consumption in EU countries. The fuels that burn in the field of transport are composed of 96% of oil. Energy efficiency of road and air traffic must also be improved. But transport environmental impacts reductions should be made necessarily through a transfer of traffic from the car, lorries and aircraft to train, ship, and non motorized two-wheelers into the EU cities. In fact the former are large producers of greenhouse gases, while the latter are more environmentally friendly means of transport in climate. Reaching an annual increase of 1% of the modal split in favour of more sustainable means of transport on the environment must be set as a goal …
Il trasporto elicotteristico per lo sviluppo turistico della Sicilia
Lo studio descritto in questa nota riguarda la fattibilità di servizi di trasporto passeggeri basati sull'utilizzo del mezzo elicotteristico, su scala regionale
IL RUOLO DELLA QUALITÀ PERCEPITA DEI PERCORSI PEDONALI NELLA SCELTA DEL TRASPORTO PUBBLICO
Il fenomeno del pendolarismo oggigiorno coinvolge ampie fasce della popolazione, manifestandosi attraverso spostamenti sistematici, spesso quotidiani, dal proprio luogo di residenza verso altra destinazione, per motivi di studio o di lavoro. La definizione di spostamento pendolare prescinde dalla distanza percorsa o dal tempo di viaggio. Tipicamente, i pendolari si spostano tra differenti aree di regioni metropolitane, seguendo percorsi multimodali, costituiti anche da itinerari di “mobilità dolce” (pedonale o ciclabile). La mancanza di una cultura della pianificazione urbanistica, la diffusione sul territorio delle funzioni residenziali e l’accentramento delle attività produttive e commerc…
A comparative analysis between helicopter and seaplane for passenger transport.
Purpose This study aims to develop a methodology to compare the feasibility of helicopter and seaplane regular transport of passengers towards destinations across a remote regional tourist context, where a lack of road and rail infrastructure make these alternative forms of air transport competitive. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a modal split model identifying the quota of passengers that potentially could utilize these two types of services, determined on the basis of previous studies on air transport demand. A technical analysis regarding transport supply is performed to identify the predominant features that should characterize helicopter/seaplane performances. An optimiza…
The accessibility of public urban spaces: walkability and ergonomic aspects
Pedestrians can be ergonomically considered as workers into the socio-technical system of public urban space. Pedestrian targets can be defined as operations: the accessibility to a place characterized by services, commercial activities, enjoyment of leisure. Public space is a "universal" tool (differently from the ergonomic one), but it serves different user categories and enables different targets (movement, parking, social integration, etc..). The organization of public space should basically allow to perform users’ activities, but it has often been divided into a spatial and thematic compartments. From the twentieth century it was subservient to the dominion of the car, which strongly i…
A Data Envelopment Analysis methodology for the efficiency’s evaluation of a group of transport heliports offering scheduled flights
Heliports are relatively small infrastructures able to serve medium volumes of regional traffic in poor accessible areas or in zones just located to the next proximity, or in some cases inside, urban areas. The spaces required for the movement of heli-copters on the airsides of these infrastructures are far smaller than those required for airplanes. This characteristics derives from the great flexibility of the VTOL in mov-ing in tight spaces. On the other hand, the need for land saving especially in those filled areas within the major cities requires infrastructures large no more than a block. The use of the helicopter as a mean of transport to serve the traffic between cities and airports…
Regional passenger transport. A comparison analysis between helicopter and seaplane
Heliports and seaplane bases are relatively small infrastructures able to serve medium or low volumes of regional traffic in poor accessible areas or in zones just located to the next proximity of the urban areas. The spatial extension of the airside is directly connected with the costs of the infrastructure and it is primarily determinate by the type of aircraft that uses the infrastructure and secondarily by the design expected traffic. The helicopter infrastructure is far smaller than that required for airplanes and seaplanes, since the first doesn’t suffers the lateral wind on the approach and landing direction. On the other hand, the rotorcraft suffers operative costs largely high than…
Future trends for the civil rotorcraft
In response to public needs about the use of air transport to connect high congested or remote areas where airports are not present, rotorcraft (or seaplanes), represents the only available alternative. Today the helicopter industry focuses its tasks in the maximization of profit, building multirole aircrafts that can be adapted to all types of use: from the military to the civilian one, from HEMS and SAR to the Off Shore one. On the other hand the rotorcraft enterprises are small companies, often characterized by a limited budget and weak demand services. Often, analyzing rotorcraft civil transportation, companies are forced to perform on-demand services, as the operating costs of the airc…
Vertical take-off and landing air transport to provide tourist mobility.
Abstract This paper examines helicopter transfer services to reach attractive and not very accessible tourist areas, taking Sicily and its minor islands, in the South of Italy, as a case study. We investigate the viability of helicopter scheduled services for tourists moving from/to airports or doing one day tours to visit far away places. The mode choice of tourists is simulated using random utility models employing stated preference data. Heli-shuttle service is planned in terms of fleet size, frequency, fare and location pattern of heliports. The paper also analyses how a public subsidy reducing fares might change the set of feasible connections.
Cost analysis for a future helicopter for passenger transport
Purpose - This paper aims to identify the parameters that influence the cost competitiveness of helicopter services for scheduled passenger transport on a regional area. Design/methodology/approach - The approach used is based on an analysis of demand and on a bi-level model (modal split model - service supply optimization model) optimization. Performance optimization in the supply of helicopter transport services is obtained by a sensitivity analysis on the recognized cost factors. Findings - The identification of the variation margins in the cost factors that might make an helicopter competitive for scheduled passenger services. Research limitations/implications - The inability to conside…
The greenways : a new opportunity to develop the ecotourism in Sicily
The change in the orientation of tourism demand shows the new preferences and needs of tourist. Tourism today is changing. Today tourists prefer to become part of the daily life of the places they visit, and want their journey to be a source of knowledge and leisure. This study aims to improve the territorial availability and to promote the use of non motorized means of transport by design of greenways and slow ways. Greenways make possible to be in contact with nature, following paths through historical and archaeological sites, without any type of pollution. Particularly the case studied is the “Valley of the Temples” allocated in Sicily, in Agrigento site. This is an Archaeological Park,…
The role of heavy vehicles in road safety: Technical improvements and training of professional drivers in EU activities
This paper proposes an analysis of initiatives and measures that the EU has developed, both in terms of research and normative, in order to improve the safety of freight vehicles. The actions undertaken by the EU under the program for road safety, with particular attention to the road freight sector, the more representative, are the following: - Improving the visibility of heavy duty vehicles (HDV), - The elimination of points with poor visibility from the HDV, - Evaluation of measures to reduce accidents related to tires condition, - The standardization and improvement of initial and continuing training of professional drivers. The classification of defects which are considered to have ser…
Ottimizzazione delle prestazioni di una rete stradale tramite l’unificazione del sistema della segnaletica
L’argomento principale di questa tesi si manifesta nella soddisfazione della necessità di armonizzare la segnaletica stradale verticale europea, definendo una strategia di minimizzazione dei costi di sostituzione complessivi della cartellonistica non uniforme, per contribuire a migliorare i livelli di sicurezza e di soddisfacimento dell’utenza dell’infrastruttura stradale. Una maggiore uniformità della segnaletica stradale permetterebbe ai conducenti impegnati nei traffici transfrontalieri su gomma di dover recepire un minor carico di informazioni visive, facendo riferimento ad un numero minore di segnali stradali, in quanto armonizzati con quelli dei loro paesi di provenienza. Altro scopo …
Road safety for the elder pedestrian in urban contexts - L'insicurezza per i pedoni anziani in ambito urbano
Accidents involving elderly pedestrians are an important statistics on accidents due to vehicular traffic. So many researches investigated loss of safety of the elderly. The transition from work to quiescence period changes individuals’ lives and their concept of mobility, but car use is still prevalent during some years. Then the elderly significantly change their way of moving, preferring to walking. Over the years they become more and more fragile and they see the decline of their physical, sensory and cognitive faculties, so their safety has to lead urban Administrations to find practical solutions to improve movement and comfort of these urban users. This study aims to explore possible…
Helicopter operations: the environmental impact and ground facilities. Procedures and operational standards for the system’s acceptance.
The link between the heliports, environmental quality and safety is an important challenge in the field of helicopter transport. This challenge is especially crucial when the helicopter operations are carried out on densely urbanized areas. Often these areas have significant constraints and obstacles, particularly in terms of noise pollution. These constraints make the approach/takeoff maneuvers very complicated. The theme of the environmental sustainability of the rotorcraft is strongly felt in many countries. The production of noise is subjected to numerous rules and procedures, which tend to improve the acceptability of the helicopter by residents in neighboring areas to verti/heliports.…
Indicators for sustainable mobility in the cities
The creation of a sustainable transport system is the main objective of European transport policy. This system should encourage facilities to connect all people and should be linked with economic, social and environmental aspects of society. Current trends and future challenges will meet a growing "accessibility" demand, highlighting concerns about the sustainability of transport. Therefore one of the priorities of transport policy is the improving of overall quality of transport, including aspects related to: personal safety, accidents and health hazards reduction, protection of passengers rights and of accessibility to remote areas. This paper is dedicated to sustainable development, with…
GIS Infomobility for Travellers
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are essential systems to support decisions on territorial and environmental aspects. But they not always have been properly used for this purpose. Only in recent years GIS have been getting better used for the planning, management and control of the territory. The application of GIS to the transport sector has become relevant both for management and decision-making in support of Public Administration (PA) and citizens. GIS are particularly useful for roads and routing graphs management capabilities as well as for searching the most suitable path. The results achieved in this research activity aimed to evaluate different road graphs, proprietary and fre…