Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 21226

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Panagiotis Georgakis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK
Interests: intelligent transportation systems; transportation modeling; data analytics for urban mobility; behavioral modeling; transport economics; transport demand analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Efthimios Bothos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Zografou, Athens, Greece
Interests: intelligent transportation systems; mobility as a service; behavioral change support systems; smart city platforms for sustainability; big data applications for urban mobility; recommendation and personalization systems

Dr. Babis Magoutas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Zografou, Athens, Greece
Interests: behavioral change support systems; recommender systems; intelligent transportation systems; mobility as a service; smart city platforms for sustainability; big data applications for urban mobility

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few decades, transportation of goods and people has become one of the main contributors of greenhouse gas emissions around the globe. Despite efforts made at different fronts, statistics show that transportation is the only sector that shows growth, year after year, in terms of harmful environmental emissions. On the other hand, transportation is a necessary component of the engine that powers global economies. To address the current unsustainable state of affairs, mobility solutions are required that promote sustainability, but at the same time, can support the current transport demand. The last few years have seen the emergence of innovative mobility services, for both travelers and freight, that aim to tackle the negative effects that transport has on the environment. For travelers, services such as ride hailing (Uber, Lyft, etc.), carpooling (Waze Carpool, BlaBlaCar, etc.), car sharing (Ubeeqo, Zipcar, etc.), Microtransit (Via, Arro, etc.) and, lately, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) are constantly gaining momentum, and are posing as competitive alternatives for private car use. In freight transport, innovative last-mile solutions, like crowd-shipping (PiggyBee, Hytchers, etc.), drones, e-cargo bikes, and others, aim to replace the use of light- and heavy-goods vehicles for intracity deliveries. As part of this Special Issue, we invite high quality papers that present studies relevant to the implementation of innovative mobility services that promote sustainability in urban areas. The papers can target different domains including, but not limited to:

Innovative mobility services for people and goods;
Intelligent transport systems (ITS);
Transport modeling;
Behavioral modeling;
Freight vehicle operations;
Transport demand analysis;
Transport economics;
Mobility as a Service solutions;
Transport policies enabling innovative mobility services;
Smart city platforms for integrated and multimodal transportation;
Big data applications for urban mobility;
Behavioral change support systems for sustainable mobility.

We encourage the submission of studies that adopt multidisciplinary approaches.

Dr. Panagiotis Georgakis
Dr. Efthimios Bothos
Dr. Babis Magoutas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Sustainable transportation services
Innovative mobility services
Transport modelling
Smart cities
Big-data for urban mobility
Travel behaviour modelling
Transport demand analysis
Transport economics

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 639 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating the Relationship between Freight Transport, Economic Prosperity, Urbanization, and CO₂ Emissions: Evidence from Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea

by Muhammad Shafique, Anam Azam, Muhammad Rafiq and Xiaowei Luo

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10664; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410664 - 21 Dec 2020

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 3871

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between freight transport, economic prosperity, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, energy consumption, and urbanization for three top Asian economies, namely, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea during 1995–2017. For this purpose, we use the augmented Dickey-Fuller test for the stationary of the series, Johansen co-integration approach, and fully modified ordinary least squares and Granger causality model to infer the causal relationship between the study variables. The results show that economic prosperity (GDP) and energy consumption (EC) have a significant impact on freight transport (FT) for all three economies. In addition, the results also manifest the existence of bidirectional causality between GDP and FT in Singapore but a unidirectional causality running from GDP to FT in the case of Hong Kong and South Korea. As a quick policy option, controlling fossil fuel energy consumption in the transport sector may result in a remarkable reduction in CO₂ emissions. The present study provides new insights to decision-makers for designing comprehensive energy and environmental policies for future sustainable freight transport growth in the long run. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 11487 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heuristic-Based Journey Planner for Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

by Panagiotis Georgakis, Adel Almohammad, Efthimios Bothos, Babis Magoutas, Kostantina Arnaoutaki and Gregoris Mentzas

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 10140; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310140 - 04 Dec 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3310

Abstract

The continuing growth of urbanisation poses a real threat to the operation of transportation services in large metropolitan areas around the world. As a response, several initiatives that promote public transport and active travelling have emerged in the last few years. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is one such initiative with the main goal being the provision of a holistic urban mobility solution through a single interface, the MaaS operator. The successful implementation of MaaS requires the support of a technology platform for travellers to fully benefit from the offered transport services. A central component of such a platform is a journey planner with the ability to provide trip options that efficiently integrate the different modes included in a MaaS scheme. This paper presents a heuristic that implements a scenario-based journey planner for users of MaaS. The proposed heuristic provides routes composed of different modes including private cars, public transport, bike-sharing, car-sharing and ride-hailing. The methodological approach for the generation of journeys is explained and its implementation using a microservices architecture is presented. The implemented system was trialled in two European cities and the analysis of user satisfaction results reveal good overall performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Service Quality and Service Gap of Autonomous Driving Group Rapid Transit System

by Wei-Hsi Hung and Yao-Tang Hsu

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9412; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229412 - 12 Nov 2020

Viewed by 2193

Abstract

Recently, the trend of public transportation has evolved from traditional vehicles to intelligent transportation systems. Among many innovative systems, the development of group rapid transit (GRT) has become increasingly important. This study aims to explore the key acceptance factors for users to adopt GRT through three dimensions: technology, sharing, and experiential marketing (TSE). First, this study identifies variables under each construct of the TSE model through a literature review and interviews with experts, so as to understand what factors of the model impact users’ usage intention and continuous usage intention. Subsequently, through a questionnaire survey, the theoretical model is verified. The participants of the survey were users of GRT, and a total of 306 valid questionnaires were collected. Through structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, the results indicate that technology does not significantly impact usage intention, as users may not fully understand GRT’s future developments; technology only affects continuous usage intention. Sharing also only influences continuous usage intention. These results show that the adoption of GRT may be gradual and long-term rather than short-term. Finally, experiential marketing has a significant impact on both usage intention and continuous usage intention. This implies that users’ experiences are vital in promoting innovative services, hence service providers should seek to not only improve the service but also enhance users’ trust in and support for the service. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 5554 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Improved Hybrid Highway Traffic Flow Prediction Model Based on Machine Learning

by Zhanzhong Wang, Ruijuan Chu, Minghang Zhang, Xiaochao Wang and Siliang Luan

Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8298; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208298 - 09 Oct 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2091

Abstract

For intelligent transportation systems (ITSs), reliable and accurate real-time traffic flow prediction is an important step and a necessary prerequisite for alleviating traffic congestion and improving highway operation efficiency. In this paper, we propose an improved hybrid predicting model including two steps: decomposition and prediction to predict highway traffic flow. First, we adopted the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) method to adaptively decompose the original nonlinear, nonstationary, and complex highway traffic flow data. Then, we used the improved weighted permutation entropy (IWPE) to obtain new reconstructed components. In the prediction step, we used the gray wolf optimizer (GWO) algorithm to optimize the least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM) prediction model established for each reconstruction component and integrate the prediction results of each subsequence to obtain the final prediction result. We experimentally validated the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The research results reveal that the proposed model is useful for predicting traffic flow and its changing trends and also allowing transportation officials to make more effective traffic decisions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Driver’s Reaction Behavior Using a Persuasion-Based IT Artefact

by Javier Goikoetxea Gonzalez, Diego Casado-Mansilla and Diego López-de-Ipiña

Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 6857; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176857 - 24 Aug 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2538

Abstract

The use of interactive technology to change behavior, which is commonly known as persuasive technology, is currently gaining attention in information systems research. It has been assessed in many application domains and the field of private mobility is not an exception, notably with the advent of self-driven cars. However, the reviewed body of research shows that when it comes to linking persuasion-based systems and mobility, most of the approaches focus on engaging drivers to use the car in a safer way, leaving the cost-efficiency aspect of driving less explored. Therefore, this article focuses on the study of a persuasion-based IT (Information Technology) artefact devised to make drivers more aware of car expenses (e.g., maintenance control, engine failures, enhance driving, etc.). Specifically, it aims to identify persuasive design principles for a smart IT solution that is tailored for the enhancement of the cost-efficiency of private cars. To this purpose, the results of a survey, where respondents (N = 301) were asked to rank different principles of persuasion which might result in increased efficiency to save time and money within their car, are presented. This work aims to contribute a persuasion-based IT artefact to help and influence drivers, enhancing their management of costs related to car mobility in real-time. The implications of the proposed solution, according to the responses of the survey, are discussed in line with its implementation and adoption by car holders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 4631 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Business Case for a Journey Planning and Ticketing App—Comparison between a Simulation Analysis and Real-World Data

by Gillian Harrison, Astrid Gühnemann and Simon Shepherd

Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 4005; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104005 - 13 May 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3603

Abstract

Successful development of “Mobility-as-a-Service” (MaaS) schemes could be transformative to our transport systems and critical for achieving sustainable cities. There are high hopes for mobile phone applications that offer both journey planning and ticketing across all the available transport modes, but these are in their infancy, with little understanding of the correct approach to business models and governance. In this study, we develop a system dynamics diffusion model that represents the uptake of such an app, based on one developed and released in West Yorkshire, UK. We perform sensitivity and uncertainty tests on user uptake and app operating profitability, and analyse these in three key areas of marketing, competition, and costs. Comparison to early uptake data is included to demonstrate accuracy of model behaviour and would suggest market failure by month 12 without stronger marketing, even if additional tickets and functions are offered. In response to this, we offer further insights on the need for direct targeted marketing to ensure mass market adoption, the importance of understanding a realistic potential adopter pool, the awareness of competing apps, and the high uncertainty that exists in this market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2146 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Behavior Mechanism of the Urban Joint Distribution Alliance under Government Supervision from the Perspective of Sustainable Development

by Na Zhang, Xiangxiang Zhang and Yingjie Yang

Sustainability 2019, 11(22), 6232; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11226232 - 07 Nov 2019

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2180

Abstract

Urban joint distribution is closely related to the national economy and people’s livelihood, and governments and enterprises play an active role in the process of urban joint distribution. From the perspective of government regulations, this paper explores the mechanism and evolution law of the behavior of an urban joint distribution alliance. Based on the evolutionary game theory, a model of homogeneous enterprises participating in urban joint distribution operations under the guidance of government regulations is constructed. The mechanism and follow-up of alliance behavior are analyzed through the simulation of the relationship between parameters. It is found that, firstly, from the perspective of government regulations, in the early stage of the implementation of urban joint distribution projects, when the benefits of synergetic cooperation of enterprise alliances are relatively low and the costs are relatively high, it is necessary for the government to formulate incentive policies to improve government subsidies or to increase the penalties for non-cooperation of enterprises; Once a benign logistics environment and market mechanism are formed, the cooperation benefits increase, and the costs decrease, the government can then withdraw its supervision. Secondly, in the process of establishing urban joint distribution alliance under government supervision, it is better for the enterprises to actively achieve alliance cooperation and obtain government subsidies instead of passively accepting government supervision and paying penalties, in order to promote the formation of logistics ecological environment and market mechanism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Innovative Mobility Solutions for Sustainable Transportation

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI