Societal context-dependent multi-modal transportation network augmentation in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

In most developing countries, formal and informal transportation schemes coexist without effective and smart integration. In this paper, the authors show how to leverage opportunities offered by formal and informal transportation schemes to build an integrated multi-modal network. Precisely, the authors consider integration of rickshaws to a bus-train network, by taking into account accessibility and societal constraints. By modelling the respective networks with weighted graphs, a graph augmentation problem is solved with respect to a composite cost taking into account constraints on the use of rickshaws. The solution, is based on finding a minimum cost spanning tree of a merged graph. The method is applied in the South African context, in the city of Johannesburg where rickshaws are not yet a significant part of the transportation system. The implications of the study reveal that using non-motorised transportation services is a viable option of improving mobility in the city. The composite cost introduced herein could be used for new routing algorithm including societal, environmental, architectural contexts and commuter experiences through rating.

Tackling school segregation with transportation network interventions: an agent-based modelling approach

“…Network augmentation via edge interventions, with the aim of reducing inequalities and enhancing fairness, has been extensively studied in both social [21,[39][40][41][42][43][44] and spatial network settings [21,[45][46][47][48]. The problem is typically formalized by creating new edges in the network under a budget constraint to satisfy specific metrics, such as information access, social capital, or travel time to amenities.…”

“…A subset of research on edge augmentation focuses on enhancing network centrality measures, representing a significant advancement in this field by incorporating insights from network science. Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach in elevating the importance of nodes within a network [47][48][49][50]. However, the impact of targeted transportation network interventions on school choice and, consequently, segregation, has not been thoroughly explored.…”

Spatial Integration of Non-Motorized Transport and Urban Public Transport Infrastructure: A Case of Johannesburg

“…Additionally, Strava Metro utilizes the average travel speed of the user to determine whether the user is walking or cycling. In Johannesburg, the average travel speed for cycling is 15 km/h [21,36]. Only about 17% of the cycling trips recorded were for commuting, while recreational trips accounted for approximately 83% of trips.…”

“…The proposed analysis is illustrated in a developing city context, where cycling activities are impaired by accessibility constraints. This study contributes to the literature on the physical and spatial integration of cycling and motorized public transportation modalities [18,21].…”

“…Similarly, transportation planning in developing countries such as South Africa has realized massive transport infrastructure investments, particularly in metropolitan areas. This has been designed to meet urban sustainability standards by improving public transport, encouraging non-motorized modes and limiting the use of private cars [15,[21][22][23]. However, these infrastructure investments have been criticized in terms of spatial integration and efficiency [24,25].…”