Fondamenti di Trasporti Sostenibili

The Fundamentals of Sustainable Transport course aims to provide the knowledge and skills needed to address problems typical of transport engineering and to apply the principles of sustainable transport system management, with an approach based on the rationalisation and optimisation of resources.

The course aims to give students the ability to calculate the fundamental quantities of a transport system and to critically assess design and management interventions oriented towards environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The knowledge and skills acquired are in line with the objectives of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In particular, the course contributes to:

• Goal 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, Target 7.2/7.3: increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix and improve energy efficiency
• Goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Target 9.1: develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all
• Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, Target 11.2: provide access to safe, sustainable and affordable transport systems for all; Target 11.6: reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, with special attention to air quality
• Goal 13 Climate Action, Target 13.2: integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

Module 1: Fundamentals of Transport Engineering
Transport systems and sustainability: System components (demand, supply, demand-supply interaction); externalities of transport; environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability; reference to the UN SDGs.
Transport modes: Classification and comparison of performance and energy/environmental impact across modes; intermodality; role of ports and airports in the transport network.
Mechanics of locomotion: Conditions for motion, adhesion, ordinary and accidental resistances, general equation of motion; applied exercises on road vehicles.
Transport demand and supply: Representation of demand through the Origin-Destination matrix; overview of demand estimation models; graph theory, generalised cost, cost functions, concept of capacity; demand-supply interaction; network loading and user equilibrium models; overview of traffic assignment algorithms.
Traffic flow theory: Fundamental relationship of road traffic flow, Greenshields' model, applied exercises.

Module 2: Operations Research Applied to Transport Problems
Tools for optimal resource management: Formulation of Linear Programming problems (resource allocation, inventory management, activity scheduling); solving with Excel Solver; overview of Integer Linear Programming; queueing theory: key quantities and the M/M/1 queueing system; continuous and discrete-event simulation models; the Vehicle Routing Problem.
Linear Programming applied to transport and logistics: Transportation, assignment and transshipment problems; applications to air, maritime and intermodal transport.

Module 3: Sustainable Management of Mobility and Logistics
Transport emissions accounting: Standards and regulatory framework for calculating emissions along the transport chain; case studies.
Sustainable distribution logistics: City logistics; the impact of e-commerce on urban distribution; order consolidation solutions (micro-hubs, parcel lockers); sustainability assessment.
Private transport and sustainable urban mobility: Mobility management; traffic calming; road pricing; urban access regulations; case studies.
Sustainable public transport: Basic elements of a public transport system; operating parameters, frequency calculation and fleet sizing; service reliability and control/regulation strategies; notes on costs and revenues; the Downs-Thomson paradox; service quality and monitoring indicators; case studies.
Smart mobility: Innovations in mobility: Intelligent Transport Systems, electric mobility, Vehicle-to-Grid, new fuels; shared mobility (bike/car-sharing, ride-sharing, car-pooling), Mobility-as-a-Service, demand-responsive transport.

[1]   Slides and course handouts provided by the teacher

[2]   E. Cascetta, Transportation Systems Analysis: Models and Applications, 2nd ed., Springer, 2009

[3]   J. Ortuzar e L. Willumsen, Modelling Transport, 4th ed., Wiley, 2011

[4]   F. S. Hillier e G. J. Lieberman, Introduction to Operations Research, McGraw-Hill

[5]   Avishai Ceder, Public transit planning and operation: Modeling, practice and behavior, CRC press.

[6]   E. Marcucci, V. Gatta, M. Le Pira (Eds.), Handbook on city logistics and urban freight. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023.

[7]   Linee guida per la redazione e l’implementazione dei Piani Spostamento Casa-Lavoro (PSCL) - Decreto Direttoriale interministeriale MiTE-MiMS n. 209 del 4 agosto 2021.

The exam consists of a single oral interview to assess theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics covered during the course. In particular, students must demonstrate the ability to solve simple problems concerning the calculation of flows in a transport network, mechanics of locomotion, linear programming applied to transport problems, and the design of the fundamental characteristics of a public transport line.

Exam assessment is based on the following criteria: level of knowledge of the required topics, clarity of expression and command of language, ability to apply knowledge to simple case studies, and ability to connect the different topics covered in the course syllabus.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on-line, should the conditions require it.

Information for students with disabilities and/or SLD: To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l'integrazione Attiva e Partecipata — Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department.

Performance and energy-environmental comparison of transport modes

Motion resistances and the general equation of motion

Calculation exercise on maximum gradient or maximum acceleration

Definition, measurement and representation of travel demand

Logit model

Adjacency matrix and arc-path incidence matrix

Arc cost and arc cost functions

Fundamental relationship of road traffic flow

Greenshields' model

Level of service of a road

Formulation of a Linear Programming problem: variables, constraints, objective function

Graphical solution of an LP problem

Typical quantities of queueing theory and the M/M/1 queueing system

Formulation of the Vehicle Routing Problem and its variants

The transportation problem: formulation and supply/demand constraints

The assignment problem: applied examples

The transshipment problem and its application to intermodality

Application of queueing theory to service sizing

Calculation of emissions along the transport chain

Mobility management and travel demand management tools

Operating parameters of a line: frequency calculation and fleet sizing

Load diagram of a line

Service reliability and control/regulation strategies

The Downs-Thomson paradox

New fuels and energy carriers for sustainable mobility

Forms of shared mobility