research report

Role of Vehicle Technology on Use: Joint analysis of the choice of Plug-in Electric Vehicle ownership and miles traveled

Publication Date

September 1, 2023

Author(s)

Debapriya Chakraborty, David Bunch, David Brownstone

Final Report

NCST-UCD-RR-23-30

View research report

Abstract

The increasing diversity of vehicle type holdings and growing demand for BEVs and PHEVs have serious policy implications for travel demand and air pollution. Consequently, it is important to accurately predict or estimate the preference for vehicle holdings of households as well as the vehicle miles traveled by vehicle body- and fuel-type to project future VMT changes and mobile source emission levels. Leveraging the 2019 California Vehicle Survey data, this report presents the application of a utility-based model for multiple discreteness that combines multiple vehicle types with usage in an integrated model, specifically the MDCEV model. The model results suggest the important effects of household demographics, residence location, and built environment factors on vehicle body type and powertrain choice and usage. Further the predictions associated with changes inbuilt environment factors like population density can inform the design of land-use and transportation policies to influence household vehicle holdings and usage that can in turn impact travel demand and air quality issues in California.View the NCST Project Webpage

Suggested Citation

Debapriya Chakraborty, David S. Bunch and David Brownstone (2023) Role of Vehicle Technology on Use: Joint analysis of the choice of Plug-in Electric Vehicle ownership and miles traveled. Final Report NCST-UCD-RR-23-30. Available at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3jj3v7pw (Accessed: October 11, 2023).

published journal article

Examining the joint effects of heatwaves, air pollution, and green space on the risk of preterm birth in California

Environmental Research Letters

Publication Date

October 1, 2020

Author(s)

Yi Sun, Sindana D. Ilango, Lara Schwarz, Qiong Wang, Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Jean M. Lawrence, Jun Wu, Tarik Benmarhnia

View published journal article

Abstract

Background. Exposure to high air temperature in late pregnancy is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for preterm birth (PTB). However, the combined effects of heatwaves with air pollution and green space are still unexplored. In the context of climate change, investigating the interaction between environmental factors and identifying communities at higher risk is important to better understand the etiological mechanisms and design targeted interventions towards certain women during pregnancy. Objectives. To examine the combined effects of heatwaves, air pollution and green space exposure on the risk of PTB. Methods. California birth certificate records for singleton births (2005–2013) were obtained. Residential zip code-specific daily temperature during the last week of gestation was used to create 12 definitions of heatwave with varying temperature thresholds and durations. We fit multi-level Cox proportional hazard models with time to PTB as the outcome and gestational week as the temporal unit. Relative risk due to interaction (RERI) was applied to estimate the additive interactive effect of air pollution and green space on the effect of heatwaves on PTB. Results. In total, 1 967 300 births were included in this study. For PM2.5, PM10 and O3, we found positive additive interactions (RERIs >0) between heatwaves and higher air pollution levels. Combined effects of heatwaves and green space indicated negative interactions (RERIs <0) for less intense heatwaves (i.e. shorter duration or relatively low temperature), whereas there were potential positive interactions (RERIs >0) for more intense heatwaves. Conclusion. This study found synergistic harmful effects for heatwaves with air pollution, and potential positive interactions with lack of green space on PTB. Implementing interventions, such as heat warning systems and behavioral changes, targeted toward pregnant women at risk for high air pollution and low green space exposures may optimize the benefits of reducing acute exposure to extreme heat before delivery.

Suggested Citation

Yi Sun, Sindana D. Ilango, Lara Schwarz, Qiong Wang, Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Jean M. Lawrence, Jun Wu and Tarik Benmarhnia (2020) “Examining the joint effects of heatwaves, air pollution, and green space on the risk of preterm birth in California”, Environmental Research Letters, 15(10), p. 104099. Available at: 10.1088/1748-9326/abb8a3.

published journal article

Without a ride in car country – A comparison of carless households in Germany and California

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice

Publication Date

March 1, 2018

Author(s)

Kathrin Kuhne, Suman Mitra, Jean-Daniel Saphores

View published journal article

Abstract

One approach to making transportation more sustainable is to transition away from a car-oriented society. Unfortunately, our understanding of the factors that prompt households to voluntarily forgo their motor vehicles is limited. The 2008 Mobility in Germany (MiD) and the 2012 California Household Travel Survey (CHTS) provide an opportunity to start filling this gap by teasing out what built environment and socio-economic variables impact the likelihood that a household is carless (voluntarily or not) in Germany and in California, two car-dependent societies with different carless rates. Results from our generalized structural equation models show that in both Germany and California, households who reside in denser neighborhoods, closer to transit stations, and who have a lower income or fewer children, are more likely to be voluntarily carless. However, households with more education are more likely to be voluntarily carless in Germany, whereas the reverse is true in California. Moreover, employment density and public transit have a higher impact on voluntary carlessness in Germany than in California. Our results also show that different socio-economic groups have substantially different residential location preferences in Germany and in California. These differences may be explained by cultural preferences, historical differences in land use and transportation policies, and by the higher cost of owning a motor vehicle in Germany.

Suggested Citation

Kathrin Kuhne, Suman K. Mitra and Jean-Daniel M. Saphores (2018) “Without a ride in car country – A comparison of carless households in Germany and California”, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 109, pp. 24–40. Available at: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.01.021.

working paper

Location and Transportation Strategies in Public Facility Planning

Publication Date

November 1, 1977

Author(s)

Andrew N. White

Working Paper

UCI-ITS-WP-77-8

View working paper

Abstract

Public facility planning is currently viewed in terms of structuring a service delivery system for optimal provision. Because the spatial process of delivery has been neglected, however, the means of improving service utilization have been narrowly construed as locational in nature. Consequently, facility systems have been modeled and evaluated in terms of supply rather than use, and decentralization has been advocated to the exclusion of alternative spatial patterns. An expanded planning framework regards service delivery as a spatial interaction system and identifies location and transportation as complementary spatial strategies which enhance service utilization and widen the choice of facility pattern. Transportation strategies are more flexible, though, since they directly enhance travel behavior and service accessibility. Moreover, given present planning constraints, transportation strategies have a much wider role to play in improving the effectiveness of future public facility planning and spatial policy.

Suggested Citation

Andrew N. White (1977) Location and Transportation Strategies in Public Facility Planning. Working Paper UCI-ITS-WP-77-8. Institute of Transportation Studies, Irvine. Available at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6sr9z05m.

published journal article

Associations between short-term exposure to wildfire particulate matter and respiratory outcomes: A systematic review

Science of The Total Environment

Publication Date

January 10, 2024

Author(s)

Anqi Jiao, Kathryne Headon, Tianmei Han, Wajeeha Umer, Jun Wu

View published journal article

Abstract

Background The frequency and severity of wildfires have been sharply increasing due to climate change, which largely contributes to ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution. We conducted a systematic review focusing on the short-term relationships between PM attributable to wildfires (wildfire-specific PM) and diverse respiratory endpoints, with a comparison between the effects of wildfire-specific PM vs. all-source/non-wildfire PM. Methods A comprehensive online search for the literature published from 2000 to 2022 was conducted through PubMed, Web of Sciences, Scopus, and EMBASE. We applied search terms related to wildfire smoke and respiratory health outcomes. Results In total, 3196 articles were retrieved, and 35 articles were included in this review. Most studies focused on the associations of wildfire-specific PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) with respiratory emergency department visits or hospitalizations, with a time-series or case-crossover study design. Studies were mostly conducted in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Positive associations of wildfire-specific PM with respiratory morbidity were observed in most studies. Studies that focused on respiratory mortality were limited. Females can be more vulnerable to the respiratory impacts of wildfire PM, while the evidence of vulnerable subpopulations among different age groups was inconclusive. Few studies compared the effects of wildfire-specific vs. all-source/non-wildfire PM, and some reported higher levels of toxicity of wildfire-specific PM, potentially due to its distinct chemical and physical compositions. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the most studied diseases, and both were adversely affected by wildfire-specific PM. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first review that systematically summarized the associations of wildfire-specific PM exposure with adverse respiratory outcomes and compared associations of wildfire-specific vs. all-source/non-wildfire PM. Further investigations may add to the literature by examining the impacts on respiratory mortality and the effects of specific PM components from different types of wildfires.

Suggested Citation

Anqi Jiao, Kathryne Headon, Tianmei Han, Wajeeha Umer and Jun Wu (2024) “Associations between short-term exposure to wildfire particulate matter and respiratory outcomes: A systematic review”, Science of The Total Environment, 907, p. 168134. Available at: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168134.

published journal article

Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of CFRP Laminates Incorporating Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Polymers

Publication Date

June 1, 2015

Author(s)

Elisa Borowski, Eslam Soliman, Usama F. Kandil, Mahmoud Reda Taha

View published journal article

Abstract

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates exhibit limited fracture toughness due to characteristic interlaminar fiber-matrix cracking and delamination. In this article, we demonstrate that the fracture toughness of CFRP laminates can be improved by the addition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Experimental investigations and numerical modeling were performed to determine the effects of using MWCNTs in CFRP laminates. The CFRP specimens were produced using an epoxy nanocomposite matrix reinforced with carboxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (COOH–MWCNTs). Four MWCNTs contents of 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% per weight of the epoxy resin/hardener mixture were examined. Double cantilever beam (DCB) tests were performed to determine the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of the unidirectional CFRP composites. This composite material property was quantified using the critical energy release rate, GIC. The experimental results show a 25%, 20%, and 17% increase in the maximum interlaminar fracture toughness of the CFRP composites with the addition of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt% MWCNTs, respectively. Microstructural investigations using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verify that chemical reactions took place between the COOH–MWCNTs and the epoxy resin, supporting the improvements experimentally observed in the interlaminar fracture toughness of the CFRP specimens containing MWCNTs. Finite element (FE) simulations show good agreement with the experimental results and confirm the significant effect of MWCNTs on the interlaminar fracture toughness of CFRP.

Suggested Citation

Elisa Borowski, Eslam Soliman, Usama F. Kandil and Mahmoud Reda Taha (2015) “Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of CFRP Laminates Incorporating Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes”, Polymers, 7(6), pp. 1020–1045. Available at: 10.3390/polym7061020.

book/book chapter

Attitude-Behaviour Relationships in Travel-Demand Modelling

Publication Date

January 1, 1979

Author(s)

Thomas Golob, Abraham D. Horowitz, Martin Wachs

View book/book chapter

Suggested Citation

Thomas F Golob, Abraham D. Horowitz and Martin Wachs (1979) “Attitude-Behaviour Relationships in Travel-Demand Modelling”, in Behavioural Travel Modelling. 1st ed. Routledge, p. 19. Available at: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003156055-44/attitude-behaviour-relationships-travel-demand-modelling-thomas-golob-abraham-horowitz-martin-wachs.

published journal article

Travel demand of an elderly population: An attitudinal model and some comparisons

Transportation Research Forum

Publication Date

January 1, 1977

Author(s)

Will Recker, P. H. Edelstein

Suggested Citation

W. W. Recker and P. H. Edelstein (1977) “Travel demand of an elderly population: An attitudinal model and some comparisons”, Transportation Research Forum, 18(1).

conference paper

A Linear Programming Approach to Optimize the Multi-hop Ridematching Problem in Peer-to-Peer Ridesharing Systems

102nd Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2023

Publication Date

January 1, 2023

Author(s)

Sunghi (Sunny) An, R. (Jay) Jayakrishnan, Younghun Bahk

Suggested Citation

Sunghi An, R. Jayakrishnan and Younghun Bahk (2023) “A Linear Programming Approach to Optimize the Multi-hop Ridematching Problem in Peer-to-Peer Ridesharing Systems”. 102nd Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2023.

published journal article

Integrating resident digital sketch maps with expert knowledge to assess spatial knowledge of flood risk: A case study of participatory mapping in Newport Beach, California

Applied Geography

Publication Date

September 1, 2016

Author(s)

Wing Cheung, Doug Houston, Jochen E. Schubert, Victoria Basolo, David Feldman, Richard Matthew, Brett F. Sanders, Beth Karlin, Kristen A. Goodrich, Seth Contreras, Adam Luke

View published journal article

Suggested Citation

Wing Cheung, Douglas Houston, Jochen E. Schubert, Victoria Basolo, David Feldman, Richard Matthew, Brett F. Sanders, Beth Karlin, Kristen A. Goodrich, Santina L. Contreras and Adam Luke (2016) “Integrating resident digital sketch maps with expert knowledge to assess spatial knowledge of flood risk: A case study of participatory mapping in Newport Beach, California”, Applied Geography, 74, pp. 56–64. Available at: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2016.07.006.