Events

MIT Portugal Program

Visiting Scholar Lecture Series

José M. Viegas

Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon

Focus Area Leader, Transportation Systems, MIT Portugal Program

"Promoting Efficiency and Equality in Urban Mobility"

Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Lecture 4:00 pm; Reception 5:00 pm
Location: E38-467
MIT Host: Professor Christopher Zegras, DUSP

Summary

Research on efficiency in urban mobility over the last 20 years has largely focused on congestion pricing. While that is an important topic, it leaves untreated the issues of efficiency in other modes of transport, as well as the wider concerns of equity and social cohesion.  In this session, several contributions by the speaker will be presented, starting with the concept of intermittent bus lanes, which are designed to provide maximum efficiency for all travelers.  The next concept is that of modal alternation, a transit pricing scheme that seeks to encourage public transit use without a commitment to buy monthly passes.  The proposal is based on 5- or 10-day passes that do not require those days to be consecutive.

To make all locations accessible for all who don’t have a car, a potential solution is shared taxis.  Taking advantage of telematics, taxis that are either empty or not fully occupied can be identified in real time and scheduled based on the embarking and disembarking points of the current and new passengers.  For the portion of the ride during which several passengers share the taxi, each one pays a reduced fair and the operator earns more than with a single passenger.  Finally, the issue of urban road charging is treated, through the concept of mobility rations (or credits).  This proposal is based on the application of a progressive rate to urban driving, such as many cities employ for water use billing.  Credits would be issued so those who drive little would not have to pay, and those who drive the most would pay the highest marginal rate.

Prof. Viegas will also entertain questions from members of the audience about their own personal experiences with cars, planes, trains, and public transit.  If you’ve wondered why you were stuck in traffic today but not yesterday even though there were no accidents, or why the Red Line can’t manage to evenly space its trains, come pose your questions to get some interesting answers and discussion.

 Jose Viegas Visiting Lecture October 2010: poster