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Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems have emerged as an attractive form of public transport both in industrialised as well as developing countries. This paper reviews the implementation mechanism of LRT projects proured by private finance, through Build Operate Transfer (BOT) type concession contracts. A case study approach is used to model an actual LRT project. The case study analysis shows that the uncertainty factor could be converted to monetary terms and the process would enhance ability of the decision makers to have a better understanding of the consequences of risks.

The purpose of this paper is to compare public preferences for investment and spending on non-automobile infrastructures (mass transit and bicycling) to preferences for new roads and the repair of current highways. The study explores the factors that explain preferences for non-automobile infrastructure using a three-factor model including self-interest (personal transportation benefits), concern for community-wide benefits (political beliefs), and concern for the economic impact. The study uses a case study of the urban context of the Hampton Roads region of Southeastern Virginia (USA).

The analysis uses data from a 2013 telephone survey of urban residents in the Hampton Roads area. Survey respondents were asked to identify their two investment priorities from four options: repairing existing roads, bridges, and tunnels; constructing new or expanding roads, bridges, and tunnels; expanding mass transit; and expanding bicycle routes and improving bike safety.

Repairing existing highway infrastructure is the most popular spending priority (66 percent of residents). There is as much support (46 percent) for investing in non-automobile infrastructure as for investing in new roads, bridges, and tunnels. Significant predictors of support for non-automobile infrastructure, using the three-factor model, are: length of commute time, self-identification as liberal, use of light rail, and a belief that light rail contributes to economic development.

The study examines public preferences for both non-traditional and traditional transportation infrastructure investments. It highlights the factors that contribute to public support for different transportation spending options.

The construction of new transportation infrastructure tends to affect the adjoining properties, economy and environment. In particular, studies have investigated the change in the value of properties due to increased access to transportation facilities. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the recently completed light rail on residential property values in Sydney, Australia.

Sales data of residential properties was extracted from the CoreLogic’s RP database. The hedonic pricing model was used to assess the effect of proximity to the light rail stops. Two models were developed for the announcement and construction phases of the light rail project.

It was found that during the announcement phase, properties located within the 400 m radius from the station were 3.3% more expensive than those within the 400–800 radius. At the construction stage, the properties within the 0–400 m radius from the stops sold at 3.1% more than those within the 400–800 m radius. This study concludes that a positive relationship exists between the values of residential property and proximity to light rail stations.

These findings would be useful for policymakers to develop land value capture programs for infrastructure funding and to real estate professionals and investors for investment in future transit-oriented development.

Previous studies that aimed at examining the impact of light rails on residential properties values around universities are limited. Hence, this study provides a broad perspective on the impact of light rail on residential properties values.

While the normal wheel–rail contact model cannot be accurately used for light rail transit (LRT) wheel wear analysis with large wheelset lateral displacement and wheelset yaw angle, a modified semi-Hertzian contact model (MSHM) is proposed in the paper.

MSHM was first proposed to consider the wheelset motion with the lateral displacement and the yaw angle. Then, a dynamic model of an LRT was established and the influence of some key factors on wheel wear is analyzed. At last, after operating for a certain mileage, the predicted wheel wear is compared with the tested wheel wear.

Compared with the tested wheel wear, the predicted wheel wear shows a good agreement with the measured result, verifying the accuracy of MSHM.

Considering larger wheelset lateral displacement and yaw angle, MSHM can be used to calculate the wheel wear of the LRT with high accuracy.

COVID-19 arrived in the United States and Canada at a time when the future of sustainable urban travel across the continent looked uncertain. A decade-long trend in transit ridership growth appeared to have stalled in many cities (Boisjoly et al., 2018), while automobile ownership grew. This chapter synthesises unfolding evidence on how COVID-19 disrupted some of these existing trends in North American urban transportation while accelerating others. This synthesis is organised around three themes emerging from COVID-19 in the region: declining transit ridership, increased auto ownership or auto purchase plans, and a possible ‘new normal’ of increased telecommuting. The author evaluates each theme in the context of prior trends and public policy choices feeding those trends. Untangling hype from data, the chapter concludes with recommendations on how to support travellers in the region while calling for clearer thinking from urban thought leaders and researchers on the likely long-term impact of the crisis.

The role of railways within urban areas is analysed, covering ‘metro’ systems (self-contained heavy rail networks, often with substantial underground sections), light rail (both upgraded street tramways and newer systems), and travel by regional and national railways within urban areas. Basic operating characteristics, system capacity, capital costs, and technological change are examined. ‘Sustainability’ is analysed in respect of energy use and environmental impact, railways’ role in supporting high-density urban living (with associated benefits through greater use of non-motorised modes), and financial aspects (coverage of operating costs and ability to finance capital renewals). Current issues examined include the effect of users shifting to more flexible working patterns, the Covid pandemic, automation, and ownership. In general, urban railways can be seen to support a sustainable lifestyle, although some issues do arise in respect of longer distance commuting.

Purpose – This chapter discusses the planning and construction of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Xiamen, analyses the existing problems and puts forward proposals about the development of BRT, in order to provide a basis for similar systems in other cities.

Methodology – The focus of the analysis is strategies for construction, including using BRT to guide urban development, building an integrated transport system, and making allowances for future upgrade of the system to light rail. In addition, the operating effectiveness of BRT is discussed.

Findings – (1) At the initial stage of rapid urban expansion, BRT can be used to encourage transit-oriented development (TOD) in the expansion of urban space. (2) The construction of an integrated transport system and the strategies of providing for later upgrade of the system to light rail improves the service quality of public transport provides for rapid growth in the passenger flows, which not only meets the current passenger requirements, but also satisfies the needs for long-term urban development.

Practical and social implications – (1) The elevated BRT has a significant influence on the urban landscape and environment, but the operating organization is inflexible. (2) The low price of the tickets has resulted in a serious operating loss.

New services design and development are difficult to plan, execute, measure and evaluate. Particularly, new services that are capital-intensive and involve a long gestation and development time are considered extremely risky. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a list of innovative practices in various managerial aspects in designing, planning and development of a large scale infrastructure intensive public transportation service. A contemporary new public transportation service development is discussed as evidence of proven and benchmarked criteria.

This is a technical paper, where theoretical foundations of best practices in new service development project are discussed and supported by practice-based evidences from a real-life urban transportation project. A case study approach is adopted with secondary data.

Worldwide during and after economic recession of 2008, several projects were stalled or abandoned. The inference through this work is that through efficient management practices, a large capital-intensive new service development project can be made successful even during a turbulent economy in a region marred by more challenges than elsewhere.

Several issues in large scale services development, such as urban transportation are domain specific. Some of the issues faced in urban transportation are common to several Gulf countries; therefore the policy guidelines, managerial practices and development strategies reported in this paper can be replicated in many of them. The commercial impact of the service project is a significant drive towards fuel conservation and to save huge amounts of productive time.

Public transportation with a high quality of networked service improves the quality of life to a large extent. Unless certain measurable demands are not met, an affluent society is less likely to endorse public transportation. In addition, endorsement of public transportation is been promoted in several parts of the world as a drive towards a green, energy efficient, low-carbon emission and sustainable environment.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, new services planning and development is a key operations management topic, on which very little is written about. Particularly no other paper has presented a real-world large scale infrastructure intensive project development to this detail, and along with a theoretical background to benchmark performance and development practices.