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The development of new technological innovations for eco-friendly vehicles combined with the usage of renewable energy sources is essential for mitigating the environmental impact of freight transport. In this context, this paper investigates the opportunities for implementing the eHighway system, a novel recent technology designed to supply new hybrid trucks. This technology uses overhead catenary heavy-duty vehicles that are supplied with electric energy from overhead power lines through a pantograph that is positioned at the top of the truck. A novel bi-level multi-objective network electrification design (BM-NED) model is proposed to assess the environmental benefits and opportunities of adopting eHighways, considering the limited budgetary resources for road infrastructure electrification. Still, the implementation of eHighways requires collaboration between public and private stakeholder interests. The upper level considers multiple objectives aiming at minimizing the total travel cost, infrastructure, and environmental costs and maximizing the average traffic density of OC hybrid trucks on electrified arcs, whereas the lower level is the traffic assignment model. The Elitist multi-objective Genetic Algorithms are used as a solution approach for the multi-objective optimization and the Pareto front of the non-dominated solutions have been generated. Results of the model, tested on a part of a motorway network in the Veneto region in Italy, show that the implementation of the eHighway system can lead to an average emission reduction of about 66%, considering all Pareto-optimal solutions. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out by giving different weights to the objective functions that can be a basis for decision-makers regarding the adoption of this new technology. • The implementation of the eHighway system is investigated to evaluate its benefits. • A novel bi-level multi-objective network electrification design model is proposed. • The model is tested on a part of a motorway network in the Veneto region (Italy). • Sensitivity analysis evaluates different solutions for potential decision-makers. • The study gives insights for policy makers regarding eHighway adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperative, connected and automated mobility (CCAM) has a great potential to change drastically the mobility landscape and improve safety on the roads by assisting drivers to take the best decisions in given circumstances or by supporting autonomous driving features aboard the car, among other expected benefits. Yet, providing CCAM services poses not only technical but also business challenges, especially in cross-border environments. In this paper, we present a general techno-economic methodology intended first, to identify the cross-border ecosystem and the potential business models to enable CCAM services provision and second, to derive the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of deploying the required Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle to Network (V2N) infrastructure. As an illustration, we then apply this methodology to a canonical Cooperative Lane Merging (CLM) scenario in a representative border environment (i.e., the Brenner pass between Italy and Austria). On this occasion, the impact of Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) placement on the deployment cost is also discussed and finally, a cost allocation model is developed to link these deployment costs to the key stakeholders within the identified business models. Results aim to give insights into the different deployment strategies in typical cross-border environments and settings. • This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of providing CCAM services in cross-border environment considering both technical and business challenges. • Proposed business models based on the adoption of new 5G technologies namely network slicing and MEC to ensure seamless service provision. • Collaborative business model is the most promising but needs review of regulations. • The collaborative business model is particularly attractive when considering the implementation of passive and active network sharing strategies. • Cost modelling results provide TCO insights for 5G network deployment scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision-making processes related to transportation systems are often very complex, belonging to the class of "wicked problems" in social studies. The literature and the media abound in examples of transportation planning "failures" including decisions made, delayed or withdrawn without any traceable motivations, public opposition, public opposition, extra costs/implementation times and outright cancellation, wrong traffic/revenue forecasts. Planning failures stem from several causes, including technical errors in forecasting predictable effects, lack of consensus, new governance cycles and inability to recognize the intrinsic uncertainty affecting some key variables. The underlying assumption of this paper is that the quality of the decision-making process critically depends on how the process is structured and managed. The paper proposes a conceptual model to represent and organize transport planning as a cognitive decision-making process with strong involvement of different stakeholders in various stages, accounting for different levels of uncertainty and including short- and long-term decisions options. The result is a planning process that allows for changes in objectives, strategies and decisions during different stages of the process itself, as is usually the case when different governance and socio-economic cycles succeed over time. However, the process maintains a form of procedural consistency and is intended to counteract the "Penelope syndrome", whereby decisions made under previous governance cycles are undone regardless of their merits and costs. The real-life implementation of the proposed model requires strong "political commitment" to an open and accountable decision-making process, a technical structure able to act as "process owner" coordinating technical and engagement activities, and a general societal attitude towards organized participation to public decision making. The proposed model was applied to the Regional Transportation Plan of Veneto in Italy where the above conditions applied. A number of lessons were learnt from that exercise: i) stakeholders' engagement revealed an important potential to manage uncertainty and increase consensus; ii) flexibility and robustness with respect to medium–to–high uncertainty levels already recognized at the time of the plan (immediately before the COVID-19 crisis) were an appreciated feature of the plan; iii) separation between mature decisions and those needing further analysis was a success strategy, reducing political "decision costs" (from naysaying) by delaying decisions still recognizing underlying needs; iv) reduced decision time (a largely bi-partisan vote in less than one year). • Transport-related decision-making process may lead to unsatisfactory results (failures). • The quality of the decision-making process is a key factor for a successful planning and design. • A novel cognitive participative decision-making model under uncertainty levels is proposed. • The application of the model to the Regional Transportation Plan of Veneto (Italy) is also discussed. • A number of lessons learned were derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the fuel transport optimization network for the Total Erg Oil Company to the distribution points sited in a zone near Rome, in Italy. The numerical method is based on a capacitated vehicle itinerary issue for time intervals, considering various heuristic procedures. The fixed and time-dependent travel times are considered. Compared to the standard operational costs, a multivariable objective function is developed that considers: (1) the risk associated with an incidental event involving a fuel tank; (2) that not all the roads are suitable for heavy vehicles transporting fuel products. These two additional terms permit to better quantify the costs for the operator, since it is assumed that roads with higher number of accidents or with not suitable infrastructure conditions have also higher probability of making the fuel tank experiences at least a delay during the day. Results show that a proper vehicle routes design on our multivariable objective function allows economizing about 40 km daily respect to a benchmark. The fuel company can also consider the itinerary design, modifying the weights used with the aim to comprise the additional variables with respect to the standard operational costs, thus assuring a higher safety route planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People have always moved guided by the need to carry out various activities in different places, including that of meeting and communicating with other people. Over the past two decades, the concept of "communication" has significantly evolved given the introduction of multimedia digital technologies, which have enabled people to communicate without necessarily their physical presence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, "virtual mobility" (or "virtual communication") played a crucial role in ensuring communications between people in different contexts of social life, growing in few months to previously unforeseeable levels and demonstrating that it can substitute physical movements in many occasions. A smart management of mobility that combines the ability to virtually communicate and the use of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to support physical mobility, can therefore strongly influence people's choice to move or not, and how. Starting from the analysis of physical mobility and virtual communications trends before and during the health emergency in Italy, this paper analyses the relationships between these two forms of communication, evaluating how virtual communication affected the different segments of Italian mobility during the pandemic and how it will affect the way people move in the post COVID-19 period. A SWOT analysis of virtual mobility is performed for each communication segment, with the aim of highlighting its pros and cons, but also future opportunities and possible threats. Some policy indications are also provided in relation to different mobility segments, governance levels (urban, regional and national) and congestion/pollution scenarios, highlighting how virtual mobility can help regulate physical movements, with the ultimate goal of pursuing a safe, sustainable, effective, efficient and connected mobility. • Physical and virtual mobility trends are analysed before and during Italian COVID-19 emergency. • The relationships between physical mobility and virtual communication are evaluated. • A novel SWOT analysis is provided regarding virtual mobility. • Virtual communication can help regulate physical mobility. • Policy indications are provided for different mobility segments, governance levels and congestion scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]