Improving Routing Solutions For On-Demand Mobility Systems Through Simulation Project

by Ramazan Özgür İridere | Dec 12, 2024

Project Title: Improving Routing Solutions For On-Demand Mobility Systems Through Simulation: An Integrated Modeling And Optimization Framework And Its Evaluation Through The Case Of A Low Emission Zone, The Historcial Peninsula, İstanbul

Funding Agency: TUBITAK 1001 - 124M395

Project Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Hilmi Berk ÇELİKOĞLU (Istanbul Technical University)

Investigators: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış YILDIZ (Koç University)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali SİLGU (Bartın University)

The primary issue addressed in this study focuses on challenges associated with urban transportation in metropolitan areas, involving major problems such as traffic congestion, inefficient energy resource consumption, and time loss. The study aims to address these issues by supporting multi-modal urban transportation systems through integration of intermediate modes.
The main objective is to develop a planning, modeling, and simulation-based framework for demand-responsive mobility systems as part of sustainable transport planning, intended to serve both decision-makers and operators. Specifically, the study targets the planning and performance evaluation of demand-responsive mobility systems, which act as complementary modes to rail transit systems and/or entire transit system.
The project foresees the increasing integration of shared-use and electric vehicles and the anticipated rise in autonomous, demand-responsive mobility systems. The role of such systems in guiding transportation policies and enabling effective planning approaches will be sought through frameworks and methodologies developed within the study.
Key innovations of this project include improving the general performance of demand-responsive mobility systems, developing mathematical formulations to model these systems, integrating congestion sensitivity, and solving associated optimization problems. The proposed framework will be tested on commonly used test networks and real-world scenarios, including a case study of Istanbul’s Historical Peninsula as a low-emission zone. Microscopic simulation, analytical car-following models, routing algorithms, optimization-based routing approaches, macroscopic traffic flow models, solvers, and various heuristic algorithms will be used. Relationships between urban mobility, urban traffic flow dynamics, the operational performance of demand-responsive mobility systems, and their interactions with public transit systems will be evaluated through scenario-based analyses.
The ongoing project, with contributions from ITU ITS Research Lab and Koc University Department of Industrial Engineering ( https://goodmobility.ku.edu.tr/), aims to provide extensive insights into urban transportation dynamics. The project outcomes can be accessed via http://its.itu.edu.tr/publications.

İTÜ Faculty of Civil Engineering

It can be accepted that the history of ITU Civil Engineering Faculty was commenced in 1727 by the establishment of Humbarahane during the era of Damat İbrahim Paşa. However, this attempt was to no avail due to the martyrization of the studwents of this school by the Janissaries.

In 1734, during the grand viziership of Topal Osman Paşa, classes related to Civil Engineering was being taught in Hendesehane, which was founded in Üsküdar. Similarly, this school was also closed after three years due to the opposition of the Janissaries. The reasons of the tragedy that occured in Battle of Chesma, 1770 were inadequacy of the ships and the ignorance of the Ottoman Navy.

Although the Atlantic Map (1513) and the Map of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea (1523) by Piri Reis were the leading pieces of the era, Ottoman viziers were so ignorant that they claimed it was impossible for the Russian Baltic Fleet to reach the Mediterranean Sea assuming that there were no sea connection. With the proposal from Gazi Hasan Paşa and Baron de Tott, Mühendishane-i Bahri-i Humayun was established during the time of Sultan Mustafa III, aiming to train naval construction engineers. Since Ottoman Empire did not have any engineering schools at the time, military engineering classes were taught by French engineers beginning from 1784. French lecturers had to return to their country in 1788 with the increasing suppression from Austria and Russia, which were unwilling for the development and thriving of Ottoman Empire. In 1759, during the Grand Viziership of Koca Ragıp Paşa, Humbarahane was reopened in Karaağaç, Haliç (Golden Horn) and continued to teach even though it was incompetent. In 1792, Lağımcı Ocağı and Humbaracı Ocağı (Guild of Sappers) were established.