Introduction TRAIL PhD Council members

You can send an e-mail to the TRAIL PhD Council here

(in alphabetical order)

Ties Brands (Secretary)
University representative of University of Twente
 

Research Topic

Designing an optimal multimodal transport network for the Randstad area, with respect to different aspects of sustainability, like environmental impact, accessibility and liveability. The research framework consists of a multi-objective optimization heuristic and a fast network assessment module, which results in a set of Pareto optimal solutions. The outcome of this process is a set of possible future networks and their properties, which allow policy makers to make a proper trade off. It is project 3 of the SRMT program, within the DBR program of NWO, see here.

Background and Interests

Education in Civil Engineering and Management, specialization Traffic Engineering and Management and in Applied Mathematics, specialization Discrete Mathematics and Mathematical Programming. Thesis in Optimization of dynamic road pricing measures. Interests are in Multi-objective optimization, network design, multimodal transport networks, sustainability objectives, public transport modelling.

Evelien van der Hurk (Chair person)
University representative of Erasmus University Rotterdam
 

Research Topic

Analysing and modelling passenger behaviour in public transport, studying the rail network as a complex network and using (new) informedness of operator and passenger in quantitative models for passenger oriented disruption management. This project is carried out in cooperation with the Department of Logistics of Netherlands Railways and is within the NWO Complexity program.

Background and Interests

Education in Econometrics & Operations Research, specialization Quantitative Logistics and OR, thesis in OR & Health’s Care. Interests are in Complexity Theory, Behavioural modelling, Quantitative modelling - e.g. robust and stochastic optimization, prediction models, statistical analysis/clustering techniques-, and public transport and public transport networks, especially railways.

Allert Knapper (Communication & IT)
University representative of Delft University of Technology.
 

Allert (Assen, 1983) graduated in Psychology December 2008 with a master's thesis on contraflow or reverse laning, a technique for speeding up evacuations by making people drive all lanes of outgoing roads. On Oktober 5th 2008 reverse laning was put into practice in a large scale test after a FC Groningen soccer match, where 2,200 fans’ cars were guided over reversed east bound lanes of the Bornholmstraat in Groningen, near de Euroborg Stadium. Conclusions were that the 50%-80% capacity gains were sufficient for the technique to be integrated in Dutch evacuation plans.

At the moment, Allert Knapper is doing a PhD research into the use of navigation systems and mobile phones during driving. For this research, he uses 3 kinds of methods: a TU Delft driving simulator, a field test applying the Wiener Fahrprobe and naturalistic driving observations. The research aims at gaining more insight in how navigation systems and mobile phones are really used during driving and what effects their use have on driver safety.
Allert's supervisors in his research are Karel Brookhuis en Marjan Hagenzieker.
 

Sara Levy (Conference)
University representative of Radboud University Nijmegen,

Institute for Management Research

Research Topic

Modelling multi-actor decision-making and its effect on the integration between transport and land use. In this project, an agent based modelling is used to model the interplay between decisions of different actors in transport and land use, and the emergent land use patterns. This project is carried out in the framework of NWO’s Sustainable Accessibility of the Randstad program.

Background and Interests

Sara was born in Lisbon, Portugal. She has an MSc. in Environmental Engineering. She also did a postgrad in Engineering Policy and Management of Technology. She is interested in Urban transport, Spatial Planning, Urban Dynamics, Policy Analysis and Behavioural Economics.

Soora Rasouli
University representative of Eindhoven University of Technology

Research Topic
Examining uncertainty in activity-based travel demand modeling, with special focus on the Albatross model. Albatross is a micro-simulation model predicting activity-travel schedules (which activities are conducted, where, when, for how long, with whom, transport mode involved) of people at the individual level. There are many sources of uncertainty, ranging from input to model uncertainty. The literature on the effects of uncertainty on the outcomes of models of travel demand is very scarce. However, it has recently been realized that a discussion on uncertainty becomes relevant and important when political parties have diverging views on the topic and/or the risk of the project is high, financially or politically. The research projects covers different aspects of uncertainty analysis related to the Albatross model and their effect on predictions of activity-travel schedules at different levels of spatial and temporal aggregation and for different segments of the population.
 

Background and Interests
Education in Civil Engineering, specialization in road and transportation. Interests include Travel demand modelling, uncertainty analysis, complex choice behaviour under conditions of uncertainty, dynamics in complex systems, technology and data collection.
 

Erik-Sander Smits (Treasurer)
University representative of Delft University of Technology

Research Topic

The goal of the research is to design and evaluate innovative pricing measures in transport. The research consists of two components or models that interact. The first is a dynamic multi-modal (including transit) network model to evaluate effects on externalities of various dynamic pricing schemes; the second is a game theoretic stakeholders model to capture stakeholders' preferences and their interaction. Some of the key features involve modelling travel behaviour, spillback effects and the impact for different parties with different objectives (travellers, governments, environment, road managers, insurance companies).

Background and Interests

Erik-Sander studied Mathematics (BSc & MSc) and Computing Science (BSc) at Utrecht University, with a specialization in Operations Research. He wrote his master thesis about 'Origin-Destination matrix estimation'. He is interested in game theory, optimization, dynamic traffic assignment, traffic flow theory, discrete choice modelling and microeconomics.