The growth of Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) and oil prices are usually inversely proportional. A surge in oil prices commonly results in a drop in growth rates of VMT, which can become negative with surges that are acute. The Covid-19 pandemic represents an exception as VMTs and oil prices dropped
Continue readingAuthor: Jean-Paul Rodrigue
https://www.tamug.edu/mara/FacultyBios/Jean-Paul-Rodrigue.html
https://jeanpaulrodrigue.info/
A Fourth Oil Shock?
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the price of petroleum has been subject to substantial volatility. While oil prices collapsed in early 2020, by late 2020, prices surged. This can mainly be attributed to a bounce-back in the demand as well as aggressive quantitative easing by central banks. With
Continue readingAir travel in the United States almost back to pre-pandemic levels
Daily air travelers crossing through TSA checkpoints are almost back to pre-pandemic levels. 2021 marked the beginning of the recovery as vaccines became widely available and restrictions for domestic flights were relaxed (e.g Covid testing before boarding). Daily Air Travelers in the United States, 2019-2022 | The Geography of Transport
Continue readingMail Carried by USPS and Parcel Deliveries in the United States
The Covid-19 pandemic had a substantial effect on parcel deliveries in the United States. While mail deliveries dropped, parcel deliveries surged due to shifts in demand patterns. Through vertical integration, Amazon accounts for a growing share of the deliveries of the parcels it ships. Mail Carried by USPS and Parcels
Continue readingConditions Affecting Transport Costs
Added a page depicting the basic conditions having an impact on transport costs. Most transport costs result from a combination of factors, implying that each transport market can have different transport costs, even if the same mode is involved. Conditions Affecting Transport Costs | The Geography of Transport Systems (transportgeography.org)
Continue readingPeak Oil: An Update
The concept of peak oil has been an enduring perspective concerning the global oil supply but remains an elusive calculation since the peak year has constantly been revised. Still, the ongoing transition towards alternative sources of energy will eventually be reflected in a decline in global oil production that has
Continue readingGenerations of Containerships (update)
Updated the classification of containerships to consider the latest developments of ships in the range of 25,000 TEUs. The practical upper limit of containership sizes has been debated in recent years as the larger the size, the more limited the port call options, and the more extensive the impacts on
Continue readingMajor Rail Stations and Rail Lines in the Paris Metropolitan Area
Paris represents a salient example of the constraints of the urban spatial structure where the first rail stations could not be built in the central area, but along an almost equidistant concentric circle. Major Rail Stations and Rail Lines in the Paris Metropolitan Area | The Geography of Transport Systems
Continue readingIntermodal rail yards in the Chicago area (new page)
The Chicago metropolitan area is the largest intermodal rail cluster in the United States with 6.4 million lifts in 2018. Intermodal Rail Yards in the Chicago Metropolitan Area | The Geography of Transport Systems (transportgeography.org)
Continue readingWorld’s 20 largest corporations (2021 update)
Updated the ranking of the world’s largest corporations by revenue. Scalability is the core driver which is achieved differently depending on the activity sector. For retail and e-commerce, this involves the setting of a large distribution network. For energy and mining, it is mostly through economies of scale in extraction
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