Strumenti di valutazione dell'efficienza delle infrastrutture viarie per l'accessibilità in area montana \n
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: This research aims to define a GIS tool for the accessibility evaluation of mountainous areas through the assessment of secondary transportation network, forest roads together with mountain trails. Such a network of unpaved trails guarantees the passage through less urbanized and natural environments which touristic value is increasing in recent times. Mountains and hilly areas are increasing in popularity and as a consequence their road and trail network is becoming more important and much more used by tourists which are even more involved in lot of different activities. Due to these new interests the secondary network could also assume an important role in emergency intervention. \nSo that in recent times, the growing number of people involved in nature-based tourism and recreation activities has led to an increase in Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in mountainous areas. A retrospective review of search and rescue incident reports for the study area is presented over a period of twenty years. Once obtain a picture of the situation of mountain accidents the study considered the access time of rescue crews to intervene in relation to the secondary road network characteristics. The final goal of the study is the definition of a GIS model that underlines accumulative travel time for rescuers in ground interventions. So as the access time depends on how teams can move on the territory the study at first evaluates environmental characteristics that mainly affect the progression on the ground whether it is motorized or pedestrian. The GIS model evaluates step by step these situations relating them together. The creation of the final model requires the knowledge of the area and the methods of conducting rescue operations in order to identify the environmental characteristics that mostly affect the speed. So the study presents at first a description of the mountain territory under study with a focus on secondary transportation network, then a detailed analysis on vehicle and walking speeds of SAR ground crews is presented. Speed analyses are carried out to evaluate motorized and walking SAR intervention both along trails and on off-trail areas like forests and grasslands. Statistical models derived from speed analysis are then integrated into a GIS model. These models have been developed to generate maps of the total accumulative travel time as the sum of time travelled by the SAR crews with the support of vehicles and the travelling time of the same SAR crew on foot along trails and in off-trail situations. The outputs are used also to evaluate the use of small All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) as an alternative to 4WD cars. \nAs conclusion it can be stated that the secondary transportation network should be assessed today not only for its touristic value but also for the role it can play in emergency operations. These considerations acquire further importance considering the increased responsibility of mountain rescue teams whose interventions in recent decades has increasingly demanded. \n \n
Author: Ciesa, Marta
Language: English
Topic: Safety and Risk Management
Subfield: Safety Research
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7015529867