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Dr Erel Avineri

Reader in Travel Behaviour
Centre for Transport & Society
Faculty of Environment and Technology
University of the West of England
Frenchay Campus
Coldharbour Lane
BRISTOL BS16 1QY

Telephone: 0117 32 83197
Fax: 0117 32 83899
Email: Erel.Avineri@uwe.ac.uk

Professional Summary | Areas of Specialism |
Activities | Recent Publications

Professional Summary

Dr Erel Avineri received his degrees in Industrial Engineering and Management (B.Sc.) and Transportation Sciences (M.Sc., Ph.D.) from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. He has been a Post-Doctoral research fellow at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel). He has been a member of CTS since 2004.

The large cost of congestion, coupled with environmental concerns about greenhouse emissions, have stimulated debate about how to better predict, manage and influence travellers’ choices. Applying behavioural economics and cognitive psychology, Dr Avineri is exploring what influences our travel behaviour, how to predict it, and how to design demand management measures to change travel behaviour. Through the use of different observation, modelling and analysis approaches, Erel explores issues such as travellers’ bounded rationality, the effect of feedback mechanism on travellers' decision-making, and the social interactions between travellers. In his research Erel developed and tested choice models that capture travellers’ bounded rationality. He suggests the use of ‘nudges’ to help individuals to highlight the better choices for them - without restricting their freedom of choice.

Erel has been a project manager and a consultant to more than 50 top leading companies and government agencies in the areas of transport modelling, logistics and operations management. He started his research career developing a “fuzzy” expert system, supporting the decisions of transport projects evaluation, ranking and appraisal.

Erel's teaching activities have included lecturing on several engineering and business management programs, as well as managing and lecturing in short courses and workshops. He was awarded (several times) teaching excellence awards. His current teaching responsibilities include module leading the postgraduate modules "Changing Travel Behaviour" and "Transport Economics and Appraisal” and lecturing in various transport planning modules.

Areas of Specialism

Understanding and Modelling Travel Behaviour
Decision-Making Processes in a Transport Context
Bounded Rationality of Travel-Choice Behaviour
Choice Architecture in the Design of Advanced Travel Information Systems (ATIS)
Behavioural Responses to Traveller Information
Social Interactions, Social Influence, Pro-Social Value Orientation and other Cognitive-Social Aspects of Travel Behaviour
Soft Computing Applications in Traffic and Transport Systems
Transport Appraisal
Traffic Safety: Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology and Human Factors
Driver Licensing Systems

Activities

Member of the US Transportation Research Board's Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing Applications (2008-2011)
Honorary Secretary, UTSG (The Universities' Transport Study Group) (2007-2010)
Member of the scientific committee, EWGT 2009, (EURO Workgroup on Transportation), Padua, Italy (2009)
Member of the International Programme Committee, WSC 2008 - World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications (2008)
General Chair, The 12th Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications (WSC12) (2007)
Member of the Editorial Advisory Board. The Open Urban Studies Journal (published by Bentham)(2008-date)
Member of the Editorial Advisory Board, The Open Transportation Journal (published by Bentham) (2007-date)
Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of SJI (Scientific Journals International) - Civil, Architecture and Environmental Engineering (2007-date)
Programme Chair, The 11th Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications (WSC11) (2006)
Visiting Lecturer, Technical University of Bari, Italy. "Methods and Models for Transportation Systems Analysis" (2006)
Member of the organizing committee, EURO Conference, "Handling Uncertainty in Transportation: Analyses, New Paradigms, Applications and Comparisons", Bari, Italy (2006)
Member of the International Review Panel for the Decision Engineering Report Series, Cranfield University (2005-date)
Organised Sessions Chair, The 10th Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications (WSC10) (2005)
International co-Chair, The 9th Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications (WSC9) (2004)
Reviewer of papers for scientific journals, incl. Accident Analysis and Prevention; Environment and Planning B; European Journal of Operational Research; European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research; Evaluation and Program Planning; Fuzzy Sets and Systems; Games and Economic Behavior; IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics C; International Journal of Production Economics; Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics; Journal of Engineering, Computing and Architecture; Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems; Municipal Engineer; R&D Management; The Open Transportation Journal; Transport Reviews; Transportation; Transportation and Traffic Theory (ISTTT Proceedings); Transportation Research A; Transportation Research B; Transportation Research C; Transportation Research E; Transportation Research Record; Transportation Science
Reviewer, ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council)
Reviewer, EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)
Reviewer, The Leverhulme Trust
The Public Health Research programme. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
Reviewer, Division of Social and Economic Sciences, NSF (National Science Fund), US
Reviewer, Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, NSF (National Science Fund), US
Reviewer, STW (Dutch Technology Foundation), the Netherlands
Invited seminars and talks (2004-2009): Universita di Salerno (Italy); University of Newcastle upon Tyne (UK); Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel); EILAT - Israeli Association of Transportation Research (Israel); Technical University of Bari (Italy); Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel); Tel-Aviv University (Israel); Oxford (UK); Bristol (UK)

Recent Publications (2003-2009)

Refereed Journal Papers

Sunitiyoso, Y., Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (forthcoming, 2009), On the Potential of Social Interaction and Social Learning in Modelling Travellers' Change of Behaviour under Uncertainty. Forthcoming in Transportmetrica.

Jordan, K. and Avineri, E. (forthcoming, 2009), Transport Consultations: Exploring the Age Bias. Forthcoming in Proceedings of ICE, Urban Design and Planning.

Avineri, E. and Bovy, P.H.L. (2008), Identification of Parameters for Prospect Theory Model for Travel Choice Analysis. Transportation Research Record 2082: Travel Behavior Analysis, 141-147.

Chase, P. and Avineri, E. (2008) Maximizing Motorway Capacity through Hard Shoulder Running: UK Perspective. The Open Transportation Journal 2(1), 7-18.

Avineri, E. (2007), Exploring and Implementing Theories of Experiential Learning Cycle in the Teaching of Transport Planning. CEBE Transactions 4(1), 18-39.

Avineri, E. (2006), The Effect of Reference Point on Stochastic Network Equilibrium. Transportation Science 40(4), 409-420.

Avineri, E. and Prashker, J.N. (2006), The Impact of Travel Time Information on Travelers' Learning under Uncertainty, Transportation 33(4), 393-408.

Avineri, E. and Prashker, J.N. (2005), Sensitivity to Travel Time Variability: Travelers' Learning Perspective. Transportation Research Part C 13(2), 157-183.

Avineri, E. (2004), A Cumulative Prospect Theory Approach to Passengers Behavior Modeling: Waiting Time Paradox Revisited. Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems 8(4), 195-204.

Avineri, E. and Prashker, J.N. (2004), Violations of Expected Utility Theory in Route-Choice Stated Preferences: The Certainty Effect and Inflating of Small Probabilities. Transportation Research Record 1894: Traveler Behavior and Values, 222-229.

Avineri, E. and Prashker, J.N. (2003), Sensitivity to Uncertainty: The Need for a Paradigm Shift. Transportation Research Record 1854: Traveler Behavior and Values, 90-98.

Books

Avineri, E., Köppen, M., Sunitiyoso, Y., Dahal, K. and Roy, R. (Eds.)(2009), Applications of Soft Computing: Updating the State of Art. Springer-Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-540-88078-3, Germany, 285 p.

Saad, A. Avineri, E., Dahal, K., Sarfraz, M. and Roy, R. (Eds.) (2007), Applied Soft Computing: Recent and Emerging Methods and Techniques. Springer-Verlag, ISBN: 978 3 540 70704 2, Germany, 328 p.

Tiwari, A., Knowles, J., Avineri, E., Dahal, K. and Roy, R. (Eds.) (2006), Applications of Soft Computing: Recent Trends. Springer-Verlag, ISBN: 3 540 29123 7, Germany, 420 p.

Book Chapters

Avineri, E. (forthcoming, 2009), Social Value Orientation and the Efficiency of Traffic Networks. Forthcomimg in: Kitamura, R. and Yoshii, T. (Eds.), The Expanding Sphere of Travel Behaviour Research, Emerald, UK.

Sunitiyoso, Y., Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (forthcoming, 2009), The Role of Minority Influence on the Diffusion of Compliance with a Demand Management Measure. Forthcoming in: Kitamura, R. and Yoshii, T. (Eds.), The Expanding Sphere of Travel Behaviour Research, Emerald, UK.

Avineri, E. (forthcoming, 2009), Driving Licences. Forthcoming in: Nijkamp, P., Button, K. and Vega, H. (Eds.), Transportation Dictionary, Edward Elgar Publishers, Cheltenham, UK.

Avineri, E. (2009), Incorporating Fuzzy Reference Points into Applications of Travel Choice Modelling. Forthcoming in: Avineri, E., Köppen, M., Sunitiyoso, Y., Dahal, K. and Roy, R. (Eds.), Applications of Soft Computing: Updating the State of Art, Springer-Verlag, Germany, 221-229. ISBN: 978-3-540-88078-3.

Avineri, E. (forthcoming 2009), Modelling Fractal Traffic Networks. Forthcoming in: Silva, E.A. and De Roo, G. (Eds.), A Planners Meeting with Complexity, Ashgate Publishers Ltd, Aldershot, UK.

Sunitiyoso, Y., Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (forthcoming, 2009), Complexity and Travel Behaviour: Multi-Agent Simulation for Predicting the Influence of Social Aspects on Travellers' Compliance with a Demand Management Measure. Forthcoming in: Silva, E.A. and De Roo, G. (Eds.), A Planners Meeting with Complexity, Ashgate Publishers Ltd, Aldershot, UK.

Avineri, E. (2005), Soft Computing Applications in Traffic and Transport Systems: A Review. In: Hoffmann, F., Koppen, M., Klawonn, F. and Roy, R. (Eds.), Soft Computing: Methodologies and Applications, Springer Series on Studies in Fuzziness and Soft Computing, Springer-Verlag, Germany, 17-25. ISBN: 3 540 25726 8.

Avineri, E. (2003), Transportation Projects Selection using a Fuzzy Approach. In Tonfoni, G. and Jain, L.C. (Eds.), Innovations in Decision Support Systems, Advanced Knowledge International Pty Ltd, Adelide, Australia, 375-410. ISBN: 0 86803 980 2.

Avineri, E. and Vaish, P. (2003), Process-Oriented Plant Layout Design using a Fuzzy Set Decomposition Algorithm. In Benitez, J.-M., Cordon, O., Hoffmann, F. and Roy, R. (Eds.), Advances in Soft Computing - Engineering, Design and Manufacturing, Springer Engineering Series, Springer-Verlag, Germany, 119-128. ISBN: 1 85233 755 9.

Conference Presentations

Avineri, E. (forthcoming, 2009), Nudging Travellers to Make Better Choices. The International Choice Modelling Conference, March, Leeds.

Avineri, E. (forthcoming, 2009), Information Provision - How Can we Nudge Travel Behaviour Change? Intelligent Transport Systems - ITS 09. March, London.

Avineri, E. (2009), The Fuzzy Meaning of Reference-Based Perceptions in Travel Choice Modelling. Transportation Research Board (TRB) 88th Annual Meeting, January, Washington D.C., USA.

Bartle, C., Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (2009), Exploring the influence of word-of-mouth on travel decision-making. The 41st Annual UTSG (The Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, London.

Nikitas, A., Avineri, E. and Parkhurst, G. (2009), Do Older People Hold Different Attitudes towards Road Pricing Schemes than Younger People Do? The 41st Annual UTSG (The Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, London.

Calvert, T. and Avineri, E. (2009), Who Wants to Commute More and Why? Exploring the Positive Utility of the Commute. The 41st Annual UTSG (The Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, London.

Avineri, E. and Susilo, Y. (2009), The Effects of Household Size and Structure on Household Travel Time Allocation. The 41st Annual UTSG (The Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, London.

Lyons, G., Avineri, E. and Farag, S. (2008), Assessing the Demand for Informed Travel Making: Do we Really Want to Know? Accepted to the 36th European Transport Conference (ETC2008), October, Leeuwenhorst Conference Centre, the Netherlands.

Nikitas, A., Avineri, E. and Parkhurst, G. (2008), Understanding the attitudes of older people to road pricing. The Annual Conference of the British Society of Gerontology "Sustainable Futures in an Ageing World", September, Bristol.

Jordan, K. and Avineri, E. (2008), Public Representation in Transport Consultations: Exploring the Age Bias. The 40th Annual UTSG (The Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, Portsmouth.

Avineri, E. and Bovy, P.H.L. (2008), The Challenges in Setting Parameter Values in Prospect Theoretic Models of Travel Choice. The 40th Annual UTSG (The Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, Portsmouth.

Avineri, E. (2007), Incorporating Fuzzy Reference Points into Applications of Travel Choice Modeling. The 12th Online World Conference on Soft Computing in Industrial Applications (WSC12), October, World-Wide-Web.

Bartle, C. and Avineri, E. (2007), Pro-Social Behaviour in Transport Social Dilemmas: A Review. Frontiers in Transportation 2007: Social Interactions. October, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Sunitiyoso, Y., Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (2007), The Role of Social Interactions in Travel Behaviour: Designing Experimental Tools to Explore Behavioural Assumptions. Frontiers in Transportation 2007: Social Interactions. October, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Avineri, E. and Bovy, P.H.L. (2007), Applying Prospect Theory to Modelling Travellers' Responses to Network Uncertainties. The Third International Symposium on Transportation Network Reliability, INSTR 2007, July, The Hague, the Netherlands.

Sunitiyoso, Y. Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (2007), Utilizing a Multi-Agent Simulation Model to Predict the Impact of a Transport Policy on Travellers' Behaviour. The 11th World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS), June, University of Berkeley, California, USA.

Avineri, E. (2007), Complexity Theory and Transport Planning: Fractal Traffic Networks. The 39th Annual UTSG (Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, Harrogate.

Sunitiyoso, Y. Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (2007), Inductive Methodology for Modelling the Influence of Social Interaction and Social Learning in the Dynamics of Travellers' Behaviour. The 39th Annual UTSG (Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, Harrogate.

Sunitiyoso, Y., Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (2006), On the Potential of Social- Psychological Aspects in Modelling Travellers' Change of Behaviour. The 11th Meeting of the EURO Working Group on Transportation and an international conference on "Handling Uncertainty in Transportation", September, Bari, Italy, 378-384. ISBN: 88 901798 2 1.

Avineri, E. (2006), On the Fractal Geometry of the Road Network and its Effect on Traffic Equilibrium, The 11th Meeting of the EURO Working Group on Transportation and an international conference on "Handling Uncertainty in Transportation", September, Bari, Italy, 624-629. ISBN: 88 901798 2 1.

Avineri, E. (2006), Measuring and Simulating Altruistic Behaviour in Group Travel Choice Decisions, The 11th International Conference on Travel Behaviour Research (IATBR), August, Kyoto, Japan.

Sunitiyoso, Y., Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (2006), Role of Minority Influence on the Diffusion of Compliance with a Demand Management Measure, The 11th International Conference on Travel Behaviour Research (IATBR), August, Kyoto, Japan.

Avineri, E. (2006), Braess' Paradox and the Fractal Geometry of Road Hierarchy, The 3rd Workshop of the AESOP Thematic Group on Complexity, May, Cardiff.

Sunitiyoso, Y., Avineri, E. and Chatterjee, K. (2006), Agent-Based Simulation of Social Interactions to Model Diffusion of Compliance with a Transport Policy Measure, The 3rd Workshop of the AESOP Thematic Group on Complexity, May, Cardiff.

Avineri, E. (2006), Modelling Social Interactions in Multi-Agent Traffic Simulations. The 38th Annual UTSG (Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, Dublin, Ireland.

Chase, P. and Avineri, E. (2006), Maximising Motorway Capacity through Hard Shoulder Running: UK Perspective. The 38th Annual UTSG (Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, Dublin, Ireland.

Avineri, E. (2005), Introducing Social Aspects to Multi-Agent Simulations of Travel Behaviour. In: Jaszkiewicz, A., Kaczmarek, M., Zak, J. and Kubiak, M. (Eds.), Advanced OR and AI Methods in Transportation. Publishing House of Poznan University of Technology, Poland, 499-504. ISBN: 83 7143 239 5.

Avineri, E. (2005), The Effect of Reference Point on Stochastic Network Equilibrium. The 16th International Symposium on Transportation and Traffic Theory (ISTTT), July, University of Maryland, College Park, USA.

Avineri, E. (2005), Traffic Equilibrium: A Prospect Theory Approach. The 37th Annual UTSG (Universities' Transport Study Group) Conference, January, Bristol.

Avineri, E. and Prashker, J.N. (2004), Providing On-line Travel-Time Information: Evaluating the Effect on Travelers' Decision-Making Process. Conference on the Value of Information in Networked Contexts, February, Haifa, Israel.

Avineri, E. and Prashker, J.N. (2004), Do Travelers Make Rational Route-Choice Decisions? Conference on Risk, Decision and Human Error, January, Trento, Italy.

Avineri, E. (2004), Communications Network Design using a Fuzzy Decision Support System. IE&M 2004 - 13th Industrial Engineering and Management Conference, March, Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Avineri, E. and Prashker, J.N. (2003), The Impact of Travel Time Information on Travelers' Learning under Uncertainty. The 10th International Conference on Travel Behavior Research, August, Lucerne, Switzerland.

Avineri, E. (2003), A Cumulative Prospect Theory Approach to Travel Behaviour Modeling. Behavioural Responses to ITS, April, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

Reports

Musselwhite, C., Avineri, E., Susilo, Y. and Fulcher, E. (forthcoming, 2009). Understanding Public Attitudes to Road User Safety. The Department for Transport, London.

Lyons, G., Avineri, E., Farag, S., Parkhurst, G. and Wiltshire, P. (2008), Traveline Market Research - Scoping Study. Report to Traveline Marketing Group, London.

Lyons, G., Avineri, E., Farag, S. and Harman, R. (2007), Strategic Review of Travel Information Research. The Department for Transport, London.

Parkhurst, G., Dudley, G., Lyons, G., Avineri, E., Chatterjee, K. and Holley, D. (2006), Rapid Evidence Assessment - Understanding the Distributional Impacts of Road Pricing. The Department for Transport, London.

Avineri, E. (2004), Graduated Driving License: Evaluating The Effectiveness of New Regulations in Israel. The National Road Safety Authority, Israeli Ministry of Transport, Jerusalem, Israel.

Avineri, E. and Prashker, J.N. (2004), Behavioral Aspects of Route-Choice: Travelers' Sensitivity to Uncertainty. Transportation Research Institute, Haifa, Israel.

Avineri, E. (2004), Traffic Law Enforcement in the City of Ramat-Gan: Analysis of the Enforcement Activities. Or Yarok ("Green Light"), Association for Safer Driving in Israel, Ramat-Hasharon, Israel.

Avineri, E. (2004), Traffic Law Enforcement by Motor-Scooters in the City of Jerusalem. Or Yarok ("Green Light"), Association for Safer Driving in Israel, Ramat-Hasharon, Israel.

Review Articles

Avineri, E. (2008), Book Review: Policy Analysis of Transport Networks, edited by Van Geenhuizen, M., Reggiani, A. and Rietveld, P., Ashgate. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 26(1), 281-282.

Avineri, E. (2006), Book Review: Handbook of Transport Strategy, Policy and Institutions, edited by Button, K.J. and Hensher, D.A., Handbooks in Transport, Vol. 6, Elsevier. Journal of Regional Science 46(4), 802-805.

Avineri, E. (2006), Book Review: Transport Terminals and Modal Interchanges: Planning and Design, by Blow, C. Architectural Press Oxford. CEBE - Centre for Education in the Built Environment (The Higher Education Academy).

Avineri, E. (2005), Book Review: Modelling Transport, by Ortuzar, J. de D. and Willumsen, L., Third Edition, John Wiley & Sons. The Engineering Subject Centre (The Higher Education Academy).