Dr Geoffrey Clifton
Geoffrey is a Senior Lecturer in Transport and Logistics Management and holds a Bachelor of Economics with first class Honours in Economic Statistics from the University of Queensland and a PhD from the University of Sydney. Geoffrey began teaching at the University of Queensland in 1998 and has held a number of roles in the Institute of Transport and Logistics within the University of Sydney Business School since 2004. Prior to joining ITLS, Geoffrey worked for three years at the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Geoffrey’s research focuses on issues in public transport, in particular the challenge to grow public transport patronage in suburban areas and the provision of transport for people with special needs due to age or disability, including community transport. Geoffrey’s PhD thesis focussed on the impact that frequency and connectivity have on the demand for bus services along ‘Strategic Bus Corridors’. Other research projects in ITLS have focussed on the use of stated choice methods and optimal pricing theories as tools to support the development of public transport outcomes that are both socially optimal as well as financially viable to operators in the presence of optimal subsidy payments. Geoffrey has also undertaken research on quantifying the benefits of large transport infrastructure investments in terms of travel times and reforming the fare structure.
The challenge to grow public transport patronage is particularly acute in lower density suburban areas which lack the volume of passengers needed to support high capacity rail lines. However, without decent public transport, vulnerable members of these communities will be left without the transport access that is essential for maintain employment and social welfare as well as achieving sustainability and emissions targets. Geoffrey’s research primarily focuses on these important challenges and explores how reforms to the policies, planning, pricing and provision of public transport services can provide value for money solutions to support transport accessibility for all, including people living with a disability and the frail aged. Geoffrey’s research methodologies have included choice modelling, online and paper based surveys. Geoffrey has also explored the impact of emerging technologies on transport enterprises, including social media and Mobility as a Service.
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ITLS5000 Foundations of Supply Chain Management
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ITLS5020 Production and Operations Management
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ITLS5050 Introductory Supply Chain Analysis
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ITLS5200 Quantitative Logistics and Transport
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ITLS6090 Logistics and Supply Chain Project
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ITLS6190 Transport and Infrastructure Project
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SMBA6003 Data Analytics and Modelling
| Project title | Research student |
|---|---|
| Revitalizing Rail Freight Transport for Economic Growth: An Analysis of Factors Contributing to the Decline in Sri Lanka and Strategic Model for Sustainable Development | Chamila Tharangani DANTHANARAYANA |
Publications
Book Chapters
- Nelson, J., Clifton, G., Loyola, M. (2022). Policies for Public Transport. In C. Mulley, M. Attard (Eds.), Transport and Pandemic Experiences, (pp. 185-202). Bingley, United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. [More Information]
- Clifton, G. (2021). The use of smart card data to analyse railway station waiting times. In C. Mulley, J Nelson and S. Ison (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Public Transport, (pp. 491-498). Abingdon: Routledge. [More Information]
- Mulley, C., Clifton, G. (2016). Decision Making in Flexible Transport: The Importance and Application of the 'Golden Rule'. In Corinne Mulley, John D. Nelson (Eds.), Paratransit: Shaping the Flexible Transport Future, (pp. 153-166). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. [More Information]
Journals
- Hong, W., Clifton, G., Nelson, J. (2025). RecoMap – a semi-automated tool for analysing railway accident recommendations across jurisdictions and over time. Transportation Planning and Technology, Published online: 2 January 2025. [More Information]
- Hong, W., Clifton, G., Nelson, J. (2024). A data-driven conceptual framework for understanding the nature of hazards in railway accidents. Transport Policy, 152, 102-117. [More Information]
- Loyola, M., Nelson, J., Clifton, G., Ho, C. (2023). Factors influencing the patronage of flexible transport in urban and rural areas. A case study in NSW, Australia. Research in Transportation Economics, 99, 101295. [More Information]
Conferences
- Clifton, G., Mulley, C., Ho, T., Ho, C., Yen, B. (2018). How the distribution of arrival times at a railway station varies with headway: A study using smart card data. 14th International Conference on Advanced Systems in Public Transport (CASPT) and the 4th International Workshop and Symposium on Research and Applications on the Use of Passive Data from Public Transport (Transit Data), Brisbane, Australia: University of Queensland.
- Mulley, C., Clifton, G., Balbontin, C., Ma, L. (2016). Information for travelling: Awareness and usage of the various sources of information available to public transport users in NSW. The 38th Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF) 2016, Canberra: Australasian Transport Forum.
- Clifton, G., Beck, M., Rose, J. (2014). Putting attitudes towards public transport in context: the influence of situational factors on the results of Likert and Best-Worst surveys. 10th International Conference on Transport Survey Methods, Leura, Australia: The International Steering Committee for Travel Survey Conferences (ISCTSC).
Working Paper Internal
- Mulley, C., Clifton, G., Balbontin, C., Ma, L. (2016). Information for travelling: Awareness and usage of the various sources of information available to public transport users in NSW.
- Tsai, C., Leong, W., Mulley, C., Clifton, G. (2012). Examining estimator bias and efficiency for pseudo panel data: A Monte Carlo simulation approach.
- Clifton, G., Mulley, C., Hensher, D. (2012). The North West Rail Link: Winners and losers in the locality of the north west area.
2025
- Hong, W., Clifton, G., Nelson, J. (2025). RecoMap – a semi-automated tool for analysing railway accident recommendations across jurisdictions and over time. Transportation Planning and Technology, Published online: 2 January 2025. [More Information]
2024
- Hong, W., Clifton, G., Nelson, J. (2024). A data-driven conceptual framework for understanding the nature of hazards in railway accidents. Transport Policy, 152, 102-117. [More Information]
2023
- Loyola, M., Nelson, J., Clifton, G., Ho, C. (2023). Factors influencing the patronage of flexible transport in urban and rural areas. A case study in NSW, Australia. Research in Transportation Economics, 99, 101295. [More Information]
- Loyola, M., Nelson, J., Clifton, G., Levinson, D. (2023). Narratives in transport research: A thematic and functional analysis. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 17, 100754-1-100754-43. [More Information]
- Hong, W., Clifton, G., Nelson, J. (2023). Railway accident causation analysis: Current approaches, challenges and potential solutions. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 186, 107049. [More Information]
2022
- Nelson, J., Clifton, G., Loyola, M. (2022). Policies for Public Transport. In C. Mulley, M. Attard (Eds.), Transport and Pandemic Experiences, (pp. 185-202). Bingley, United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. [More Information]
- Hong, W., Clifton, G., Nelson, J. (2022). Rail transport system vulnerability analysis and policy implementation: Past progress and future directions. Transport Policy, 128, 299-308. [More Information]
- Loyola, M., Nelson, J., Clifton, G., Levinson, D. (2022). The relation of visual perception of speed limits and the implementation of cycle lanes - a cross-country comparison. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 174, 106722. [More Information]
2021
- Allen, J., Farber, S., Greaves, S., Clifton, G., Wu, H., Sarkar, S., Levinson, D. (2021). Immigrant settlement patterns, transit accessibility, and transit use. Journal of Transport Geography, 96, 103187. [More Information]
- Clifton, G. (2021). The use of smart card data to analyse railway station waiting times. In C. Mulley, J Nelson and S. Ison (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Public Transport, (pp. 491-498). Abingdon: Routledge. [More Information]
2018
- Clifton, G., Mulley, C. (2018). Barriers and facilitators of integration between buses with a higher level of service and rail: An Australian case study. Research in Transportation Economics, 69, 39-50. [More Information]
- Clifton, G., Mulley, C., Ho, T., Ho, C., Yen, B. (2018). How the distribution of arrival times at a railway station varies with headway: A study using smart card data. 14th International Conference on Advanced Systems in Public Transport (CASPT) and the 4th International Workshop and Symposium on Research and Applications on the Use of Passive Data from Public Transport (Transit Data), Brisbane, Australia: University of Queensland.
2017
- Mulley, C., Ma, L., Clifton, G., Tanner, M. (2017). Are Network Planning Guidelines Based on Equal Access Equitable? Transportation Research Record, 2651, 1-11. [More Information]
- Mulley, C., Clifton, G., Balbontin, C., Ma, L. (2017). Information for travelling: Awareness and usage of the various sources of information available to public transport users in NSW. Transportation Research Part A, 101, 111-132. [More Information]
2016
- Clifton, G., Mulley, C. (2016). A historical overview of enhanced bus services in Australian cities: What has been tried, what has worked? Research in Transportation Economics, 59, 11-25. [More Information]
- Mulley, C., Clifton, G. (2016). Decision Making in Flexible Transport: The Importance and Application of the 'Golden Rule'. In Corinne Mulley, John D. Nelson (Eds.), Paratransit: Shaping the Flexible Transport Future, (pp. 153-166). Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited. [More Information]
- Mulley, C., Clifton, G., Balbontin, C., Ma, L. (2016). Information for travelling: Awareness and usage of the various sources of information available to public transport users in NSW. The 38th Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF) 2016, Canberra: Australasian Transport Forum.
2014
- Tsai, C., Mulley, C., Clifton, G. (2014). A Review of Pseudo Panel Data Approach in Estimating Short-run and Long-run Public Transport Demand Elasticities. Transport Reviews, 34(1), 102-121. [More Information]
- Clifton, G., Mulley, C., Hensher, D. (2014). Bus Rapid Transit versus Heavy Rail in suburban Sydney - Comparing successive iterations of a proposed heavy rail line project to the pre-existing BRT network. Research in Transportation Economics, 48, 126-141. [More Information]
- Tsai, C., Mulley, C., Clifton, G. (2014). Forecasting public transport demand for the Sydney Greater Metropolitan Area: A comparison of univariate and multivariate methods. Road and Transport Research, 23(1), 51-68. [More Information]
2013
- Clifton, G., Rose, J. (2013). A simulation of the simple Mohring model to predict patronage and value of resources consumed for enhanced bus services. Research in Transportation Economics, 39(1), 259-269. [More Information]
- Tsai, C., Leong, W., Mulley, C., Clifton, G. (2013). Examining Estimation Bias and Efficiency for Pseudopanel Data in Travel Demand Analysis. Transportation Research Record, 2354, 1-8. [More Information]
- Tsai, C., Mulley, C., Clifton, G. (2013). Examining the Local Interaction between Public Transport Demand and Land Use Characteristics Using Geographically Weighted Regression. Transportation Research Board (TRB) 92nd Annual Meeting, Washington, United States: Transportation Research Board Publications (TRB).
2012
- Clifton, G., Rose, J. (2012). A simulation to sensitivity test the simple Mohring model for enhanced bus services. 13th International Conference of the International Association for Travel Behaviour Research IATBR, Toronto, Canada: IATBR.
- Tsai, C., Leong, W., Mulley, C., Clifton, G. (2012). Examining estimator bias and efficiency for pseudo panel data: A Monte Carlo simulation approach.
- Clifton, G., Mulley, C., Hensher, D. (2012). The North West Rail Link: Winners and losers in the locality of the North West area. 35th Australasian Transport Research Forum ATRF 2012, Perth, Australia: Department of Infrastructure and Transport.
2011
- Clifton, G., Rose, J. (2011). A simulation of the simple Mohring Model to predict patronage and value of resources consumed for enhanced bus services. Thredbo 12 Conference 2011, Durban, South Africa: University of Sydney Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies.
- Rose, J., Clifton, G. (2011). Sensitivity testing of inputs into the Mohring Model: How sensitive are patronage and value of resources consumed estimates for enhanced bus services to changes to parameter inputs? Thredbo 12 Conference 2011, Durban, South Africa: University of Sydney Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies.
