OPTIMAL TRANSPORT STRATEGIES FOR EUROPEAN CITIES

This paper describes a new procedure for generating optimal transport strategies applied in 9 European cities. A public sector objective function that reflects concerns over efficiency, environmental impacts, finance, and sustainability is specified and a set of policy measures with acceptable ranges on each is identified. Optimal strategies based on combinations of these policy measures generating the optimal value of the objective function are identified and compared between cities. Resulting policy recommendations are presented. Results show the importance of an integrated approach to transport strategy formulation and emphasize the role of changes in public transport service levels and of fares, and of charges for car use; new infrastructure projects are less frequently justified. In most cities, revenues from car use charges are sufficient to finance other elements in the strategy. However, private sector involvement, either in initial financing or in operations, may be desirable. Revised objective functions to reflect private sector involvement are specified, and optimal strategies with private sector operation of public transport are also identified. The requirement to meet private sector rates of return for public transport operations typically results in lower frequencies and higher fares; charges for car use then need to be raised to satisfy public policy objectives, but system performance is reduced.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/3540674454
• Corporate Authors:

  Kluwer Academic Publishers

  P.O. Box 17
  Dordrecht,   Netherlands 
• Authors:
  • May, A D
  • Shepherd, S P
  • Timms, P M
• Publication Date: 2000

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 286-315
• Serial:
  • Transportation (Netherlands)
  • Publisher: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
  • ISSN: 0049-4488

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile travel; Cities; Economic efficiency; Environmental impacts; Financing; Forecasting; Optimization; Private enterprise; Public transit; Sustainable development; Transportation policy; Urban transportation; User charges
• Geographic Terms: Europe
• Subject Areas: Economics; Environment; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00798667
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 3-540-67445-4
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Sep 5 2000 12:00AM