Discussing equity and social exclusion in accessibility evaluations

Ex ante evaluations of transport policy options (including infrastructure plans) are generally based on cost-benefit analyses (CBA). Accessibility changes are included in such analyses indirectly, via a utilitarian perspective. But accessibility is broader than is assumed by this perspective and also incorporates equity and related distribution effects as well as social exclusion. This paper aims to give an overview of the relevance of distribution effects and equity, and social exclusion for accessibility, based on the literature. The most important conclusions of our paper is that the two subjects are poorly addressed in transport appraisal in general, and in CBA in particular. Additional ethical theories could add value to the utilitarian perspective, egalitarian theories being a major competitor. Equity analysis is however complex because there are several types of equity, various ways to categorize people for equity analysis, numerous impacts to consider, and various ways of measuring these impacts. And such analysis requires normative judgements, in addition to simply presenting distribution effects. Several options are available to express distribution effects. Important choices to be made if such effects need to be reported relate to the unit of comparison (e.g. the household versus the individual), the indicator to be used, and the value of each unit to be compared (e.g. accessibility) for all units of comparison (e.g. households). We also conclude that CBA is not suitable for evaluating social exclusion policies. Based on this overview we propose an agenda for potential future research in the area of ethics and accessibility

Scenarios for measuring station-based impedances in a national transport model

The measures of local and regional accessibility have been developed separately, resulting on a scarcely studied connection between these two. Accessibility evaluation of land-use and transport strategies can be much improved by linkages with more understandable, and local, accessibility measures for research and policy makers. This paper develops a multimodal model to analyse a set of scenarios of chain mobility , i.e. bicycle route quality, BTM frequency and bicycle parking cost . The results reflect the effects on accessibility levels in a national transport model. A detailed bicycle network is implemented and linked to the public transport network. The effect of access and egress penalties is verified by introducing station specific penalties by mode and station type (mode-station constant). The penalties are derived from time valuations (VOT) and willingness to pay (WTP) for transport improvements. The study area covers 54 stations of the Stedenbaan corridor, within the Randstad south wing. A set of transport scenarios are simulated for both 2012 and 2030. A potential job accessibility measure was calculated with the matrices of travel times generated from each scenario. On average the largest travel time reduction is by 15% between 2012 and 2030, when a scenario of better network and connectivity takes place. The results also show the increase in train passengers due to improved bicycle access. We identified that transport measures should be station based. The strongest effects occur in medium and small station types, i.e. 3, 4 and 5. Particularly, station types 3 and 4 are more sensitive to changes in bicycle network than the rest of stations. At the same time, labour force has a strong impact on reaching high job accessibility levels per region and station areas. The job accessibility increased up to 20%. As future research, the behavioural elements of the national transport models can be enriched to produce more user-oriented results

The Dutch national kilometre charge: Impacts on the Dutch car market and environment

The Dutch government has decided to gradually introduce a complex national road pricing system in the years 2012 to 2018. Existing car purchase taxes and the annual road taxes are to be replaced by a kilometre-based charging system. Several appraisal studies have been conducted to examine the impacts of different pricing variants, using the well-known Dutch national model system (NMS) and the national car market model DYNAMO. The car market model has recently been developed and simulates yearly car ownership and car purchase behaviour of households at a detailed level (120 car types * 70 household types), and endogenously models second hand car prices as a pricing mechanism to create an equilibrium in supply and demand. The Dutch road pricing scheme is expected to have major impacts: car ownership is projected to increase by 5-6% in the long run, car use is to reduced by by 10-15% and congestion on the main motorway network in 2020 by about 50%, compared to a reference scenario. Cost-benefit analysis studies, using output from the transport models, show significant positive welfare effects. This paper will review existing appraisal studies on the impacts of the kilometre charge, and describe the Dutch car market model DYNAMO and projections of the impacts of different CO2 pricing schemes. Results from DYNAMO estimations show that abolishing existing car purchase and road taxes by a CO2 differentiated kilometre charge has unintended consequences in the form of rising car ownership and increasing shares of diesel cars and relatively large and heavy vehicle types. Explanations for these unintended effects are that households react more to present one-off fixed costs than to recurrent variable costs, and total car costs are reduced for households with relatively low car mileages. For households with low car usage, the reduction of fixed car taxes is not fully compensated by increases in variable costs, and savings can be used to buy a more expensive and larger car. However, overall environmental impacts of CO2 differentiated kilometre charges are quite positive resulting from the reduction in car travel

Editorial

From the papers in this special issue it can be concluded that an environmentally sustainable transport system is attainable with a broad-based and concerted commitment. Environmentally sustainable transport will result in significant changes in the type of passenger and freight transport provided, but this does not lead to economic collapse. Important challenges lie in the acceptability of the goals, targets, and strategies and their component instruments. The realisation of the 80% CO2-emission reduction target for the transport sector can be concluded to be the most ambitious one. If the CO2 emission reduction target for the transport sector is assumed to be lower, or the time period for implementing EST longer, the contribution of technological changes to attaining EST is likely to increase, thus decreasing societal impacts and increasing public support. Moreover, recent model studies indicate that global greenhouse gases can - in accordance with the EU climate objective - be effectively reduced by 20%, compared to current levels, by 2040 (i.e. a 50% decrease compared 2040 to baseline projections) through global cap-and-trade emission trading systems and carbon taxation (on average about 100 euro per tonne of CO2) (Bollen et al., 2004). These taxation levels do not strongly affect the transport sector, as other sectors may provide CO2 emission reductions at far lower costs (Van Rompuy et al, 2003). However, it is difficult to imagine that significant reductions in climate change emissions in the post Kyoto era are attained without efforts to reduce emissions in the transport sector. The EST studies for Germany, the CEI countries and also Sweden show that encouraging environmental, societal and economic impacts can be achieved with an extension of the time period (50% emission reduction by 2030) to allow transition towards EST

Beperkte betalingsbereidheid zette businessmodel MaaS onder druk

Van december 2017 tot maart 2020 is in ’s-Hertogenbosch een MaaS-pilot uitgevoerd, als onderdeel van het Innovatieprogramma Mobiele Stad (IMS) en het VerDuS onderzoeks-programma SURF. In deze pilot is een MaaS-platform in het Bossche Paleiskwartier ontwikkeld, uitgevoerd en geëvalueerd. In dit artikel de belangrijkste lessen

Discussing Equity and Social Exclusion in Accessibility Evaluations

Ex ante evaluations of transport policy options (including infrastructure plans) are generally based on cost-benefit analyses (CBA). Accessibility changes are included in such analyses indirectly, via a utilitarian perspective. But accessibility is broader than is assumed by this perspective and also incorporates equity and related distribution effects as well as social exclusion. This paper aims to give an overview of the relevance of distribution effects and equity, and social exclusion for accessibility, based on the literature. The most important conclusions of our paper is that the two subjects are poorly addressed in transport appraisal in general, and in CBA in particular. Additional ethical theories could add value to the utilitarian perspective, egalitarian theories being a major competitor. Equity analysis is however complex because there are several types of equity, various ways to categorize people for equity analysis, numerous impacts to consider, and various ways of measuring these impacts. And such analysis requires normative judgements, in addition to simply presenting distribution effects. Several options are available to express distribution effects. Important choices to be made if such effects need to be reported relate to the unit of comparison (e.g. the household versus the individual), the indicator to be used, and the value of each unit to be compared (e.g. accessibility) for all units of comparison (e.g. households). We also conclude that CBA is not suitable for evaluating social exclusion policies. Based on this overview we propose an agenda for potential future research in the area of ethics and accessibility

Backcasting as a Tool for Sustainable Transport Policy Making

This paper describes the backcasting approach used in the OECD’s Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Study, in which several countries participated. The backcasting approach can be seen as an innovative tool for policy making, which aims at generating alternative images of the future. These images have been thoroughly analysed as to their feasibility, consequences and policy implications. Here, results and implications for backcasting shown in the Netherlands case study are highlighted and conclusions drawn that EST criteria will only be attainable if a substantial increase in development of technology and stringent behavioural adaptations, with changes in economic structures at an international level, are assumed. If EST is to be realised, measures will have to be taken and instruments will have to be implemented in the short term. Timely implementation will probably mean a necessary radical change in the current Dutch policy ‘life cycle’

The future of European communication and transportation research: a research agenda

Our mobility system is changing rapidly. We are at the crossroad of major changes in the way we travel and deliver goods. Research agendas are adapting to this changed environment with new challenges and opportunities. This paper presents a research agenda for the future of transportation research structured along eight cluster topics of the Network on European Communication and Transport Activities Research (NECTAR).  The research agenda firstly highlights the growing complexity and need for multi- and interdisciplinary transportation research. Secondly, sustainability needs to be addressed in transportation research in its full meaning, including relationships between policy-making investigations and environmental and equity effects. Thirdly, ICTs and digitalisation, the development of (shared) autonomous vehicles and shared mobility will have profound impacts on economies and spatial interactions all-around the world, and availability of high resolution spatial and transportation data. Digitalisation generates many new research opportunities but also give rise to new concerns about privacy, safety, equity and public health

The spatial–temporal dynamics in job accessibility by car in the Netherlands during the crisis

This paper analyzes the changes in spatial–temporal job accessibility by car in the Netherlands during the economic crisis (2009–14). It also assesses which component change is the most determinant in accessibility changes per municipality and part of the day. The paper shows that changes in job distribution reduced accessibility in almost the entire country, except around Amsterdam. Improvements in the road network capacity increased accessibility in the central provinces, particularly during peak hours. In summary, the values of job accessibility by car in the Netherlands became more transport dependent, except in the Amsterdam region. Document type: Articl