An international comparison of accessibility and congestion problems in urban areas: can we still compete with our neighbours?

A comparison of the quality of infrastructure networks in the Randstad area of the Netherlands, the Rhein-Ruhr area and the Antwerp-Brussels-Ghent region formed the central focus of two studies carried out by TNO-INRO. The first of these was conducted on behalf of the \u27Research Unit for Integrated Transport Studies\u27, and starts by comparing the supply of motorway infrastructure, public transport and spatial aspects. Internal accessibility for commuter and business travel in the areas studied, both by private car and public transport, was also compared, and further analyses were made of the influence of the urban structure on the quality of internal accessibility in the Randstad and Rhein-Ruhr areas. The results revealed a slightly better infrastructure network in the Randstad, both for public transport and private cars. The matching between the urban structure and public transport was better in the Randstad, whereas matching to the motorway network proved better in the Rhein-Ruhr area. However, the better proximity within the Rhein-Ruhr area leads to better overall internal accessibility for business travel, whether by public transport or private car. The second study, conducted for the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Public Works, focuses on the supply and use of motorway networks in the three areas studied. Compared with the Randstad, and taking the number of inhabitants into account, the capacity of the motorway networks in the Rhein-Ruhr area and the Antwerp-Brussels-Ghent region is 10% to 20% higher. The supply of other main roads in the Randstad also proved to be low. However, the motorway network in the Randstad was the most accessible. Owing to the low supply level and the lack of alternatives, traffic volumes were 20% higher on motorways in the Randstad, leading to the expectation of more traffic jams in this area. Furthermore, the predicted acceleration in car ownership and faster population growth mean that the congestion problems of the Randstad may be exacerbated in the near future

Stedelijke ontwikkeling en mobiliteit: 8 handvatten voor de ontwikkeling van spoorzones tot knooppunten

Het expertteam spoorzoneontwikkeling heeft de belangrijkste ervaringen uit twee jaar werken aan spoorzones benoemd en de lessen uit vijf voorbeeldprojecten getrokken. Daarna zijn acht praktische handvatten geformuleerd voor iedereen die aan de slag wil met spoorzoneontwikkeling

Audit LMS en NRM. Syntheserapport

In mei 2008 is door de toenmalige minister Eurlings (V&W) een onafhankelijke audit aangekondigd van het Nieuw Regionaal Model en het landelijk Model Systeem van Rijkswaterstaat. Beide modellen dienen ter ondersteuning van lange termijn beleidsbeslissingen op het gebied van Mobiliteit. In dit kader heeft Rijkswaterstaat aan TNO, MuConsult,Twijnstra Gudde en twee aanvullende internationale experts opdracht gegeven om deze audit uit te voeren. In de samenvatting van het rapport vind je meer info over de analyse, hoofdconclusie en aanbevelingen die er zijn gedaan

Accessibility indices: pilot study and potential use in strategic planning

Accessibility indices (AIs) for public and private transport were estimated in a pilot study in northeast Hampshire, England. The AIs were based on a formulation relating travel time and cost between specified origins and destinations (O-Ds). Wider use of the role of the indices was examined, particularly for reducing car dependency as one element in improving sustainability within the North East Hampshire Transport Strategy. The indices, which can be presented in simplified graphical fashion to inform nontechnical audiences, are based on door-to-door travel times and costs, and the O-Ds represent trips between home and important destinations. Significantly, the only example in which travel-cost AIs for bus versus car travel were approximately equal was that in which a substantial car-parking charge was made. The AIs thus help to indicate the transport corridors where actions to improve equity in transport opportunities for users have the greatest priority and potential. These actions, such as improved bus priority and varying fare levels, parking charges, and other user charges, can be verified by prescriptive use of the AIs to illustrate the impacts. This approach provides a basis for using the AIs to quickly examine future transport scenarios and in associated decision making. It also helps in focusing on detailed modal shift analysis aimed at reshaping the transport system in a sustainable manner. This process is described within the context of strategic transport planning at county and regional levels, and continuing work on the theory and applications of the AIs is outlined