Evaluating the achievements and impacts of EC framework programme transport projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present what kind of elements and evaluation methods should be included into a framework for evaluating the achievements and impacts of transport projects supported in EC Framework Programmes (FP). Further, the paper discusses the possibilities of such an evaluation framework in producing recommendations regarding future transport research and policy objectives as well as mutual learning for the basis of strategic long term planning. Methods The paper describes the two-dimensional evaluation methodology developed in the course of the FP7 METRONOME project. The dimensions are: (1) achievement of project objectives and targets in different levels and (2) research project impacts according to four impact groups. The methodology uses four complementary approaches in evaluation, namely evaluation matrices, coordinator questionnaires, lead user interviews and workshops. Results Based on the methodology testing, with a sample of FP5 and FP6 projects, the main results relating to the rationale, implementation and achievements of FP projects is presented. In general, achievement of objectives in both FPs was good. Strongest impacts were identified within the impact group of management and co-ordination. Also scientific and end-user impacts of the projects were adequate, but wider societal impacts quite modest. The paper concludes with a discussion both on the theoretical and practical implications of the proposed methodology and by presenting some relevant future research needs

Planning and management of mobility in natural protected areas

SUMMARY The attitude of the environment to tolerate the anthropic activities is limited and the concept of environmental carrying capacity reflects this limitation. On these premises it is self-evident the role of mobility management and the extension of the environmental carrying capacity concept to the flows of vehicles. From the mobility viewpoints it should be analyzed both the mobility needs of local communities and touristic flows and the infrastructural density of roads, railways and waterways. In this framework the paper describes some relevant results of an on-going research aiming to elaborate a methodology to allow the mobility in natural parks, sustainable and compatible with their institutional protection missions. On that basis, it has been developed a logic-mathematic model able to reproduce the mobility-environment relationships in various operational conditions, starting from the analysis of transport offer (operated services) and demand. The final purpose is the identification of: a) the effects of various choices in transport planning, both at long term and strategic level; b) the most effective policies of mobility management. The preliminary work was articulated in the following steps: 1) definition of protected area on the basis of ecological and socio-economic criteria and legislative constraints; 2) analysis of mobility needs in the protected areas; 3) reconstruction of the state of the art of mobility management in natural parks at European level; 4) analysis of used traffic flows measurement methods; 5) analysis of environmental impacts due to transport systems modelling (limited to air pollution and noise); 6) identification of mitigation measures to be potentially applied. The whole methodology has been firstly tested on the case study of the National Park of "Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga" and further validated on the National Park of "Gargano", both located Italy: i) the concerned area has been zoned according to the land-use peculiarities; ii) the local situations of transport infrastructure (roads and parking), services (public transport systems) and rules (traffic regulations) have been mapped with references to physical and functional attributes; iii) the mobility, both systematic and touristic, has been synthetically represented in an origin-destination matrix. By means of an assignment model it has been determined the distribution of flows and the corresponding average speeds to quantify gaseous and noise emissions. On this basis the environmental criticalities in the reference scenario have been highlighted, as well as some alternative scenarios including both operational and infrastructural measures have been identified. The comparison between the projects and the reference scenario allowed the . quantification of the effects (variation of emissions) for each scenario and a selection of the most effective management actions to be taken

Reduction of gaseous emissions from ships. Comparative overview of methods and technologies

This paper develops a methodology for the systematic estimation of the annual emission of a commercial ship and its environmental costs. By integrating the abatement methods for the ship in the process, it is possible the estimation of the environmental benefit of emission reduction options, taking into account the operational range of the ship and looking for the best investment option, for both social and ship-owner viewpoints. Finally, the procedure will provide with the classical indicators of cost-benefit and cost-revenue analyses, such as Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Pay-Back Period (PBP)

Management and infrastructures in a maritime coal terminal. A decision-making methodology

The objective of this paper is to analyse the operational cycles of a coal terminal to identify development scenarios, conditioned by meteo-marine conditions, layout and equipment with the aim to reduce operational times. The scenarios include the construction of an offshore breakwater limiting the wave motion in the operational area, the extension of operational quays allowing the simultaneous handling of more ships, the building of multiple stocking areas to increase the stock capacity. This paper deals with technical analysis of operational schemes based on local constraining infrastructural and meteo-marine conditions as well as global effects of coal shipping delivery organisation. The method provides the useful elements to condition the key choices, both for investment prioritization and for the terminal management itself. The test is on the case study of a coal terminal feeding an electrical power plant nearby the port of Civitavecchia, Italy

Dimensioning of Container Terminals. Validation and Application Fields for a Stochastic Process

The maritime terminals design process includes a series of strategic decision involving the engagement of relevant amount of resources. In fact, operating conditions near the maximum capacity generate congestion and the related negative consequences on capacity and regularity. The authors developed different methods and models capable to support some of these key decisions. These methods allow at selecting the most suitable parameters to describe terminals, to determine dimensional and equipment characteristics and to verify the production of the terminals. For all them, various extended investigations on operated port terminals for data acquisition and homogenization are available: surveys on operated terminals, sampling criteria to ensure quality of derived design parameters, analysis and correlations to provide design and operational elements. Past and present surveys cover a sampling of 40 European terminals for the setup of the method in 1985, a sampling of 93 terminals within 49 European ports in 2008 and a geographical extension to Latin America and the Caribbean and an update of the method in 2021, specific object of the present paper