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Transport and mobility systems need to be transformed to meet climate change goals and reduce negative environmental and social effects. Despite EU policies having targeted such problems for more than three decades, transitions have been slow and geographically uneven. For effective change to happen, transport and mobility research needs fresh perspectives and better integration of knowledge from the Social Sciences and Humanities. Based on a Horizon Scanning approach, which allowed for a great deal of openness and variety in scholarly viewpoints, this paper presents a novel research agenda consisting of 8 themes and 100 research questions that may contribute to achieving environmentally sustainable mobility transitions within Europe. This research agenda highlights the need to not only support technological solutions for low-carbon mobility, but the importance of transformative policies that include new processes of knowledge production, civic participation and epistemic justice. We contend that the agenda points to the need for further research on the dynamics of science-society interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The volume of urban transportation sustainability assessments in academic literature has steadily increased over the last two decades. This paper targets these studies through the first systematic literature review to construct a synthesised and critical overview of how urban transportation sustainability is in fact assessed. The sample consists of 99 peer-reviewed articles retrieved via three scientific search engines. The results reveal a Europe-centric and single-case focus, a strong interest to introduce new indicator systems with limited references to previous work, and a lack of qualitative approaches and stakeholder diversity regarding the assessment methods. Nearly 2400 indicators are identified in the articles with significant variation in their use. Furthermore, the comprehensive accounting for sustainability is often overlooked, and the inconclusive assessment results are often noted by the authors of the sample articles themselves. Our findings signal that the research field is highly fragmented and to some extent fails to accumulate knowledge generated by past studies and to comprehensively operationalise the concept of sustainability. The identified shortcomings of the assessments and their implications for transportation policy-making and planning are highlighted, and based on our results recommendations to develop more reliable, comparable, and inclusive sustainability assessments for the urban transportation sector are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper stresses the lack of attention paid to the geographical definitions of cities in LUTI models as one key detrimental aspect to transferring and generalising LUTI results. First, the argumentation develops from a meta-analysis of peer-reviewed publications about LUTI applications in European cities. We show that most authors do not assess findings against potential geographical biases. Second, theoretical simulations are conducted withUrbanSimapplied to a synthetic urban area. By varying the geographical limits of the system and population endowments, our simulations confirm that the absence of control on city delineation weakens the results. Finally, the paper suggests methodological guidelines to improve the comparability of LUTI applications and push forward their theoretical agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It is essential that transport infrastructures are protected against events which cause their failure. At an optimal level of protection, the sum of protection costs and expected residual damages following from disruptions will be minimized. In most cases however, this optimal level is not achieved because infrastructure protection is susceptible to various market and government failures. This brings us to the question who (a private or public actor) should do how much (the level of protection and intervention). This question is addressed in the present paper. The starting point of the paper is the Directive of the European Council on the identification and designation of European Critical Infrastructures. We review the protection of critical waterborne transport infrastructures from an economic perspective. The review is based on a literature study and several interviews with Critical Infrastructure experts. For the studied infrastructures, we have identified causes and effects of their failure and examined the private–public roles in protecting them. Considering the market and government failures which occur in such configuration of roles, we propose several changes. We conclude that from a national policy perspective there are two important routes: (1) reinforcement of private sector roles among others by defining liabilities and providing information on risks and (2) strengthening of supra-national collaboration via improving and standardizing regulations, cost-sharing initiatives and penalty systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a review of time-series analysis of road safety trends, aggregated at a national level, which has been performed in the period 2000–12 and applied to European national data sets covering long time periods. It provides a guideline and set of best practices in the area of time-series modelling and identifies the latest methods and applications of national road safety trend analysis in Europe. The paper begins with the methodological framework adopted for aggregate time-series modelling that will be considered, and then discusses a number of relevant applications to long-period data aggregated at the national level, whether for countries alone, or for groups of countries. Some analyses, which were performed at the disaggregated level, are also provided, as they are being used more and more. Finally, the paper summarizes and discusses the significant changes in aggregate road safety trend analysis which occurred during the period and provides recommendations for continuing these research efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European legislation implies the use of marginal social cost pricing in rail access charges levied on rail operators. Thus, they may include specific environmental charges to internalise the impacts of rail transport. However, when applying these principles in practice, several difficulties call for second-best settings adapted to the particularities of the rail market. In this context, few European railway administrations are already implementing rail access charges with an environmental dimension. This paper reviews the literature on the issue and assesses the current European experience in noise and air pollution rail charges. For this purpose, an analytical framework is built on the definition of four basic dimensions: charging approach, allocation of abatement efforts, degree of differentiation and intermodal approach. The qualitative examination of the existing systems suggests that the level of environmental surcharges can be generally increased given the low substitutability between rail and road and that the range of abatement possibilities should be enlarged by further differentiating charges. It is also found that the pricing scope should be adapted to achieve particular cost-efficient allocations of abatement efforts among rail operators and upstream agents. Finally, further research requirements for a quantitative assessment are defined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to describe how time-series analysis of road risk has been performed at the national level in Europe since Smeed's seminal study of 1949. The first part of the paper surveys European applications of time-series analysis to road safety since the beginning of the 1980s. A historical overview of the various approaches followed and the different types of model that have been used to analyse changes in road risk are given, referring to the foregoing historical account. The last part of the paper presents recent modelling conducted in the framework of the EU FP6 project “SafetyNet—Building the European Road Safety Observatory”, which ran from 2004 to 2008, with the aim of gathering harmonized data bases from the member states and performing a comparative monitoring of trends. Recommendations for using dedicated models which handle time dependency when applied to road safety were given. Applications to a number of national datasets, including France, the Netherlands and Greece, have revealed different ways in which risk exposure can be included in the models in order to conduct a comparative analysis of trends. Research directions for extending these comparative analyses are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for inland freight transport in Europe is mainly met by road transport, leading to unsustainable impacts such as air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and congestion. Since rail transport has lower externalities than road transport, a modal shift from road to rail is an accepted policy goal for achieving a more sustainable and competitive transport system. However, intermodal road-rail transport is mainly competitive for long-distance transport, and as a consequence, the potential for modal shift is limited. The cost efficiency of road-rail intermodal transport is particularly sensitive to pre- and post-haulage (PPH) costs, since this activity typically has a larger cost compared with its share of the total distance in the transport chain. For intermodal transportation over shorter distances, for example, below 300 km and where there are substantial PPH activities at both ends of the chain, the competitiveness of the intermodal transport system compared with that of direct road is low. Improving the efficiency of PPH activities is, therefore, of utmost importance for the competitiveness of the intermodal transport system. This paper looks into the issue of improving the cost efficiency of an intermodal transport chain by implementing an innovative and flexible legal framework regarding the PPH activities in the chain. By extending the legal framework with exemptions for longer vehicles in PPH, the cost efficiency could be greatly improved. The purpose of such a framework is to allow and enable, for PPH exclusively, the use of 2 × 40 foot or even two semi-trailers using only one vehicle in the context of the Swedish regulatory framework. This paper develops a strategic calculation model for assessing and investigating the consequences of such a framework and investigates the framework's potential in terms of cost efficiency. The model in combination with a sensitivity analysis of input variables gives a comprehensive understanding of the effects of PPH under different circumstances. From the results, it is evident that there are substantial positive effects associated with a PPH framework of longer vehicles. Results indicate that a typical shipper may experience cost reductions of about 5-10% of the total costs of the intermodal transport chain. In summary, a more innovative and flexible legal framework regarding vehicle length in the PPH links can contribute to a greater modal shift, improved cost efficiency and more environmentally friendly transportation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge in this paper is to examine to what extent increased barge transport offers an alternative for road transport. To increase barge transport, innovations are needed. The central issue is as follows. Which barge innovations can be implemented successfully? The paper reviews the most important academic literature (some of which is scarce) on barge transport. The literature has been used as input to evaluate the potential of barge innovations for broad market‐based introduction. Furthermore, the innovations have been evaluated on their potential to enlarge the barge market. The analysis leads to a number of conclusions. The most promising innovations for a successful broad‐based market introduction are the catalyst and filter systems Z‐drive, Tempomaat, air‐lubricated barges, model shift scans, Distrivaart, dedicated barges and sea–river transport. Besides the innovation having a success potential in terms of broad‐based market introduction, it is important that the innovation enlarges the market for barge transport. Only three of the potential successful innovations (Distrivaart, dedicated barges and sea–river transport) also show the potential to enlarge the market for barge transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between globalization and transport volumes is complex because of many causes. Rising incomes, more leisure time, new technologies and the ageing of the population are just a few examples of trends that will influence the future development of the transport sector in terms of both passenger and freight transport. This means that the future of the transport sector is characterized by uncertainty. The aim of this paper is to map out the possible impacts of current globalization trends on the European transport sector in terms of transport flows and carbon dioxide emissions by means of a novel multilayer assessment model. By applying a scenario approach and designing four contrasting development paths seen from a European perspective, the alternative futures of the sector are assessed in terms of transport volumes and emissions. The empirical findings appear to result almost everywhere in a (strong) growth of transport and emissions. Hence, the intriguing research question is now whether the introduction of specific environmentally benign policies in Europe could change this development. Consequently, the paper confronts the foreseen EU objectives with current policies, as creating sustainable mobility is a key element in EU transport policy. Our findings indicate, however, that the achievement of sustainable mobility is rather problematic. Effective policy implementation and (as yet uncertain) new technology developments may offer new opportunities to achieve a more balanced development of the transport sector. However, in most cases, only a combination of strict environmental policies (including transport policy) and a fundamental change of lifestyles in the mobile society is likely to lead to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions in the next 20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to highlight the importance of modern telecommunications networks in combined transport marketing channels deployed for intermodal terminals. To develop a customer-based and broadly applicable framework for studying combined freight transport in Europe, the use of the marketing channel theory is advocated. The central research question addressed in this paper is: which opportunities do telecommunications networks offer to intermodal freight terminals in order to function more efficiently in combined transport marketing channels? After a description of the information sector and telecommunications networks, recent developments in these booming sectors are pinpointed and the opportunities offered to intermodal freight terminals and combined transport are mapped out. The central focus is on intermodal freight terminals in combined transport marketing channels in which different types of flows are employed (e.g. payment, ordering, promotion, etc.). All these marketing channel flows are, in principle, customer-driven and require a lot of tailor-made information and, thus, also the use of proper telecommunications networks. This paper describes the changing scene of intermodal freight terminals with a particular view to the opportunities—service change, service development, market development, diversification—for intermodal freight terminals to improve their competitive position by using the information and communication technology sector. The main message is that there are numerous opportunities for intermodal freight terminals to function more efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper outlines some preliminary results of an ongoing study on 'conditions of success in sustainable transport policies in cities'. The study consists of a comparative analysis of five case studies dealing with relatively successful European cities in three countries: Zurich, Basle (Switzerland), Amsterdam, Groningen (The Netherlands) and Freiburg (Germany). Having in mind the ongoing deterioration of traffic-related environmental problems in cities, the paper proceeds in a three-step approach: by describing the trends of transport of persons and the environment in general and of forerunner cities in particular, the opportunities and limits of sustainable urban transport developments are detected in a first step. In a second step, the degrees and patterns of environmentally oriented policy changes in relatively successful cities are outlined. The third step focuses on the reasons and ways policy windows open up for fundamental environmentally oriented changes of transport policies. It is argued that 'macro-windows' for such changes only open up due to strong and enduring forces originally from outside the local political system. Social crises and impressive political mandates were identified as important external factors that influenced the 'greening' of urban transport in the relatively successful cities. However, an open macro-window is only conceived as a political opportunity for change, a necessary but not sufficient condition. Whether or to what extent these opportunities are utilized depends on further factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to propose a framework on driving cycle development based on a thorough review of 101 transient driving cycles. A comparison of the driving cycles highlighted that Asian driving is the slowest but most aggressive while European driving is the fastest and smoothest. Further review of the cycle development methodologies identified three major elements for developing a driving cycle; test route selection, data collection and cycle construction methods. A framework was eventually proposed based on these findings and recommendations from this review. First, traffic activity patterns and quantitative statistics should be considered in determining the test routes. Speed data can be collected by using chase car method, on-board measurement techniques or their hybrid. As for the construction of driving cycle, the matching approach has been more commonly used. It is recommended that the tendency of zero change in acceleration, which has been commonly ignored in the literature, and the application of succession probability at second-by-second level should be further explored. A fifth mode, creeping, is also recommended for modal analysis for characterizing urban congested driving conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early nineties, after the collapse of the communist system, many Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries hoped to expand their motorway network by offering concessions to private companies to finance, build and operate toll roads. Both the lack of public resources and the aim of increasing the role of private sector in the economy were behind that policy. In the nearly two decades since, roughly one-third of the motorways built in CEE have been private concessions. But far fewer such motorways were built than expected, and many of those that were built were financed largely by payments from the government rather than by toll revenues. Moreover, all the toll roads are concentrated in three countries—Hungary, Poland and Croatia. This paper examines the history of toll road projects in those countries and the reasons of the gap between the expected outcomes and the actual results, which vary across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to identify enablers and barriers that stimulate or prevent the adoption of alternatively powered buses (APBs) in cities. The research method concentrates on an in-depth analysis of 21 European demonstration case studies of APBs. Considerable differences exist between these cities due to the different reference situation. The type of measurement and the situation in the demonstration cities influence the exact fuel consumption and emission reduction. Variables that could enable the adoption of all types of APBs are: (1) the compatibility with previously introduced ideas; (2) the already available necessary supporting infrastructure in the city; (3) a changed external appearance of the APB; (4) the acceptance of the APBs by passengers and bus drivers; and (5) political support in the city regarding the APBs. The main variables that could be determined as barriers are: the relative economic advantage (the outline of costs is higher than that of conventional buses); and the understanding of the APB for bus drivers and mechanics (because special training is needed for both groups). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the rationale, the method, and the alternative choices in the process of restructuring the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE). The most likely alternative structures regarding ownership and management issues of the new entities that will inherit the old OSE organization, and discusses the strategic implications of these alternatives are discussed. A critical view of the process of Greek railway reform and the evaluation results of the alternative organizational structures for the new situation are presented. It first presents the current experience in European Union and other countries of Europe, and the relative position of the Greek railways vis-à-vis the most common practices. The most likely options for the new organizational structure are presented which will result from the application of the European Union Directives and the Greek Law 2671/98 for the reorganization of the Greek railways. Based on a more detailed presentation of expected income and expenditures (i.e. economic viability) of the alternatives, a structure and a roadmap to these reforms is recommended for a successful and, above all 'implementable', reform of the Greek railways under the current conditions. Finally, the process for change and restructuring is described in terms of the basic principles and procedures that should be followed, and in terms of the necessary steps and procedures for the transition from the current to the new situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a review of available data from a database on large‐scale transport infrastructure projects, this paper investigates the hypothesis that traffic forecasts for road links in Europe are geographically biased with underestimated traffic volumes in metropolitan areas and overestimated traffic volumes in remote regions. The present data do not support this hypothesis. Since previous studies have shown a strong tendency to overestimated forecasts of the number of passengers on new rail projects, it could be speculated that road planners are more skilful and/or honest than rail planners. However, during the period when the investigated projects were planned (up to the late 1980s), there were hardly any strong incentives for road planners to make biased forecasts in order to place their projects in a more flattering light. Future research might uncover whether the change from the ‘predict and provide’ paradigm to ‘predict and prevent’ occurring in some European countries in the 1990s has influenced the accuracy of road traffic forecasts in metropolitan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institutional environment of rail transport has changed as a result of recent European directives, but the changes have taken different forms from one country to another. In the case of international maritime chains, the development of door‐to‐door services makes inland haulage from the loading and discharging ports extremely important, and it highlights the need to reshape the rail freight industry. This paper analyses the degree of involvement of different actors drawn from the maritime industry in developing and commercializing rail services in the changing regulatory environment. Several maritime operators, shipping lines, port‐handling companies and port authorities have been involved in some container rail services since the early days of liberalization. Their commitments take very different forms, however. Whereas contracts are mainly used for the provision of service, particularly for train haulage, integration by means of shareholding or creating subsidiaries or joint ventures is used for marketing. Important differences between France, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands are detailed. In the latter two countries, there is more involvement in the provision of rail services. Marketing rail services appear to be the main strategic issue for the maritime operators in all four countries [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the international dimension of environmental laws and legislation is gaining in importance, it has become increasingly essential to compare and assess international data. Can international data on noise, often produced by using different national calculation methods, be compared? And what does it mean for (inter)national noise policy? This paper focuses on international data on noise created by road and railroad traffic. Research shows possible differences in the outcome of noise calculations using different national methodologies of up to 15 dB(A). Furthermore, national noise indices and noise standards differ considerably, making it even more difficult to compare data on noise exposure. Therefore, harmonization of calculation methods and noise indices, as initiated by the European Commission, is a necessary first step. Although noise standards are left to the Member States, an effective European noise policy would be enhanced if the same type of indices were used for both noise‐level calculations and noise standards. L aeq ‐type indices are recommended in this regard. Although harmonizing noise calculations and using the same kind of indices would make noise data more comparable, it would still not make Europe quieter. This is why noise measures, preferably at the source, are necessary. The European Commission in Brussels plays a major role in introducing these noise measures. Reduction of tyre noise by tightening emission limits is the most promising option. This may be supported at the national level by applying silent pavements. Integrating noise into spatial planning is the most cost‐effective option at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport problems that urban centres now face (as regard congestion, the environment and public deficits) have led to an examination of competition in the sector. Some countries have moved towards the deregulation or privatization of urban public transport, influenced by developments in the theory of contestable markets. These analyses could potentially provide a means of increasing the efficiency of public services and, hence, public transport. However, the authors do not feel that they can deal with the full extent of the problem. Particularly in urban areas, there is a need nowadays to examine the issue of competition between the passenger car and public transport, especially from the pricing angle. In France, decades of policy strongly influenced by a preference for the car have prevented this problem from being a central concern for researchers and decision-makers. The approach to the problem has mainly been centred on increasing urban supply to meet demand better. However, a failure to consider pricing, and the subsidization phenomena that can occur as a result, affects the shape of supply systems. Pricing, through its action on demand, acts on supply by increasing or reducing its potential profitability. 'Snowball' effects can, therefore, mean that slight underpricing results in the domination of one transport mode. These effects have been revealed in particular by work in the new field of network economics. The example of the Lyon conurbation shall be used to illustrate the case, which is that car travel is underpriced. The basis of the exposé will be a detailed analysis of the externalities associated with the car, i.e. the costs of car use and the revenue it raises for the community. The second part of the paper is a study of several urban travel policies in Europe (France, UK, Switzerland, Italy) to show the 'effects' of this underpricing. Where supply has followed the pressure of demand, the dominance of the car has been reinforced. However, in cities, particularly in Switzerland, where supply has been restricted, this dominance has been considerably moderated. On the other hand, it can be seen from the French example that taking strong action to improve public transport is not in itself sufficient to increase usage. Several lessons can be learnt from this work. First, it is shown, if it was still necessary to do so, that the problems of urban travel require a comprehensive and coherent approach. Modal policy must, therefore, be assessed with reference to the entire transport system. Next, in connection with the issue of regulation, it is important to consider the issue of competition in urban areas, and not only competition between public transport operators, but also (and even above all) competition within the entire system of personal and public transport. Finally, with regard to pricing, the ratchet effects that benefit the car as a result of its underpricing in urban areas need to be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is the comparison of the efficiency levels for a set of European rail companies in monopoly situations with respect to hypothetical duopoly situations. More specifically, the aim is to test whether the operating costs function of such companies is subadditive. A cost function is subadditive when a single firm can produce all relevant output vectors cheaper than two or more firms. In order to do so the test developed by Evans and Heckman (1984) will be used. It was applied for the American phone company Bell System to assess the convenience of separating the management of local and long-distance services. The results indicate that at least for the companies of a greater size, an efficiency increase (as measured by lower costs), would be obtained from the separation of the current companies in two different companies of a lower size. Besides, these efficiency gains are greater when the two new companies specialize their production, either on passenger or on freight traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To contribute to a sustainable society, considerable reduction in energy use and CO[sub 2] emissions should be achieved. This paper presents the results of calculations exploring the energy use reduction potential of passenger transport for Western Europe (OECD Europe minus Turkey). For these calculations, three types of options are defined emphasizing technological, infrastructural and behavioural change. By 2050, technological improvements may reduce energy use per passenger-km by - 30%. Adding infrastructural options, an energy reduction of > 50% by 2050 can be realised. To achieve further energy reductions, options with a large behavioural impact should also be implemented. This results in an 80% energy reduction potential in the transport sector by 2050. To calculate the reduction potential on OECD Europe level, one should factor in expectations concerning mobility growth. Two mobility development scenarios are used. Both scenarios foresee a net decrease in total energy use of 20% with the introduction of the technological and infrastructural improvement options. Adding options emphasizing behavioural change results in a net reduction potential of - 60% by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the main road-traffic parameters that determine air pollution, i.e. the total volume of traffic, road speeds and the composition of the vehicle fleet. Changes in the amounts of pollutants emitted, and the importance of each of the three parameters, have been computed by using a traffic assignment model, which also represents emission factors. The types of policies that may be implemented to reduce the environmental impact of transport are then considered. The study demonstrates, for example, that the impact of a deterioration in traffic conditions is limited in comparison with the effect of forecast increases in traffic and improvements in the environmental performance of vehicles. As a consequence, if cities and urban transport are to achieve sustainable development, urban expansion must take place in a controlled way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comprehensive framework for analysing and comparing the various institutional models and regulatory arrangements that have recently emerged from the restructuring of European passenger rail industries. The framework identifies seven key dimensions that can be used to describe these models and arrangements. It shows how these dimensions are connected with one another in a complex web of interactions. Empirical material gathered on the passenger rail industries of five EU Member States, i.e. Belgium, France, Germany, the UK, and Sweden is used, as well as extrapolation to highlight the costs and benefits (incentive properties) associated with alternative arrangements and contract features and to show how certain dimensions can be traded-off against one another to optimize the industry's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major challenges for urban planning at the end of the century is the problem that the continuous growth in traffic has had on the achievement of sustainable urban development. This paper presents the major elements of the debate from a European perspective and it sketches out the choices available to decision-makers, together with the very considerable barriers to implementation. The major issues to be addressed, if transport is to conform to the principles of sustainable urban development, are outlined from an international perspective. The actions available are grouped under the three headings of technology, economic and financial, and regulation and planning. The particular problems in Europe relate to the shortage of space, higher densities and the protection of open space. It is argued that high-quality liveable cities must be the basis for sustainable urban development and policies should be implemented to achieve that objective, so the outward migration of residents is reversed. Sustainable living requires people to want to live in close proximity in an attractive, affordable urban environment. Recent research in Europe on the options available at the strategic and the city level will be cited to illustrate the actions that are now being considered to achieve sustainable transport in 2020. To achieve this objective, action is required on both the technology of transport and decoupling of transport from economic growth. In addition, the commitment and involvement of all affected parties is essential, so that imaginative and effective measures can be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]