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•The paper reports findings from a work from home survey pre and during the pandemic.•The two timeframes enables comparisons to be made to behaviours before and during.•The results suggest how society may have changed and how attitudes to WFH may have a long-term shift.

•We develop a dynamic DEA framework to assess the operational performance of eHUBs.•The model uses the turnover rate, balancing rate, and length of trips as outputs.•eHUBs situated near transit hubs and higher education institutes show high efficiency.•Population and weather temperature are primary influencing factors on riding demand.•Shared e-bikes weakly complement public transport and serve as standalone travel mode.

The range limitations of electric vehicle (EV) technology have given rise to range anxiety, identified as one of the main barriers to EV adoption. Range limitation may be a greater barrier for countries or states that are predominantly rural, with few major urban areas, than it is for large cities. This paper presents data recorded in Ireland on the spatial usage patterns of a fast charging network for an extended period. The data are used to assess how the infrastructure is being used and to examine issues relating to urban versus rural usage patterns. Infrastructure rollout strategies are examined in the context of the main findings from this analysis, and a spatial density analysis is presented to examine how a desired density can influence a rollout strategy. The fast charging requirements of urban users were found to differ from those of rural and commuter groups. Urban users tend to charge their vehicles close to their home as a means of extending their local EV range. EV users from other geographic areas tend to charge their vehicles farther from their home. This work indicates that current rollout strategies based primarily on “electric” highway corridors may not be appropriate for all EV users; different infrastructure rollout strategies based on fast charging facility densities and geographic location may be more appropriate.

Since the publication of the European Noise Directive in 2002, many European cities are required to quantify environmental noise levels and manage them. This requires measurement and noise mapping. The majority of local authorities conduct short term noise surveys and extrapolate the measurements to characterise long term noise levels. There is considerable support in the research literature for this approach. In this paper we examine the validity of this approach based on an analysis of a year-long data set from a permanent noise monitoring network located in the city of Dublin, Ireland. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) on more than 1.02 million LAeq measurements at five temporal levels – month, week, day and hour – are presented. The results demonstrate a large degree of statistically significant difference between periods, at all of the temporal scales examined, suggesting that caution needs to be taken when assuming that noise measurements taken over very short time periods can statistically capture or represent noise levels over longer periods. Our conclusion is that long term noise monitoring is necessary to accurately characterise long term indicators.

The range limitations of electric vehicle (EV) technology have given rise to range anxiety, identified as one of the main barriers to EV adoption. Range limitation may be a greater barrier for countries or states that are predominantly rural, with few major urban areas, than it is for large cities. This paper presents data recorded in Ireland on the spatial usage patterns of a fast charging network for an extended period. The data are used to assess how the infrastructure is being used and to examine issues relating to urban versus rural usage patterns. Infrastructure rollout strategies are examined in the context of the main findings from this analysis, and a spatial density analysis is presented to examine how a desired density can influence a rollout strategy. The fast charging requirements of urban users were found to differ from those of rural and commuter groups. Urban users tend to charge their vehicles close to their home as a means of extending their local EV range. EV users from other geographic areas tend to charge their vehicles farther from their home. This work indicates that current rollout strategies based primarily on “electric” highway corridors may not be appropriate for all EV users; different infrastructure rollout strategies based on fast charging facility densities and geographic location may be more appropriate.

This paper uses data collected from electric vehicle (EV) household charge points in Ireland to analyse existing EV charging profiles. The potential impacts of increased numbers of EVs in the population on the Irish electrical grid are assessed if EV penetration levels were to increase to different levels in the population. The 2011 census database was used to examine the key demands of the population in terms of their car-based work trips for a number of projected growth scenarios. A large proportion of Irish households were identified as being suitable for the purchase of an EV on this basis. The next step in the research examined the potential impact on the electrical grid of the potential charging demand for the projected scenarios. The projected supply capacity within the Irish electrical grid would appear sufficiently capable to absorb the likely power demand from EVs in both 2016 and 2020 scenarios.

The objective of this study was to undertake a social cost-benefit analysis of the proposed deployment of 230,000 electric vehicles in Ireland by 2020. The study analyzed the socioeconomic costs and benefits of this policy by comparing the environmental benefits, expressed in monetary values, with the associated reduction in tax revenues and the cost of the government's electric vehicle grant scheme. The study found that the 10% penetration of annual sales by electric vehicles by 2020 would result in a monetary loss of approximately £324 million (US$ 457 million) for the government (0.5% to 1% of total tax revenue expressed at 2009 levels). The primary reason for this shortfall would be a loss in all sources of tax revenue as a result of the electric vehicle penetration rates required to achieve an appreciable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The objective of this study was to undertake a social cost–benefit analysis of the proposed deployment of 230,000 electric vehicles in Ireland by 2020. The study analyzed the socioeconomic costs and benefits of this policy by comparing the environmental benefits, expressed in monetary values, with the associated reduction in tax revenues and the cost of the government's electric vehicle grant scheme. The study found that the 10% penetration of annual sales by electric vehicles by 2020 would result in a monetary loss of approximately €324 million (US$ 457 million) for the government (0.5% to 1% of total tax revenue expressed at 2009 levels). The primary reason for this shortfall would be a loss in all sources of tax revenue as a result of the electric vehicle penetration rates required to achieve an appreciable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Traditionally, game theoretic approaches to measuring transport network reliability have relied on the outcome of a game played between network users seeking to minimize their travel costs and an origin-destination-specific (O-D-specific) demon that seeks the opposite by damaging links in the network. This problem assumes the presence of only one demon in each O-D pair and assumes the capacity reduction to be 50% if the link is selected for damage by one or more O-D-specific demons. The game is typically expressed as a path-based formulation, which is computationally intensive since the formulation requires path enumeration. With relaxation of the assumptions on the O-D-specific nature of the demons and the capacity reduction, a link-based multiple network demon formulation is proposed by the nonlinear complementarity problem approach, in which each demon is free to select any link to damage. Within this framework, the effects of the proposed model on total expected network cost and reliability measures are examined, and specific examples demonstrate the paradoxical phenomenon that if one adds a road to a network, then all travelers may be worse off for total expected network cost or travel time reliability. Overall, the results indicate the importance of assumptions used to total expected network cost and reliability measures and provide some insights into the problem of ignoring these paradoxical phenomena in reliable and robust network design.

Arguments defending the poor attention given to those with disabilities in regard to equal opportunities for transportation options tend to center on the high cost of providing or improving facilities. This paper examines the current quality of service on a variety of modes and mode ancillaries, such as stations and stops, as determined by individuals with disabilities. That section is followed by an examination of the measures to improve the quality of service that those with disabilities require. The evaluations are done with four types of disability groups; although the samples of individuals involved are small, the findings are incisive and clear. The improvement measures discussed fall into two categories: those that are costly and those that are more a matter of consideration being given by transportation operators. For example, timetables could be located at a lower level at bus stops to facilitate wheelchair users and stops could be announced as buses approach them. It would appear that in many cases low-cost solutions could be considered marginal changes to work practices or decision making, but the impact they could have on quality of service indicators for those with disabilities, such as accessibility, would be considerable.

Arguments defending the poor attention given to those with disabilities in regard to equal opportunities for transportation options tend to center on the high cost of providing or improving facilities. This paper examines the current quality of service on a variety of modes and mode ancillaries, such as stations and stops, as determined by individuals with disabilities. That section is followed by an examination of the measures to improve the quality of service that those with disabilities require. The evaluations are done with four types of disability groups; although the samples of individuals involved are small, the findings are incisive and clear. The improvement measures discussed fall into two categories: those that are costly and those that are more a matter of consideration being given by transportation operators. For example, timetables could be located at a lower level at bus stops to facilitate wheelchair users and stops could be announced as buses approach them. It would appear that in many cases low-cost solutions could be considered marginal changes to work practices or decision making, but the impact they could have on quality of service indicators for those with disabilities, such as accessibility, would be considerable.

Findings are presented from a study evaluating sustainable freight distribution in the city center of Dublin, Ireland, particularly focusing on urban distribution centers (UDCs) and managing the last mile of deliveries. A survey of city center organizations is described, and relevant delivery patterns (origin, destination, type of goods delivered) are compared with those from a previous feasibility analysis to determine UDC opportunities in Dublin. A real-life commercial example of a UDC is also described. Ireland's largest grocery distributor operates this UDC. The operational efficiencies and the wider benefits of the UDC are discussed. In addition, a commercial example of managing the last mile of deliveries through a city center delivery platform is detailed. The delivery platform is managed by a leading logistics service provider.

The relationship between high levels of car usage and the failure to charge car users the true costs of driving is well documented. One of these costs is the cost of parking; of particular concern is the failure of employers to charge employees this cost. This paper aims to investigate employees’ attitudes and potential travel behavior responses to measures selected to deal with parking in the workplace. A survey of university employees examined the employees’ responses to the removal of free car parking spaces, to parking cash-out policies, and to workplace parking charges. The results tend to support related research indicating that cash-out schemes are more popular if they are flexible. An analysis of the data examines the impact of a number of variables on the results; differences in responses by gender, age group, and income are observed. Altogether, 28% of respondents indicated that they would continue to drive to work if a € 5 daily charge was applied, and a similar number said that they would use public transport on some days. In response to a parking cash-out scheme, 66% of respondents indicated that they would continue to drive to work. Individuals’ preferred cash-out method was to give up their car parking space on a daily basis.

Findings are presented from a study evaluating sustainable freight distribution in the city center of Dublin, Ireland, particularly focusing on urban distribution centers (UDCs) and managing the last mile of deliveries. A survey of city center organizations is described, and relevant delivery patterns (origin, destination, type of goods delivered) are compared with those from a previous feasibility analysis to determine UDC opportunities in Dublin. A real-life commercial example of a UDC is also described. Ireland's largest grocery distributor operates this UDC. The operational efficiencies and the wider benefits of the UDC are discussed. In addition, a commercial example of managing the last mile of deliveries through a city center delivery platform is detailed. The delivery platform is managed by a leading logistics service provider.

The relationship between high levels of car usage and the failure to charge car users the true costs of driving is well documented. One of these costs is the cost of parking; of particular concern is the failure of employers to charge employees this cost. This paper aims to investigate employees' attitudes and potential travel behavior responses to measures selected to deal with parking in the workplace. A survey of university employees examined the employees' responses to the removal of free car parking spaces, to parking cash-out policies, and to workplace parking charges. The results tend to support related research indicating that cash-out schemes are more popular if they are flexible. An analysis of the data examines the impact of a number of variables on the results; differences in responses by gender, age group, and income are observed. Altogether, 28% of respondents indicated that they would continue to drive to work if a €5 daily charge was applied, and a similar number said that they would use public transport on some days. In response to a parking cash-out scheme, 66 % of respondents indicated that they would continue to drive to work. Individuals' preferred cash-out method was to give up their car parking space on a daily basis.

Traffic congestion is proving to be a major cost and inconvenience for many businesses and companies, particularly those whose activities demand high levels of transport per unit of production. Following the recent period, from the mid-1990s to today, of heightened economic activity against the background of years of underinvestment in transport infrastructure, Irish businesses are no exception. Analysis was conducted on the results of a survey conducted on Irish businesses in three sectors—manufacturing, distribution and sales, and services—to estimate the impact of traffic congestion. The opinion of the companies was also sought on how they believe transport strategies by the government under the National Development Plan and new infrastructure, either under construction or proposed, will relieve traffic congestion. Finally, the survey investigated what type of strategies companies had used or would consider using to mitigate the negative impacts of traffic congestion. Those policies examined included relocation, flexible working hours, teleworking, and provision of alternative transport for staff. The findings indicated that traffic congestion has an impact on a large proportion of companies to a major degree, particularly when one considers road haulage costs, delivery schedules from the company, and staff punctuality. To mitigate the negative impacts, the strategies that have been used most by companies are flexible working hours, teleworking, and contracting out the distribution function—with relocation and moving the distribution function to the rail mode being less popular than other approaches.

The introduction of 11 quality bus corridors (QBCs) has been a success story in the provision of public transport in Dublin, Ireland, over the past few years. In a city where the bus is the main mode of public transport, the QBC initiative has resulted in decreased commute times and increased ridership. QBCs operate on dedicated traffic lanes between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and in certain instances on a 24-h basis. The performance of the Malahide QBC, which extends 7.5 km (4.7 mi) from the city center to the northeast of the city, is measured by examining service coverage, headway, and transit/automobile travel time (the difference in travel time between transit and private vehicles). The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual(TCQSM) is used to provide quality of service measurements on the corridor to evaluate its performance. Data for the TCQSM analysis were taken from an automatic license plate recognition system that was installed on the Malahide QBC in 2003. Future plans for the QBC network are presented, along with a concluding examination of how QBCs play a role in providing a more efficient public transport system in Dublin.

The introduction of 11 quality bus corridors (QBCs) has been a success story in the provision of public transport in Dublin, Ireland, over the past few years. In a city where the bus is the main mode of public transport, the QBC initiative has resulted in decreased commute times and increased ridership. QBCs operate on dedicated traffic lanes between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and in certain instances on a 24-h basis. The performance of the Malahide QBC, which extends 7.5 km (4.7 mi) from the city center to the northeast of the city, is measured by examining service coverage, headway, and transit/automobile travel time (the difference in travel time between transit and private vehicles). The Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM) is used to provide quality of service measurements on the corridor to evaluate its performance. Data for the TCQSM analysis were taken from an automatic license plate recognition system that was installed on the Malahide QBC in 2003. Future plans for the QBC network are presented, along with a concluding examination of how QBCs play a role in providing a more efficient public transport system in Dublin.

Traffic congestion is proving to be a major cost and inconvenience for many businesses and companies, particularly those whose activities demand high levels of transport per unit of production. Following the recent period, from the mid-1990s to today, of heightened economic activity against the background of years of underinvestment in transport infrastructure, Irish businesses are no exception. Analysis was conducted on the results of a survey conducted on Irish businesses in three sectors—manufacturing, distribution and sales, and services—to estimate the impact of traffic congestion. The opinion of the companies was also sought on how they believe transport strategies by the government under the National Development Plan and new infrastructure, either under construction or proposed, will relieve traffic congestion. Finally, the survey investigated what type of strategies companies had used or would consider using to mitigate the negative impacts of traffic congestion. Those policies examined included relocation, flexible working hours, teleworking, and provision of alternative transport for staff. The findings indicated that traffic congestion has an impact on a large proportion of companies to a major degree, particularly when one considers road haulage costs, delivery schedules from the company, and staff punctuality. To mitigate the negative impacts, the strategies that have been used most by companies are flexible working hours, teleworking, and contracting out the distribution function—with relocation and moving the distribution function to the rail mode being less popular than other approaches.

The crucial dependence on intermodal transport of an open island economy, where almost all external trade passes through the seaports, is examined. The rapid growth of the Irish economy puts great strains on the transport supply chains, particularly in the vicinity of the principal seaport in Dublin, where major congestion occurs. This adversely affects the competitiveness of small and medium-sized exporting companies. Increasing prosperity has resulted in an explosion in the numbers of private cars, which puts great strain on an inadequate internal infrastructure. A review of Irish ports confirms that congestion on the access routes to the Dublin port is the major bottleneck in the long transport chains for exporters. Relief from the freight traffic transiting the city center must await the completion of a dedicated port access tunnel, and interim solutions are needed. In the case of food exporters, globalization, the power of the retail conglomerates, and peripheral location demand a high level of supply chain efficiencies. A survey of export transport chains for selected products shows that transit costs can be a significant proportion of the total consignment value. At the level of the indigenous companies, supply chain management capabilities are shown to be below an acceptable standard in two-thirds of the firms surveyed. Possible solutions for facilitation of freight access in the vicinity of the port and for introduction of more sustainable solutions for goods deliveries in the historic city center are explored. Measures that can be taken to improve the logistics management capabilities in companies are also described.

The crucial dependence on intermodal transport of an open island economy, where almost all external trade passes through the seaports, is examined. The rapid growth of the Irish economy puts great strains on the transport supply chains, particularly in the vicinity of the principal seaport in Dublin, where major congestion occurs. This adversely affects the competitiveness of small and medium-sized exporting companies. Increasing prosperity has resulted in an explosion in the numbers of private cars, which puts great strain on an inadequate internal infrastructure. A review of Irish ports confirms that congestion on the access routes to the Dublin port is the major bottleneck in the long transport chains for exporters. Relief from the freight traffic transiting the city center must await the completion of a dedicated port access tunnel, and interim solutions are needed. In the case of food exporters, globalization, the power of the retail conglomerates, and peripheral location demand a high level of supply chain efficiencies. A survey of export transport chains for selected products shows that transit costs can be a significant proportion of the total consignment value. At the level of the indigenous companies, supply chain management capabilities are shown to be below an acceptable standard in two-thirds of the firms surveyed. Possible solutions for facilitation of freight access in the vicinity of the port and for introduction of more sustainable solutions for goods deliveries in the historic city center are explored. Measures that can be taken to improve the logistics management capabilities in companies are also described.

Bus transport in Dublin has been and continues to be perceived as a poor alternative to the car. It is generally seen as the “poor person’s” mode of transport, with many people upgrading to a car as soon as they can afford to do so. The result has been a significant increase in traffic congestion fueled by the recent period of economic growth during which car ownership levels have risen from 238 per 1,000 in 1991 to 350 per 1,000 in 1999. One of the main difficulties facing the state-owned bus company is that buses compete with cars for inadequate road space. In 1995, the Dublin Transportation Initiative proposed a new public transport strategy incorporating light rail transit and what they described as quality bus corridors (QBCs). To date, 9 out of 11 QBCs have been implemented. The characteristics of a QBC include a dedicated lane between 0700 to 1900 in most cases, although some 24-hour bus corridors also exist. Although there is no physical separation between the bus lane and other lanes, enforcement by the police is strict and there is a relatively low level of noncompliance. The QBC concept is described in more detail and the effects since introduction in Dublin are discussed, particularly with regard to travel times, passenger numbers, and reliability of service frequency. Future plans for bus transport in Dublin are mentioned, highlighting the significant contribution buses will be expected to make in solving Dublin’s transport problems.

Bus transport in Dublin has been and continues to be perceived as a poor alternative to the car. It is generally seen as the "poor person's" mode of transport, with many people upgrading to a car as soon as they can afford to do so. The result has been a significant increase in traffic congestion fueled by the recent period of economic growth during which car ownership levels have risen from 238 per 1,000 in 1991 to 350 per 1,000 in 1999. One of the main difficulties facing the state-owned bus company is that buses compete with cars for inadequate road space. In 1995, the Dublin Transportation Initiative proposed a new public transport strategy incorporating light rail transit and what they described as quality bus corridors (QBCs). To date, 9 out of 11 QBCs have been implemented. The characteristics of a QBC include a dedicated lane between 0700 to 1900 in most cases, although some 24-hour bus corridors also exist. Although there is no physical separation between the bus lane and other lanes, enforcement by the police is strict and there is a relatively low level of noncompliance. The QBC concept is described in more detail and the effects since introduction in Dublin are discussed, particularly with regard to travel times, passenger numbers, and reliability of service frequency. Future plans for bus transport in Dublin are mentioned, highlighting the significant contribution buses will be expected to make in solving Dublin's transport problems.

Transport strategies in Dublin before 1990 were primarily road based with particular emphasis on increasing road space within the city for the car. In the early 1990s, however, the Dublin Transportation Initiative recommended a more innovative strategy, the core of which centered on public transport. Implementation of the strategy is currently under way, but increased economic activity, with associated increases in car ownership and usage, has undermined the potential to address the imbalance between transport demand and supply, particularly in the shorter term. As a result, feasible and reliable public transport alternatives do not currently exist for car users on some radial corridors. The ongoing implementation of bus lanes and an increase in the number of buses should go some way in improving the reliability of the service. It is against this background that road use pricing is considered. The potential user response to road user charging is examined by means of a pilot action project to investigate whether further evaluation of the measure would be justified on a larger sample. The distance-and-time-based time-differentiated pricing method used in the pilot action induced a significant decrease of 22 percent in car trips and a 23 percent reduction in distance traveled during the peak period, reflecting the relatively high road use charges applied in that period. The total distance traveled decreased by 13 percent. The road user charge reflects the marginal external costs of car travel in the peak period in Dublin.

Transport strategies in Dublin before 1990 were primarily road based with particular emphasis on increasing road space within the city for the car. In the early 1990s, however, the Dublin Transportation Initiative recommended a more innovative strategy, the core of which centered on public transport. Implementation of the strategy is currently under way, but increased economic activity, with associated increases in car ownership and usage, has undermined the potential to address the imbalance between transport demand and supply, particularly in the shorter term. As a result, feasible and reliable public transport alternatives do not currently exist for car users on some radial corridors. The ongoing implementation of bus lanes and an increase in the number of buses should go some way in improving the reliability of the service. It is against this background that road use pricing is considered. The potential user response to road user charging is examined by means of a pilot action project to investigate whether further evaluation of the measure would be justified on a larger sample. The distance-and-time-based time-differentiated pricing method used in the pilot action induced a significant decrease of 22 percent in car trips and a 23 percent reduction in distance traveled during the peak period, reflecting the relatively high road use charges applied in that period. The total distance traveled decreased by 13 percent. The road user charge reflects the marginal external costs of car travel in the peak period in Dublin.

The environmental and social costs of transport are becoming an important issue in Europe as car ownership and usage levels continue to rise. A subject of current debate is the internalization of these external costs by means of road-use pricing in a fair and efficient way, particularly in urban areas. Similar theory can be applied in an interregional transport context, but little research has been conducted in this area to date. The TRENEN model has been developed under the European Union TRANSPORT Program to quantify the marginal external costs of transport. Case studies have been completed for several European cities, using the urban version of the model, and for Belgium, Ireland, and Italy, using the interregional version. The calibration of the interregional model and the related case study results for Ireland are presented. The conclusions suggest users of all transportation modes currently pay less than the marginal external costs of their transportation activities. Another finding is that traffic congestion is a major externality. The model allows comparison of different transportation policy options with a full optimum scenario (the external costs are internalized precisely). Typically, such a policy would be difficult to implement, given the sophisticated pricing instrumentation required. However, it serves as a good baseline for testing other policies. In the case of Ireland, when a congestion pricing policy—similar to that used for motorways in France—was compared with the full optimum case, it achieved 60 percent of the maximum achievable welfare.

The environmental and social costs of transport are becoming an important issue in Europe as car ownership and usage levels continue to rise. A subject of current debate is the internalization of these external costs by means of road-use pricing in a fair and efficient way, particularly in urban areas. Similar theory can be applied in an interregional transport context, but little research has been conducted in this area to date. The TRENEN model has been developed under the European Union TRANSPORT Program to quantify the marginal external costs of transport. Case studies have been completed for several European cities, using the urban version of the model, and for Belgium, Ireland, and Italy, using the interregional version. The calibration of the interregional model and the related case study results for Ireland are presented. The conclusions suggest users of all transportation modes currently pay less than the marginal external costs of their transportation activities. Another finding is that traffic congestion is a major externality. The model allows comparison of different transportation policy options with a full optimum scenario (the external costs are internalized precisely). Typically, such a policy would be difficult to implement, given the sophisticated pricing instrumentation required. However, it serves as a good baseline for testing other policies. In the case of Ireland, when a congestion pricing policy—similar to that used for motorways in France—was compared with the full optimum case, it achieved 60 percent of the maximum achievable welfare.

Increases in traffic congestion and pollution levels in urban areas in Europe have resulted in the need to develop reliable and transferable methods of assessing the environmental and social effects of transport pricing and other regulatory policies. To achieve this, it is necessary to quantify the marginal social costs of transport as a function of travel demand and then to obtain the optimum marginal social cost by maximization of utility subject to budget constraints. The work conducted by Trinity College, Dublin, on a project (TRENEN) funded by the European Union JOULE II Non-Nuclear Energy Program is described. The project involved the development and calibration of an optimization model, the TRENEN model, based on welfare economics to address fundamental issues relating to the external costs of transport. The determination of the optimum function type used to represent the transport demand–delay relationship (which was obtained using an existing four-stage network model) for input to the TRENEN model is described. The TRENEN model is quite different from network modeling in that it is fundamentally macrolevel in its approach and works in an economic framework rather than at a traffic network level. Also discussed is a calibration of the TRENEN model for Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. Dublin currently experiences high levels of traffic congestion, particularly in the morning peak period, resulting from a heavy demand for car travel and the poor level of service associated with public transport. The possibility of using the TRENEN model, which addresses the issue of “social equilibrium” at a macrolevel, in conjunction with the more traditional “network equilibrium” approach used by traditional four-stage microsimulation modeling techniques, is discussed.

Increases in traffic congestion and pollution levels in urban areas in Europe have resulted in the need to develop reliable and transferable methods of assessing the environmental and social effects of transport pricing and other regulatory policies. To achieve this, it is necessary to quantify the marginal social costs of transport as a function of travel demand and then to obtain the optimum marginal social cost by maximization of utility subject to budget constraints. The work conducted by Trinity College, Dublin, on a project (TRENEN) funded by the European Union JOULE II Non-Nuclear Energy Program is described. The project involved the development and calibration of an optimization model, the TRENEN model, based on welfare economics to address fundamental issues relating to the external costs of transport. The determination of the optimum function type used to represent the transport demand-delay relationship (which was obtained using an existing four-stage network model) for input to the TRENEN model is described. The TRENEN model is quite different from network modeling in that it is fundamentally macrolevel in its approach and works in an economic framework rather than at a traffic network level. Also discussed is a calibration of the TRENEN model for Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. Dublin currently experiences high levels of traffic congestion, particularly in the morning peak period, resulting from a heavy demand for car travel and the poor level of service associated with public transport. The possibility of using the TRENEN model, which addresses the issue of “social equilibrium” at a macrolevel, in conjunction with the more traditional “network equilibrium” approach used by traditional four-stage microsimulation modeling techniques, is discussed.

•Motorway travel time latency in variable message sign information shown to exist.•Model developed to remove the effect of latency using historical travel time data.•Delay profiles distinctly different depending on time of day, week and month.•Prediction model can be easily transferred to other networks.•Results beneficial to motorway operators and users alike.