[sustran] [sustran] re: How to assess local governments' transport policies

[Wendell Cox]

A not altogether unreasonable definition. However, Todd Litman's last
evaluation criteria indicates a bias against drivers. I would also have some
concern about how to measure "quality," but objective measures should be
possible. The criteria would be more appropriate as follows...

> * Quality of the transport environment, including all modes (this would
include pedestian and cycling, which could be listed along with cars, public
transport, etc.).

Moreover the following criteria would be more effective if stated in terms
of an index of some sort. Perhaps it would be be

> * Extent of transportation choices for non-drivers and lower-income
people.

Best regards,
Wendell Cox




DEMOGRAPHIA & THE PUBLIC PURPOSE (Wendell Cox Consultancy)
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http://www.publicpurpose.com (Public Policy & Transport))
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----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Barter <geobpa at nus.edu.sg>
To: <sustran-discuss at jca.apc.org>
Sent: Wednesday, 04 July, 2001 22:32
Subject: [sustran] re: How to assess local governments' transport policies


> Also taking the liberty of forwarding a useful response to yesterday's
query
> from Korea.
> Paul
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Todd Litman [mailto:litman at VTPI.ORG]
> Sent: Wednesday, 4 July 2001 10:41
> To: UTSG at JISCMAIL.AC.UK
> Subject: Re: How to assess local governments' transport policies
>
>
> It is very important when developing such evaluation criteria that they be
> based on the goal of access (the ability to obtain desired goods and
> services, and reach desired activities), rather than treat mobility and
> traffic as an end in itself. Many actions that improve vehicle mobility
> reduce access overall by reducing pedestrian and bicycle mobility, and by
> encouraging more dispersed land use patterns.
>
> For example, when siting a school or business, the best location from a
> mobility perspective is on a busy highway at the urban fringe, where it is
> convenient to reach by car and there is land for abundant parking. But
such
> a location reduces access, because it is difficult to reach by walking,
> cycling and public transit. Access is maximized by clustering major
> activity centers in a centralized area with good transit service.
>
> Evaluation criteria for access could include:
> * Average door-to-door travel time costs for residents in a region.
> * Average annual transportation expenditures for residents in a region.
> * Freight transportation delivery speeds.
> * Crashes and crash fatalities per capita.
> * Quality of transportation choices for non-drivers and lower-income
people.
> * Quality of the pedestian and cycling environments.
>
>
> For more discussion see the "Measuring Transport" chapter of the VTPI
> Online TDM Encyclopedia, available at http://www.vtpi.org.
>
>
> At 07:16 AM 7/4/01 +0100, Sangjin Han <han at KOTI.RE.KR> wrote:
> >Dear all
> >
> >I am Sangjin Han, working for Korea Transport Institute. Recently, I have
> >been involved with the project, "Evaluation of local transport policies
and
> >thier implementation results". The project is devised to encourage local
> >governments to follow central government's transport stragies and to
> >introduce competition between local governments by scoring their tranport
> >policies. We are planning to establish trees of transport policies
> >according to hierarchies, and we will score each policies according to
some
> >numerical scales. Then we will make comprehensive score for each local
> >government using AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process). Possibly, the central
> >government may consider this assessment score, when they allocate
subsidies
> >to local governments. This idea seems to be too strict to local
government
> >which should be assessed.
> >
> >Anyway, I need some documents, reports, books, web sites, or whatever,
> >which show experience of assessing or evaluating local governments'
> >transport policies.
> >
> >Thank you very much.
> >
> >
> >SANGJIN HAN
> >
> >PhD in Transport Studies (BSc, MSc)
> >
> >Department of Transport Planning
> >Korea Transport Institute
> >2311, Daewhadong, Ilsangu, Kyunggido
> >Korea
> >
> >tel: +82-(0)31-910-3112
> >fax: +82-(0)31-910-3225
> >e-mail: han at koti.re.kr
> >
> >
> >
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Todd Litman, Director
> Victoria Transport Policy Institute
> "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
> 1250 Rudlin Street
> Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada
> Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560
> E-mail:  litman at vtpi.org
> Website: http://www.vtpi.org