Congestion Costing Critique Critical Evaluation of the “ Urban Mobility Report" (US)

25th Apr 2013

Produced by the Canadian Victoria Transport Policy Institute and authored by Todd Littman in April 2013, the 'Urban Mobility Report' (UMR) is a widely-cited U.S. study that estimates U.S. traffic congestion costs. This report critically examines the UMR’s assumptions and methods. The UMR evaluates urban transport system performance based only on vehicle traffic congestion; it ignores other modes and impacts.

TNT Express Demonstration Project - City Logistics Mobile Depot (EU)

12th Feb 2013

The TNT Express demonstration project aims to increase the efficiency of operations for TNT's central Brussels parcel deliveries. The project is one of seven innovative urban freight deomstration projects to receive funding from the three year STRAIGHTSOL project. The project is in the process of developing a mobile depot and uses a fleet of electric tricycles to deliver packages in the the last mile. 

The true costs of automobility: Study about the external costs of car use (EU)

19th Dec 2012

This report published in October 2012 by the University of Dresden's Faculty of Transport and Science, was prepared for the European Greens and European Free Alliance. Car use is an important part of daily life in the EU and it clearly creates huge benefits for the users. Naturally there are also costs for car mobility: obvious costs but also less obvious ones, such as costs arising from noise and pollution.  This study estimates the magnitude of these hidden costs of car mobility and the ways in which these costs are currently being financed.  

Smart Growth and Economic Success (USA)

19th Dec 2012

In December 2012 the US Environmental Protection Agency released a report that informs developers, businesses, local governments, and other stakeholders about the economic advantages of smart growth development - development that is compact, walkable, and diverse. Walkable development frequently makes cycling appealing and conventient.

Helping Communities Realize a More Prosperous Future (USA)

07th Dec 2012

In November 2012 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities released its 2012 Accomplishments Report. The report highlights how the Department's grant recipients are working to support locally led collaborative efforts that are building stronger regional economies. Improving community livability and health, and providing transport choices are key themes. 

Changing Course in Urban Transport: An Illustrated Guide (International)

28th Nov 2012

This illustrated guide, published by the Asian Development Bank in 2011, provides a rich collection of images of sustainable urban transport initiatives from around the world. It considers the transport problems evident in many cities in Asia, including high levels of energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, congestion, road casualties, urban sprawl, and social exclusion. 

Comparative Infrastructure Costs (Australia)

12th Oct 2012

The construction of walking and cycling infrastructure is relatively inexpensive compared to other modes of transport. This graph, produced by the Australian Bicycle Council in September 2012, shows the estimated costs of infrastructure in Queensland.  The estimates are based on an average $1.5 million per kilometre to plan and construct a separated bicycle path provided by Transport and Main Roads in Queensland.

Locked Out: Transport Poverty in England (UK)

08th Oct 2012

In September 2012 Sustrans released the report, Locked Out, which outlines the growing problem of 'transport poverty' and calls on Ministers to invest in public transport and safe walking and cycling routes to give people alternatives to increasingly unaffordable car ownership. The report recomends ways transport poverty could be tackled by all levels of government across transport, planning and welfare programmes.

Characteristics of, and insurance payments for, injuries to cyclists in Tasmania, 1990–2010 (Australia)

03rd Oct 2012

This research report, published in the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention in November 2012 describes the characteristics and costs of injuries to cyclists resulting in a 3rd party insurance claim in Tasmania. Cycling injuries made up 2.0% of claims but accounted for 3.4% of the total costs and were among the road user groups with the highest mean costs per claim. 

Transport Problems Facing Large Cities (Australia)

23rd Sep 2010

This paper, published in 2008 by the NSW Parliamentary Library,  considers the problems facing transport policy in large cities. As the world’s cities have become home to the vast majority of their national population, governments are faced with the challenge of providing transport infrastructure to accommodate the needs of their citizens. In many of the world’s largest cities, the majority of travel is by private car, which poses two problems – road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

Win-Win Transportation Emission Reduction Strategies (Canada)

17th Sep 2010

This paper, published by The Victoria Transport Policy Institute in 2011, introduces a range of market-based policy reforms aimed at increasing transport efficiency, improving health and reducing emissions.

An Economic Analysis of Rail Trails in Victoria, Australia

09th May 2009

Rail Trails are multi-use tourism and recreation trails using abandoned railway lines for use usually by cyclists, walkers and horse riders. Many of the disused railways in Australia are in rural areas, providing unprecedented access to and through some spectacular scenery and bushland, along with associated personal and community benefits.

The main aim of the study was to establish the economic benefits of the development of Rail Trails to the communities surrounding the trails, especially in terms of direct and indirect employment and financial injection. The ongoing costs of community-based projects such as Rail Trails need to be considered against the benefits (in this case, economic), which are many, but have not been adequately quantified in Australia.