Analyzing the effects of Transport Initiatives on the Quality of Urban Environment – Empirical Results from Porto Metropolitan Area

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2008

Authors

Miguel Luís Pimentel (Author) FEUP; Sandra Melo (Author) FEUP; Álvaro Costa (Author) FEUP

Conference proceedings National

Title: Evaluation on Planning

Pages: 55-64

CITTA 1st Annual Conference on Planning Research

Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, 30 de Maio de 2008

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Civil engineering

Other information

Abstract (EN): The negative side of transport activities on the quality of life and on the attractiveness of urban areas has largely contributed to an increasing concern about the sustainability of these activities. Therefore, public authorities, assisted by urban planners and road managers, are currently faced with complex operational, design and management challenges. Traffic congestion makes cities less pleasant and reduces the efficiency of the transport system by increasing journey time, fuel consumption and driver stress. Thus, environmentally, economically and politically, it is important that the transport system is designed and used in the most effective way so that it satisfies the needs for personal and freight transport without creating unpleasant conditions. The paper presents the evaluation of some transport initiatives applied to Porto Metropolitan Area (Portugal) through the use of transport planning software. The objective is to analyze the mobility environmental impacts, with a special focus on freight transport, induced by some major European tendencies and policies. Results indicated that some policies, like the implementation of road pricing, can lead to social and environmental benefits as well as improvements at operational level and thus, increase the welfare of society. Authors concluded that the initiatives which would expectably have better overall results are the ones that consider in a broader way the point of view of private traffic, freight transport and public transport.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific