The environmental benefits of changing logistics structures for fresh vegetables

The transport phase is one of the crucial stages that can be improved to reduce the environmental impact of the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain. In this paper, we calculate the environmental impact of feasible logistic alternatives for the above-mentioned supply chain so as to identify the type of transportation that incurs the lowest environmental costs. Specifically, we consider the early potato supply chain as a case study, as it involves one of the main fresh vegetables exported from Italy. Consumers' willingness to pay for the environmental impact of different logistic chains was obtained through life cycle assessment. Our results show that rail transport could reduce environmental impact in terms of tons of oil equivalent, environmental loads, and fuel consumption while ensuring reasonable shipment times. Development of an efficient rail transport system would be positively considered by consumers, enhancing their preferences for Italian products.     

The formulation and evaluation of transport route planning alternatives: a spatial decision support system for the Via Baltica project,Poland

Transport planning plays an undeniably key role in the economic growth of any region. However, when done heedlessly this planning can be detrimental to the biophysical and social environment of the region. In transport route planning generally one or a few alternative routes are proposed, usually representing the interest of the proponent. If required, an environmental impact assessment is carried out on these alternatives. Although, EIA and SEA are meant to be effective in taking informed decisions about the proposed route, these alternatives – the heart of impact assessment – are themselves devised in a subjective and non-spatial manner.Such an approach may easily overlook routes, which could otherwise have been more suitable. A planning system that directly takes into account environmental and socio-economic considerations in selecting alternative routes facilitates sustainable development. This paper presents a holistic and coherent spatial multi-criteria network analysis method for the generation of optimal routing alternatives under different policy visions, in a network of existing roads.The presented methodology was case-tested for the highly contested 340 km portion of the Via Baltica corridor in Poland, a part of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) program. The methodology shows its ability to serve as a versatile effect-based decision support system for transport route planning at a strategically higher level of planning, particularly for (geographically) large-scale investment schemes.     

Assessment of transport quality of life as an alternative transport appraisal technique

In the United Kingdom the New Approach to Transport Appraisal (NATA) is used to appraise the economic, environmental and social impacts of transport projects. This analytical tool has recently been updated, but still fails to fully evaluate individual’s experiences of transport. It is important to understand more about passengers current journey quality for an informed judgement on the impact of future schemes. This paper presents findings of a methodological tool that can appraise Transport quality of life (TQoL) on all modes of transport in one city. Quality of life (QoL) techniques were applied to the transport networks of Glasgow and Manchester to determine if this is a valuable alternative in transport appraisal. Effective assessment confirmed the validity of the method highlighting in both locations that fixed modes, particularly Light Rapid Transport, are providing a significantly better quality of life compared to the bus.     

The carbon emissions of selected airlines and aircraft types in three geographic markets

Various carbon calculators developed by airlines and carbon offset companies have become available since the environmental impact of the air transport industry started to receive strong attention. This paper details a prototype methodology for carbon calculation emission levels in the three air transport markets; the UK domestic routes, the intra-EU routes serving UK and the North Atlantic routes that enables the assessment of key environmental performance differences between air carriers whereas they would be measured as identical using the often used DEFRA-type measurement approach. The results show differences in airlines' strategies such as aircraft type used, load factors and seat configurations.     

Incorporating annoyance in airport environmental policy: noise, societal response and community participation

Airport capacity continues to be one of the air transport issues that creates the most concern. The major environmental constraint for airports is the noise generated by aircraft. Annoyed communities living around airports have become a limiting factor for airport capacity and operability. This paper brings together the existing literature in the fields of airport environmental capacity, non-acoustic factors of noise annoyance, NIMBYism and environmental conflicts. We also analyze the socio-environmental conflict between Barcelona airport and the community of Gavà Mar. This case shows that the lack of trust between parties, the impossibility of predicting noise exposure, the absence of opportunities for civil society to speak and the difficulty of accessing relevant information foster annoyance and mobilization in the communities that live around the airport. In addition, it is shown that, in such a situation, communities’ reactions can evolve to a post-NIMBY stage in which proactive attitudes replace reactive ones.     

Where does flygskam come from? The role of citizens’ lack of knowledge of the environmental impact of air transport in explaining the development of flight shame

A growing number of citizens are concerned about the environmental impact of air transport, and aviation has become synonymous with high carbon emissions and global warming, which has led to the development of flygskam (or flight shame) in Europe. While its impact on air traffic remains unclear, flight shame has forced the airline industry to react and better understand its origin. In this research, building on the growing literature on industry and organizational stigma, we assume that flight shame can be partly explained by a distorted public perception of the environmental impact of air transport. Accordingly, we investigate the level of knowledge of the environmental footprint of air transport. Based on a sample of 1018 French respondents, we reveal that more than 90% of respondents overestimate the share of air transport in global carbon emissions. We also show that 98% of the respondents underestimate the reduction in carbon emissions per passenger. Finally, we investigate the awareness of the measures taken by the industry to curb its carbon emissions and highlight, for instance, that 70% of respondents overestimate the fuel consumption of the newest generations of aircraft. Based on these results, we draw lessons for airlines and for the air transport industry to help cope with flight shame in Europe.     

A strategic planning methodology

The aim of this paper is to develop a method for strategic transport planning, which can be applied from the local up to the international level. A newly developed strategic transport plan is verified in comparison to four strategic transport plans, i.e. on the national level: Austria's Generalverkehrsplan-Österreich 2002, the German Bundesverkehrswegeplan 2003, and from Switzerland the Sachplan Schiene/öV [BAV, 2002. Sachplan Schiene/öV—Konzeptteil (Teile I bis IV and Anhänge)—Vernehmlassungsentwurf, September 2002, Bern, Schweiz, Bundesamt für Verkehr] and the Sachplan Strasse [Astra, 2002. Der Sachplan Strasse, September 2002, Bern, Bundesamt für Strassen, Bundesamt für Raumentwicklung]; on the international level, the EU White paper on transport policy [European Commission, 2001. White paper—European transport policy for 2010: time to decide. Technical Report, EU]. The methodology is based on a combination of control theory and hierarchical systems theory, which the former provides a stringent-ordered structure of the complexity between objectives, measures and indicators and the latter a consistent hierarchy for the involved topics and issues. The method allows an assessment and comparison with the above mentioned plans, which is required if a consistent transport strategy should be achieved between these levels.     

Vienna's path to sustainable transport

Vienna, Austria reduced the car share of trips by a third between 1993 and 2014: from 40% to 27%. The key to Vienna's success has been a coordinated package of mutually reinforcing transport and land-use policies that have made car use slower, less convenient, and more costly, while improving conditions for walking, cycling, and public transport. During 32 in-person interviews in Vienna in May 2015, a wide range of politicians, transport planners, and academics almost unanimously identified the expansion of the U-Bahn (metro) and parking management as the most important policies accounting for the reduction in car mode share since 1993. Implementation of sustainable transport policies in Vienna has been a long-term, multi-staged process requiring compromises, political deals, and coalition-building among political parties and groups of stakeholders. This consensual approach to policy development has been time-consuming. Vienna has not been the first city to introduce any particular policy, but it has masterfully adopted successful policies from other cities. The continuity of social democratic governments in Vienna since 1945 has provided a crucial political basis for long-term implementation. The Greens have vigorously pushed for accelerating implementation of sustainable transport policies since becoming part of the ruling coalition government in 2010. The progressive political environment in Vienna has been essential to its increasingly sustainable transport system. Other major cities in Western Europe have also reduced the share of trips by car since 1990. Together with Vienna, they provide useful lessons for other cities throughout the world on how to reduce car dependence.     

Public transport strikes and traveller behaviour

In many countries strikes hit the public transport sector from time to time. Public transport strikes are important for transportation research because they can impact upon the perceived reliability of public transport services. Moreover, the traveller's most preferred alternative is removed from the choice set. The traveller is forced to make up his mind about his preferences; doing so may induce a shift from inert, habit-driven behaviour to rational behaviour. In this paper we review 13 studies of strikes in the public transport sector, discuss criteria that determine the kind and size of the effects of a public transport strike, and present the results of a survey carried out after a short, unannounced railway strike in the Netherlands. Our survey confirms the results of other studies. In the short-term mainly captive travellers are affected; these are mostly commuters without alternative modes of transport who are highly inflexible in their departure or arrival times. As a result, on average 10–20% of the trips are cancelled. Most travellers switch to the car (either as driver or passenger) and as a result road congestion increases. Longer-term effects include a decrease in market share for public transport, which various studies estimate to be between 0.3 and 2.5%. The effect of a strike on public transport rider-ship can be temporary or permanent, depending on the type of strike and the policy response to it.     

The effect of economic restrictions on transport practices in Cuba

Like many developing nations, Cuba has undergone—and continues to undergo—a revolution in the way its society lives, works and accesses mobility. However, unlike other developing nations, Cuba is unique in that it has faced enormous pressures for the past forty years due to an economic blockade by its erstwhile dominant trading partner, the United States. Furthermore, this economic pressure was exacerbated in the early 1990s with the political and economic collapse of the Former Soviet Union, and the Eastern European Socialist countries, which had replaced the United States as Cuba's principal trading partners. These events have led to a transformation in how goods and people are moved, not least because of a huge reduction in the amount of hard currency available to pay for fuel, vehicles and spare parts. This resulted in a number of innovative behavioural and technological outcomes.Cuba thus provides an enhanced example of how physical, economic and social factors influence the development of transport systems. This unusually severe situation contains lessons for other countries seeking to develop more sustainable transport systems. In particular, the case graphically illustrates the link between economic and transport growth. The paper will outline the development of transport practices in Cuba thus far, look at the options available for the future and draw conclusions on what other countries can learn from the Cuban experience.     

Assessing cumulative environmental effects from major public transport projects

The conventional assessment of proposed major UK transport schemes has not served to highlight well the induced and interacting nature of environmental impacts. This article identifies links between Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), using the Cross River Tram in London as an illustrative case study. From a literature review and local authority interviews, a framework and recommendations for the assessment of major transport projects are set out. For transport projects where environmental and land-use impacts are likely, it is suggested that Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) has the potential to make a strong positive contribution to the assessment of transport projects for sustainable urban development.     

Indicators for an Environmental Assessment of Tourism at National Level

The paper first places the research within the context of international initiatives of developing environmental indicators for the tourism sector: indicator frameworks, data constraints and communication needs, national versus local approaches and indicator development procedures. The question of data availability, collection and processing is often undermined, and the national scale is the most relevant to analyse tourism driving forces and tourism/transport interrelationships. The main results of the French national assessment, led by the French Institute for the Environment in 1999–2000, are then presented, from the driving forces of environmental impacts (such as spatial and temporal concentrations, or the evolution of tourism demand as regards to the environment) to environmental impacts at national and destination level. French mobility patterns are dominated by road transport; they are moving towards shorter stays and more frequent departures, which lead to a high impact situation. The accommodation capacity is strongly marked by secondary homes, which imply more constructions (and more space consumption) for the same number of stays. Environmental management initiatives, from public and private stakeholders, are still unable to counter these long-term trends.     

Air travel for private purposes. An analysis of airport access,income and environmental concern in Switzerland

As air travel is considered a relevant area of action to mitigate climate change, it is important to know its determinants. The present study examines socio-demographic, spatial and attitudinal predictors of air travel for private purposes. The analyses are based on the Swiss Environmental Survey 2007 and a subsequent computation of the respondents' environmental impact, as well as spatial data.A lognormal hurdle model indicates that persons with higher environmental concern are less likely to travel by air and if they still do, they travel less. While political orientations do not affect whether a person travels by air, the results indicate that among those who do fly, respondents voting for the Green Party cause lower emissions than those opting for other left or center parties. Furthermore, higher incomes are associated with more air travel whereas living with children is associated with less air travel. Airport access is related to air travel in the sense that living closer to airports, in particular to large ones, is correlated to more air travel. The result is robust to alterations of the accessibility measure and also upholds when population density is controlled for.     

Towards sustainable mobility indicators: application to the Lyons conurbation

This paper applies the theme of sustainable development to the case of urban transport and daily mobility of the inhabitants of a city. A set of indicators which simultaneously takes the three dimensions of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social—into account is suggested. We present here the results of exploratory research funded by Renault Automobile Manufacturers, carried out to verify the feasibility and the usefulness of elaborating such sustainable mobility indicators. Values of the economics, environmental and social indicators are presented for the Lyons case. These estimations are mainly based on the household travel survey held in this city in 1994–1995. In the end, this set of indicators should allow the comparison of different urban transport strategies within an urban area, but also between different urban contexts, and through time. The conditions of generalization of these measurements of indicators are then discussed.     

Citizen participation for sustainable transport: the case of “Living City” in Santiago,Chile (1997–2012)

Twentieth century citizen “revolts” against urban highway projects have influenced thinking about public transport (Toronto, Vancouver, New York), governance (Portland), and cycling (The Netherlands) to this day. Less is known, however, about how these emerge in developing countries, and what they can tell us about citizens’ role in innovation to achieve more sustainable transport systems. This case study examines a social movement that emerged in opposition to the country’s first major highway concession, in Santiago, Chile (1997), challenging and changing urban planning paradigms. In 2000, the anti-highway campaign founded a citizen institution, Living City (Ciudad Viva). Twelve years later, it has become a prize-winning, citizen-led planning institution.Although the role of citizen participation in improving transport systems has become increasingly recognized in recent years, it still tends to be rather ritualistic. This experience offers insight into how strategic approaches to participation can reinforce the role of self-organizing civil society organizations in introducing innovation into existing systems. Findings suggest that traditional large movements, which are mainly useful for one-way communication of information, require support from small groups able to deliberate in a transformative sense, with more attention paid to how new consensuses can be transmitted through the relational networks of those involved. Moreover, this experience suggests that thinking about citizens as planners in their own right, rather than as mere participants at specific points in a planning process, opens the way to more effective strategies for innovating in transport, to address the social, environmental, and other challenges humanity faces today.     

Congestion and multimodal transport: a survey of cargo transport operators in the Netherlands

Longer and more frequent traffic jams in the Netherlands are increasing the costs of transporting cargo. Tightly scheduled production systems rely on punctual materials movements, but are congestion-induced delays sufficient to stimulate freight mode switching from road to combined road–rail and road–water movements? A survey of Dutch transport companies revealed an estimated 10% of vehicle operating time spent in congested conditions. The perceived impact on transport operations, consumers and service characteristics are reported. Based on the survey findings, a vehicle cost simulation attributed 7% of transport costs to congestion, increasing the attractiveness of multimodal transport and other solutions.     

Accessibility,mobility, and realized travel behavior: Assessing transport disadvantage from a policy perspective

Limited accessibility and mobility can result in decreased quality of life and well-being, as well as social exclusion. In the United States (U.S.), rural and small urban communities suffer from transport disadvantage due to a lack of transit and a low density of employment, education, recreation, and other opportunities. While the international literature has produced a number of methods and frameworks to assess transport disadvantage and its impacts, the U.S. has lagged behind in providing pertinent studies. The objective of this paper is to establish comprehensive measures that can support the identification, evaluation, and quantification of transport disadvantage in U.S. rural and small urban communities, considering both data availability and the unique characteristics of the U.S. The concept of transport disadvantage in this paper denotes the disadvantage of a specific population group or area that results from a difficulty accessing transportation and/or opportunities. To achieve this objective, this paper develops a spatial multi-perspective approach to account for the three essential elements of transport disadvantage: accessibility, mobility, and realized travel behavior.The developed approach provides an assessment of transport needs and need gaps that can be of benefit to small urban and rural communities and their planning practices, as well as to transport providers. The analysis in this paper suggests that—from a policy perspective—a combination of measures that account for all three essential elements of transport disadvantage should be considered, because the results of each measure complement those of the others. This paper illustrates the proposed approach using a case study of Indiana. The findings suggest that a great part of rural and small urban Indiana presents a low density of opportunities and that transport-disadvantaged residents of such areas might experience the impacts of low transit supply as well. In addition, the findings suggest that residents of rural and small urban areas travel longer distances on their day-to-day activities.This paper attempts to advance the national research pertaining to transport disadvantage and provide a framework that can support planning and policy decisions at the community as well as at the state level.     

Urban transport justice

Many cities in the world seek to establish more sustainable urban transport systems with a view to reduce accidents, congestion, air and noise pollution, and to improve social interactions, liveability and amenity values. Against this background, this paper frames urban transportation as an issue of justice: contemporary transport systems are characterized by injustice, as they tend to favour and prioritize motorized transport, accepting that considerable environmental and social burdens are put on more sustainable forms of transportation, other traffic participants and society as a whole. To conceptualize ‘urban transport justice’, the paper discusses three dimensions where injustices are apparent: Exposure to traffic risks and pollutants; distribution of space; and valuation of transport time. It is argued that public and political recognition of urban transport injustices provides significant argument for changes in urban planning, transport infrastructure development and traffic management.     

Employer attitudes to employer transport plans: a comparison of UK and Dutch experience

Employer transport plans (ETPs) are implemented by employers to encourage their employees to choose environmentally friendly modes of transport to work. They have been a part of Netherlands’ transport policy since 1989 and now form an important plank of government transport thinking in the UK as well. This paper uses data from questionnaire surveys, focus groups, interviews and site visits to assess employers' attitudes to ETPs and to the role which government is asking them to play in transport policy. It concludes that employers in both countries are somewhat sceptical and that government resources should be focused on assisting those employers with site-specific transport problems to implement ETPs.     

Environmental benefits of air–rail intermodality: The example of Madrid Barajas

The environmental impact of transport is a growing issue in transport infrastructure planning. The construction of a high-speed rail station at the Madrid Barajas Airport in Spain is an example of the integration of different transportation modes, with expected environmental benefits. We construct a model to assess modal choice and environmental benefits. The results show that with high-speed rail the number of people choosing air travel and the private car is reduced leading to important environmental benefits: a reduction of close to 5 kg of CO₂ per passenger, or 10% of all emissions on the corridor. Our results also show that increasing the cost of using the private car is picked up by air transport rather than high-speed rail, leading to an increase in total emissions.