Integration of congestion pricing and intertemporal preferences rate integration in social welfare function

Many researchers have used theoretical or empirical measures to assess social benefits in transport policy implementation. However, few have measured social benefits by using discount rates, including the intertemporal preference rate of users, the private investment discount rate, and the intertemporal preference rate of the government. In general, the social discount rate used is the same for all social actors. This paper aims to assess a new method by integrating different types of discount rates belonging to different social actors to measure the real benefits of each actor in the short term, medium term, and long term. A dynamic simulation is provided by a strategic land use and transport interaction model. The method was tested by optimizing a cordon toll scheme in Madrid, Spain. Socioeconomic efficiency and environmental criteria were considered. On the basis of the modified social welfare function, the effects on the measure of social benefits were estimated and compared with the classical welfare function measures. The results show that the use of more suitable discount rates for each social actor had an effect on the selection and definition of optimal strategy of congestion pricing. The usefulness of the measure of congestion toll declines more quickly over time. This result could be the key to understanding the relationship between transport system policies and the distribution of social actors? benefits in a metropolitan context.

Key factors affecting the efficiency of transport interchanges

This paper provides a meta-analysis of long/short distance passenger interconnectivity within the European context. The analysis is based on the results of the European project HERMES of the 7th EU R&D Programme. The study collected stakeholders and travelers’ valuation and preferences in 5 interchanges in 3 EU countries. To that end a common survey was conducted in the following sites: Gothenburg Central Station (Sweden), Avenida de America Interchange in Madrid, Lleida-Zaragoza railway stations (Spain), and the Intermodal Station of Part Dieu in Lyon (France). The first survey addresses the analysis of the different stakeholders’ opinion on the interchange management and characteristics. The second survey gives an insight into the key requirements of long/short distance intermodal passengers in the selected case studies. This included the following aspects: on one hand, trip origin and destination, connecting transport services and modes, trip characteristics, type of ticket, trip motive and socioeconomic characteristics of the traveller. On the other hand, it was structured in such a way to ask passengers to rate importance/satisfaction of a series of common quality and functional aspects like information, accessibility, transfer times, service supply, etc. In conclusion, the paper highlights which elements of the interchange are considered as relevant and how different groups of stakeholders value them, both theoretically and in the selected case studies. They also have identified some key barriers as the lack of internal coordination among operators, managers and decision makers, as well as the the poor signage, particularly among connecting services. Travellers seem to have different priorities depending on their age, purpose of trip and mode chosen. In some cases time appears as the most relevant factor, whilst price is decisive in others.