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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2018) | Viewed by 105461

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Prof. Dr. Stefan Gössling

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Department of Service Management and Service Studies, Lund University, Sweden; School of Business and Economics, Linnaeus University, Sweden; Western Norway Research Institute
Interests: tourism; transportation; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Transport policy makers face growing challenges, including concerns over air pollution and health, high accident numbers, rising emissions of greenhouse gases, infrastructure expansion limits and traffic density. All of these are reflections of transport systems facing breaking points. Yet, while politicians will often be aware of problems, willingness to work towards more sustainable transport futures has remained limited.

As an example, the bicycle is a transport mode that is both politically warranted and socially favoured, but progress in re-assigning even smaller shares of road infrastructure to cyclists has remained slow. Air traffic is growing at a massive scale, with conflicts over new runways, and very limited evidence that the sector’s global warming impacts will be addressed: Curbing air travel, if only by reducing subsidies to the sector, is a political taboo. Socially beneficial developments are observable with regard to Information and Communication Technologies, which continue to revolutionise public transport systems. Ride share systems have become common in some parts of the world, replacing the private car. Electric, automated mobility is close to becoming technically feasible. Yet, all of these have in common that policy makers seem reluctant to pro-actively address developments and to support the emergence of socially and environmentally more desirable transport systems.

Against this background, this special issue focuses on transport policy, including all major transport modes, i.e., aviation, automobility, train and bus systems, cycling and walking. It encourages theoretical and empirical contributions covering all policy dimensions, i.e. social, environmental and economic perspectives; market-based, soft policy, command-and-control approaches to change as implemented by policy leaders; decision-making processes; subsidies and incentives; lobbyism, as well as any other perspective that can provide an understanding of the political impasse in sustainable transport governance. Contributors are encouraged to discuss papers with the Guest Editor before submission.

Prof. Dr. Stefan Gössling
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Transport policy
Transport behavior
Urban transport
Institutions
Lobbyism

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1211 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Economic Assessment of Autonomous Electric Microtransit Vehicles

by Aybike Ongel, Erik Loewer, Felix Roemer, Ganesh Sethuraman, Fengqi Chang and Markus Lienkamp

Sustainability 2019, 11(3), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11030648 - 26 Jan 2019

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 9051

Abstract

There is rapidly growing interest in autonomous electric vehicles due to their potential in improving safety, accessibility, and environmental outcomes. However, their market penetration rate is dependent on costs. Use of autonomous electric vehicles for shared-use mobility may improve their cost competitiveness. So far, most of the research has focused on the cost impact of autonomy on taxis and ridesourcing services. Singapore is planning for island-wide deployment of autonomous vehicles for both scheduled and on-demand services as part of their transit system in the year 2030. TUMCREATE developed an autonomous electric vehicle concept, a microtransit vehicle with 30-passenger capacity, which can complement the existing bus transit system. This study aims to determine the cost of autonomous electric microtransit vehicles and compare them to those of buses. A total cost of ownership (TCO) approach was used to compare the lifecycle costs. It was shown that although the acquisition costs of autonomous electric vehicles are higher than those of their conventional counterparts, they can reduce the TCO per passenger-km up to 75% and 60% compared to their conventional counterparts and buses, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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18 pages, 442 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Technological Response Options after the VW Diesel Scandal: Implications for Engine CO₂ Emissions

by Otto Andersen, Paul Upham and Carlo Aall

Sustainability 2018, 10(7), 2313; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072313 - 04 Jul 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7834

Abstract

In the VW diesel scandal, automakers were found to be cheating with emission data, by e.g., tampering with on-board detection systems. We have calculated changes in the energy use and emissions of carbon dioxide equivalents that would arise through several options open to automakers, to ensure that the emission of nitrogen oxides is kept within the standards. Several studies show how manufacturers have also significantly underreported vehicles’ actual fuel consumption. We explain our derivation of new factors for energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from diesel- and gasoline-powered passenger cars, as well as their electric hybrid varieties. The results of the analysis show that energy consumption and emissions of carbon dioxide equivalents will increase in the range of 18–21% for passenger cars with diesel and hybrid diesel engines, while for cars with gasoline and hybrid gasoline, the addition is 9–10%. The analysis highlights an environmental dilemma of current car technology, but also the path-dependent ways of thinking that have been prevalent within the automotive sector. From a sociotechnical sustainability transitions perspective, Dieselgate can be viewed as a case of “regime resistance”, whereby incumbent actors seek to maintain the status quo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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21 pages, 1800 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“I Drive outside of Peak Time to Avoid Traffic Jams—Public Transport Is Not Attractive Here.” Challenging Discourses on Travel to the University Campus in Manila

by Robin Hickman, Neil Lopez, Mengqiu Cao, Beatriz Mella Lira and Jose Bienvenido Manuel Biona

Sustainability 2018, 10(5), 1462; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051462 - 07 May 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 9104

Abstract

One of the major narratives in transport policy internationally concerns the promotion of private versus public modes. The Global North has many examples where public transport, walking and cycling networks are well developed, yet examples from the Global South are less evident. There is a historical failure of replicating policies and practices from the Global North, particularly in perpetuating the highway building model, often unsuitable to the cultural contexts in the Global South. This paper examines individual attitudes and discourses concerning travel to De La Salle University campus, in Metro Manila, the Philippines. 42 participants are surveyed using Q methodology. Four discourses are developed, reflecting attitudes to growing automobility in Manila, public transport service provision, the difficulties of travelling in the city and the aspiration for increased comfort whilst travelling. Manila provides an example of the complexities in moving towards greater sustainable travel in the southeast Asian context where levels of private car usage are already high. It is hoped that a greater awareness of the problems of the current travel experiences might lead to us to seek different narratives, where transport systems can be developed which better serve social equity and environmental goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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16 pages, 4045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Impacts of China 2030 High-Speed Rail Network on Ground Transportation Accessibility

by Lvhua Wang, Yongxue Liu, Liang Mao and Chao Sun

Sustainability 2018, 10(4), 1270; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10041270 - 20 Apr 2018

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 5719

Abstract

China has proposed an ambitious high-speed rail (HSR) program by 2030 to connect all provincial capitals (excluding Lhasa) and large cities with more than half million people. Little attention has been paid to evaluate its potential impacts on ground transportation accessibility. To answer this question, we adopted a door-to-door approach to calculate two indicators: the weighted average travel time and daily accessibility. The results show that the HSR network follows the same spatial patterns of population size and regional development, thus preferentially serving eastern China. The two accessibility indicators suggest that the large-scale construction of HSR network by 2030 will substantially improve accessibility and alter the spatial disparities of accessibility. On average, accessibility of all cities will increase by 61.7%. Geographically, cities with higher accessibility are located in the quadrilateral area of ‘Wuhan-Zhengzhou-Jinan-Nanjing’ on the southeastern section of the ‘Hu Line.’ While the least accessible cities are distributed in peripheral areas. Although the HSR development can benefit accessibility throughout the country, the disparities of accessibility would widen slightly among regions, provinces and cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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19 pages, 6111 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Automated Mobility Transitions: Governing Processes in the UK

by Debbie Hopkins and Tim Schwanen

Sustainability 2018, 10(4), 956; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10040956 - 26 Mar 2018

Cited by 48 | Viewed by 7376

Abstract

Contemporary systems of mobility are undergoing a transition towards automation. In the UK, this transition is being led by (often new) partnerships between incumbent manufacturers and new entrants, in collaboration with national governments, local/regional councils, and research institutions. This paper first offers a framework for analyzing the governance of the transition, adapting ideas from the Transition Management (TM) perspective, and then applies the framework to ongoing automated vehicle transition dynamics in the UK. The empirical analysis suggests that the UK has adopted a reasonably comprehensive approach to the governing of automated vehicle innovation but that this approach cannot be characterized as sufficiently inclusive, democratic, diverse and open. The lack of inclusivity, democracy, diversity and openness is symptomatic of the post-political character of how the UK’s automated mobility transition is being governed. The paper ends with a call for a reconfiguration of the automated vehicle transition in the UK and beyond, so that much more space is created for dissent and for reflexive and comprehensive big picture thinking on (automated) mobility futures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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13 pages, 209 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Sustainability of Shared Mobility in London: The Dilemma for Governance

by Nihan Akyelken, David Banister and Moshe Givoni

Sustainability 2018, 10(2), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020420 - 06 Feb 2018

Cited by 51 | Viewed by 9434

Abstract

The role of governments in the regulation of potentially beneficial low carbon practices, such as car sharing, has proved difficult, as there are many different actors involved and as existing practices can be undermined. The mobility sector provides clear evidence of these dilemmas, as a wide range of users need to be engaged in the discourse over the innovations, and as existing governance structures may be unsuitable for addressing both the opportunities and limitations of innovation. This paper focuses on the sustainability implications of shared mobility and the need for new approaches to governance. A qualitative study of car sharing in London is used to examine the ideas, incentives, and institutions of the key actors involved in this sharing sector. The elements of change and continuity in the emerging sharing economy indicate the different possibilities for enhancing sustainable mobility. Any search for an alternative governance regime should take account of the ideational factors that would require an understanding of the different incentives needed to accommodate the full range of actors involved with the sharing economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

30 pages, 5622 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Road Safety Risk Assessment: An Analysis of Transport Policy and Management for Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Asian Countries

by Syyed Adnan Raheel Shah, Naveed Ahmad, Yongjun Shen, Ali Pirdavani, Muhammad Aamir Basheer and Tom Brijs

Sustainability 2018, 10(2), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020389 - 02 Feb 2018

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 10393

Abstract

Road safety assessment has played a crucial role in the theory and practice of transport management systems. This paper focuses on risk evaluation in the Asian region by exploring the interaction between road safety risk and influencing factors. In the first stage, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) method is applied to calculate and rank the road safety risk levels of Asian countries. In the second stage, a structural equation model (SEM) with latent variables is applied to analyze the interaction between the road safety risk level and the latent variables, measured by six observed performance indicators, i.e., financial impact, institutional framework, infrastructure and mobility, legislation and policy, vehicular road users, and trauma management. Finally, this paper illustrates the applicability of this DEA-SEM approach for road safety performance analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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6876 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing and Assessing Alternative Land-Use Scenarios from the MOLAND Model: A Scenario-Based Impact Analysis Approach for the Evaluation of Rapid Rail Provisions and Urban Development in the Greater Dublin Region

by Eda Ustaoglu, Brendan Williams, Laura O. Petrov, Harutyun Shahumyan and Hedwig Van Delden

Sustainability 2018, 10(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010061 - 28 Dec 2017

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5892

Abstract

In this study, environmental sustainability implications of planned rail infrastructure investments on the urban form and development in the Greater Dublin Region (GDR) have been analysed incorporating the scenario analysis approach. Various scenarios are developed using the MOLAND Model applications including: A baseline scenario incorporating a continuation of the present dispersed pattern of urban development and an alternative scenario with rail-oriented corridor development, under varying conditions of economic growth. An alternative scenario was also developed for the recessionary development case considering the prolonged recession in the GDR. Further explorations incorporating a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) approach are developed to evaluate the sustainability implications of different land development scenarios in the Dublin Region. This is assisted by focussing on the impacts of rail investments on urban form and development as raised in the international comparative literature. The findings from the CBA assessment positively indicate that containment policies-as represented by the public transport oriented development indicate benefits over the dispersed development case by reducing the negative consequences of sprawl type of developments. In contrast, dispersed development in the baseline scenario indicates costs of continuation of such development patterns exceed the benefits in the long term. This study will contribute to policy support evaluation measures relating to the integration of scenario analysis tool with the CBA approach in assisting the evaluation of new transport infrastructure proposals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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2535 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using New Mode Choice Model Nesting Structures to Address Emerging Policy Questions: A Case Study of the Pittsburgh Central Business District

by Zulqarnain H. Khattak, Mark J. Magalotti, John S. Miller and Michael D. Fontaine

Sustainability 2017, 9(11), 2120; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9112120 - 17 Nov 2017

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5993

Abstract

As transportation activities affect a region’s environmental quality, knowing why individuals prefer certain modes can help a region make judicious transportation investments. Using a nested logit model, this paper studies the behavior of commuters to downtown Pittsburgh who use auto, bus, light rail, walking, and biking. Although statistical measures influence the selection of a nesting structure, another criterion for model selection is the policy questions such models inform. Hence this paper demonstrates how an alternative model structure allows planners to consider new policy questions. For example, how might a change in parking fee affect greenhouse gas emission (GHGs)? The proposed model showed that a 5%, 10% and 15% increase in parking cost reduces GHGs by 7.3%, 9% and 13.2%, respectively, through increasing carpoolers’ mode share. Because the proposed model forecasts mode choices of certain groups of travelers with higher accuracy (compared to an older model that did not consider the model selection criteria presented here), the proposed model strengthens policymakers’ ability to consider environmental impacts of interest to the region (in this case, GHGs). The paper does not suggest that one nesting structure is always preferable; rather the nesting structure must be chosen with the policy considerations in mind. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes, Problems, and Challenges in Swedish Spatial Planning—An Analysis of Power Dynamics

by Till Koglin and Fredrik Pettersson

Sustainability 2017, 9(10), 1836; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101836 - 12 Oct 2017

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6624

Abstract

During the past few decades, the Swedish spatial planning system has experienced numerous problems and challenges. In particular, there have been changes in legislation and an increased neoliberalisation of planning that gives private actors a larger influence over the planning processes in Sweden. In this article, we analyse these changes through the lenses of collaborative and neoliberal planning in order to illuminate the shifting power relations within spatial planning in Sweden. We analyse the changes of power relations from three dimensions of power based on interviews with different kinds of planners throughout Sweden. We show that power relations in the Swedish spatial planning system have shifted and that neoliberalisation and an increased focus on collaborative planning approaches have made spatial planning more complex in recent decades. This has led to a change of role for planners form actual planners to collaborators. We conclude that market-oriented planning (neoliberal planning) and collaborative planning have made it more difficult for spatial planners in Sweden to work towards sustainable urban futures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

Review

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355 KiB

Open AccessReview

Police Perspectives on Road Safety and Transport Politics in Germany

by Stefan Gössling

Sustainability 2017, 9(10), 1771; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101771 - 30 Sep 2017

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 7048

Abstract

Road safety is a key concern of transport governance. In the European Union, a Road Safety Programme was adopted in 2011, with the objective to reduce road deaths in Europe by 50% in the period from 2011 to 2020. Evidence suggests, however, that this goal will not be met. Against this background, this paper investigates police perspectives on traffic laws, traffic behaviour, and transport policy. Police officers working with road safety are in a unique position to evaluate and judge the efficiency of road safety policies, as they record traffic offences, fine, investigate, and witness in court. Geographically, focus is on transport policy in Germany, a country with a dense road network, high levels of car ownership, and a large number of car manufacturers. A total of 14 semi-structured interviews were carried out with police officers in a wide variety of positions within the traffic police in Freiburg. Thematic analysis is used to analyse content and to identify aspects that represent major areas of concern. Officers affirm that traffic laws question traffic safety, for instance with regard to speed and speed limits, or elderly drivers. Specific recommendations for changes in transport policies are made, and results are discussed in the context of their implications for road safety and the European Union’s Road Safety Programme. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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265 KiB

Open AccessReview

Subsidies in Aviation

by Stefan Gössling, Frank Fichert and Peter Forsyth

Sustainability 2017, 9(8), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9081295 - 25 Jul 2017

Cited by 59 | Viewed by 19206

Abstract

Relatively little attention has been paid to the existence of subsidies in aviation. As the sector’s importance for economic development is often highlighted, this paper seeks to provide a conceptual overview of the various forms of subsidies in aviation, as a contribution to a more holistic understanding of economic interrelationships. Based on a purposive sampling strategy, existing forms of subsidies are identified and categorized along the value chain. Focus is on industrialized countries, for which more information is available. Results indicate that significant subsidies are extended to manufacturers, infrastructure providers and airlines. These contribute to global economic growth related to aviation, but they also influence capacity in global aviation markets, strengthen the market position of individual airlines, and create conflicts between airlines and the countries they are based in. While the actual scale of subsidies cannot be determined within the scope of this paper, it provides a discussion of options to empirically assess the effects of aviation subsidies on market outcomes. Finally, general conclusions regarding the impact of subsidies on the overall sustainability of the air transport sector are drawn: These include rapidly growing capacity in the aviation system, economic vulnerabilities, and negative climate change related impacts. Results call for a better understanding of the distribution, character and implications of subsidies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transport Policy)

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