Transcript Chapter 2 The Transportation Planning Process

Chapter 2
The Transportation Planning Process
Transportation III
STUDY OBJECTIVES
At the end of this chapter students will be
expected to:
• explain, in some detail, the relevance and
purpose of transport planning;
• understand the basis of the transport planning
process;
• have insight into the developments which
occurred in this field overseas in developed
countries;
STUDY OBJECTIVES cont’
• outline the developments in South Africa with
regard to transportation planning;
• discuss the various criticisms, and the reasons
behind this, against transportation planning
processes; and
• outline and explain the link between planning
and macro policies.
2.1 HISTORY
2.1.1 THE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS
• The transport planning process has been
developed in an attempt to alleviate the
problems caused by:
 growth by urban population and the
 rapid increase in motor vehicle ownership and
usage
• while at the same time utilising the full range of
transport modes available for movement.
2.1.1 THE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
• The aim of this Transporation Planning process
intil recently has been purely traffic functional,
i.e. it has aimed I
i. to improve the obvious inefficiencies of the
currant transport systems, e.g. congestion,
delays, accidents, and
ii. to produce proposals for capital investment and
construction in existing and new transport
facilities where they expect overloading
2.1.1 THE PURPOSE OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
• Since then there has been a move to the
development of ‘new’ approaches to the
transportation planning process in an attempt
to improve on the traffic functional approach
adopted in the first round of major studies,
• e.g. the systems approach; the ‘cyclic’
approach.
2.1.2 THE BASICS OF THE
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS
The urban transportation planning process is based
on a range of assumptions and principles the
most basic of which are that:
i.
Travel patterns are tangible, stable and
predictable;
ii. Movement demands are directly related to the
distribution, and intensity of land uses, which
are capable of being accurately determined for
some future date.
2.1.2 THE BASICS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
In addition to these fundamental assumptions, it
has been found necessary in the light of
experience to assume that:
 relationships between all modes - future role of
1 mode mode cannot be determined without
giving consideration to all other modes;
 The transportation system influences the
development of an area, as well as serving that
area;
2.1.2 THE BASICS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
Areas of continuous urbanisation require a
region-wide consideration of the
transportation situation;
The transportation study is an integral part of
the overall planning process, and cannot
adequately be considered in isolation;
The planning process is continuous, and
requires constant up-dating, validating and
amendment.
2.1.2 THE BASICS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
Specialists involved in this type of transport
planning are:
• engineers,
• traffic and transportation specialists,
• town planners and
• Economists
• i.e. Team work
2.2 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
2.2.1 EARLY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH
AMERICA
• Prior to the 1950s, problems of movement
were seen largely in terms of road traffic, and
• the accepted method of assessing the future
demand of movement by road was to examine
or count the existing flows, and extrapolate
these to some future date by applying an
appropriate growth factor.
2.2.1 EARLY DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTH
AMERICA cont’
• Then came a breakthrough with the
formulation of the theory that different types
of land use generate different and variable
traffic flows.
• It shifted the emphasis from the study of road
traffic flows to the study of the land uses that
give rise to the flaws.
2.2.3 DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTH
AFRICA
• The following is a summary of current transport
problems and realities experienced in South
Africa:
• (i) Present land use distortions lead to sprawling,
inefficient cities and towns, which negatively
affect accessibility and greatly increase the need
for people to travel.
E.G.1 - Non-motorised trips such as cycling - or
walking to work, shops, social and recreational
facilities are often not possible.
Current transport problems and realities experienced
in South Africa cont’
• E.G. 2 - Low housing densities, long travel
distances and times, and dispersal or
residential, commercial, industrial and
recreational developments have resulted in an
inefficient transport system. The
Current transport problems and realities experienced in
South Africa cont’
• E.G. 3 - The utilisation of public transport and
rolling stock is low, leading to low cost
coverage.
• Consequently, the percentage of disposable
income spent on transport by a large
proportion of our citizens is unacceptably high
by intenational standards
Current transport problems and realities experienced in
South Africa cont’
• (ii) There is no comprehensive legislation for
land transport.
• Although separate legislation exists for each
mode.
• There is no specific legislation for the planning
and subsidisation of road-based transport
operations.
Current transport problems and realities experienced
in South Africa cont’
• (iii) Responsibility for land transport is
fragmented amongst a number of authorities at
various levels of government.
• There remains no single body at any level of
government responsible for all land transport
functions. infrastructure and operations.
• There is limited capacity to manage the land
transport function in many of the responsible
institutions.
• This situation results in inefficiency in decisionmaking;
Current transport problems and realities experienced
in South Africa cont’
• (iv) In the past, very little comprehensive
planning of land transport was carried out at
any level of government.
• Planning concentrated on the provision of
transport infrastructure and traffic
management in the cities, but the operational
aspects of public transport were largely
neglected.
Current transport problems and realities experienced
in South Africa cont’
• (v)The impacts of energy usage,
environmental impacts such as vehicle
emissions, noise pollution and visual intrusion
have hardly been taken into account in the
planning of transport systems.
Current transport problems and realities experienced
in South Africa cont’
• (vi) Although public transport is regulated
through the issuing of permits by Local Road
Transportation Boards. (LRTBs), there are no
statutory requirements to issue permits in
terms of approved integrated transport
plans.
Current transport problems and realities experienced
in South Africa cont’
• (vii) Sources of funding for public transport,
and the allocation and application of funds
remain problematic.
• E.G. – GAUTENG E-TOLLS – HOMEWORK 2
Current transport problems and realities experienced
in South Africa cont’
• (viii) There is concern that the funds spent on
the subsidisation of transport services are
not being spent efficiently and productively.
• END END
2.3 COMMENTS ON THE
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS
2.3.1 CRITICISMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS
At the operational level it is said to be too
concerned with:
• the technical problems associated with traffic
estimation and network planning, and
• too little concerned with the transport needs
of the community at large.
2.3.1 CRITICISMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
• In the eyes of many politicians and the public
generally it has led to proposals favouring the
motor vehicle and ignoring the possibilities of
public transport, while
• the level of public involvement has been most
inadequate.
2.3.1 CRITICISMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
At a technical level the process is criticised for
considering:
• too few (if any) alternative plans and policies;
for inadequately defining goals and objectives
and basing the evaluation of alternative
proposals solely on economic grounds.
2.3.1 CRITICISMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
What is should be but what it is not.
Transport planning process should be
comprehensive and incorporate on an integrated
area-wide basis the considerations of
• economic and population factors,
• land use,
• social and community values and
• the role of different transport modes,
2.3.1 CRITICISMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
Investment in land-use transport plans tends to
be evaluated against six main traffic
functional criteria:
The satisfaction of observed demand;
The reduction or elimination of bottle-necks in
the network(s);.
Enhanced efficiency in the existing or
proposed network(s);
2.3.1 CRITICISMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
Net user benefits;
Capital costs involved in the construction of
the network(s);
The economic return on investment.
2.3.1 CRITICISMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
Most significant criticism against transport
planners is:
• the failure to recognise and utilise transport
planning as one of the most important tools
for guiding and shaping the development of
the urban environment.
2.3.1 CRITICISMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION
PLANNING PROCESS cont’
• The choice of a transportation system is the
most important developmental decision that a
metropolitan region takes and planners need
to use this tool to shape the physical urban
environment
2.3.2 THE LINK BETWEEN PLANNING AND
MACRO POLICIES
• The relevant national policies fall into two
categories i.e.
(i) those stated in a country’s constitution,
providing a basis for transport policy; and
(ii) the transport mission and strategic objectives
of a county’s national transport policy.
2.3.2 THE LINK BETWEEN PLANNING AND
MACRO POLICIES cont’
(A) NATIONAL GOALS AND POLICIES
Some important policies, which provide direct
guidance to transport policy, are the following:
i) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement;
ii) Every citizen has the right to choose their trade,
occupation or profession freely;
iii) Everyone has the right to an environment that is
not harmful to their health or well-being;
Etc.
(A) NATIONAL GOALS AND POLICIES cont’
National legislation is necessary for:
The maintenance of national security.
The maintenance of economic unity
The protection of the common market in
respect of the mobility of goods, services,
capital and labour
(A) NATIONAL GOALS AND POLICIES cont’
The promotion of economic activities across
provincial boundaries
The promotion of equal opportunity or equal
access to government services.
The protection of the environment.
(B) NATIONAL TRANSPORT POLICY, GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES
The broad goal of transport should be the
smooth and efficient interaction that allows
society and the economy to assume their
preferred form.
2.3.2 THE LINK BETWEEN PLANNING AND
MACRO POLICIES cont’
•
•
•
•
To play this role, policies in the transport
sector must be:
outward looking,
shaped by the needs of society in general,
of the users or customers of transport,
and of the economy that transport has to
support.
2.3.2 THE LINK BETWEEN PLANNING AND
MACRO POLICIES cont’
2.3.2 THE LINK BETWEEN PLANNING AND
MACRO POLICIES cont’
• Figure 2.2 indicates the relationship between
transport policies and plans at different levels
of government
• National transport policy must also be
governed by over-arching enabling legislation,
which will specify national requirements to
facilitate the implementation of transport
policy at provincial and local levels
2.3.2 THE LINK BETWEEN PLANNING AND
MACRO POLICIES cont’
• The framework should also contain a
description of the status of transport in each
province in terms of key performance
indicators (KPIs) specified in the legislation.
• Provinces in turn wilt need to specify
guidelines and requirements to the municipal
levels to facilItate the co-ordination and
implementation of provincial policy,
(C) PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE INTEGRATED
TRANSPORT PLANNING PROCESS
The needs of society are constantly changing. The
following principles provide a framework for
transport planning that should be appropriate to
any situation whether provincial or municipal
(local).
Planning as a continuous process
Balance between tong-term and short-term
planning
Realistic handling of future uncertainties
Balance between the elements of planning
studies
Encouraging constructive public participation
Integration of transport and land use planning
Consideration of all modes
• THE END