Decision Support Tools - Thematic Research Summary - Transport ...

models and other evaluation tools that facilitate priority setting in the further developmentof the trans-European networks and the elaboration of other elements of the CommonTransport Policy.The strategic information and evaluation systems to be developed will support higher-levelcustomised applications, guide decision makers in planning transport systems andoperations, and enable the assessment of projects and initiatives. The development ofthese systems require new methodologies for data collection for specific transport domainswhere information is not available for use at European and global level such as mobilitytrends, origin-destination matrices, accidents, internal and external transport costs,emissions from both passengers and freight. It also requires setting up of coherent marketobservation tools and benchmarking methodologies, integration of assessment tools andmodels responding to policy-related queries, as well as improved models and evaluationmethodologies.The second building block is research into the driving forces in transport. Their adequateassessment with appropriate quantitative forecasting tools will permit to timely identifychallenges and bottlenecks and thus enable decision makers to better cater for currentand future mobility needs.The third building block consists of efficient policies for sustainable mobility. Research onpolicy evaluation, implementation, acceptance and their further development will enhancethe decision making process and the execution of policies at pan-European, EU, nationaland regional levels.Two priority actions in the area of local and regional transport were identified in the 1998Communication on “Developing the Citizens Network” (CEC, 1998b). The first is thedevelopment of the European Local Transport information System (ELTIS) which theCommission has contracted with the POLIS network 2 of cities and regions and theInternational Union of Public Transport (UITP). This consists of a database of informationabout local and regional passenger transport of all types. Its contents include servicedesign, accessibility, planning and land use, and pricing. The database draws from newlycollected examples of good practice and project descriptions submitted by users of theservice. The service can be consulted electronically via the web.The second action is benchmarking to improve transport systems. In other sectors,organisations have used benchmarking to drive continuous improvements in servicequality and commercial performance. Public authorities and operators responsible for localand regional passenger transport should be able to compare the performance of their2Polis is a network of European cities and regions from across Europe, which promotes,supports and advocates innovation in local transport (www.polis-online.org).Thematic Research Summary: “Decision Support Tools” Page: 17 of 74Transport Research Knowledge Centre