Abstracts

City Logistics: A Contribution to Sustainable Development? - A Contribution to the Discussion on Solutions to Freight Transport Problems in Urban Areas

by Peter Löffler

The increasing amount of freight transport by road in urban areas of industrialised countries induces serious social and economic impacts through local and global environmental deterioration. Sustainable development demands that these effects be reduced substantially. The concept of City Logistics seems to offer an ideal method to decrease the number of trucks without harming economic performance. However, its current use is restricted in a number of ways. In particular, large-scale implementation of City Logistics would require different economic incentives for private actors.

Where is Stranraer now? Space-time convergence re-visited

by Gordon Clark

This paper revisits the concept of space-time convergence in the context of data on InterCity rail journey times in the UK between 1914 and 1998. The paper concludes that the concept of convergence needs to be considerably refined in both historical and geographical senses in order to fully represent long-run trends in the adoption of new transport technologies. The paper considers the geographical and policy implications of the quest for speed, particularly for the role of London.

An appraisal of decreased depth of production on traffic demand: development of a model

by Helmut Holzapfel & Richard Vahrenkamp

In recent discussions about future traffic growth in Europe, it is generally assumed that rates of increase, especially of road freight traffic, are overestimated. Sometimes it is vigorously denied that the ever increasing division of labour with just-in-time production processes has an influence on transport worth mentioning at all. These points are addressed in an attempt to seek an understanding of the dynamics of the division of labour and the growth of traffic. A theoretical model is produced which lead to deductions.

Scenarios for Transboundary Air Pollutants from the Transport Sector in Europe

by Gary Haq & Peter Bailey

Scenarios for the European transport sector are used to examine the impact on transboundary air pollution of a range of vehicle emission standards, technologies and demand management measures and to produce estimates of national emissions in the UN/ECE region. This paper demonstrates the possible reductions in emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds which could be achieved using different policy instruments.

The Effects of Strategic Network Changes on Traffic

by Steve Purnell, Jillian Beardwood & John Elliott

The Department of Transport's Counsel at the Public Inquiry into a section of the North Circular Road in 1985 stated that "Š the proper way to advance the [GLC] case is to put their evidence before the Secretary of State, to put their evidence before the Government and say 'This is the result of our research; your policy for roads should be amended accordingly - at least it should be reconsidered on the basis of this evidence'." In response to this recommendation the GLC presented this paper to the DoT. The Secretary of State, Nicholas Ridley, responded: "No attempt has been made either to assess the benefits which additional traffic might bring to the community as a whole or to evaluate its adverse effects" Š "we have no intention of building urban motorways" Š "the [Government does not] disregard the views of Londoners". The paper was presented to the Transport Committee of the GLC on 10th July 1985. The Committee recommended its publication on a wide basis. Soon after, the GLC was abolished despite approximately three-quarters of Londoners canvassed being opposed. This paper was tested and accepted by the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment in their 1994 report "Trunk Roads and the Generation of Traffic". The Government accepted the SACTRA report.

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