Abstracts

Road Transport, Environment & Social Equity in Israel in the new millennium

by Elaine Fletcher

Israel stands at a crossroads, culturally, socially and environmentally. It is choosing to pursue the same car-based land use and transportation model which has failed to deliver social cohesion in Europe and the U.S.A. This paper identifies the present-day trends that are reshaping Israel's physical space at the turn of the millennium. It then explores the impact of these transport trends on Israeli society.

The Status of Transportation in the West Bank

by Hanna Maoh, & Jad Isaac

This paper examines the basic features of the transportation system in the West Bank, from a Palestinian perspective, and discusses the dilemmas, both present-day and future, that must be confronted now by planners as Palestinians gain control of West Bank land resources, and create a contiguous political entity where transportation and land use planning will be possible. The paper presents basic data from new research on travel modes, trip destinations and motorisation that until recently was unavailable on Palestinian travel. It describes the factors contributing to increasing congestion and air pollution in the region, particularly in Palestinian urban areas. The legacy of the Israeli-Palestinian political conflict on the system's development is explored, particularly the profound impacts induced by the widespread Israeli construction of 'bypass roads' linking West Bank Jewish settlements. Finally, the paper discusses the potential for creating a more sustainable transport and land use system in the future, in light of problems such as land scarcity and increasingly high population densities.

Response to parking restrictions: Results & policy implications of a stated preference survey in Haifa

by Yoram Shiftan

Parking and its management are key tools in managing traffic. The key is to balance the conflicting interests of business who see parking as vital for customers and commuters who cannot as easily switch destinations or journey times. This paper presents the results of a stated preference survey of drivers in Carmel Center.

Exit or Voice: the Prospects for public transport user representation in Israel

by Meira Hanson

There is a persistent crisis in the Israeli public transport system. While the government's agenda for recovery is to introduce more competition to the main service providers, this may not necessarily guarantee an improved quality of service for the user. Currently, the only way in which users can express dissatisfaction at declining quality of service is through 'exit' - abandoning the service, most often in favour of private car use. This article sets out to introduce another option neglected so far by service providers and government alike: granting 'voice' to users via representation in the decision-making and operation of public transport services. To this end, several examples from abroad are brought to bear on the Israeli scene, and possible scenarios for change are considered.

Do telecommunications reduce industrial uses of transportation?: An International Comparison of Israel, Canada, U.S.A. & Europe

by Pnina O. Plaut

There is a long-running debate about the relationship between transportation and communications. One issue is whether the two services behave as substitutes or as complements. This is important because substitution implies that advanced telecommunications induce a reduction in the need for transportation and the seriousness of transportation system problems. While most research has examined the relationships for commuters and individual travellers, the bulk of transportation and communications services are in fact used by industry. It is shown that the pattern of complementarity detected in earlier research for Europe is also found in non-European locations, despite their very different conditions. This indicates that complementarity is robust and not dependent on a specific set of geographic conditions, infrastructure or level of development. All of this implies that expectations regarding the ability of telecommunications to reduce travel as well as the negative impacts and environmental costs of transportation may be unfounded.

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