Harmonisation of multi-modal and multi-impact methodology for the environmental assessment of European transport policies : results from EU DG VII COMMUTE (Common Methodology for Multi-modal Transport Environmental Impact Assessment) project.

The COMMUTE project (Common Methodology for Multi-modal Transport Environmental Impact Assessment), financed by EU Directorate General VII (Transports) aims at defining a methodology and developing a software model for the evaluation of the main environmental impacts (emission of pollutants, noise, accidents, energy consumption) of the future multi-modal European transport networks. The project will provide the European Commission with a fundamental tool for the estimation of the externalities of the operation of possible future transport alternatives. The COMMUTE Project examines the issue of harmonisation of the modelling and software approaches across transport modes and across impacts. This twofold harmonisation function is essential for obtaining a final method and software balanced from both the points of view of a homogeneous detail of models of a given impact (for example, noise) across transport modes, and of the minimisation of the input data needed for a given mode. The harmonisation activity was focused on the following aspects of both models detailing and software organisation: (1) spatial distribution both on the horizontal and vertical dimensions; (2) time dimensions of the input data and calculation algorithms; (3) representation of the modal fleets by means of adequate number of vehicle classes and sub-classes; (4) unified intermodal approach for the estimation of the fuel life cycle consumption and emissions. (A)