This report summarises the results of work to evaluate the benefits of a series of schemes in Hampshire aimed at achieving energy savings, reduced pollution, better use of existing road space and an improved quality of life. The work formed part of ENTRANCE, a European partnership project. The Hampshire schemes involved alternative fuels for buses, bus priority, promoting alternatives to car travel (through teleworking and cycling), and route guidance and parking guidance using realtime driver information to manage congestion and improve use of road space. The potential impact of realtime information for bus passengers at bus stops was also investigated. The schemes were evaluated to identify their benefits in terms of savings in energy, the level of pollutant emissions, and their economic benefits. Most schemes were evaluated in real-life using `before' and `after' comparisons. However, in the case of route guidance and information for bus passengers, the assessment was based on simulating the impact of the schemes. The evaluation looked only at the short term impacts of the schemes. The results were however mixed, with inconclusive results for the simulated schemes. Further work is recommended to evaluate some of the schemes more fully and to identify their longer term effects. (A)
Abstract