The impact of increasing levels of transport activity on the environment is one of the most significant challenges for sustainable development. The planning and evaluation phase of a potential infrastructure investment normally provides an estimation of its forecasted quantitative and qualitative effects. This helps decision makers to start or to reject the project. The estimation consists normally of cost benefit calculations and descriptions of other societal benefits. In order to make a positive decision to invest (the decision to start the transport infrastructure investment) more positive than negative effects and expectations need to be existing. The investment must be seen as beneficial for the city supporting the transport and mobility policy of society. The direct effects and impacts of the construction phase can be negative for the use of (public) transport system, if the construction work hinders the use of public transport (lack of service, poor replacement services, poor temporary connections etc.). The effects can be seen, e.g. in passenger statistics and in complaints concerning the construction phase. The construction phase can change the modal split at least temporarily if the former users of public transport shift to private car use (more private car users in the area where the construction work is done). From a marketing and public acceptability point of view, there is a need for minimising the negative impacts of any new transport system during the construction phase. For the covering abstract see ITRD E126595.
Abstract