Traditional criteria of lack of transport reflects real role of communications in economic and social development. The ultimate goal of transport (road) network development is creation of normative (comfortable) environment for vital activity. Direct indices of the road consumption are of environmental character and immediately derive the sustainable development concept. By means of these indices It is possible to make out how and to what extent roads a good road network affects the local environment. The most important indices are: - level of transport (road) discrimination (percent of population which do not receive minimum social standard because of bad road conditions); - integral transport accessibility, that shows time cost required to reach any point of an area from any settlement on the average; - probability of connectedness of network; - growth of free time volume, etc. All aspects are considered for 87 regions of Russia. (A)
Abstract