There have been substantial changes in the directions of transport strategy over the past decade, with major changes in implicit and explicit objectives and targets to be achieved by and through transport. These have not, by and large, been matched by improvements in the information and techniques available to assess policies, programs and projects or in the allocation of funding to transport initiatives. The Transport Infrastructure Intelligent Relational Information System (TIIRIS) has been designed as a decision-support tool that will allow planners and decision-makers to focus on outcomes (what is achieved through transport) rather than just outputs (what is achieved in transport). Its focus is on a strategic asset management approach to investment, encompassing demand-management and use-management as well as 'build' solutions, and the identification of innovative and synergistic approaches to resolving transport issues - present and future. TIIRIS is not a comparative assessment tool, but it exposes some difficult issues of comparability that arise from changing directions of transport policy and strategy. These include: (1) identification and assessment of a sufficient range of alternatives; (2) dealing with 'externalities' as integral rather than unintended by-products; (3) dealing with demand impacts; and (4) reconciling clarity and simplicity of exposition with technical robustness. TIIRIS is currently under development as a working tool. However, addressing the concepts and how issues are being addressed is of value in its own right. The paper outlines the development of TIIRIS, including a prototype of the system, and how key issues are addressed. It draws on experience overseas and recent assessment methodology projects within Transport WA and for the Australian Greenhouse Office. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E205861.
Abstract