An international road research group was set up by OECD to examine public transport systems, both conventional and innovative, implemented in low density areas as well as possible future improvements to these types of service. Due to the increasing number of dispersed and low density zones which have evolved within the last thirty years in OECD countries, the problem of public transport services in these areas is of increasing economic and social importance as the levels of urban accessibility provided depend to a large extent on whether or not the residents possess a private means of transport. Firstly, the report examines urban development patterns, activity distributions and trip patterns and highlights the share of trips made by public transport. It considers the set of transport problems related to these zones supported by a classification of different forms of transport services together with their characteristics, such as system availability and intrinsic accessibility, flexibility in time and space depending on the nature of the system, private or public. The report indicates the main factors to take into account in physical planning in order to promote improved operation of conventional or demand-responsive systems currently in use or under study. It deals in turn with the general conditions applying to public involvement in these areas, the social objectives assigned to public transport, the framework for adequate co-ordination and lastly, the overall problem of evaluating transport schemes for low-density areas. Finally, the report presents a number of conclusions and recommendations regarding methods for improving transport services in low density areas and priority research subjects in this field.
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