This article examines the options for the Dutch government to combine investment financing models for decentralised transport districts while at the same preserving some policy control. Three models are discussed and assessed: a model based on forecasts, one based on performances and one based on needs. For policy purposes, only the latter needs-model fits all criteria, at least for the short term. Furthermore, some variants are elaborated to demonstrate distributional effects between transport districts, including the one chosen by the Dutch central government. This paper shows that by determining the weights of three selected indicators, the central government still have some policy control. Finally, the outlines of a future model are given. It is argued that performances of transport districts should be integrated, so that the future model is more of a balance between needs and performances.
Abstract