Decision processes for a sustainable transportation system have been examined in a number of national reports and other papers, from four main angles: the integration of the sustainable development concept into transport policies; the criteria in decision-making processes for sustainable transportation; direct public consultation; and suggestions for making more informed political decisions. Today's transport policies can no longer be evolved solely by nation states, and local authorities or cities are key players in the implementing of transport policies for sustainable development. Integrated policies on urban planning, rural planning, land use planning, the residential environment, services and transport systems must involve many stakeholders and, as regards transport, lead to measures on multi-modal services, public transport, slow lane systems and the re-use of the carriageway. In some countries, comprehensive administrative approaches now also enable social justice to be mainstreamed into sustainable transportation strategies. Transport policy decisions tend to be made on a partnership basis. There are more and more decision criteria, and they cannot be ranked in a single monetary system. The integration of long-term consequences and supranational or global dimensions involves social values that can only be decided within consensus processes requiring joint ownership towards a common future. The keys to successful public participation lie in a number of simple principles such as transparency, simplicity, impartiality, the opening up towards other approaches. But public participation may also pose problems of a cultural, democratic and institutional, or even representative nature. More informed political decisions require changes to policy approaches, governance systems, study methodologies, administrative structures, public participation procedures, behaviour patterns, skills and qualifications. For the covering abstract see ITRD E118727.
Samenvatting