Public authorities draw up impact reports for those plans and projects which have major, often irreversible impacts on people, the environment and the economy. Many impact assessments are carried out in the policy field of transport planning. During the impact assessment process the initiator collects and analyses information about problems, objectives, solutions and their future impacts. The results of this process are described in an impact report. The most famous impact assessment is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). In addition to the EIA, there are, for example, social, economic and integrated impact assessments. Public authorities try to grade the quality of planning and decision-making by applying the instrument impact assessment. The plan- and decision-making about transport infrastructure often advances with difficulty. This is partly caused by shortcomings in the content and process of the preparation phase of planning. A shortcoming of the content is, for example, an unclear definition of a problem or missing alternatives and impacts in a project study. The process falls short when a project is considered as a technical product and important stakeholders are not involved in the planning process. Impact assessments are carried out during the preparation phase of planning. The expectation is that they are one of the causes of stagnation in the planning process. This explorative study first aims to provide insight into the utility value of the instrument of impact assessment for the planning of transport infrastructure in The Netherlands. The utility value of the instrument is derived from the functions it can have in planning. Secondly, the study explores if and how the planning instrument can be improved. The underlying social aim is to contribute to the quality of the planning of transport infrastructure. The results of the study are based on a study of literature and cases. (A)
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