Experience in judging controversial road projects

Abstract

Road construction of all kinds, especially of urban motorways, has in recent years acquired a very bad reputation in industrialized countries. Traffic engineers are, because of their attitude, not entirely without blame for this development. With their attention glued nearly hypnotically to dimensions and technical design, considerations about the meaning and function of the construction are very often neglected, all the more since the engineers might otherwise risk their own jobs. It is, however, becoming increasingly clear that the cause of the scepticism and uneasiness prevailing in the public is the lack of a comprehensive judgement. Using a concrete example, this paper describes how decision‐making can degenerate when such judgement is omitted. Using a second example, it is then demonstrated how such a comprehensive judgement can be integrated in decision‐making from the very beginning. Such an integration sets very high methodological and procedural standards and constructive aids are offered for this purpose. It is shown that, while the substantial findings of a comprehensive judgement should be logically consistent, plausible and up to the latest standard of knowledge, the nature and intelligibility of the presentation and the preparedness for a publicly presented explanation in the form of ‘after‐care’ are of much greater importance for decision‐making in the political sphere. This ‘after‐care’ should accordingly become an indispensable component of the decision‐making process.

All those involved should become aware of the fact that a ‘positive’ result of decision‐making in the field of road construction is not a priori defined as the construction of road and a ‘negative’ one as its prevention. The actual positive result is rather the creation of a consciousness of the problem on hand, which can serve as a basis on which a decision is taken in full realization of all its consequences.     

A product life cycle approach to urban waterfronts: The revitalization of Galveston

Abstract

Urban waterfronts are increasingly the focus of revitalization efforts designed to enhance tourism and recreation. The evolution of urban waterfronts suggests that these resources experience distinct stages of introduction, growth, maturity, decline, and sometimes revitalization. In this paper the product life cycle is broadened to describe the evolution of the waterfront district of Galveston, Texas. Implications of the product life cycle model of urban waterfront revitalization pertain to public policy formation, “product”; development, and management response to different life cycle stages.     

Optimization of transport investment and pricing policies: the role of transport pricing in network design

This paper investigates the role of transport pricing in network design and describes two facts about flow pattern in a transportation system. The first, illustrated by an example of Braess paradox, is that adding a new link to the network does not necessarily minimize the total travel time. The second is that introducing of appropriate toll pricing may reduce not only the total network time but also the travel time for each individual traveller. It follows with the investigations of different system objectives and different pricing policies (only toll pricing and distance‐based pricing are considered), and shows how they affect the system performance and flow pattern. Lastly, a systematic optimization process is proposed for integrated planning of transport network and pricing policies.     

The management of the rural transportation problem in Nigeria

In spite of the fact that about 70% of Nigeria's population live in rural areas, these areas have remained largely inaccessible. Not only do they lack motorable roads and organized public transport but also field surveys indicate that nearly all rural inhabitants do not have a private car. A Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure has been set up to manage the inaccessibility problem, among others. Whereas there are several conventional approaches to the management of the rural transportation problem, the Nigerian approach relies on the provision of roads. This restrictive approach with an emphasis on locational to the neglect of personal accessibility has various limitations which are analysed.     

Marginal cost pricing of ferry transportation: a practical application ∗

In this paper, in which the author attempts to redress the lack of attention by economists to ferry operation, a simple pricing model, based on marginal cost pricing, is developed.     

A new efficient EDI system for container cargo logistics

There have been many efforts to develop a logistics information system in the Korean logistics industry. In spite of these efforts, there are many points which need improvement in the Logistics Information System, of which function is the electronic data communication without added value. This paper aims to describe some of the main problems and the successful factors which are being found in the evolution of the present EDI systems for clearing import/export container cargoes, with special reference to Singapore, Korea, and Japan. Following this, leaving legal issues aside, to suggest workable guidelines for designing a new efficient EDI system for container cargo logistics. As a result of the review, the following successful factors are drawn: (a) the planning, requirement analysis and design of EDI are critical, as it provides a framework for its implementation; (b) as the data of customs clearance are an integral part of a logistics EDI system, the inclusion of customs in the system design is essential; (c) the sharing system of cargo data as the framework of the logistics EDI is efficient for data interchange; (d) the EDI software for the user has been developed and provided by an EDI network operating company; and (e) to facilitate communication between trading partners and the transport sector, it is necessary to adopt a global message standard, such as EDIFACT.     

Turning Off the Heat: Impacts of Power Plant Decommissioning on Green Turtle Research in San Diego Bay

Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are among the most high profile species in San Diego Bay, California, and understanding impacts of coastal development and industry is essential to the management and conservation of this local population. Here we describe power plant changing energy production and its impact on turtle habitat use and our ability to research and manage this population. For over 20 years, green sea turtles have been captured, assessed, and tagged near the South Bay Power Plant (SBPP) in the San Diego Bay; from 2002–2011, 104 turtles were captured on 212 occasions. As the 50-year-old SBPP generates less energy, effluent patterns change and water temperatures decrease, presumably to more natural conditions. There has been a concurrent decrease in turtle-capture success, perhaps due to lesser visitation to the effluent site where nets are tended. Seasonal catch-per-unit-effort declined from a high of 4.14 turtles per monitoring day, to a nine-year low of 1.33 during the 2010–2011 season. It is already apparent that management decisions related to energy policy are affecting the habitat and behavior of this stock of endangered turtles. Green turtles are expected to remain in the San Diego Bay after the SBPP becomes inoperative and continuing research will monitor future impacts and distribution shifts resulting from the expected changes in thermal pattern within south San Diego Bay. Research efforts to study this population (i.e., capture methods and locations) will require modification in response to these changes. Lessons learned here are applicable to the immediate coastal development of San Diego, as well as at similar interactions between marine turtles and industrial thermal effluent discharge throughout Southern California, the United States, and beyond.     

Book reviews

Coastal Resources Management: Beyond Market and Bureaucracy by Robert B. Ditton, John L. Seymour, and Gerald C. Swanson. Published by D. C. Heath and Company, Lexington, Massachusetts, 1977, 191 pp., 6 figures.

The Urban Sea: Long Island Sound by Lee E. Koppelman, Peter K. Weyl, M. Grant Gross, and DeWitt S. Davies. Published by Praeger Publishers, 1976. 209 pp., 81 figures, 42 tables.     

Coastal Management and Economic Development in Developed Nations: The Forth Estuary Forum

This article considers the issue of economic development as a component of coastal management initiatives in developed countries, focusing on the Forth Estuary Forum as a case study. The evolution of coastal management into integrated coastal management is briefly considered, as is the context of the Scottish coastal management system and a brief discussion of the variations between the different legal systems within the UK. The current hurdles to economic development and the views of developers and economic agencies being considered in the coastal management process itself are highlighted, illustrating the process of integration and the current voluntary regime in the UK, particularly in the Forth Estuary Forum. The article concludes that economic development issues must be taken seriously if coastal management is to be integrated and inclusive.