Using FLOW’s Multimodal Transport Analysis Techniques in the Transport Planning Profession

Summary

A growing number of individuals and organisations support increased walking and cycling in cities and towns. They recognise that walking and cycling help support the creation of liveable, sustainable and economically healthy communities. They see how communities that have introduced more walking and cycling thrive, and they are becoming aware that spaces designed for motor vehicle traffic are less interesting and less pleasant.

Transport planners see and acknowledge these trends; but they also recognise that transport measures often have impacts different to and beyond those that one might expect. For example, widening a roadway may not reduce congestion, just as narrowing a roadway to add a cycling lane might not lead to more congestion (particularly if people switch to cycling as a result). Therefore, planners use transport analysis techniques and tools to analyse transport schemes and help communities choose the best measures to implement. Until now, many of these tools have been insufficient for precisely analysing the impacts of walking and cycling measures.

This document has been written for those involved in transport businesses. These include transport planning and engineering consultants as well as producers of transport equipment and supplies (e.g., pavement systems or cycling rack builders). It can assist such businesses in communicating improved methods for analysing multimodal transport system performance (developed in the 3-year EU research project, FLOW) to decision makers, local authority staff and (other) transport consultants.