Estimating the Potential Success of Sustainable Transport Measures for a Small Town

Abstract

This paper examines the benefits of promoting and encouraging the use of soft modes of transport in a small town in Ireland. Currently, in the town in question, almost 70% drive to work alone each day. The Irish government recently adopted a policy of actively promoting and developing sustainable towns through the use of soft transport measures. This paper takes a typical town in Ireland and demonstrates how a modal shift toward sustainable transport measures could result in substantial savings in vehicle kilometers traveled and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Census data were used to estimate the benefits of a modal shift from driving alone to walking, cycling, and carpooling. The COPERT IV model was used to estimate the reductions in CO₂ emissions if the estimated modal shifts were realized. Analysis of the commuting patterns of the individuals in the study area shows that the majority of car trips are less than 6 km. The results of the paper show that no one soft measure promoted in isolation is the silver bullet; rather, a mix of these options would be optimal for achieving a modal shift.

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