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NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITYSCHOOL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND GEOSCIENCES

______________________

SEMESTER 2 2008-2009______________________

ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPRAISAL OFTRANSPORT ACTIVITIES

Time allowed: 2 hours

Instructions to candidates

a) Answer 3 questions in totalb) Answer 1 question from each section

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Question 4(a) With reference to the appraisal of transport investment projects identify

the key differences between traditional financial accounting and socialcost benefit analysis (SCBA). Summarise the reasons for the use ofSCBA in transport investment appraisal.

[10 marks]

(b) Using the data below, calculate the travel time costs under the presentand proposed schemes, assuming for the purposes of this questionthat the benefits will be achieved during the current year. If thescheme is estimated to cost 7 million to implement, would it be worthgoing ahead with it? Would the benefits be different if implementationof the scheme was delayed by a year?

[24 marks]DATA

Under a proposed route improvement scheme, the following changes

are anticipated to travelling times:

Trip duration reduced from 60 minutes to 50 minutes for buses andfrom 40 minutes to 30 minutes for cars.

The following numbers of persons [in thousands]are affected:Car driver 1000Car passenger 200Bus driver 20Bus passenger 500

Working time per person, per hour

Car driver 21.86Car passenger 15.66Bus driver 8.42Bus passenger 16.75

Public transport waiting time is valued at 2.5 times in-vehicle time.

For the purposes of this question, assume all travel is in working time.

Bus passengers at present wait on average 10 minute for a bus, whichwill be cut to 5 minutes.

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SECTION C

Question 5(a) Describe the sustainability principles that underlie the current UK

process of environmental and economic appraisal of transport

activities.[13 marks]

(b) In the past, appraisal of transport activities in UK focussedpredominantly on economic aspects of the schemes. Describe how thishas changed over time highlighting the main changes.

[20 marks]

Question 6(a) Discuss the contribution that multi-criteria assessment (MCA) could

make to the NATA appraisal process.

[13 marks]

(b) Describe the NATA approach for assessing biodiversity and landscapeimpacts of transport activities. Comment on the scale used for scoringthe biodiversity, landscape and townscape impacts.

[20 marks]

Question 7(a) Critically analyse the scale of local and global air pollution problems

relating to road transport.[20 marks]

(b) Discuss the main steps in assessing the local air quality objective inNATA. [13 marks]

END OF PAPER