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.