National Transport Models: Introduction and Comparative Analysis

Abstract

There are many reasons why national and European transport models have attracted increased attention during recent decades. The broadening of national transport policy from strategic infrastructure investments to infrastructure management with regard to efficiency, environmental, safety and regional equity objectives has lead to a need for advanced and more policy sensitive tools of analysis. The increase of interregional and international mobility requires forecasting tools that go beyond the urban or regional level. The competition for national infrastructure investments among regions and for Trans-European investments among nations has to be resolved by decisions and decision support systems at the appropriate spatial level. Environmental impacts transcend regional and national boundaries and transport policies affecting these environmental impacts involve all spatial levels.