Kanta-Hame and Paijat-Hame region is located in the zone of economic and population growth in Southern Finland. The central location along the major roads and railway lines generates both potential and challenges. This study focuses on the factors that have effects on the development of business life and freight transport in the region now and in the future. Special attention is given to the needs for transport services and traffic infrastructure maintenance and development. The purpose is to outline measures that would best support operational preconditions of business. Interviews with representatives of business and inquiries to trade promoters in municipalities are an essential part of the study. The report also includes basic information on transport characteristics of the region. The companies in Hame region are nearly unanimously satisfied with the logistic location of the region. There have been motorway investments in the main roads 3 and 4 recently. Future actions supporting the logistic location will be the direct railway line Kerava-Lahti and the new harbour of Helsinki in Vuosaari. Connections of good standard of service to the harbours in Southern Finland and to Helsinki-Vantaa airport support operational preconditions of the global enterprises. The location of Hame region in the middle of the densely populated area of Finland is ideal for cost-effective product distribution. This is one reason why logistic centres and distribution terminals have been and will be founded in the region. Industrial policy in the region is mostly favourable to business life, which supports the growth of business activities. Parallel effects can be derived from good availability of labour and building land and more reasonable costs compared with the Helsinki metropolitan area. Representatives of business life in Hame are fairly satisfied with the present level of traffic infrastructure maintenance and development. To sustain this level in future requires regular investments; otherwise the infrastructure will deteriorate. The challenge in road maintenance is to assure the functionality of winter maintenance also at night, because transports are more and more carried out round the clock. Essential development needs are concentrated to construct the southern ring road in Lahti and to improve the level of service on the main road 2. The rail network financing needs to be raised to the level which assures at least the present standard. To raise the axle weight to 25 tonnes, particularly on the main railway line and on the connections between it and the main harbours, is important to heavy transports. The order of priority between rail passenger and freight traffic needs to be considered in some occasions. Most representatives of business life and public administration consider the dialogue with the traffic infrastructure administrations as necessary. The main theme for discussions would be the order of importance of maintenance activities and development projects. It is preferable that both Finnish Road Administration and Finnish Rail Administration participate in this dialogue since the traffic system and infrastructure is to be developed as a whole instead of separate road or rail projects.
The research discusses road management and development and its regional implications by focusing on changes in spatiality as an aspect of societal development. The analysis begins with several aspects of social changes that reflect patterns of regional development. The research scrutinises general aims and challenges of developing regional entities, defines the conceptual linkages between road keeping, spatiality and well-being, and approaches the role and position of road keeping in regional development as it is revealed in different environments, called here as typified road keeping environments. After that the interpretations and conceptions of road keeping's regional relevance are studied as they are recorded in road keeping plans and decisions. In this instance two particularly central concepts are analysed: regional competitiveness and accessibility. The conclusions include key results about identified needs for developing impact assessment on road and traffic conditions as well as road keeping in general. The research introduces a conceptual framework that illustrates the relationship and relevance of road management and development to society's spatial change. The framework can also be used for assessment of spatial impacts of road management and development, the existing assessment methods and the needs to develop them. The impacts of road management and development are discussed by focusing on of individuals and regional entities. An individual's wellbeing relates to possibilities to have an access to various functions and services that facilitate good life. A region's well-being is attached to region's enterprises and the region as a functional entity. Central aspects include the preconditions for corporate development and the region's attractiveness. The regional impacts of road and traffic conditions are grouped into five dimensions of accessibility: Functionality of labour market areas is a concept broader than functionality of a traffic system; includes accessibility from an individual perspective. The framework gives an overall answer to the dynamic of how regional impacts are revealed and to which traffic needs or segments of road network the impacts can be attached. It does not, however, define particular population groups or actual locations that will be particularly affected. Also these are major tasks while assessing the regional impacts of particular plans. When the more traditional impact assessment is extended to regional impact assessment, the various stakeholders need to be assured that the assessment process comprises one coherent entity (e.g. irrespective of its legal basis). It is equally important that the extended impact assessment is still an elementary part of the planning.
