THE EVALUATION OF AMENITY IN RELATION TO TRANSPORT COSTS AND BENEFITS

THE PAPER DISCUSSES MEANS OF MEASURING AMENITY COSTS AND BENEFITS RESULTING FROM ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT ACCRUE TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OTHER THAN ACTUAL USERS OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ITSELF. METHODS ARE EXAMINED OF BRINGING INTO SUCH ANALYSIS CERTAIN OF THE OTHER COSTS AND BENEFITS COMING UNDER THE GENERAL HEADING OF AMENITY. FIRST A REVIEW IS MADE OF THE TREATMENT OF AMENITY IN TRANSPORT COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS AND THEN OF THE NEED TO WIDEN SUCH ANALYSIS BEYOND THE ITEMS OF AMENITY TO THE WIDER RANGING REPERCUSSIONS OF TRANSPORTATION ON THE COMMUNITIES, ALTHOUGH THIS WOULD STILL NOT BE WIDE ENOUGH SINCE TRANSPORTATION SHOULD BE VIEWED AS PART OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING, AND SO SHOULD ITS EVALUATION. THE MAIN OBSTACLE TO THE APPROPRIATE TREATMENT OF AMENITY IN TRANSPORT COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS HAS BEEN THE DIFFICULTIES OF MEASUREMENT. THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING SUCH MEASUREMENT ARE EXPLORED AND SO IS THE NEED FOR MAKING THE MEASUREMENT IN MONEY TERMS. AN ACCOUNT IS GIVEN OF THE RESEARCH ADVANCES BEING MADE IN THE MEASUREMENT OF THE TRANSPORT IMPACT ON AMENITIES.