Assessment of the welfare impacts of transport system modifications

The research project Assessment of the Welfare Impacts of Transport System Modifications involved the multidisciplinary examination of the impacts that measures that affect the transport system have on the well-being of people, person groups, communities and nature. During the project (1) welfare impact evaluation criteria were drawn up to act as a checklist during impact assessment planning, when impacts on the prerequisites for well-being are to be included in the assessment,(2) the welfare impacts of two target projects and the availability of suitable data for their impact assessments were assessed (the SOul project, i.e. improving the rail connection between Seinaejoki and Oulu, and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Transport System Plan PLJ 2007),and (3) a multicriteria analysis application called ARVIOINTIAPU (AssessmentAid) was created to assist value discussion and the determining of an order of importance for different implementation alternatives. The design of the ARVIOINTIAPU model is based on the evaluation criteria that were drawn up. The model's primary objective, the realisation of the prerequisites for well-being, is described using its six subobjectives and their 15 constituent evaluation criteria. The sub-objectives are accessibility, health, traffic safety and the feeling of safety, quality of life, nature and economic boundary conditions. ARVIOINTIAPU acts as an interactive, transparent tool, especially in cases where there are many objectives concerning the impacts of a project or plan, and where there is no data or consensus on the content or order of importance of these objectives. ARVIOINTIAPU can be used to examine or compare both qualitative and quantitative data, as well as to assess the impacts of transport system programmes or strategic plans and programmes. This report may be found at http://www.mintc.fi/oliver/upl564-LVM%201_2007.pdf