Back

Send article to a friendPrint

OPTIC – Optimal Policies for Transport in Combination

Project

OPTIC is a research project under EU’s 7th framework program. It is meant to develop measures that help to identify and evaluate possible adverse effects, which may result from the introduction of transport policy measures, in advance. Furthermore, this project will develop recommendations for optimal combinations of transport policy measures as a part of sets of measures that will minimize adverse effects and provide positive synergies.

It is assumed that sets of measures involve possible synergies. Therefore they are assessed as more effective than isolated measures. A simple example of adverse side effects is the reduction of vehicles fuel consumption due to technological progress. The positive effect of producing less emissions is cancelled out by more vehicle use as a result of reduced petrol costs. If this counteracts the environmental goals of transport policy like in this example, additional measures are necessary to compensate the cost advantage of personal car-use in comparison to other transport vehicles.

Objectives

The overall objective of OPTIC is to summarize and to extend the knowledge about an optimal design of transport policy measure sets. This includes evaluating the suitability of quantitative (e.g. transport models) and qualitative (e.g. stakeholder interviews) valuation methods. The practical relevance of the project is reflected in the integration of social actors. Decision makers and experts involved in planning practice, will discuss and test the developed methodology in workshops throughout the project.

Approach

In summary the OPTIC project,

• realizes critical reviews of existing studies and theories about transport policy measure sets,
• provides an assessment of qualitative and quantitative valuation approaches regarding their ability to recognize and evaluate unintended effects of transport policy-making,
• involves stakeholders to identify best practice examples of transport policy measure sets and to assure dissemination of the achieved results,
• develops policy recommendations to integrate valuation approaches along the formulation and introduction of transport policy measure sets.

The DLR Institute of Transport Research is partner in OPTIC and primarily engaged with the evaluation of quantitative methods for policy (package) assessment. A main emphasis is on analyzing and evaluating when and where along the policy-making process the application of quantitative methods is recommended. The focus is on European transport and emission models TransTools and Tremove, which are mainly used for the evaluation of European projects.

Client

• European Commission

Partners

• The Institute of Transport Economics (TØI), Norway
• AustriaTech – Gesellschaft des Bundes für technologiepolitische Maßnahmen GmbH (ATE)
• Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
• Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (FZK)
• Environmental Strategies Research (fms) (KTH)
• Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford (UOXF.JQ)
• Centrum dopravniho výzkumu, v.v.i. (CDV) -Transport Research Centre

Project duration

from 09/2009 to 08/2011