Integrated Transport Economics and Appraisal: overview of available publications

Publications Available

Appraisal of Road Schemes

Updated Advice on the Appraisal of Highway Projects

In March 2000, the Government published Guidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies (GOMMMS). This has now been updated and is available on the Transport Analysis Guidance web site, WebTAG (www.webtag.org.uk). Both versions identified certain changes that would be needed to ensure that the approach used in the appraisal of road schemes was comparable in all respects to that used for other modes of transport. WebTAG reflects the changes to appraisal as a result of the January 2003 edition of the Green Book "Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government" that was previously discussed in GOMMMS Supplement 3. Changes were also made to the Department's software and associated guidance in March 2003.

Applying the Multi-Modal New Approach to Appraisal to Highway Scheme (The Bridging Document).

This document, that is also incorporated in WebTAG, was intended to help those carrying out highway project appraisal to implement the multi-modal, study-based advice set out in GOMMMS. The document provides the link between GOMMMS' treatment of the environment, accessibility and integration criteria and the advice given in Volume 11 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, which deals with the environmental assessment of highway projects. It also provides the guidance needed to ensure that the appraisal of highway economy and safety impacts is in line with the approach set out in GOMMMS and implemented in TUBA.

Transport Economics Note (TEN)

The Transport Economics Note (TEN) has been updated and subsumed into the Department's transport analysis guidance website WebTAG. The revised guidance can be found in Values of Time and Operating Costs (Unit 3.5.6) on the WebTAG site and can be accessed under the following link:
www.webtag.org.uk/webdocuments/3_Expert/5_Economy_Objective/3.5.6.htm
The new guidance provides up to date values for use in appraisals. New guidance on related changes to appraisal period and the Department's standard base year can also be found on the WebTAG site.

The Transport Users Benefit Appraisal (TUBA) program is a matrix based computer program capable of appraising highway and/or public transport projects with fixed or variable trip matrices. (TUBA version 1.6c was released in September 2005). The TUBA User Guidance document gives guidance on the application of the TUBA program, that is, the way it relates to transport modelling and other aspects of a transport study. (Revised June 2004). The TUBA User Manual document gives guidance on the use of the program including program installation, running TUBA (that is, data entry and editing etc), scheme and economics data and interpretation of output. (Revised September 2005). The TUBA Demonstration Examples document provides the opportunity for TUBA users to familiarise themselves with the operation of TUBA using a simple data set. A number of different examples are provided to illustrate a number of features of TUBA that are discussed in the User manual and Guidance document. (Revised June 2004). A list of "Frequently Asked Questions and Answers" is included on the version 1.6c release disc. (Dated September 2005).

• TUBA user manual (PDF 549 Kb)
  The current version of this document was produced in September 2005. First published on this website: 9 April 2003. Last modified on this website: 24 October 2005.

COBA11 User Manual (Available in PDF format)
The COBA (COst Benefit Analysis) program compares the costs of providing road schemes with the benefits derived by road users (in terms of time, vehicle operating costs and accidents), and expresses the results in terms of a monetary valuation. COBA11 was released in March 2001. The user manual also includes details of basic economic concepts used in the appraisal of highway schemes. Revisions made to the user manual resulting from the Green Book changes and other revisions are dated May 2004.

QUADRO4 User Manual (Available in PDF format)
This manual describes the computer program QUADRO4 (QUeues And Delays at ROadworks) released in June 2002. The program provides a method for assessing the total cost of major road maintenance works made up of the direct works costs and user costs. There are three elements of the user cost; delay (value of time), vehicle operating costs and accident costs. Revisions made to the user manual resulting from the Green Book changes and other revisions are dated July 2004.

Environmental Assessment Volume 11 of the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges.
Published by HMSO, 1997 £82
Consolidated edition ISBN 0-11-5519130

Transport Appraisal and the new Green Book - This paper, now incorporated in WebTAG (Unit 2.7), sets out how the New Approach to Appraisal (NATA, as described in Guidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies, GOMMMS) has been changed to reflect the guidance given in the Treasury's new Green Book, Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government. The advice given in this paper updates the guidance given in GOMMMS and its daughter documents and should be used for all appraisal work from 1st April.

Departure Time Choice

Literature Review (phase 1) by John Bates Services - 1996

Following the publication of the SACTRA Report (SACTRA (1994)), it has been accepted by the Department that the modelling and appraisal of Highway Schemes needs to take account of "induced" traffic. One of the potential sources of induced traffic, identified by SACTRA, is the re-timing of travel.

The Department's ITEA Division has already commissioned research on this topic, and plans to develop the research programme further. However, before doing this, it was considered advisable to carry out a critical review of previous work in the field, to develop a structured technical assessment of possible future work, and to identify the key topics that are in most need of examination and further development.

Initial Operational Development (Phase 2)

Departure time choice modelling is an important, and in practice too often ignored, element in travel demand models. Empirical evidence indicates that after re-routing, trip re-timing is the most likely traveller response to changes in network costs. If any policy or traffic management measure changes the distribution of demand over the day, a departure time choice model is essential.

Final Report: 2000 by Hague Consulting Group, Halcrow Fox and Imperial College, London

HADES 1999

(Heterogeneous Arrival and Departure times based on Equilibrium Scheduling theory) software and reports of its application are available following research funded by the Department. A description of HADES is accessible via the link on this page. HADES introduces a departure time choice module which interfaces with a number of assignment packages via an iterative process. The advice is aimed at the model manager and gives details on the choice of inputs, calibration and appraisal.

DTLR Workshop: 2002

The re-timing of trips is generally recognised to be one of the most significant behavioural response of travellers, but standard methods for modelling time period choice have not been established. On 31 January 2002, the Department held a workshop on Departure Time Choice. The workshop reported on recent research and applications in this field. The workshop aimed to cover a range of methods that are currently available and to assist in the identification of areas where further research is required.

Highways Agency Project Appraisal Report (PAR)

The PAR is used to appraise all Highways Agency improvement projects not in the targeted programme of improvements. It is the key summary document in which the need for the project, its costs and benefits (including those that cannot be quantified in money terms) are brought together to aid the decision maker in judging the worth and priority of the project. The document allows the benefits to be assessed against all of the Government's five objectives for transport (environment, safety, economy, accessibility and integration).

PAR3.2 was published in July 2003. It takes full account of "Guidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies" (GOMMMS) (March 2000) and "Applying the Multi-Modal New Approach to Appraisal to Highway Schemes" (March 2001) also known as "The Bridging Document". It also includes the Treasury Green Book changes summarised in GOMMMS Supplement 3. PAR 3.3 was published in June 2004.

An updated version of PAR (PAR4) will be available end of November 2006. For further information and availability contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30.

Rail projects

The SRA Appraisal Criteria (Strategic Rail Authority, April 2003) sets out the general framework within which rail appraisal should be conducted. In light of the changing industry structure (as set out in the Railways Act 2005). This guidance has been updated and incorporated in WebTAG Unit 3.13 to bring it in line with current Department for Transport Appraisal Guidance. The new guidance is also intended to support those conducting rail appraisals by providing a set of recommended values and assumptions.

Major Scheme Appraisal in Local Transport Plans Part 1: Detailed Guidance on Public Transport and Highway Schemes

Guidance on the appraisal of major public transport and highway schemes in Local Transport Plans has been incorporated into WebTAG. This should be followed for all schemes with a total cost of at least £5m not being funded from the LTP block allocation. The guidance is consistent with the multi-modal new approach to appraisal (NATA) as described in WebTAG. The level of detail required is proportionate to the scheme scale.

Multi-Modal studies

As discussed earlier GOMMMS and its associated supplements and errata have been incorporated into the Department's Transport Analysis Guidance website, WebTAG.

Guidance on the Economic Impact Report - Phase 1

This document provides the theoretical framework for the proposed "Economic Impact Report", which it is anticipated will be included in the New Approach to Appraisal process.

Note that the following three documents have now been superseded and should not be used.

Multi-Modal Studies: Soft Factors Likely To Affect Travel Demand

This report provides an overview of the impact that demand management and behavioural change measures can have upon travel patterns in multi-modal study areas. The report focuses on those factors and policies that do not normally figure in transport models but which have the potential to change travel behaviour and reduce demand for those means of transport which create the greatest burden on the transport infrastructure and the environment. The Executive Summary, with the information in Chapters 10 and 11, provides a summary of which measures are likely to have a significant effect on levels of travel and mode shift, and how studies might take these factors into account. Chapters 1 to 9 provide detailed supporting evidence and analysis for all of the measures considered.

Note that the following three documents have now been superseded and should not be used.

• Guidance on the New Approach to Appraisal - DETR guidance on how to complete an Appraisal Summary Table (AST) and worksheets for a road scheme.
• Understanding the New Approach to Appraisal - explains how NATA was used in the Roads Review and includes 68 ASTs.
• Guidance on the Methodology for Multi-Modal Studies (GOMMS) - a revised version of the new approach to appraisal (NATA).

Transport Modelling

Traffic Appraisal Manual - the guide to good practice.
Published by HMSO, August 1991. Reprinted May 1996 as Volume 12 Section 1 of the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges. £32
ISBN 0-11-551860-6

Monitoring local traffic levels and errors in manual counts - (Adobe Acrobat 32kb)

Traffic Appraisal in Urban Areas - methods for modelling traffic in highly congested conditions. Volume 12 Section 2 Part 1 of the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges.
Published by HMSO, May 1996. £25
ISBN 0-11-551794-4

Guidance on Induced Traffic - methods for modelling situations where road improvements may generate additional traffic. Volume 12 Section 2 Part 2 of the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges.
Published by HMSO, February 1997. £11
ISBN 0-11-551908-4

National Trip End Model - details of the traffic growth forecasts contained within TEMPRO. Volume 12 Section 2 Part 3 of the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges.
Published by HMSO, November 1997

National Road Traffic Forecasts (GB) 1997 - predicted traffic growth rates to 2031 by vehicle class, and description of underlying methodology.

SACTRA

The SACTRA report 'Transport and the Economy' - an analysis of how transport policies and new road or public transport schemes can influence economic growth at a national, regional or local level. Includes a framework for best practice.
Published by The Stationery Office, 1999.
ISBN 0-11-753507-9 £30

The Government's Response to the above report.
Published by The Stationery Office, 2000
ISBN 0-10-147112-2 £5.50