Connections Transport & ICT Achieving Sustainable Mobility: Why policy-makers should pursue the four goals at the same time Javier Morales Sarriera (The World Bank) and Lewis Fulton (University of California, Davis) † 15% The Global Mobility Report frames the transport agenda around four global goals: universal access, efficiency, Thxp ct d safety and green. Unless those four goals are pursued r duction simultaneously, mobility will not be sustainable in ro d f t lit for current and future generations. For example, r t s (s f t ) policy decisions must not prioritize universal access interventions without considering the implications they from doublin may have on efficiency, safety, and green. Deviating th mod sh r of from any of the goals will compromise the achievement public tr nsport of sustainable mobility. (univ rs l cc ss): n x mpl of s n r i s At stake is the fact that none of these goals are independent, but they are all interconnected. In many mon o ls.1 cases, there are synergies among pairs of goals, or even across all four. Synergies occur when projects and policies help achieve more than one goal at a time. But in other cases, advancing the agenda on one goal may hinder another. Therefore, synergies should be captured and apparent trade-offs should be managed. By acknowledging these interconnections and managing them appropriately, mobility will be able to generate more benefits for society, strengthening its role as a driver of social inclusion and economic competitiveness, with the least impact on safety and the environment. This note provides examples of the synergies and trade-offs a policy-maker should consider and manage. Synergies across the four goals speed generates a 4 percent decrease in deaths2, yet many countries allow higher than ideal vehicle Reducing speeds can help achieve all four goals: speeds, because some key costs—crashes, emissions, it improves fuel efficiency for light and especially noise, etc.—are not considered. heavy vehicles, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases universal access by improving travel condi- Multimodal freight transport systems that oper- tions for pedestrians, bicycles, and slower moving ate high load-factors and capture the economies of vehicles, and reduces crash fatalities and injuries. scale of rail and waterborne freight, may also unlock Studies estimate that each 1 percent decrease in multiple synergies, providing for green mobility by † The authors of Chapter 1 of the Global Mobility Report thank Soames Job and Muneeza Alam (World Bank) for their thoughtful comments and inputs. 1 Stimpson, J. P., Wilson, F. A., Araz, O. M., and Pagan, J. A. 2014. Share of Mass Transit Miles Traveled and Reduced Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Major Cities of the United States. Journal of Urban Health, 91(6), 1136–1143. 2 Nilsson, G. 2004. Traffic Safety Dimension and the Power Model to describe the Effect of Speed on Safety, Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden. NOVEMBER 2017 NOTE 2017 - 6 lowering emissions per ton-kilometer, enhancing ef- Efficiency and safety ficiency in terms of energy consumed, and improving safety via the safer operation of rail and water freight In passenger transport, this synergy can be unlocked movement than road freight transport. with a shift away from private automobiles and toward public transport. Studies suggest that road Universal access and green mobility fatality rates may on average decrease by 15% when the mode share of public transport doubles.3 Universal access may mean more travelers and more trips, but when accomplished primarily by public or A trade-off between efficiency and safety involves active modes of transport it can lead to emission motorcycles, which are efficient in the use of road reductions and lower air and noise pollution. The key space and cause less impact than automobiles on to unlocking this synergy is to induce a modal shift traffic congestion. However, studies show that mo- away from less efficient modes, such as single-occu- torcycles impose around 20 times the fatality rate of pant automobiles. automobiles.4 Road expansion and rehabilitation, on the contrary, Efficiency and green mobility may improve universal access, but it may increase emissions by generating sprawl and inducing travel. Reducing vehicle traffic and shifting travel to lower- emission modes improves resource efficiency and Universal access and efficiency cuts greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Regarding freight transport modes, the external air In rural areas, ensuring universal access by providing pollution and greenhouse gas emission cost of truck all-weather roads also contributes to increasing eco- transport are estimated to be about 7 times higher nomic competitiveness. With lower freight transport per ton-km than for rail transport.5 costs, local producers can better connect to national and global markets. The source of vehicle power can also have a major impact on efficiency and green, especially when Universal access can hinder system efficiency: for comparing internal combustion engine automobiles example, when public transport service is provided to electric cars running on electricity from renewable to low-density or low-demand areas, or where mobil- sources. ity can be provided at a lower cost through shared or private modes of transport. Other interventions that achieve efficiency and green mobility include congestion charging, which reduces Universal access and safety inefficient vehicle travel, or digital platforms that may help reduce empty truck backhauls. Integrated street systems that include sidewalks for pedestrians can increase safety and encourage Safety and green mobility travelers to walk, enhancing access to those with no other means of mobility. In addition, slow traffic Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure are green- speeds reduce serious crashes and allow for safer friendly and, if well designed, also improve safety as walking and cycling. part of a comprehensive effort to make traffic calmer. Poorly designed investments that strengthen access Policies that promote vehicle fleet renewal—particu- for motorized traffic—but create conflicts between larly in developing countries with sizeable markets motorized and active modes—may result in more fa- for imported secondhand vehicles—can improve talities and injuries and restrict access for those who safety and reduce emissions because of more rigor- cannot afford motorized transport. ous emission and safety standards for newer vehicles. 3 Stimpson, J. P., Wilson, F. A., Araz, O. M., and Pagan, J. A. 2014. Share of Mass Transit Miles Traveled and Reduced Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Major Cities of the United States. Journal of Urban Health, 91(6), 1136–1143. 4 European Transport Safety Council 2003. Transport Safety Performance in the EU: A Statistical Overview. 5 Forkenbrock, D. J. 2001. Comparison of External Costs of Rail and Truck Freight Transportation. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 35(4), 321–337. Connections is a series of knowledge notes from the World Bank Group’s Transport & Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Global Practice. Covering projects, experiences, and front-line developments, the series is produced by Nancy Vandycke and Shokraneh Minovi. The notes are available at http://www.worldbank.org/transport/connections. The GLOBAL MOBILITY REPORT 2017 is available at http://www.sum4all.org/publications/global-mobility-report-2017 NOVEMBER 2017 NOTE 2017 - 6