A bridge over troubled waters: valuing accessibility effects of a new bridge

Gjestland, A., McArthur, D. P. , Osland, L. and Thorsen, I. (2012) A bridge over troubled waters: valuing accessibility effects of a new bridge. In: Geurs, K. T., Krizek, K. J. and Reggiani, A. (eds.) Accessibility Analysis and Transport Planning: Challenges for Europe and North America. Series: NECTAR series on transportation and communications networks research. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.: Cheltenham, pp. 173-192. ISBN 9781781000106

Abstract

Significant investment has been made to bridge the waters of the fjords which fragment the transportation network in western Norway. These topographical barriers inhibit spatial interaction and reduce labour market accessibility. In this paper, we propose a methodology for measuring and valuing some of the accessibility benefits arising from this type of new infrastructure. We then apply this to a large transport infrastructure project which recently took place in south-west Norway. A key innovation of our paper is that we model the effect of pecuniary costs on labour market accessibility and show that failure to account for these can lead to an overestimation of the accessibility benefits. This is an important finding given that user charges are frequently applied to finance infrastructure expansions.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mcarthur, Dr David
• Authors: Gjestland, A., McArthur, D. P., Osland, L., and Thorsen, I.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > HA Statistics; H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory; H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences
• Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
• ISBN: 9781781000106