AN EXAMINATION OF POTENTIALS IN APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (STPI) TO SRI LANKA

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1 AN EXAMINATION OF POTENTIALS IN APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (STPI) TO SRI LANKA C. Hewawasam 1, J.M.S.J. Bandarara 2, 1 Lecturer, Department of Town & Country Planning, University of Moratuwa Moratuwa, Sri Lanka 2 Senior Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa Moratuwa, Sri Lanka 1 chamalih@uom.lk, 2 bandaras@uom.lk ABSTRACT Decision-makers are becoming more aware of the need to implement solutions that promote the achievement of sustainable transportation. However, in Sri Lanka, no comprehensive tool has been developed to monitor the progress of transportation systems towards or away from sustainability. This paper explores concepts related to the definition of sustainable transportation and the selection of indicators suitable for Sri Lanka. It discusses various definitions of sustainability and the role of indicators, describes factors to consider when selecting indicators, and identifies potential problems with adopting sustainable transportation performance indicators used in developed countries. Further this provides examples and evidences of indicators and indicator sets, and provides recommendations for selecting indicators for use in a particular situation in Sri Lankan context. Some commonly used sustainable transportation indicators applied to Sri Lanka to get a better understanding of their applicability. This study is at an initial level and need more investigations to come up with the final set of indicators that will suit Sri Lanka. Keywords Sustainable transportation, performance indicators 1. INTRODUCTION Today there is rising interest in the concepts of sustainability, sustainable development and sustainable transportation. Sustainability is generally evaluated using various indicators, which are specific variables suitable for quantification. Such indicators are useful for establishing baselines, identifying trends, predicting problems, assessing options, and setting performance targets. Which indicators are selected can significantly influence analysis results. Transportation agencies can better integrate the concepts of sustainability into their planning, programming, and project development activities through performance measures. Performance measures provide quantified evidence of the consequences of a decision or action. By translating data and statistics into a succinct and

2 consistent format, performance measures offer an efficient way to provide information to decision-makers. Decision-makers are becoming more aware of the need to implement solutions that promote the achievement of sustainable transportation. However, in Sri Lanka, no comprehensive tool has been developed to monitor the progress of transportation systems towards or away from sustainability. This paper explores concepts related to the definition of sustainable transportation and the selection of indicators suitable for Sri Lanka, which is a small island country situated in Indian Ocean. It discusses various definitions of sustainability and the role of indicators, describes factors to consider when selecting indicators, and identifies potential problems with adopting sustainable transportation performance indicators used in developed countries. Further this provides examples and evidences of indicators and indicator sets, and provides recommendations for selecting indicators for use in a particular situation in Sri Lankan context. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW There is no any clear cut definition for sustainability or sustainable transportation. However, there is growing interest in sustainability and its implications for transport planning (Litman and Burwell, 2006). Some definitions for sustainability are as follows. Sustainability is equity and harmony extended into the future, a careful journey without an endpoint, a continuous striving for the harmonious co-evolution of environmental, economic and socio-cultural goals. (Mega and Pedersen, 1998) Sustainability is: the capacity for continuance into the long term future. Anything that can go on being done on an indefinite basis is sustainable. Anything that cannot go on being done indefinitely is unsustainable. (Center for Sustainability, 2004). sustainability is not about threat analysis; sustainability is about systems analysis. Specifically, it is about how environmental, economic, and social systems interact to their mutual advantage or disadvantage at various space-based scales of operation. (TRB, 1997) By considering all these definitions, simple terms sustainability is all about human interest in making a better world without sacrificing future generation needs 2.1 Sustainable Transportation The purpose of this literature review is to look briefly at comparable work around the world on the development and use of Sustainable Transportation Performance Indicators (STPI). This scan of what is being done elsewhere will provide a useful platform from which the construction of STPI for Sri Lanka will be addressed.

3 If sustainable transportation is defined only in terms of resource depletion and climate change risks, more efficient and alternative fuel vehicles may be considered the best solutions. But these strategies fail to help achieve other planning objectives such as congestion reduction, facility cost savings, safety, improved mobility for non-drivers, or more efficient land development; in fact, by reducing vehicle operating costs, it tends to increase these problems (Litman, 2004). By reviewing all literature, it was identified that the most preferable definition for sustainable transportation system is one that developed by Centre for Sustainable Transportation. A sustainable transportation system is one that: Allows the basic access needs of individuals and society to be met safely and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and within equity within and between generations. Is affordable, operates efficiently, offers choice of transport mode, and supports a vibrant economy. Limits emissions and waste within the planet s ability to absorb them, minimizes consumption of non-renewable resources, reuses and recycles its components, and minimizes the use of land and the production of noise. When measuring sustainable transportation many indicators are used. Different types of indicators reflect different perspectives and assumptions. Some focus on vehicle travel or mobility, but a better perspective considers accessibility (the ability to reach activities and destinations), taking into account travel options and land use patterns (Litman, 2003). Conventional transport indicators mostly consider motor vehicles traffic conditions. Below are example (ITE, 1999; Homberger, et al.,2001). Roadway level-of-service (LOS), which is an indicator of vehicle traffic speeds and congestion delay at a particular stretch of roadway or intersection. A higher rating is considered better. Average traffic speeds. Assumes higher is better. Average congestion delay, measured annually per capita. Lower is considered better. Parking convenience and price. Increased convenience and lower price is generally considered better. Crash rates per vehicle-mile. Lower crash rates are considered better. These conventional indicators are lacking in sustainability evaluation. They focus on motor vehicle travel quality and ignore other impacts; these indicators tend to justify policies and projects that increase motorized travel. By evaluating impacts per vehicle-mile rather than per

4 capita, they do not consider increased vehicle mileage to be a risk factor and they ignore vehicle traffic reductions as possible solution to transport problems (Litman, 2003). The Sustainable Transportation Performance Indicators (STPI) project by the Centre for Sustainable Transportation produced the indicators summarized in Table 1. Table 1: Sustainable Transportation Performance Indicators (Gilbert, et al, 2003) Framework Initial STPI Short-term Additions Long-Term Additions 1. Environmental and Health Consequences of -Use of fossil fuel energy for all -Greenhouse gas emissions for all -Index of emissions of air pollutants from road -Index of incidence of road injuries and fatalities. -Air quality. Waste from road -Discharges into water. -Land use for -Proximity of infrastructure to sensitive areas and ecosystem fragmentation. -Noise -Effects on human health. -Effects on ecosystem health. 2. Transport activity -Total motorized movement of people. -Total motorized movement of freight. -Share of passenger travel not by land based public -Movement of lightduty passenger vehicles. -Utilization of passenger vehicles. -Urban automobile vehicle kilometers. -Travel by nonmotorized modes in urban areas. -Journey-to-work mode shares. -Urban and intercity person kilometers. -Freight modal participation. -Utilization of freight vehicles. 3. Land use, urban form and accessibility Urban land use per capita. -Urban land use by class size and zone. -Employment density by urban size, class and zone. -Mixed use (percent walking to work, ratio of jobs to employed labour force. -Share of urban population and employment served by transit. -Share of population and employment growth on already urbanized lands. -Travel and modal split by urban zone.

5 4. Supply of transport infrastructure and services. Length of paved roads -Length of sustainable infrastructure. -Transit seatkilometers per capita. Congestion index. 5. Transport expenditures and pricing. -Index of relative household transport costs. -Index of relative cost of urban -Percent of net government transport expenditures spent on ground-based public -Transport related user charges. -Expenditures by businesses on transportation. 6. Technology adoption. -Index of energy intensity of cars and trucks. -Index of emissions intensity of the road-vehicle fleet. -Percent of alternative fuel vehicles in the fleet. -Percent of passengerkms and tonne-kms fuelled by renewable energy. -Percent of labour force regularly telecommuting. 7. Implementation and monitoring. -Number of sustainable transport indicators regularly updated and widely reported. -Public support for initiatives to achieve sustainable -Number of urban regions where planning and delivery of transport and related land use matters have a single authority. Some of the initial indicators in table 1 applied with modifications to Sri Lanka at the preliminary stage. 3. APPLICATION OF STPI The progress of use of initial set of 14 indicators progress evaluation indicate that nine of the indicators showing bad results suggesting that transportation in Canada has been mostly moving away from sustainability (Gilbert et al, 2008). In Canada, it shows a rise in energy use for transport, an increase in greenhouse gasses emission, substantial growth in movement of freight, an increase in the amount of urban land used per person, an increase in paved road capacity and an increase in the share of house hold after tax spending going to There are two positive indicators as a decline in injuries and fatalities from road transport and a decline in the overall emissions intensity of road vehicles.

6 In this study the indicators of energy use of transport, injuries and fatalities from road transport, vehicle ownership indicators selected to demonstrate the Sri Lanka s status. Table 2:Road Accidents (2016) Statistics Ministry of Transport Overview Total Deaths 3003 Fatal Accidents 2824 Minor Accidents Critical Accidents 8518 Damages only Table 3: Road transport accidents Statistics Ministry of Transport Fatal Year Deaths Accidents Table 2 and 3 data indicates that there is an increase in the road accidents over the years. This indicator shows the opposite that is away from sustainable transportation. With regard to number of new vehicles enter to the road the data shows something in between as represented in figure 1. The motor vehicles registration shows a fluctuating pattern and in order to progress towards sustainable transportation it needs to be decreased. This sudden decrease in 2016 is needed to be clarified as to finding out the reason when proceeding with this study. Figure1. New Registration of motor vehicles Department of Motor Traffic In case of energy use of transportation, in 2013 transport demand for petroleum was and in 2014 it increased to (Sri Lanka energy balance, 2014) Along with this the demand for petroleum products are also increased over the years. The demand for transport fuels like auto diesel, gasoline is on the rise and power generation fuels like auto diesel and furnace oil have increased over time. The demand for all products but kerosene, increased in 2014 compared to 2013.

7 Fuel efficiency in the transport sector needs to be included as an indicator along with these data and a detail analysis on available data can be used for this purpose. With these available data we can directly go for short term indicator set, mainly on vehicle transportation. There are a lot of data available with this regard to be analyzed at the Department of Motor Traffic and need yet to be done. 4. CONCLUSIONS Although there are many possible definitions of sustainability, sustainable development and sustainable transportation, experts increasingly agree that these should refer to a balance of economic, social and environmental health. Comprehensive and sustainable transport planning therefore requires a balanced set of indicators reflecting appropriate economic, social and environmental objectives. As for Sri Lanka, where there is no any sustainability measurement frame work this attempted study will paved the path for measurement of sustainability not only in transportation but also in other sectors. The data on the few indicators selected shows a scenario of Sri Lanka moving away from sustainable transportation and in between status. With the new developments in the transportation and energy sector towards sustainability future data may shows a progress towards sustainable transportation. Since this study is at the first initial stage we cannot give any effective judgement about the Sri Lankan status as of now. REFERENCES Homberger, Wolfgang S., et al (2001), Fundamentals of Traffic Engineering, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Berkeley ( ITE (1999), Transportation Planning Handbook, Institute of Transportation Engineers ( Litman, Todd (2004), Efficient Vehicles Versus Efficient Transportation: Comparing Emission Reduction Strategies, VTPI ( Litman, Todd (2003), Measuring Transportation: Traffic, Mobility and Accessibility, ITE Journal ( Vol. 73, No. 10, October 2003, pp , available at Victoria Transport Policy Institute website ( Voula Mega and Jørn Pedersen (1998) Urban Sustainability Indicators, European Foundation For The Improvement Of Living And Working Conditions ( available at CST (2003), Sustainable Transportation Performance Indicators, Centre for Sustainable Transportation ( available at Gilbert, Richard, Neal Irwin, Brian Hollingworth and Pamela Blais (2002), Sustainable Transportation Performance Indicators, Centre for Sustainable Transportation (