OSTC, Public Health and Environment, Finances, Communication and Infrastructure, Walloon Region, Brussels Capital City Region, Flemish Community, Federal Planning Office
The programme objectives are both scientific and strategic.
Scientific objectives:
The programme aims to develop a scientific basis for a comprehensive analysis of:
- the transport/long-term sustainable development equation. This includes improving the understanding of the benefits and disbenefits of transport for individual well-being;
- what and how much damage it inflicts on society;
- the determinants of transport demand;
- the effectiveness and feasibility of a transport policy and monitoring system.
Strategic objectives:
The concept of sustainable development must be translated into concrete policy measures. That means improving the understanding of all causal factors, identifying their interactions and positioning them within a long-term scenario.
The programme will:
- frame transport policies;
- provide continuity of research into transport in Belgium;
- consolidate the international position of Belgian research.
Public and political opinions have grown much more environmentally aware over the past decade.
Environmental change and especially fears about mortgaging the future for our children’s children have brought a new idea into being: sustainable development.
The greenhouse effect, acid rain, noise and vibration pollution, road congestion and urban blight place question marks over our civilization’s ability to sustain orchestrated development. This issue crosses virtually all sectors of the economy and society: families, farming, energy, transport...
Transport exemplifies the paradox inherent in long-term development. Transport is and will remain fundamental to our society which is based among other things on ease of getting around. But the CO2, NOx, VOC, lead, noise and other emissions created by traffic movement are taking a heavy toll on the environment. It also poses a threat to personal safety, as high road accident figures testify, and raises questions about the sustainability of our towns. Poor transport sector management - as our congested roads seem to show - is the worst enemy of its own existence and expansion, and may even itself be an obstacle to mobility.
The authorities already have a battery of instruments to regulate the transport sector. Measures have been taken across a range of areas:
- economic (fuel and road taxes,...);
- infrastructure (park-and-ride schemes, improved town centre public transport, pay-and-display parking,...);
- traffic flow (synchronised traffic lights, extended rush hours,...);
- business (transport plans, encouragement for teleworking,...).
Clearly, all these measures must form part of an integrated environmental policy endorsed by all those concerned. And that policy has itself to be underpinned by information and education.
It is obvious that the many measures already available, combined with the many existing and future disamenities, vastly complicate the problem of fashioning a coherent transport policy. Continued research is more than essential.
Programme organisation :
The federal "sustainable mobility" programme runs for the period 1996 to 2001. It is one of the specific programmes under the Sustainable Development Policy Scientific Support Plan implemented by the Cabinet decision of 17.03.95. It is coordinated and followed-up by the Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (OSTC).
They are assisted by a Support Committee of federal and regional government representatives, chaired by the OSTC. The Committee is tasked with ensuring consistency between programme activities, giving its opinion on programme projects and overseeing information flow.
A users’ panel for each project monitors the progress of research and application of the results.
Programme contents :
The sustainable mobility programme extends the transport and mobility impetus programme, widening the scope of mobility to embrace environment and road safety aspects.
The new programme centres on three strands:
- transport and environment,
- transport and road safety,
- transport and long-term mobility.
These three strands can be investigated using the OECD’s pressure - impact - response model.
1. IMPACTS - Relations between transport and sustainable development
Transport is a key sector of our society. There is no questioning its contribution to improved welfare, nor of the increasing disamenities it is causing.
These disamenities are often linked to the idea of external (social) costs.
Unfortunately, information on these different types of social cost (congested roads, environmental damage, road traffic accidents) is either non-existent, incomplete or dispersed. The priority of the impacts aspect of the sustainable mobility programme is to study the adverse effects of our mobility by identifying and quantifying both the threats and the damage caused.
Research is conducted into:
- the transport sector as a whole;
- a particular subsector, like freight traffic;
- a defined geographical area.
Other research focuses on:
- the impact of transport on people;
- people’s mobility behaviour.
All of these entail the collection and supply of a wide range of data and information. The second aim of the impacts strand, therefore, is to collect and aggregate this reference data for inclusion in a transport meta-data system which is intended to facilitate access by potential users to transport and sustainable mobility information.
Impact analysis for the transport sector as a whole
Impacts 1 - The external costs of transportation
Impact analysis for a particular subsector, like freight traffic
Impacts 2 - Toward a durable mobility : economic and spatial effects of increasing goods traffic
Impacts 3 - LAMBIT : A Tool for Achieving Sustainable Intermodal Transport in Belgium
Impact analysis for a defined geographical area.
Impacts 4 - Sustainable Mobility in the Brussels Region
Impacts 5- Coupling of a traffic simulation model and an emissions simulation model
Analysis of the impact on people’s physical and mental health
Impacts 6 - Assessment of the risks of toxicity from the road traffic pollution : a molecular epidemiology approach
Impacts 7 - Impact of Traffic Safety and Traffic Endurability Problems. Objective and Subjective Factors
Analysis of the impact on people’s mobility behaviour
Impacts 8 - Development and pilot-testing of a national households travel survey
Data collection
Impacts 9 - Sustainable Mobility Information System (SMIS)
2. PRESSURES - Determinants of the medium- and long-term developments in transport, pollution and road safety in Belgium
Hitherto, the stock response to traffic congestion has been to build more roads. But increasing gridlock has shown the limitations of this policy. The problem of traffic snarl-ups is now being compounded by pollution and lack of safety on the roads.
The pressures aspect of the sustainable mobility programme comprises three strands of research:
- the mobility behaviour model,
- environmental damage,
- road safety/dangers.
The mobility behaviour model
Solutions must be found which are adapted to developments in the transport sector. They must aim for more efficient management of transport demand. This entails identifying the determinants of demand and their influence.
The determinants and influences differ according to the transport subsector. Accordingly, research will distinguish between passenger transport and freight traffic.
The activity chains approach is also used in this strand of the programme to simulate realistic and accurate mobility models. This makes the research a dynamic process and accommodates the organization of family and social life.
Environmental damage
Current research is focussing on the disamenities caused by road traffic vibrations.
Road safety/dangers
Belgium’s roads are more dangerous than the European average. The level of danger is determined by a number of factors, including town and country planning. The pressures aspect of the sustainable mobility programme addresses this issue.
The mobility behaviour model
- passenger transport
Pressure 1 - Analyzing and monitoring social practices that determine the demand for mobility
- freight traffic
Pressure 2 - Inland navigation and sustainable development : analysis of factors that increase its market
- activity chains approach
Pressure 3 - Study of households’ activity chains through a national survey
Environmental damage
Pressure 4 - Study of determining factors for traffic induced vibrations in buildings
Road safety/dangers
Pressure 5 - Impact of Spatial Planning on Sustainable Traffic Safety; Belgian Situation Analysis
3. RESPONSES - An effective and reliable policy and management mix
Policy instruments can be deployed in three key areas of the transport - sustainable development equation: the environment, road safety and mobility. The relative supply- and demand-side effects of each instrument must be taken into account. Their effectiveness must be considered bearing in mind that in practice, each measure is one part of an overall package.
There are three strands to transport sector policy:
- awareness, e.g., through advertising campaigns;
- regulation, e.g., the compulsory fitting of catalytic convertors;
- taxation, e.g., through a range of taxes.
Their long-term impacts make town and country planning and transport infrastructure key aspects of any research into sustainable development. Different aspects of town and country planning are studied:
- Belgium’s urban network;
- he dynamics of the linkages between town and country planning and transport infrastructure.
This list of policy instruments, even expanded to include specific issues like encouragement for teleworking, is clearly not exhaustive.
The purpose of research in this strand of the programme is to identify and emphasize the effectiveness of these measures in delivering environmental, road safety and mobility objectives, bearing in mind that any one measure will only be fully effective as an integrated part of a package of interconnected measures.
But a programme like this must not confine itself to testing the effectiveness of existing measures. It must also lay the foundations of the future. Many hopes have been pinned on the use of alternative fuels (natural gas, biomass fuels, new types of petrol, hydrogen,...) and the use of new electric and hybrid engines as solutions to the problem of air pollution, for example.
These three interlocking concerns - mobility, environment and road safety - obviously raise different questions when looked at from the local, regional, national and international angles. The global problem of CO2 pollution compared to local problems of noise pollution is an example.
The management mix will also vary according to circumstances. Account must be taken of the subsidiarity principle and the overarching need for coordination between the various measures.
General measures
Responses 1 : Integration of traffic and economic models for evaluation of urban transport policies
Responses 2 : Legal remedies to foster sustainable mobility in urban and suburban areas
Mobility measures
Responses 3 : Study on tools influencing the mobility originated by traffic generators
Responses 4 : Telecommuting/teleworking : a new way to look at mobility
Responses 5 : Traffic Congestion Problems in Belgium: Mathematical Models, Analysis, Simulation, Control and Actions.
Responses 6 : In pursuit of effective public involvement in transportation and traffic planning
Safety measures
Responses 7 : Towards a carrying capacity for vehicle supported speed management
Environmental measures
Responses 8 : Transport sector measures for reducing CO2 and tropospheric ozone
Responses 9 : Modular simulation of environmental, energy and mobility aspects of traffic policies
MD/DD/01: Towards Sustainable Mobility : economic and spatial effects of increasing goods traffic
MD/DD/02: Sustainable Mobility Information System (SMIS)
MD/DD/03: Assessment of the risks of toxicity from the road traffic pollution : a molecular epidemiology approach
MD/DD/04: The external costs of transportation
MD/DD/05: Sustainable Mobility in the Brussels Region
MD/DD/06: Coupling of a traffic simulation model and an emissions simulation model
MD/DD/07: LAMBIT: A Tool for Achieving Sustainable Intermodal Transport in Belgium
MD/DD/08: Development and pilot-testing of a national households travel survey
MD/DD/09: Impact of traffic safety and traffic endurability problems: objective and subjective factors
MD/DD/10: Telecommuting/teleworking: a new way to look at mobility
MD/DD/11: Traffic congestion problems in Belgium: mathematical models, analysis, control and action
MD/DD/12: Integration of traffic and economic models for evaluation of urban transport policy
MD/DD/13: Towards a carrying capacity for vehicles supported speed management
MD/DD/14: Transport sector measures for reducing CO2 and tropospheric ozone
MD/DD/15: In pursuit of effective public involvement in transportation and traffic planning
MD/DD/16: Legal remedies to foster sustainable mobility in urban and suburban areas
MD/DD/17: Inland navigation and sustainable development : analysis of factors that increase its market
MD/DD/18: Study of households’ activity chains through a national survey
MD/DD/19: Study of determining factors for traffic induced vibrations in buildings
MD/DD/20: Impact of spatial planning on sustainable traffic safety; Belgian situation analysis
MD/DD/21: Analyzing and monitoring social practices that determine the demand for mobility
MD/DD/22: Study on tools influencing the mobility originated by traffic generators
MD/DD/23: Modular simulation of environmental, energy and mobility aspects of traffic policies
A la recherche d'un dialogue durable entre science et politique: 2 jours de symposium, 24 et 25 novembre 1999, Palais des Congrès, Bruxelles = Op zoek naar een duurzame dialoog tussen onderzoek en beleid: 2 daags symposium, 24 en 25 november 1999, Paleis voor Congressen, Brussel
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2000 (SP0615)
[To order]
Pistes et outils pour une gestion durable des déplacements domicile-travail
André, Véronique - Heylen, Els - Boniver, Véronique ... et al. Bruxelles: SSTC, 2000 (SP0627)
[To download]
[To order]
Denkpistes en werkinstrumenten ten behoeve van een duurzame beheersing van de woon-werkverplaatsingen
André, Véronique - Heylen, Els - Boniver, Véronique ... et al. Brussel: DWTC, 2000 (SP0628)
[To download]
[To order]
Sustainable development. Towards a sustainable dialogue between science and policy: symposium, Brussels, 24 and 25 november 1999
Brussels: OSTC, 2000 (SP0632)
[Exhausted]
Plan d'appui scientifique à une politique de développement durable 1996-2001
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2000 (SP0650)
[Exhausted]
Het plan voor wetenschappelijke ondersteuning van een beleid gericht op duurzame ontwikkeling 1996-2001
Brussel: DWTC, 2000 (SP0651)
[To order]
Towards sustainable mobility: economic and spatial effects of increasing goods traffic: final report, task 1
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0842)
[To download]
Vers une mobilité durable: effets économiques et spatiaux d'un transport de marchandise en augmentation: rapport final tâche 2
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0843)
[To download]
Vers une mobilité durable: effets économiques et spatiaux d'un transport de marchandise en augmentation: Evaluation spatiale des réseaux de transport de marchandises en Belgique: rapport final tâche 3
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0844)
[To download]
Towards sustainable mobility: economic and spatial effects of increasing goods traffic: summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0845)
[To download]
SMIS: Documentatie van de software-infrastructuur: eindverslag deel 1
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0846)
[To download]
SMIS: Système d'Information sur la Mobilité Soutenable: rapport final partie 2
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0847)
[To download]
Système d'Information sur la Mobilité Soutenable (SMIS): résumé exécutif
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0848)
[To download]
Sustainable Mobility Information System (SMIS): executif summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0849)
[To download]
The external costs of transportation: final report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0850)
[To download]
The external costs of transportation: summary report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0851)
[To download]
De externe kosten van transport: synthese verslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0852)
[To download]
Mobilité durable en région bruxelloise: rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0853)
[To download]
Mobilité durable en région bruxelloise: résumé exécutif
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0854)
[To download]
Sustainable mobility in the Brussels Area: executive summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0855)
[To download]
Adéquation d'un modèle de simulation de trafic et d'un modèle de simulation d'émissions atmosphériques: rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0856)
[To download]
Adéquation d'un modèle de simulation de trafic et d'un modèle de simulation d'émissions atmosphériques: résumé
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0857)
[To download]
Combination of a traffic simulation model with an air emission simulation model: summary report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0858)
[To download]
LAMBIT: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0859)
[To download]
LAMBIT: synthese verslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0860)
[To download]
LAMBIT: summary report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0861)
[To download]
Préparation et enquête-pilote pour une enquête ménages nationale sur la mobilité: rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0862)
[To download]
Préparation et enquête-pilote pour une enquête ménages nationale sur la mobilité: résumé
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0863)
[To download]
Preparation and pilot survey for a national household survey on mobility: summary report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0864)
[To download]
Impact van verkeersonveiligheid en -onleefbaarheid: Objectieve en subjectieve factoren. Deel 1. Eerste luik: Psychische impact van verkeersongevallen: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0865)
[To download]
Impact van verkeersonveiligheid en -onleefbaarheid: Objectieve en subjectieve factoren. Deel 1. Tweede luik: Subjectieve perceptie van de verkeersveiligheid: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0866)
[To download]
Impact van verkeersonveiligheid en -onleefbaarheid: Objectieve en subjectieve factoren. Deel 1. Eerste en tweede luik: bijlagen
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0867)
[To download]
Impact van verkeersonveiligheid en -onleefbaarheid: Objectieve en subjectieve factoren. Subjectieve verkeersveiligheid: samenvatting
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0868)
[To download]
Impact of traffic safety and traffic endurablility problems: objective and subjective factors. Subjective traffic safety: summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0869)
[To download]
Impact van verkeersonveiligheid en -onleefbaarheid: Objectieve en subjectieve factoren. Verkeersleefbaarheid: synthese
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0870)
[To download]
Impact van verkeersonveiligheid en -onleefbaarheid: Objectieve en subjectieve factoren. Objectieve verkeersonveiligheid: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0871)
[To download]
Telewerken: een nieuw perspectief op mobiliteit: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0872)
[To download]
Telewerken: een nieuw perspectief op mobiliteit: samenvatting
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0873)
[To download]
Teleworking: a new perspective on mobility: summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0874)
[To download]
Het fileprobleem in Belgie: wiskundige modellen, analyse, simulatie, regeling en acties: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0875)
[To download]
Het fileprobleem in Belgie: wiskundige modellen, analyse, simulatie, regeling en acties: synthese
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0876)
[To download]
Trafic congestion problems in Belgium: mathematical models, analysis, control and actions: synthesis
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0877)
[To download]
Integratie van verkeers- en economische modellen voor evaluatie van stedelijk transportbeleid: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0878)
[To download]
Integratie van verkeers- en economische modellen voor evaluatie van stedelijk transportbeleid: samenvatting
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0879)
[To download]
Integration of traffic and economic models for the assessment of urban transport policy: summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0880)
[To download]
Naar een draagvlak voor een voertuigtechnische snelheidsbeheersing binnen een intrinsiek veilige verkeersomgeving: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0881)
[To download]
Maatregelen in de transportsector voor de vermindering van CO2 en troposferische ozon: eindrapport
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0882)
[To download]
Maatregelen in de transportsector voor de vermindering van CO2 en troposferische ozon: synthese
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0883)
[To download]
Measures in transport to reduce CO2 and tropospheric ozon: summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0884)
[To download]
Mondig in mobiliteit: eindverslag
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0885)
[To download]
Op zoek naar effectieve publieke betrokkenheid in verkeers- en vervoersplanning: syntheserapport
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0886)
[To download]
In pursuit of effective public involvement in transportation and traffic planning: synthesis report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0887)
[To download]
Remèdes juridico-institutionnels pour une mobilité durable en milieu urbain et péri-urbain: Le cas de Bruxelles: rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0888)
[To download]
Remèdes juridico-institutionnels pour une mobilité durable en milieu urbain et péri-urbain: Le cas de Bruxelles: résumé
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0889)
[To download]
Legal remedies to foster sustainable mobility in urban areas: the case of Brussels: summary report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0890)
[To download]
Transport fluvial et développement durable: rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0891)
[To download]
Transport fluvial et développement durable: synthèse du rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0892)
[To download]
Waterway transportation and its sustainable development: summary report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0893)
[To download]
Enquête nationale sur la mobilité des ménages: réalisations et résultats: rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0894)
[To download]
Enquête nationale sur la mobilité des ménages: réalisations et résultats: synthèse du rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0895)
[To download]
National household survey on mobility. Realization and results: summary report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0896)
[To download]
Study of determining factors for traffic induced vibrations in building: final report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0897)
[To download]
Studie van determinerende factoren voor trillingshinder in gebouwen ten gevolge van wegverkeer: samenvatting
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0898)
[To download]
Study of determining factors for traffic induced vibrations in building: summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0899)
[To download]
Impact de l'aménagement du territoire sur la sécurité routière durable. Tâche A: Concentration spatiale des accidents de la route: rapport final (a)
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0900)
[To download]
Impact van Ruimtelijke Ordening op Duurzame Verkeersveiligheid; Analyse van de Belgische Situatie. Deelstudie 3: Verkeersimpact van landinrichting in relatie tot de wegeninfrastructuur: eindrapport (b)
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0901)
[To download]
Impact van Ruimtelijke Ordening op Duurzame Verkeersveiligheid; Analyse van de Belgische Situatie: samenvatting
Brussel: DWTC, 2001 (SP0902)
[To download]
Impact of spatial planning on sustainable traffic safety; Belgian situation analysis: summary
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0903)
[To download]
Analyse et monitoring des pratiques sociales qui déterminent la demande de mobilité: rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0904)
[To download]
Analyse et monitoring des pratiques sociales qui déterminent la demande de mobilité: résumé
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0905)
[To download]
Analyzing and monitoring social practices that determine the demand for mobility: abstract
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0906)
[To download]
Etudes des instruments influençant la mobilité engendrée par les générateurs de trafic: rapport final
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0907)
[To download]
Etudes des instruments influencant la mobilité engendrée par les générateurs de trafic: résumé
Bruxelles: SSTC, 2001 (SP0908)
[To download]
Study of the instruments influencing mobility engendered by traffic generators: summary report
Brussels: OSTC, 2001 (SP0909)
[To download]
Sustainable mobility : final reports
Brussels : Federal Science Policy, 2004 (SP1351)
[To order]
Mobilité durable en région bruxelloise : rapport final annexe II - IX
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2004 (SP1440)
[To download]
Mobilité durable en région bruxelloise : rapport final annexe X - XI
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2004 (SP1441)
[To download]
