ATOM - Provision of Access to Transport Models
Overview
Background & policy context:
The main aim of the ATOM project was to design, develop and assess options for the provision of a service to European Commission officials based on the use of transport models and the results derived from such models. This is termed an ‘Analytical Service’, and would support efficient transport policy formulation and research within DG TREN. This study is part of a group of projects that are investigating the development of a European Transport Information System (ETIS) for the Commission.
Objectives:
The aims of this project were to:
- Define the options for providing Commission officials with analytical services based on the use of transport models, in the context of the Commission’s institutional structure and decision making processes;
- Assess the options against a set of criteria including policy requirements, costs and risk;
- For a selected short list of options, specify how the access would be provided and produce ‘prototypes’ or demonstrators for these options;
- Produce a Longer Term Options Plan that provides a link between this work, Phase 3, ETIS development and possible progress on standardisation of model interfaces and data.
The main impacts of the project will be on the capability of the Commission to improve decision making through a better quantitative analysis. There will also be wider benefits in terms of providing inputs to a longer-term strategy for a European Transport Information System (ETIS) and for standardisation of model interfaces and data input. In addition there will be efficiency benefits - constructing models is expensive and best use should be made of these investments. An increased awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of different models within the Commission will inform not only the future usage of models but also the selection of the best directions for future investment in models.
Clearly the more enlightened use of the quantitative methods associated with transport models for explicit transport policy at the European level should ultimately have efficiency and quality of life effects in the wider arena. In this way, the ATOM project seeks to help the Commission adopt the best of the working practices associated with transport models that are already in use at the Member State level.
The other main objective was to liaise with the related Spotlights Thematic Network. There has been good co-operation between the two projects with members of the ATOM Consortium contributing regularly to the Spotlights meetings and working jointly on the development of prototype tools.
Methodology:
The work in this study was divided into two main parts.
- From initial interviews with a range of users, the main service requirements were identified and then a range of options for meeting these requirements were assessed;
- Some of the more promising options that had been identified were then analysed further through the development of prototypes and of specifications for how these analytical services might best be provided. The recommendations were then assembled and are summarised in this Final Report.
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