Monday, June 27, 2011

Coordination of public expenditure in transport infrastructure: Analysis and policy perspectives for Latin America

Rodrigo Cárcamo-Díaz and John Gabriel Goddard
CEPAL
Macroeconomía del desarrollo series No 56
January 2007


Multinational transport infrastructure (MTI) projects are fraught with coordination issues. This paper contributes by identifying the key issues necessary for effective MTI coordination, analyzing them using economic theory and putting them into perspective within the framework of major ongoing coordination efforts for MTI in Europe and Latin America. Specifically, this paper carries out the following. First, after mentioning the importance of transport infrastructure for growth and integration, we describe the characteristics of transport networks that make coordination essential. Second, we motivate the need for public funding of MTI projects. Third, we analyze interaction between countries in MTI projects using game theory, highlighting how coordination problems arise in both static and dynamic settings, focusing on the Stag Hunt and iterative-move coordination games under perfect information. Fourth, we evaluate the experience of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T), a key element of European transport policy, trying to identify lessons that might be useful for ongoing coordination efforts in Latin America. Fifth, we review the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA), describing how it works and how it has contributed to coordination of MTI projects. Sixth, we present policy implications derived from our analysis of economic theory and both the European and South American coordination experiences, specifically proposing how the coordination solutions that have been put in place in IIRSA could be improved through better evaluation and selection of MTI projects, measures aimed at easing the binding financial constraints, and closer coordination between governments. Finally, we conclude with a discussion that brings together the main results and implications of the paper, and suggests avenues for future work.

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Also:
Inversión en infraestructura de transporte multinacional: Perspectivas de coordinación para América Latina
En: Integración y Comercio Nº28 Enero-Junio 2008

La provisión de infraestructura en América Latina: Tendencias, inversiones y financiamiento

Luis Lucioni
CEPAL
Serie Macroeconomía del Desarrollo
Enero 2009


De todas las formas de inversión, la inversión en infraestructura reviste particular interés puesto que condiciona y se adelanta en el tiempo a las inversiones privadas en otros sectores. Los servicios de infraestructura tales como la energía eléctrica, los transportes, las telecomunicaciones, el abastecimiento de agua y el saneamiento son fundamentales para las
actividades de las unidades familiares y la producción económica. Proporcionar servicios de infraestructura que satisfagan las demandas de las empresas y de las familias es una de las tareas más importantes de desarrollo económico y es una responsabilidad de los gobiernos que esto se pueda llevar a cabo.

Desde diferentes ámbitos, tanto académicos, políticos como de expertos en el tema, se coincide en que actualmente la inversión en infraestructura en América Latina es baja en comparación con otros países en desarrollo. Se sostiene que el dinamismo de la economía y del comercio exterior que verifica la región desde el 2002 ha puesto en evidencia las deficiencias de la dotación de infraestructura de la región.

Al respecto, una de las conclusiones de este trabajo es que el producto de la región sería actualmente tan intensivo en infraestructura como lo era en los años ochenta. Con variaciones, en función del sector que se trate, los latinoamericanos dispondrían actualmente, con excepción en el sector telecomunicaciones, una dotación de infraestructura para el transporte y la generación de energía eléctrica similar a la existente en esos años. Este escenario, si es per se preocupante, se agrava si se tiene en cuenta la mejora que está experimentado la región en su economía y muy particularmente en su comercio. En efecto, para que estas mejoras se mantengan y se profundicen se requiere, entre otras cosas, una dotación de infraestructura que las acompañe y las incentive. En tal sentido, las deficiencias en materia de infraestructura aparecerían hoy como uno de los principales condicionantes para el crecimiento sostenido en América Latina.

Los indicadores elaborados que sostienen esta conclusión indican que la región inició el nuevo milenio transitando históricamente niveles mínimos de inversión en infraestructura. Esta situación no pasó desapercibida en los países de la región, los que bajo distintos argumentos propusieron un perfeccionamiento de los instrumentos de control fiscal y presupuestario que dieran un tratamiento diferente a las erogaciones de capital de manera de incentivar las inversiones. Estos incentivos llegaron sin necesidad de recurrir a esos perfeccionamientos sino a través de la mejor manera posible: el crecimiento económico y el consiguiente aumento de los recursos disponibles. Como consecuencia de esto la región ha comenzado a aumentar sus niveles de inversión pública, pero en niveles que por ahora solo permiten equiparar o superar ligeramente registros de mediados de los 90, los que ya eran muy modestos. El sector privado por su parte también estaría siguiendo esta trayectoria, pero solo en determinados proyectos y países. De hecho, los países del Sudeste Asiático, por lo menos hasta fines de 2006, han desplazado a América Latina como destino principal de las inversiones privadas en infraestructura. Agotado el proceso de privatizaciones de los años noventa, las asociaciones públicas privadas son actualmente un mecanismo de mayor importancia que disponen los gobiernos y el sector privado para crear nueva infraestructura.

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Transport costs and specialization

Chapter 6 of the World Development Report 2009 - Reshaping Economic Geography
World Bank
2008


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Observatorio de Movilidad Urbana para América Latina

CAF
2010


CAF ha puesto en marcha un Observatorio de Movilidad Urbana (OMU) para América Latina, con la finalidad de dar respuesta a la carencia de información sólida, confiable y actualizada sobre el transporte y la movilidad en la región. El proyecto se inició con el análisis de 15 áreas metropolitanas en 9 países de la región: Buenos Aires, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Río de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santiago, Bogotá, San José, Ciudad de México, Guadalajara, León, Lima, Montevideo y Caracas.

Los resultados de la investigación están contenidos en éste Primer Informe del Observatorio de Movilidad Urbana, que presenta las características y condiciones de movilidad de las áreas metropolitanas analizadas entre 2008 y 2009.

El OMU constituye una valiosa herramienta de análisis que permitirá:

  • Conocer las principales características del transporte y las áreas urbanas que atiende.
  • Mejorar la comprensión de la relación del transporte con la accesibilidad, la movilidad y el desarrollo urbano.
  • Mejora la capacidad de formulación y gestión de política de transporte urbano por parte de organismos locales involucrados en la toma de decisiones sobre inversión, producción y control social.
  • Promover el intercambio de información y buenas prácticas entre sistemas de transporte y sus ciudades.
  • Orientar los debates en la materia y permitir la participación de los actores relevantes.
  • Actuar como catalizador de acciones de apoyo a las ciudades para financiar proyectos y fortalecer sus capacidades.
  • Establecer redes de cooperación regionales, entre profesionales, autoridades, asociaciones y usuarios.

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Además:

Site del Observatorio

Información para mejores políticas y mejores ciudades Nov-2009

Análisis de la movilidad urbana: Espacio, medio ambiente y equidad Sep 2010

Friday, June 24, 2011

Formulation of a national environmentally sustainable transport strategy for the Phillipines

Final report
UNCRD
May 2011

The overall objective of this endeavor is to develop and mainstream EST strategies that are sensitive to future development scenarios. Strategies should be developed considering future development scenarios such as vehicle growth, level of urbanization, population density, and economic growth. The overall goal of the strategy may be seen in the following:

  • Reduction of the annual growth rate of energy consumption and associated green house gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions from the transport sector especially in urban areas of the country;
  • Enhance sustainable mobility through the development of a viable market for environmentally sustainable transport (EST) goods and services, which involves, among others, the promotion of transportation systems of low carbon intensity and shift towards the use of more sustainable transport modes.

The formulation of the national strategy is primarily intended for the identification of priority challenges in the context of EST that would need to be addressed through the formulation of strategies. These strategies will have specific targets, incorporate multi-sector commitments, and recommend measures for the promotion of EST in Philippines.

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EST Initiative page

Environmentally sustainable transport for asian cities: A sourcebook

Lloyd Wright
UNCRD
March 2010

© Photo from the publication

Asian cities are at a crossroads. Along the current path, growing numbers of cars and motorcycles will overwhelm streets and neighbourhoods. Pollution, congestion, and accidents will become Asia’s defining features. The cities will be less a place for human interaction than for storing and operating metal machines. Yet, there is another path. Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) offers an alternative to uncontrolled motorisation and its related problems. Instead, a complementary package of public transport, quality footpaths and cycleways, vehicle restriction measures, clean fuels, safety programmes, and high standards will create a new paradigm for urban mobility and access.

Many cities in the region, such as Seoul and Singapore, have already adapted many of these elements as part of a comprehensive policy towards a more human urban environment. This EST Sourcebook sets forth the elements of a complete EST strategy for Asian cities.

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Reducing Carbon Emissions from Transport Projects

Evaluation Knowledge Brief
July 2010

ADB

A new report, “Reducing Carbon Emissions from Transportation”, recently published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) provides an important new roadmap to cut greenhouse gases in this sector. With this report, the ADB becomes the first multilateral development bank to estimate the carbon footprint of its transportation assistance programs. These amount to 792 million tons for the projects supported by ADB between 2000-2009, nearly equal to the annual land transport emissions of Thailand.

Press release by ITDP

Project presentation, key findings, recommendations and tools (Evaluation models of several transport modes)

Evaluation model example:

Model 6: Urban Transport - Bus Rapid Transit System

Access the document

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Uruguay: Análisis del sector transporte

CAF
Infraestructura - Informes sectoriales
2010


El presente informe es un análisis del sector transporte de la República Oriental del Uruguay e incluye tanto el transporte de carga como de pasajeros en sus diferentes modos: vial, ferroviario, acuático y aéreo. No se incluye la problemática del transporte urbano.

En cada uno de los modos se analiza la infraestructura, las operaciones, el marco institucional y regulatorio, y las fuentes de financiamiento. En particular, en lo que se refiere a la infraestructura –aspecto en el que el documento hace énfasis– se estudia su condición general y principales limitaciones, el rol del sector privado, los planes de inversión y las políticas vigentes. También se identifican algunas recomendaciones sobre a acciones a implementar.

Este documento resume un estudio más amplio que CAF realizó como parte de la evaluación sectorial que se efectúa en los países miembros. A través de la publicación de boletines sectoriales que, como el presente, realiza la Dirección de Análisis y Programación Sectorial (DAPS), se difunde el conocimiento y se presentan los análisis que efectúa la institución. El estudio mencionado fue realizado por un grupo de consultores coordinado por el Ingeniero Jorge Kohon, quien también redactó la sección correspondiente al transporte ferroviario; Mario Cammarota tuvo a su cargo el tema vial; Martín Sgut el transporte acuático; y, finalmente, Andrés Ricover desarrolló el tema del transporte aéreo.

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Paraguay: Análisis del sector transporte

CAF
Infraestructura - Informes sectoriales
Diciembre 2009

El presente informe contiene una breve descripción y análisis del sector transporte en Paraguay, con el fin de presentar sus fortalezas y debilidades, identificar las políticas de gestión a corto y mediano plazo, examinar el marco institucional del sector y conocer las principales cadenas logísticas. Adicionalmente, hace referencia a la participación del país en la Iniciativa
para la Integración Regional Suramericana (IIRSA).

La elaboración del documento se ha apoyado principalmente en los análisis y conclusiones contenidas en el estudio Programa de Fortalecimiento de Instituciones Competentes en Infraestructuras Regionales en Paraguay, así como en el análisis de documentos disponibles y entrevistas con funcionarios responsables de la planificación, gestión y ejecución de los proyectos del sector.

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Transporte de calidad: Modernizando el transporte terrestre de carga en Colombia

Colección PAC / Serie Clusters II
CAF
Octubre 2008




Reseña nuevas experiencias del Programa de Apoyo a la Competitividad (PAC) en la promoción y el desarrollo de los clusters en los países de la región.

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Algunas reflexiones sobre los servicios de infraestructura en América Latina

Ricardo J. Sánchez
Textos para discussao CEPAL
IPEA #25
2010


En resumen, el objetivo del presente documento es proporcionar antecedentes sobre algunos de los principales temas relacionados con una mejor disposición de los servicios de infraestructura, los cuales han sido enunciados anteriormente en esta introducción. A tales efectos, en una primera sección se analiza el estrés de la infraestructura y su efecto sobre la brecha de la misma en la región, la que se entiende tanto respecto del progresivo desajuste (y su proyección tendencial) entre la oferta y demanda de infraestructura, como así también en relación a la progresiva distancia que tiende a caracterizar la prestación de servicios de infra-estructura de ALC respecto de los parámetros internacionales, especialmente con las economías emergentes de otras regiones. Los principales aspectos relacionados con las políticas integradas de infraestructura, transporte y logística, así como con los criterios de sostenibilidad en el diseño y ejecución de las mismas, también son abordados.

Capítulo 6:

Transporte

.Carretero

.Marítimo

.Fluvial

.Puertos

.Ferroviario

     -Interfases

     -Terminales interiores

     -Contenedores

     -Integración modal

.Movilidad Urbana

.Problemas institucionales en el Transporte

URL

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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Un solo destino: La sustentabilidad. Reducción de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero generadas por el transporte de carga en América del Norte

Comisión para la Cooperación Ambiental
Marzo 2011


El más reciente informe del Secretariado de la CCA conforme al artículo 13 del Acuerdo de Cooperación Ambiental de América del Norte (ACAAN) presenta una serie de hallazgos y recomendaciones sobre la sustentabilidad del transporte de carga en América del Norte.

Con base en los conocimientos, experiencia y perspectivas de más de 60 expertos en transporte, funcionarios gubernamentales, operadores y otros grupos interesados clave, el informe recomienda acciones que consideramos servirán de mucho para la sustentabilidad ambiental del sistema de transporte de América del Norte.

El informe concluye que las políticas, regulación e incentivos necesarios para lograr un transporte de mercancías ambientalmente sustentable —a escala regional— también permitirán que nuestro sistema de transporte de carga sea más eficiente, competitivo y seguro en términos de consumo de energía.

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Bajar documento en inglés: Destination sustainability: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from freight transportation in North America

Video: Onpoint - CEC's Lloyd discusses North American policy for cleaner freight transport

Guía para la gestión del combustible en las flotas de transporte por carretera

Instituto para la Diversificación y Ahorro de la Energía - IDAE
Serie Eficiencia y Ahorro Energético - Eficiencia en el Transporte
Enero 2006


El IDAE ha decidido realizar la edición de la presente “Guía para la gestión del combustible en las flotas de transporte por carretera”, con el objeto de difundir a los profesionales de la gestión de flotas de transporte las nociones bási­cas y procedimientos utilizados para la realización de una gestión más eficiente del combustible. En la elaboración del manual, el IDAE ha contado con la colaboración de CEFTRAL (Confederación Española de Formación del Transporte y la Logística) y el apoyo del Ministerio del Interior (Dirección General de Tráfico) y del Ministerio de Fomento (Dirección General de Transportes por Carretera). Además, han participado también distintas flotas de transporte en el proceso de recopilación de información, mostrando sus sistemas y procedimientos de gestión del combustible.

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Monday, June 13, 2011

Transport for sustainable development in the ECE region

UNECE
May 2011


The UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) has released a report entitled Transport for Sustainable Development in the ECE Region. This was produced by the UNECE Transport Division. The UNECE Transport Division facilitates the international movement of persons and goods by inland transport modes. It aims to improve competitiveness, safety, energy efficiency and security in the transport sector. At the same time it focuses on reducing the adverse effects of transport activities on the environment and contributing effectively to sustainable development. It has provided a platform for intergovernmental cooperation to facilitate and develop international transport while improving its safety and environmental performance. Available for download from the UNECE Publications Website or:

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UNCTAD: Oil Prices and Maritime Freight Rates: An Empirical Investigation

UNCTAD
April 2010

The technical report by the UNCTAD secretariat assesses the effect of oil prices on maritime freight rates for containerized goods and two particular commodities, iron ore and crude oil.The results are of particular interest in view of increasing oil supply constraints expected over the coming decades which may lead to significant increases in oil prices, possibly to levels which have not yet been reached.

Nota de prensa

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Nuevas tecnologías en el transporte marítimo y la infraestructura de puertos

Notas núm. 128, Enero-Febrero 2011, artículo 1
Instituto Mexicano del Transporte


El transporte marítimo es la acción de llevar personas o cosas por mar, de un punto geográfico a otro a bordo de un buque con un fin lucrativo.

La innovación tecnológica en el transporte marítimo se manifiesta principalmente en la contenerización cada vez mayor de la carga y en la tendencia a utilizar buques cada vez más grandes. En los puertos, ésta se manifiesta en la modernización del equipamiento, en la prestación de servicios de valor agregado y en la utilización de tecnologías de punta en materia de informática y comunicaciones.

En este trabajo se presentan las nuevas tecnologías del transporte marítimo y el reto de dicho modo de transporte a la respuesta de los puertos.

Ver nota

Friday, June 10, 2011

Evaluación económica de infraestructuras de transporte

Cuadernos Económicos de ICE N.º 80
Segundo semestre 2010


Presentación
Ginés de Rus

The rationale for economic evaluation in Europe: the case of EU Regional Policy
Andrea Mairate

Intellectual bridges across project evaluation traditions: the contribution of EU Regional Policy

Massimo Florio y Silvia Vignetti

La evaluación de proyectos de inversión en transporte por parte de las instituciones financieras internacionales: la experiencia del Banco Europeo de Inversiones
Mateu Turró

Current debates on the cost-benefit analysis of transport projects in Great Britain
Chris Nash

Aspectos institucionales para potenciar la evaluación social de proyectos en transporte: lecciones de América Latina
Andrés Gómez Lobo y Christian Belmar

La toma de decisiones en la política española de transporte: aportación y limitaciones de la evaluación de proyectos
Ángel Aparicio

On the treatment of taxes in cost-benefit analysis
Per-Olov Johansson

Problemas en la práctica de la evaluación económica de proyectos de transporte
Ofelia Betancor y Javier Campos

La predicción de la demanda en evaluación de proyectos
Mar González-Savignat, Anna Matas y Josep Lluís Raymond

La racionalización de las infraestructuras de transporte en España
Germà Bel

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Thursday, June 9, 2011

Africa's Transport Infrastructure

World Bank
March 2011


This book presents and analyzes the results of a comprehensive collection of data on the extent and condition of transport infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa, identifies the reasons for poor performance, and estimates future financing needs.

The transport facilities of Sub-Saharan Africa were built primarily for the colonial exploitation of mineral and agricultural resources. The chief goal of road and rail networks was to link mines, plantations, and other sites for the exploitation and transformation on natural resources to ports, rather than to provide general connectivity within the region.


The road network of 1.75 million kilometers exhibits a low density with respect to population. Its average spatial density is very low by world standards. The network carries low average traffic levels. Even so, because most African countries have a low GDP, the fiscal burden of the network is the highest among world regions, maintenance is underfinanced, and road conditions are on average poor, while road accident rates are very high.



Attempts to improve the financing of maintenance through “second generation road funds” have met with some success, but there remain serious weaknesses in implementation. Road freight transport is fragmented, but cartelized, with high rates and high profits.

Railways were also built mainly as for the exportation of minerals and crops. With the exception of two or three very specialized bulk mineral lines, the traffic volumes are low, and the railways have been in financial decline since the 1960s. Concessioning of the lines to private operators has improved performance, but governments often impose unachievable requirements on the companies, and investment remains inadequate for long-term sustainability.

Most of the 260 airports that provide year-round commercial service in Sub-Saharan Africa have adequate runway capacity, though some of the larger airports suffer from a shortage of terminal capacity. More than a quarter of the runways are in marginal or poor condition, and air traffic control and navigation facilities are below international standards. Though airport charges are high, few airports are truly financially sustainable. Three national carriers are quite successful, but most are small and barely sustainable. Protection persists in the domestic and intercontinental markets, but the international market in the region has been effectively liberalized.

The safety record is poor. Most ports are small by international standards. Many are still publicly owned and suffer from inadequate equipment and poor productivity. Only a few highly specialized ports, including private ports integrated with the extraction companies, meet the highest international standards Costs and charges are high. But there is a trend toward concessioning of facilities to large groups specializing in international container terminals and port operations. Fortunately the shipping market is now deregulated.

Urban transport suffers from some infrastructure deficiencies, particularly in the condition of urban roads. But the main problems of the sector are associated with the fragmented and poorly regulated nature of most urban bus markets. Finance for large buses is very difficult to obtain.


In all modes the situation is made worse by failures of governance in both the provision and regulation of infrastructure. The overall deficit in financing for infrastructure is estimated using a model based on the application of hypothesized standards of connectivity for all modal networks and facilities. Once the amount of infrastructure needed to meet those standards was calculated, these “requirements” were compared with existing stocks and the costs of making the transition over a ten-year period were calculated.

A “base” scenario used standards similar to those pertaining in developed regions, while a “pragmatic” scenario applied lower standards. In a separate exercise, the actual average expenditures on transport infrastructure from all sources were researched. This allowed the funding gap to be deduced by subtraction. The results showed that, excluding official development assistance, no country spent enough to meet the base standard, and that even with aid there remained substantial deficits in maintenance funding in many countries, with the worst situations found in the low-income, politically fragile group of countries.

URL

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Estimación del valor del tiempo de los ocupantes de los vehículos que circulan por la red carretera de México, 2011

Guillermo Torres y Salvador Hernández
NOTAS núm. 129, MARZO-ABRIL 2011, artículo 1
Instituto Mexicano del Transporte


En 2004, el Instituto Mexicano del Transporte (IMT) inició la publicación de una estimación del valor del tiempo de los ocupantes de los vehículos que circulan por la red carretera de México (Torres y Díaz, 2004), con base en una metodología de cálculo cuyas principales variables explicativas son el salario mínimo general vigente (SMG), el número de horas laboradas por semana por la población ocupada con ingreso (POI) y el monto del ingreso percibido, expresado en Salarios mínimos generales promedio (SMGP).

Los valores publicados han sido tomados como referencia por las áreas operativas de la Subsecretaría de Infraestructura de la SCT para la evaluación de proyectos carreteros, asimismo, la metodología ha sido utilizada por investigadores y profesionales del Sector que han elaborado otros trabajos relacionados con el valor social del tiempo, como el publicado por El Trimestre Económico en su número 297 (enero-marzo de 2008), el cual tomó como referencia importante dicho artículo publicado en 2004 en el boletín NOTAS del IMT para la estimación del costo de oportunidad social del tiempo de los usuarios del aeropuerto de la Ciudad de México

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Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Clarifying trade costs in maritime transport

OECD
March 2011


This paper is intended to inform Delegations on the newly compiled OECD Maritime Transport Cost database and provides an overview of some salient characteristics of the structure and evolutions in maritime transport as they may impact trade. It is made available more widely as a
background paper to the database.

This paper is part of a project that aims to improve understanding of the factors contributing to trade costs by examining maritime transport costs and their impacts on trade. The present paper represents a preliminary part of the project: it describes the maritime transport sector and some of the determinants of shipping costs, and outlines the methodology, describes the data, and underlines some of the limitations of an extensive new database compiled on maritime transport rates. This dataset is used in a number of companion papers to examine the impact of transport costs on trade. Maritime transport matters. Ninety percent of world trade by volume is carried by ship. Maritime traffic in 2007 was almost double its 2003 level. Operation of merchant ships generated an estimated annual income approaching US$ 380 billion in 2007, equivalent to about five percent of total world trade.

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Also:
Maritime Transport Costs database (OECD.Stat Extracts)
Consult OECD data for maritime transport costs between trading partner countries and for specific commodities. N.B. This dataset should be used in conjunction with the paper Clarifying Trade Costs in Maritime Transport (see below) which outlines methodology, data coverage and caveats to its use.

To What Extent Are High-Quality Logistics Services Trade Facilitating?

OECD
March 2011

Trade logistics facilitate trade. Quality logistics services play an important role in facilitating the transportation of international trade in goods: inefficient logistics services impede trade by imposing an extra cost in terms of time as well as money. As developed nations shift from traditional manufacturing and agriculture and are increasingly engaging in international vertical specialization, the need for efficient logistics services becomes ever more important. High quality logistics services improve the competitiveness of a country’s exports by reducing the cost involved in transporting goods – especially for countries that are disadvantaged by being far from major markets. This paper investigates the role that trade logistics play in the volume and value of international trade and the extent to which poor quality logistics constitute a barrier to trade. It examines the different impact of logistics quality on goods that are transported by sea and by air. The differentiated impact of trade logistics such as infrastructure on low, middle and higher-income countries is analysed.

URL

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High-Speed Rail in America

America 2050
Jan 2011


A new study released today by America 2050 identifies the high-speed rail corridors with the greatest potential to attract ridership in each of the nation's megaregions. Corridors connecting populous regions with large job centers, rail transit networks, and existing air markets scored best. The study also recommends that the federal government adopt a quantitative approach to evaluating future investment in high-speed rail.

The 56-page study, entitled, "High-Speed Rail in America," cites ridership potential as the number one factor in determining if a corridor is suitable for investment, identifies the specific conditions that generate ridership demand, and scores each corridor according to strength in those areas. The top performing corridors in each region determined to have the greatest potential demand for high-speed rail ridership include corridors such as: New York-Washington, DC; Chicago-Milwaukee; Los Angeles-San Diego; Tampa (via Orlando) to Miami; Dallas-Houston; Atlanta-Birmingham; Portland-Seattle; and Denver-Pueblo.

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World Transport, Policy & Practice Vol 17

Eco-logica
Volume 17
May-June 2011

Vol 17.1

  • Editorial - John Whitelegg
  • Interventions to Reduce Car Use in Towns and Cities
  • Call for Evidence: House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee - Eric Britton
  • Too True To Be Good? A response to Morton and Mees (2010)- Ian Ker
  • Road Traffic Congestion Management and Parking Infrastructural Planning in Metropolitan Lagos: The Linkage - Joshua A. Odeleye, PhD


Vol 17.2


  • Editorial - John Whitelegg
  • Street Conflict, Power and Promise: Livable Streets: Humanising the Auto-Mobility Paradigm
  • A New Foreword for the Second Edition of Livable Streets - Bruce S. Appleyard, PhD

  • Driven To Excess: Impacts of Motor Vehicles on the Quality of Life of Residents of Three Streets in Bristol UK - Joshua Hart and Prof. Graham Parkhurst
  • ‘Peak Car Use’: Understanding the Demise of Automobile Dependence - Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy

Office of Rail Regulation: Regulating Network Rail's efficiency

National Audit Office
April 2011


Limitations in Network Rail’s information on its own costs are hampering the ability of the Office of Rail Regulation to judge the genuineness of the efficiency savings reported by Network Rail. The Regulator has also determined that substantial scope remains for Network Rail to improve its efficiency.

Today’s report by the National Audit Office acknowledges that the Regulator has significantly developed the methods it uses to judge efficiency. Its targets have demanded substantial improvements from Network Rail. According to the Regulator’s assessments, Network Rail has come close to meeting these targets, by making efficiency savings of 27 per cent in the five years to 2008-09, equivalent to £1.8 billion in that final year. This was below the Regulator’s target of 31 per cent, although this was still an achievement when compared to savings in other regulated industries.

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URL

Monday, June 6, 2011

Tomorrow's Transport

Wall Street Journal special report
May 2011


Move It!
Not only are we spending too little on transportation right now, but we're not spending it wisely. Here's the case for a new approach that puts transportation squarely in the service of the American economy.

The Little Engine Really Could
At last, technology is on the verge of transforming freight rail. The likely outcome: a digital network carrying greater volumes at faster speeds and lower costs.

The Future of Freight Railroads
Freight railroads have made a strong comeback in recent years. Can they stay on track? Four experts with long involvement in the rail industry offer their opinions.

Buses Catch On
Bus rapid transit, which combines the flexibility of buses with the speed, comfort and reliability of rail, is the hottest trend in urban mass transit in the developing world.

Don't Count Hydrogen Fuel Cells Out
Battery-powered electric cars have stolen the thunder of this once ballyhooed technology, but a growing number of auto executives still think it's the ultimate alternative fuel.

Charging Stations Could Use Subscriptions
As electric cars proliferate, the business of recharging them may look less like the filling-station model and more like the way consumers pay for cellphone service.
Map: Electric-Vehicle Charging Stations

Car Talk and Talk and...
Vehicles that constantly communicate with each other and with an information grid could save a lot of lives by preventing crashes—if drivers don't resist the technology because of privacy concerns.

Has the Monorail's Future Arrived?
Monorails are getting a fresh look as São Paulo and a handful of other big cities in emerging economies embrace the technology as a way to meet surging demand for mass transit.

Airlines Promise: It Will Get Better
They say passengers can expect smoother check-ins and more comfortable flights. We'll have to see.

Air Travel's New Era of Self-Control
The FAA is pushing for a $20 billion overhaul of the nation's air-traffic-control system that would let pilots choose their routes, saving fuel, cutting emissions and reducing congestion.
Past Tomorrow's Transport Reports

Fossil Fuelled
Examining the various threats to the global motor industry and highlighting the steps that car makers are taking to overcome them.

Questions on Future of Air Travel Smolder
The closure of airspace amid a cloud of volcanic ash offered a painful reminder of the truths about jet travel: Modern society can't function without it, and the whole system is easily thrown into chaos.

The Roads Not Taken
People have imagined the future of transportation at least since Leonardo da Vinci sketched a flying machine. Here are some past ideas of future travel that never quite came to pass.

Ir al especial

Appropriate Financial Instruments for Public-Private Partnership to Boost Cross-Border Infrastructural Development-EU Experience

Willem van der Geest and Jorge Nunez-Ferrer
Asian Development Bank Institute
Working paper 281
May 2011

The member states of the European Union (EU) and the EU institutions have increasingly been using public-private partnerships (PPPs) to accelerate the development of (ambitious) trans-national infrastructure. This paper argues that in the EU (i) private sector partners remain risk-averse; and (ii) risk-pooling across a larger number of tax-payers tends to reduce the cost of risk to zero, making EU funds highly desirable and sought after for public infrastructure development. This paper argues that private equity has not been forthcoming to the extent that had been expected by those propagating this method of finance. In those instances where private non-publicly guaranteed resources have been used, the distribution of risks between public and private partners remained asymmetric, with public governmental bodies carrying the financial risks, which ultimately may become a contingent liability for the country's public finances. However, EU and European Investment Bank (EIB) public funding is used not simply because the risks are spread more widely, but rather because EU rules and regulations for using such funds lead to better preparation of projects and greater efficiency gains in project implementation and delivery.

URL

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Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results

The Rockefeller Foundation
Pew Center on the States
May 2011


States spent an estimated $131 billion on transportation in fiscal year 2010, but many cannot answer critical questions about what returns this investment is generating, according to Measuring Transportation Investments: The Road to Results, a new report by the Pew Center on the States and the Rockefeller Foundation. The report found considerable differences among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in linking transportation systems to six key goals particularly important to states' economic well-being and taxpayers' quality of life: safety, jobs and commerce, mobility, access, environmental stewardship and infrastructure preservation.

Factsheets

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Full summary

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Climate risk and business: Ports

IFC
April 2011


Physical infrastructure at ports and port activities may be highly vulnerable to changes in climate. For instance, the risks could manifest through changes in the level or patterns of shipping, increased flooding affecting movements within ports and causing damage to goods stored, reduced navigability of access channels and business interruption. Some ports will also see opportunities as a result of climate change. A port’s reputation for reliability is key to its success, so ports that are more resilient to disruption from climate events should fare better. Changes in trade flows driven by climate change will also see winners and losers. To understand the significance of these risks for a given port, this study assesses risks and opportunities for ports in general, and specifically for IFC’s client, Terminal Marítimo Muelles el Bosque (MEB), in Cartagena, Colombia.

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