INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN TRAFFIC RESEARCH: RELIEF OF INNER-CITY TRAFFIC CONGESTION

AS A PART OF THE ROAD RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, A SYSTEMATIC APPRAISAL OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION COUNTERMEASURES HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT. TWENTY-ONE NATIONS PARTICIPATE IN THIS OECD PROGRAM. THE PRESENT ARTICLE IS BASED ON THE RESULTS OF STUDIES UNDERTAKEN SINCE 1968 BY THE OECD TRAFFIC GROUPS OF EXPERTS AND ILLUSTRATES THE OPTIONS AND SOLUTIONS FOR RELIEVING INNER-CITY TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND IMPROVING URBAN CONDITIONS BY AN ARRAY OF INDIVIDUAL MEASURES AND TECHNIQUES, SUCH AS URBAN PLANNING, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC TRANSPORT, NEW TECHNOLOGY, AND TRAFFIC RESTRAINT. THE REPORT CONSIDERS FIRST HOW NETWORK AND TRAFFIC PLANNING CAN DECREASE PRIVATE TRAFFIC DEMAND IN CITY CENTERS AND IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN URBAN AREAS. IT DESCRIBES POSSIBLE WAYS OF IMPROVING TRAFFIC FLOW ON URBAN FREEWAYS AND TRAFFIC CORRIDORS BY THE USE OF ELECTRONIC AIDS, AND THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED ON OPTIMIZING STREET NETWORKS BY THE APPLICATION OF AREA TRAFFIC SCHEMES UNDER CENTRAL CONTROL. IT ALSO EMPHASIZES THE NECESSITY FOR AN OVERALL CONCEPT OF TRAFFIC OPERATION AT SITES OF TEMPORARY OBSTRUCTION SUCH AS THOSE CAUSED BY CONSTRUCTION WORKS. THE THIRD SECTION OF THE ARTICLE DEALS WITH THE OPTIMIZATION OF BUS OPERATION AND EXAMINES NEW SYSTEMS AND NEW TECHNOLOGY REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE, VEHICLES, AND OPERATION. THE LAST PART OF THE REPORT CONTAINS A REVIEW OF PRIVATE TRAFFIC RESTRAINT MEASURES IN URBAN AREAS, IN PARTICULAR, PARKING CONTROL AND ROAD PRICING. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT FURTHER RESEARCH ON ROAD PRICING SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE MANY ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS INVOLVED.