The document summarizes barriers to sustainable transport in Ireland and recommendations to overcome them. It identifies short, medium, and long-term barriers such as inflexible bus services, insufficient funding for public transport, and urban sprawl. Recommendations include improving public transport and cycling infrastructure, residential density guidelines, and restructuring vehicle taxation to account for environmental costs. Research priorities are listed around consumer attitudes, fiscal measures, and sustainable neighborhoods.

1. Sustainable Transport by David Browne, Brian Caulfield & Margaret O’Mahony Centre for Transport Research (TRIP), School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transport

2. Objectives Identify and evaluate potential socio-economic, political, institutional, legal and technical barriers to sustainable travel and transport Impacts of potential policies which could help overcome these barriers and to ensure that the transport system and services evolve along more sustainable trajectories Identify research priorities

3. Potential barriers from literature Financial Technical or market availability Institutional and administrative Failure to attract public acceptability Legal or regulatory Policy failures or unintended outcomes Physical

4. Barriers evaluated according to: Timeline: short, medium or long-term Level of subsidiarity: international, EU, national, regional, local Type of policy measure required: fiscal, technical, regulatory, legal, guidelines, education awareness Actor: Gov, transport operators, state agencies, local authorities, general public, industry etc Specific relevance to Ireland Significance: how big an obstacle to sustainable transport

5. Barriers to modal shift travel demand or mobility management integrated transport and more efficient institutional arrangements alternative fuels and technologies fuel economy behavioural and cultural change ‘ Dublinbike’ Station

6. Short-term barrier priorities Inflexible bus services Poor public transport service quality perception Metro bus project in Istanbul (Daimler)

7. Medium-term barrier priorities I Insufficient funding to improve reliability and provide high quality public transport service quality Incomplete and discontinuous cycle networks Perception that walking and cycling are unsafe and potentially hazardous Structure of vehicle and fuel taxation Insufficient , affordable or suitable high-density housing for families in urban areas A ‘Cargo bike’ in Copenhagen

8. Medium-term barrier priorities II Planning and zoning – expansive commuting footprints around Irish cities and towns Availability of alternative fuels and vehicles Relatively low or fluctuating market price for fossil fuels Awareness of social, economic or environmental impacts of travel and transport

9. Long-term barrier priorities Limited public transport coverage particularly in rural or low-density rural areas Poor rail freight options Impact of fiscal measures Balanced regional development Historic urban sprawl Infrastructural challenges Car ownership symbolism

10. Local Authority ranking of barriers Lack of alternatives Resource constraints Public acceptability Physical barriers Impacts to commercial activity and competitiveness Political and institutional resistance Additional costs to network users Legal and regulatory barriers Lack of technical guidance and modelling tools

11. Sustainability appraisal criteria used to evaluate policies Modal shift Reduction in GHG emissions Impact on rural communities Impact on lower socio-economic groups Net additional cost to consumer Net additional cost to exchequer

12. Short-term policy recommendations National public transport network analysis review Financial incentives to discourage car travel during peak hours Encourage rail freight Reducing car parking spaces at work places Incentives and support for e-working Residential housing density guidelines – fit for purpose and suitable for multi-person households On-line and mobile phone accessible national travel information portal Fiscal incentives for alternative fuelled vehicles

13. Medium-term policy recommendations Improvements in existing cycling and walking infrastructure Workplace parking levies Guidelines for ‘soft support measures’ Promotion of school travel plans Evaluate effectiveness of National Spatial Strategy and Regional Planning Guidelines Integration of mandatory local transport plans with development plans

14. Long-term policy recommendations Extension of public transport infrastructure and services Complete infrastructural projects in Transport 21 Development of national walking and cycling network Restructured vehicle and fuel taxation to internalise all external costs of transport Promotion of balanced regional development and creation of strong local economies

15. Local Authority policy priorities Education and awareness Investment in walking and cycling infrastructure Improved public transport services Balanced regional development and spatial planning Developing local transport and land use plans Policy integration and institutional cooperation

16. Lower priority policies for Local Authorities Freight modal shift Promotion of eco-driving Infrastructure for alternative fuels Lower speed limits

17. Research Priorities I Consumer attitude surveys to assess potential behavioural change Estimate of structural demand and discretionary travel price elasticities Comparative analysis of potential fiscal measures Best practice of retrofitting and achieving sustainable neighbourhoods Data collection on non-commuting travel and freight transport movements “ They’ll do anything to avoid the congestion charge”

18. Research Priorities II Development of guidelines for local transport plans Multi-criteria analysis of fuel and technology options for public bus transport and fiscal instruments to support AFVs Research into the possible ‘rebound effect’ associated with more fuel efficient vehicles Potential incentives for road freight efficiency and freight modal shift