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User Needs Assessment Questionnaire

Project CURACAO

We are conducting this questionnaire as part of an EC-funded project to promote and support road pricing schemes in Europe's cities. The project builds upon the EC's previous round of road pricing projects - PRoGRESS, CUPID and EUROPRICE - and involves many of the experts and cities from those projects. Where the CURACAO differs from previous projects is in its focus on the delivery of products and events that will enable cities to overcome the barriers to road pricing implementation.

In summary, CURACAO will provide resources to decision makers and technical experts, guiding them through the issues commonly associated with the design and introduction of a road pricing scheme. CURACAO will also provide access to expert support from cities that have successfully designed and implemented road pricing schemes.

As a decision maker or technical expert in a European city, we would be grateful if you could provide us with information about your city's progress with road pricing schemes. Your answers will assist us in delivering the appropriate products and events to interested cities. You can be assured that your data will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, and that all results will remain within the study team.

Based on a review of the responses to the questionnaire, we will approach a number of cities in order to assemble a User Group of 20 cities. Cities in the user group will have access to events held during the life of the project.

Please return your completed questionnaire by email, fax or post to the address below by 14 July 2006:

WP4 Coordinator

CURACAO Project

Transport and Travel Research Ltd

Arundel House

6 Portland Square

Bristol BS2 8RR

UNITED KINGDOM

Email: [email address]

Fax: +44 (0) 117 907 4146

Contact details

Please enter your contact details in the box below. Your details will be stored in the CURACAO database, so that you can be kept up to date on future initiatives within the project. Please add the details of any other persons within your city who might be interested in receiving information about the CURACAO project.

Name

Position

Email address

Paul Cook

Head of Transport Policy and Strategy, Cambridgeshire County Council

[email address]

Please complete each question according the instructions given in bold:

  • CURACAO will support cities that are planning to implement road pricing schemes for the purposes of managing traffic demand.

Q1a) Please indicate up to FIVE principal objectives that your city would aim to meet by implementing a road pricing scheme:

Give each objective a number in order of priority (1=highest, 5= lowest):

  1. Efficiency - ensuring a better flow of people and goods

  1. Liveability - improving the overall quality of life

  1. Environment - improving air quality and reducing noise pollution

  1. Safety - of motorists, passengers and pedestrians

  1. Health - of residents and travellers

  1. Equity - of access to jobs, homes, resources and facilities

3

  1. Economic growth - supporting investment, trade and opportunity

1

  1. Future generations - a sustainable place to live and work

2

  1. Other? Please specify …

Q1b) Please indicate up to FIVE principal areas where your city would seek to use the revenue from a road pricing scheme:

Give each area a number in order of priority (1=highest, 5= lowest):

  1. Investment in public transport vehicles and infrastructure

1

  1. Road building programme

  1. Road infrastructure upgrades e.g. signs and signals

  1. Reduction of public transport ticket prices

  1. Reduction of overall taxation burden on motorists

  1. Reduction of general taxation burden on city residents

  1. Other? Please specify …

  • CURACAO will support cities throughout the road pricing implementation lifecycle.

Q2) Please indicate which stage of the implementation lifecycle your city is currently at:

Tick one stage:

  1. Discussion of road pricing as a possible option

Yes

  1. Road pricing studies in progress

  1. Road pricing studies completed

  1. Planning phase of a road pricing scheme

  1. Implementation phase of a road pricing scheme

  1. Road pricing scheme already operational

  1. Other? Please specify …

  • CURACAO will provide state-of-the-art advice to decision makers and technical experts. Reports on a range of themed areas will be produced.

Q3) Please circle a number to indicate the degree of interest your city has in the following report themes:

Level of interest:

low .… medium …. high

  1. Policy objectives - efficiency, environment, economy, health, equity

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Acceptability - public opinion, political leadership, risk management

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Transferability - factors enabling and limiting the transfer of experience

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Technology - comparative review of potentials of each technology

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Scheme design - charging methods, specification, strategy, enforcement

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Prediction of impacts - best practice and choice of indicators

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Appraisal - outcomes, evaluation

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Economic impacts - local businesses, investment, growth

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Equity - fairness, polluter pays, marginal social costs

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Other? Please specify …

1 2 3 4 5

  • CURACAO will support cities by demonstrating ways to overcome barriers to road pricing implementation.

Q4a) What would you regard as the 5 principal barriers to road pricing implementation within your city at this time:

Give each barrier a number in order of significance (1=highest, 5= lowest):

  1. Not consistent with current city policy

  1. Lack of a political champion to drive a scheme forward

1

  1. Public acceptability of road pricing is too low

  1. Media attitude is too hostile

  1. Insufficient funds to finance a study or implement a scheme

  1. Uncertainty about technology

  1. No studies of potential schemes yet undertaken in my city

2

  1. Road pricing studies have not demonstrated sufficient benefits

  1. Difficulty of planning and managing such a large project

3

  1. Other? Please specify …

Q4b) How would you describe the attitude of decision makers within your city towards the use of technology for road pricing schemes:

Tick one statement:

  1. Willing to use any technology to achieve the policy objectives, even if is not operational elsewhere

  1. Prefer to use a technology that is already operational in other cities (e.g. tag and beacon, number plate recognition cameras)

  1. Prefer non-technical pricing solution (e.g. paper permits, road barriers with pay booths, visual inspection of number plates)

  1. Other? Please specify …

Yes

We are not far enough into the process yet to have developed opinions on this. We are currently focussing on outcomes.

  • CURACAO will provide products to decision makers/experts that share the experiences of cities with implemented RP schemes.

Q5) Please circle a number to indicate the degree of interest your city has in the following dissemination products:

Level of interest:

low .… medium …. high

  1. Online database - searchable road pricing knowledge base

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Handbook - road pricing design and implementation step-by-step

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Policy recommendations - guidance to support decision-making

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Other? Please specify …

1 2 3 4 5

  • CURACAO will organise events that offer support to decision makers and technical experts in cities belonging to the user group. Each year, a Planning Workshop will be held to discuss barriers to RP implementation with city representatives. The workshop will be followed up by a Solutions Workshop later in the year, which focuses on resolutions for a particular issue, and includes a site visit.

Q6) Please circle a number to indicate the degree of interest your city has in attending the following events:

Level of interest:

low .… medium …. high

  1. Planning Workshops - to discuss barriers to successful implementation

1 2 3 4 5

  1. Solutions Workshops - to discuss resolutions and includes a site visit

1 2 3 4 5

  • CURACAO's events will be open to a user group of 20 invited cities. Travel and subsistence costs will be paid when cities belonging to the user group attend events.

Q7) Please circle a number to indicate the degree of interest your city has in belonging to the user group:

Level of interest:

low .… medium …. high

  1. User group participation

1 2 3 4 5

  • Space for comments …

Thank you for your participation

CURACAO is financed under the 6th EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.

CURACAO

(Coordination of Road User Charging Organisational Issues)

1