72 Highway Engineering
3.7 Summary,
This chapter summarises the main types of methodologies for assessing the
desirability both in economic and in environmental/social terms of construct-
ing a highway proposal. While the economic techniques may have been the first
to gain widespread acceptance, there is now a broad awareness, both within the
UK and in Europe as a whole, as well as the US, that highway appraisal must
be as inclusive a process as possible. Such concerns were the catalyst for the
introduction of the environmental impact assessment process. This inclusiveness
requires that the deliberations of as many as possible of the groupings affected
by the proposed scheme should be sought, and that the scheme’s viability should
be judged on as broad a range of objectives/criteria as possible.
3.8 References,
Adler, H.A. (1987) Economic Appraisal of Transport Projects: A Manual with Case
Studies. EDI Series in Economic Development, Johns Hopkins University Press,
London (Published for the World Bank).
Council of the European Communities (1985) On the assessment of the effects of certain
public and private projects on the environment.Official Journal L175, 28.5.85, 40–48
(85/337/EEC).
DoT (1982) Department of Transport COBA: A method of economic appraisal of highway
schemes.The Stationery Office, London.
DoT (1993) Department of Transport Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Vol. 11 :
Environmental Impact Assessment. The Stationery Office, London.
Hill, M. (1973) Planning for Multiple Objectives: An Approach to the Evaluation of Trans-
portation Plans.Technion, Philadelphia, USA.
Kelso, M.M. (1964) Economic analysis in the allocation of the federal budget to resource
development. In Economics and Public Policy in Water Resource Development(eds S.C.
Smith & E.N. Castle) pp. 56–82. Iowa State University Press, USA.
Martin, J. C. (1993) The Successful Engineer: Personal and Professional Skills – A Source-
book.McGraw-Hill International Editions, New York, USA.
Riggs, J.L., Bedworth, D.D. & Randhawa, S.U. (1997) Engineering Economics. McGraw-
Hill International Editions, New York, USA.
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions DETR (1998) A Guidance
on the New Approach to Appraisal (NATA), September. The Stationery Office, London.
Zey, M. (1992) Criticisms of rational choice models. In Decision Making: Alternatives to
Rational Choice Models.Sage, Newbury Park, California, USA.