Research Strategy for CTS
Approved by The Board 18-02-2009. Final Adjustment by the Management Group 09-03-2009.
1. What Are CTS’s Ambitions?
The vision that the Centre has for the transport system is that it shall be efficient,
equitable and sustainable in the long term. The purpose of the Centre is to contribute to
this by improving the understanding of, and knowledge about, the transport system, its
users and the interaction between the transport system and societal development. The
Centre has both a long term perspective, developing fundamental research and
methodology, and a short term perspective, using our acquired knowledge to provide
better decision support that promotes well-founded decisions. The aim of the Centre is to
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be an internationally recognised research environment
raise the competence level within the transport sector in the longer term
contribute to increasing the quality of, and support for, decision making within
the transport sector
To meet these demands, the Centre should constitute a meeting place (a hub) for
researchers and users with regard to knowledge about the transport system and decision
support for changes especially in the development and application of models and costbenefit analyses.
2. Model and Methodology Development
Within CTS there exists a unique competence with regard to development of transport
models and methodology for cost-benefit analysis. This is, and shall continue to be, a
core activity for the Centre, which shall contribute to continued development of
quantitative models and methods at an internationally high scientific level. Also a part of
the Centre’s activities are questions relating to the application of the models and the
methods, i.e. how they are to be formulated and used to improve support for transport
policy decisions. Management of databases that are built up in relation to development
and application of different models should also be included as part of the Centre’s
responsibility.
This fundamental methodological work can be described as being a part of basic research
in transport science. It is at the same time important that the direction of the
methodology is guided by the need for analyses of different transport policy issues. The
Centre should be forward thinking, and its operation should be based on anticipating
how decision processes will work in the future and what transport policy issues may be
current at that time.
CTS Centre for Transport Model Development
As a tool for supporting transport policy decisions, the national transport demand
models Sampers (passenger transport) and Samgods (freight transport) play especially
prominent roles. The Centre should continue to build up a solid knowledge base to be a
leading player in further developing these model systems and bringing about the next
generation of demand models.
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Centre for Transport Studies, Royal Institute of Technology,
Teknikringen 78B, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone:+46 (0) 8 790 8371, Fax: +46 (0) 8 790 7002
www.kth.se/abe/centra/cts
Rev. 001_eng
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CTS Cost-Benefit Analysis Methodology
Founded in economic welfare theory and applied microeconomics, cost-benefit analysis
has become an important method for evaluating different policy alternatives, not least
within the transport sector. CTS should continue to build up a solid knowledge base
within this field to be a leading player in further developing and applying the methods in
the future.
3. Focus Areas
Appendix 1 in the contract for CTS states that the operational area of the Centre is to be
analysis of the transport system’s function, design, planning, organisation, financing and
management. Furthermore, a large number of research fields are mentioned,
encompassing methodology as well as applications.
As the research operation of the Centre has gradually been built up, it has become
apparent that in addition to basic research within methodology, there is a need to
concentrate efforts on a number of focus areas during the first stage (the first three years of
operation). Later, these shall be reviewed and possibly replaced by other areas. The
following focus areas have crystallized from the discussions.
Effects of Congestion Charges
There already exist significant knowledge and databases in this area within CTS.
Therefore, there are large possibilities to conduct further research based on that
knowledge and empirical experience. Interest from practitioners appears to be
substantial. There is therefore good reason to retain this as a focus area during the initial
stage of the Centre. The competence and those instruments of analysis which are
developed within this operation can probably be utilised within a wider area of
application.
Transports and Regional Development/Regional Economy
The interaction between the transport system and the regional economy is an issue that
will probably have more significance in the future. CTS has significant competence and
tradition in this area also. Within the Centre, there are high levels of model competence
and model capacity that can be directed towards this question.
Procurements and Contracts
To a large degree, the transport sector accommodates public sector managed operations
that are increasingly being operated by private operators. It is important that
procurements and contracts are drawn up in an optimal way, as they have decisive
importance for the conduct of the operators. This applies first and foremost to public
transport, but also to traditional infrastructure and new infrastructure in the form of
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). Such a focus area could include an infrastructure for
application of experimental methods within economics ”experiment centre”. It could
also be widened to comprise questions regarding competition.
Climate-friendly Transport
In this area, there are already several projects ongoing within CTS, and a number of
applications for external research resources are submitted. A focus area can be
interpreted very widely and could therefore be concentrated on questions surrounding
forthcoming technical changes (high-speed trains, plug-in hybrids etc.) and what it entails
for the transport sector, the shaping and the effects of control measures and other
questions where the Centre has particularly good possibilities to carry out interesting
studies. The area can become a combination of network projects and directed efforts
___________________________________________________________________________________
Centre for Transport Studies, Royal Institute of Technology,
Teknikringen 78B, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone:+46 (0) 8 790 8371, Fax: +46 (0) 8 790 7002
www.kth.se/abe/centra/cts
Rev. 001_eng
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towards transport related questions. Through foresight, CTS can develop a readiness to
meet possible needs for different analyses within the area.
Methodologies and Application of Cost-Benefit Analysis
Together with traffic administrations, VINNOVA and the Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency, SIKA carries out continuous work to further develop the
methodology for cost-benefit analysis within the ASEK group. The work concerns both
social valuation and principles for the analysis. The latest account from the ASEK work
was presented at the beginning of 2008 with the aim of making recommendations for the
revision of the National Transport Investment Plan. At the same time, several questions
were raised where research is needed during the next few years. Here, CTS can
contribute with important support.
Further Development of Transport Demand Models
Within The Management Group for Development and Application of Prognosis Models
(cooperation between SIKA and the traffic administrations), a strategy for model
development in the short and long term is currently being discussed. In this work, CTS
can constitute an important discussion partner and contribute to parts of the
development work.
Other
In addition to these focus areas, resources should be set aside for interesting but
unforeseen questions.
4. Coordination and Management
For every focus area, a research coordinator with a good overall view of the subject area is
appointed as and when applicable. Included in the research coordinator’s duties are to
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Create a research programme for the area
Coordinate projects within the area
Initiate new projects within the framework for the research programme (projects
are handled and decided by the management group and the board in accordance
with usual procedure)
Spread thematic knowledge
Compile state-of-the-art reports and project progress reports for the annual
report
After a period of time testing a particular system with research coordinators, it may be
suitable for certain areas to extend the coordinator roll to research manager, which in
addition to the above duties would also comprise the duties listed below. (The roles as
coordinator and manager are temporary and should be evaluated on an ongoing basis.)
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Secure an annual budget limit for the operation within the focus area from the
CTS management group or board
Set yearly goals for the focus area as well as goals for the whole period (e.g.
number of papers)
Have the right to take decisions on projects up to a certain amount within the
budget limit
___________________________________________________________________________________
Centre for Transport Studies, Royal Institute of Technology,
Teknikringen 78B, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone:+46 (0) 8 790 8371, Fax: +46 (0) 8 790 7002
www.kth.se/abe/centra/cts
Rev. 001_eng