The effects of road infrastructure improvement on work travel in Northern Iceland

Work travel is an important alternative to out-migration in rural areas characterized by a limited range of jobs. The size of local labour markets is determined in part by geography and tradition, but advances in transportation have the potential to move people and communities closer together and tr...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Transport Geography
Main Author: Bjarnason, Thoroddur
Other Authors: Félagsvísinda- og lagadeild (HA), Faculty of Social Sciences and Law (UA), Hug- og félagsvísindasvið (HA), School of Humanities and Social Sciences (UA), Háskólinn á Akureyri, University of Akureyri
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Elsevier BV 2014
Subjects:
Road tunnel
Commuting
Work travel
Labor market
Rural Iceland
Vegakerfi
Ferðalög
Atvinnumál
Dreifbýli
Akureyri
Iceland
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/1074
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.09.009
Description
Summary:Work travel is an important alternative to out-migration in rural areas characterized by a limited range of jobs. The size of local labour markets is determined in part by geography and tradition, but advances in transportation have the potential to move people and communities closer together and transform established mindscapes. In Iceland, the dispersion of the rural population, a challenging terrain, and unpredictable weather has made road infrastructure improvements a key component in regional development strategies. A large-scale tunnel project completed in 2010 was intended to strengthen a vulnerable rural area on the northern coast and expand the urban labour market of the regional centre of Akureyri. Traffic surveys and resident surveys conducted before and after the tunnels show a substantial increase in 17-34. km work travel between rural communities. Work travel 61-77. km to and from the regional centre did however not increase. The average length of work travel has shortened but the increase in commuting yielded a net increase in total km commuted. The tunnels increased work travel irrespective of age and education, but increased work travel by women with children in the household in particular. The results suggest that large-scale road infrastructure improvements may substantially strengthen rural labour markets within a driving distance of 15-30. min, but may not extend the edge of micropolitan labour markets 45-60. min from an urban centre of less than 20 thousand inhabitants. Peer reviewed

Similar Items