Impacts of adverse weather on Arctic road transport
Arctic regions are geographically peripheral and characterized by cold climate, constantly changing weather conditions and strong seasonal variations. This article examines variations in road traffic volume due to adverse weather in an arctic region, a topic that has received little attention in the...
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ftrepec:oai:RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:59:y:2017:i:c:p:49-58 2024-04-14T08:06:51+00:00 Impacts of adverse weather on Arctic road transport Bardal, Kjersti Granås http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692316300461 unknown http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692316300461 article ftrepec 2024-03-19T10:29:52Z Arctic regions are geographically peripheral and characterized by cold climate, constantly changing weather conditions and strong seasonal variations. This article examines variations in road traffic volume due to adverse weather in an arctic region, a topic that has received little attention in the transportation literature. The subject of the case study is northern Norway's Saltfjellet mountain pass, which is part of European Highway 6 (Ev6). A succinct econometric structural equation model was used to test hypotheses regarding the impacts of fluctuations in temperature, precipitation and wind speed on passenger and freight traffic volumes. The findings indicate that there was some reduction in traffic volume during adverse weather, particularly with respect to passenger traffic. However, the day-to-day variations in traffic volumes were relatively low at the studied section of road, although it is known that generalized transport costs increase significantly in adverse weather due to delays related to poor driving conditions and closed roads. The studied region is rural with limited access to alternative routes or transport modes, thus making this portion of the road particularly important for the communities in the region. Hence, the road users have few other options than using this high-cost road in order to maintain their activities. The use of standardized parameters in transport models to predict the effect of adverse weather on traffic volume, would not be appropriate in the studied context. However, it is recommended that the benefits of reducing the extra costs that adverse weather impose on traffic are estimated and included in road-project assessment tools to capture the burden and strain imposed on road users. This to ensure that appropriate decisions are made regarding the development and improvement of transportation facilities, particularly in rural areas. Adverse weather; Traffic volume; Arctic rural context; Structural equation modelling; Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Saltfjellet RePEc (Research Papers in Economics) Arctic |
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RePEc (Research Papers in Economics) |
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Arctic regions are geographically peripheral and characterized by cold climate, constantly changing weather conditions and strong seasonal variations. This article examines variations in road traffic volume due to adverse weather in an arctic region, a topic that has received little attention in the transportation literature. The subject of the case study is northern Norway's Saltfjellet mountain pass, which is part of European Highway 6 (Ev6). A succinct econometric structural equation model was used to test hypotheses regarding the impacts of fluctuations in temperature, precipitation and wind speed on passenger and freight traffic volumes. The findings indicate that there was some reduction in traffic volume during adverse weather, particularly with respect to passenger traffic. However, the day-to-day variations in traffic volumes were relatively low at the studied section of road, although it is known that generalized transport costs increase significantly in adverse weather due to delays related to poor driving conditions and closed roads. The studied region is rural with limited access to alternative routes or transport modes, thus making this portion of the road particularly important for the communities in the region. Hence, the road users have few other options than using this high-cost road in order to maintain their activities. The use of standardized parameters in transport models to predict the effect of adverse weather on traffic volume, would not be appropriate in the studied context. However, it is recommended that the benefits of reducing the extra costs that adverse weather impose on traffic are estimated and included in road-project assessment tools to capture the burden and strain imposed on road users. This to ensure that appropriate decisions are made regarding the development and improvement of transportation facilities, particularly in rural areas. Adverse weather; Traffic volume; Arctic rural context; Structural equation modelling; |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bardal, Kjersti Granås |
spellingShingle |
Bardal, Kjersti Granås Impacts of adverse weather on Arctic road transport |
author_facet |
Bardal, Kjersti Granås |
author_sort |
Bardal, Kjersti Granås |
title |
Impacts of adverse weather on Arctic road transport |
title_short |
Impacts of adverse weather on Arctic road transport |
title_full |
Impacts of adverse weather on Arctic road transport |
title_fullStr |
Impacts of adverse weather on Arctic road transport |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impacts of adverse weather on Arctic road transport |
title_sort |
impacts of adverse weather on arctic road transport |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692316300461 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Saltfjellet |
genre_facet |
Arctic Saltfjellet |
op_relation |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692316300461 |
_version_ |
1796304054754738176 |