Road maintenance

Policy contribution

Contribution to objectives

Objective	Scale of contribution	Comment
		Reviews of evidence citied above suggest planned maintenance can reduce overall costs of repair and can be offset by reduction in costs associated with poor maintenance. If improved road condition increase speed there may be additional costs from injury in collisions.
	/	Improved road conditions can reduce local pollution and noise, and might increase accessibility and safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Increased speed can reduce liveability.
	/	As above. In addition poor maintenance can be associated with higher fuel use and carbon emissions at fixed speeds.
	/	As above.
	/	As above. Improved conditions can reduce risks for all road users. Higher speeds might be associated with improved road conditions. This can be offset by Accident Remedial measures.
		It is possible factors such as accessibility, and reliable journey times will impact on economic development. However there is uncertainty about this relationship (e.g. Banister 2012).
	/	Costs of finance can be offset against reduced costs associated with planned road maintenance.

	= Weakest possible positive contribution,		= strongest possible positive contribution
	= Weakest possible negative contribution		= strongest possible negative contribution

= No contribution

Contribution to alleviation of key problems

Problem	Scale of contribution	Comment
Congestion		Charges might limit demand for driving private vehicles.
Community impacts	/	If they are effective at limiting demand for driving, parking charges can contribute to alleviating problems of equity such as ill health associated with poor air quality, death and injury in collisions on roads, and severance. Reduced traffic in residential areas can bring social benefits (Appleyard 1981). However charges might have detrimental impacts on accessibility for those on low income.
Environmental damage	/	Limiting demand for use of motor vehicles can reduce poor air quality and emissions, and limit loss of space given to vehicles. Charges within an area may create harm at the fringes if people park just outside the charging area.
Poor accessibility	/	Limiting demand for use of motor vehicles can reduce severance and perception of danger to vulnerable road users. Tis might improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. Charges might limit accessibility for drivers on lower incomes.
Social and geographical disadvantage	/	This may depend on where charges are implemented. Charges might mitigate traffic problems and pollution in disadvantaged areas. However if implemented in other areas they might contribute to exacerbating , problems for areas without charges if motorists choose to park there instead.
Accidents	/	See community impacts above.
Economic growth		There is weak evidence on a relationship between economic growth and charges.

	= Weakest possible positive contribution,		= strongest possible positive contribution
	= Weakest possible negative contribution		= strongest possible negative contribution

= No contribution

Appropriate contexts

Area type	Suitability
City centre
Dense inner suburb
Medium density outer suburb
Less dense outer suburb
District centre
Corridor
Small town
Tourist town

= Least suitable area type

= Most suitable area type

Adverse side effects

If maintenance increases vehicular speed, or leads to other ‘compensatory’ behaviour then any safety improvements will be limited by increased risks of death and serious injury in collisions (Noland 2003, and see Accident Remedial measures).