The development of an option generation tool to identify potential transport policy packages

While techniques for identifying urban transport problems, predicting the effects of possible solutions and appraising their performance are well developed, there is a significant gap in the decision-making chain relating to the generation of those possible solutions. A literature review has identified a number of option generation methods in other sectors, which are of potential application to transport. It categorises them into ‘inside the box’ methods, which are principally quantitative and draw on a pre-existing list of solutions, and ‘outside the box’ methods, which are more qualitative but potentially better able to generate wholly novel solutions. It also distinguishes between applications at the levels of formulation of an overall strategy and of detailed design of a particular scheme. An ‘inside the box’ method for strategy option generation has been developed building on the capabilities of an existing web-based knowledgebase, KonSULT. The design principles are described and potential further developments outlined.