Impact of main road investments in Bergen and Oslo

Abstract

When the toll rings around Bergen and Oslo were established in 1986 and 1990, respectively, they were part of a major scheme to speed up road investments. In Oslo twenty percent of the revenue has been allocated to public transport investments. The paper studies the impact of these major investments in road and public transport infrastructure on mainly on car travel and travel behaviour. The investment schemes are regarded as relatively successful viewed against of the aims of the investments and their historical setting. The transition from an old fashioned surface network of main roads to a modern highway system with extensive use of tunnels, has contributed to reduce congestion and environmental problems. Further, benefits for off-peak traffic have been large because of increased travel speed. Oslo, being three times bigger than Bergen, has still congestion problems whereas Bergen has hardly any. However, for the future, a continued road building strategy might prove less advantageous than before. For both cities urban sprawl appears to be the major challenge ahead.