A New Framework for Addressing High-level Decisions Related to Sustainable Transportation Development

Abstract

Stakeholders in the transportation industry have been concerned with sustainability. However, transportation decision makers have had difficulty in incorporating sustainability into transportation infrastructure decisions in an objective manner. This paper illustrates the utilization of a new framework, referred to as the dynamic index for national advancement (DINA) framework, for quantifying sustainable development. The framework utilizes an overarching objective of happiness, and dissects into monetary and time elements. A dynamic simulation model composed of three main engines, an economic, an environmental, and a social engine, is used to assist in the calculations. The individual output of each of these engines is investigated using real data. The study introduces a case study in which two transportation alternatives are compared using the DINA framework and a traditional multi criteria decision making approach. Furthermore, a hypothetical example is introduced and solved using the dynamic simulation model.