Group-Oriented, Hierarchical and Multiple Criteria Evaluation of Urban Transportation Projects

Purpose: Different approaches have been proposed to assess various transportation projects, processes, and systems. Two major streams of transportation projects assessment include Multiple Criteria Analysis (MCA) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). In many cases the decision process concerning the selection of a concrete transportation project for implementation has a participatory character and involves group – oriented analysis. In this paper, based on the combined methodologies of MCA and GDM (Group Decision Making), we propose a generic paradigm of the assessment of urban transportation projects considered for implementation in a certain metropolitan area. Design/Methodology/Approach: Our approach allows to evaluate transportation projects using different criteria formulated at different levels of the hierarchical analysis - operational, tactical, and strategic. The important component of our approach is the team-based decision-making process that helps to categorize and rank the projects. This process involves interaction between many entities (bodies) and requires searching for combined preferences generated through compromise-oriented exchange of viewpoints. Findings: The proposed methodology is designed to assist the group decision maker (Gr-DM) in planning and developing the transportation infrastructure, enhancing the transportation services, and improving the operations of a transportation system. The proposed approach is tested in Poznan, Poland as a real-world case study. Practical implications: Methodology can be applied by municipal authorities (councils, commissions) while defining annual financial budget and the portfolio of the municipal investments. Originality/Value: New paradigm is presented and discussed