2.1- Overview

Introduction

Transport demand management (TDM), includes various strategies that encourage more efficient and sustainable travel and transport behaviour. TDM has the objective of encouraging motor vehicle users to use alternative, more sustainable, means of transport when appropriate, while also reducing total vehicle kilometres travelled. TDM is an increasingly common response to urban traffic congestion and pollution problems, and to reduce general problems associated with vehicle dependency.

TDM strategies are briefly described in the first three sections of this chapter.

Typically, individual strategies only affect a small portion of total travel but their cumulative impacts can be significant when implemented as a package of complementary measures. Typical TDM packages are described in the last section of the chapter.

Acknowledgement

The principle source of information for this chapter is the Victoria Transport Policy Institute's Online TDM encyclopaedia (www.vtpi.org/tdm/index.php). The encyclopaedia provides further information, including references and case studies, on the various strategies and programmes and how they can be implemented.