AN EX-ANTE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF TRAVEL TIME, ACCESSIBILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF STAVANGER CITY CENTER

This thesis is an exploratory study and an ex-ante impact assessment of specific proposed plans outlined in the municipal sub-plan (Stavanger Kommune, 2019) on travel time, accessibility, and competitiveness of Stavanger City Center in a spatial analysis context. The goal of the thesis was to attempt to answer the following questions: How will the new municipal sub-plan impact travel time and car accessibility for visitors driving to Stavanger City Center? And how will it affect the competitiveness of the city center? The analysis results were derived from a technical geographic information systems (GIS) network analysis and revealed that visitors driving to the city center will see a one- to two- minute increase in travel time after the implementation of the recommended plans in the municipal sub-plan. Visitors originating east of the city center (including Hundvåg) saw the smallest increase in travel time of up to one minute, while the rest saw an increase in travel time of up to two minutes. Due to accessibility’s complex definition, this thesis could only conclude on travel time as part of the transportation component of accessibility. The analysis results also showed a reduced catchment area where a portion was lost to Kilden and Madla; however, attempting to predict a possible change in people’s shopping behaviors based on the findings of this thesis was impractical, and it was concluded that the vitality of the city center provides a competitive advantage that realistically ought to outweigh the effects of the increased travel time