For a full understanding of the study area and the transport system under consideration, it is essential to establish the levels of service offered by the current transport networks and the current demands for travel by those living in the area and its hinterland. The surveys necessary to collect this information often consume a substantial part of the resources allocated to the study. Best use should be made of information collected previously and care should be taken to minimise the effort required to assemble new information.
The nature and extent of data analysis within a STAG study is clearly correlated with its duration and the resources available. In a similar way to the development of objectives, the effort put into analysis of data must be commensurate with the scale of the Pre-Appraisal analysis undertaken for the study area and potential impacts of the options to be considered.
It is possible for a small-scale option (in terms of cost) to have wide ramifications and in such cases an extensive problem identification exercise may be warranted. In some cases, however, there may be no need for any data analysis at all. At the other extreme a substantial exercise is likely to be appropriate for a transport corridor study or major public transport or road option.
However, practitioners must ensure that the analysis of data provides evidence of problems and/or opportunities. The analysis of data should provide a significant contribution to the basis of a STAG study and simply providing contextual information must be avoided.
An appropriate evidence base is crucial when moving to the Objective Setting phase of Pre-Appraisal and the setting of SMART Transport Planning Objectives as the STAG study progresses. This is reflected by the iterative nature of the Analysis of Problems and Opportunities, and Objective Setting.
