Choosing an Environmentally-Friendly Public Transportation System Using Multiple-Criteria Analysis. Case Study: Bistrita Nasaud, Romania

The aim of the paper is to evaluate four public transport systems using different criteria, in order to reduce congestion, pollution and to facilitate traffic flow. The paper is part of a complex Opportunity Study aimed to solve the public transport system in the Bistrita Nasaud area and to connect the main city with two adjacent urban areas: Unirea and Viisoara. The study was built on Multiple-Criteria Analysis decision-making, in order to find the correct approach to meet all the requirements of a new ecologically friendly public transportation line. The evaluation of the five public transport vehicles was performed according to the following criteria, both quantitatively and qualitatively: investment cost, transport capacity, passengers flow, transport regularity through service speed and commercial speed of the vehicle, urban impact (the possibility of urban regeneration on the public transport line and urban integration) and noise pollution (based on the existing noise levels measured on the site and the admissible noise levels indicated in the standards).