Assessing cumulative environmental effects from major public transport projects

The conventional assessment of proposed major UK transport schemes has not served to highlight well the induced and interacting nature of environmental impacts. This article identifies links between Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), using the Cross River Tram in London as an illustrative case study. From a literature review and local authority interviews, a framework and recommendations for the assessment of major transport projects are set out. For transport projects where environmental and land-use impacts are likely, it is suggested that Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) has the potential to make a strong positive contribution to the assessment of transport projects for sustainable urban development.