An evaluation methodology for innovative mass transit system projects that combines performance and landscape and environmental items

This paper deals with some aspects of the strategic planning of a non conventional, or innovative, mass transit system located in a heavy urbanized context. A two stage design methodology is developed to asses both the innovative system type to adopt and its own network layout related to the study context. this proposed methodology is based on multicriteria analysis procedures for project optimization and decision support. The first stage involves the choice of the type of innovative system that better fits to a given context and its related set of weighted performance items for each one of candidate system type. The second stage deals with mass transit network evaluation related to the previous chosen innovative system. This is mad using of a multicriteria technique for appraise alternative network framework hypothesis. As an example, conclusions are reported concerning the application of the proposed evaluation planning methodology to a strategic project of a suspended monorail in a large area of the city of Florence, Italy. Results also get a great insight into the possibility of routing a consistent part of the assumed Monorail track layout in the open space just over the river-beds of Terzolle torrent and Mugnone torrent.