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Does traffic really disappear when roads are closed? (2021)
Journal Article
Melia, S., & Calvert, T. (in press). Does traffic really disappear when roads are closed?. Proceedings of the ICE - Municipal Engineer, https://doi.org/10.1680/jmuen.21.00014

This article describes two studies which aimed to explore the impacts of pedestrianisation or road closures on traffic displacement, travel behaviour and the phenomenon of 'disappearing traffic'. The first study surveyed residents whose travel routes... Read More about Does traffic really disappear when roads are closed?.

Who uses e-bikes in the UK and why? (2021)
Journal Article
Melia, S., & Bartle, C. (2022). Who uses e-bikes in the UK and why?. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 16(11), 965-977. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2021.1956027

This article reports on the findings of a survey of 2,092 users and potential users of e-bikes in the UK. It analysed their characteristics, their motivations, journey purposes and the barriers they perceive to the wider use of e-bikes. It compared... Read More about Who uses e-bikes in the UK and why?.

Roads Runways and Resistance - from the Newbury Bypass to Extinction Rebellion (2021)
Book
Melia, S. (2021). Roads Runways and Resistance - from the Newbury Bypass to Extinction Rebellion. London: Pluto Press

From the anti-roads protests of the 1990s to HS2 and Extinction Rebellion, conflict and protest have shaped the politics of transport. In 1989, Margaret Thatcher's government announced 'the biggest road-building programme since the Romans.' This is t... Read More about Roads Runways and Resistance - from the Newbury Bypass to Extinction Rebellion.

Learning critical realist research by example: Political decision-making in transport (2020)
Journal Article
Melia, S. (2020). Learning critical realist research by example: Political decision-making in transport. Journal of Critical Realism, 19(3), 285-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2020.1765643

This article illustrates the process of applied critical realist research using a case study of political decision-making in transport. Critical realism is often used to analyse socio-political change but rarely to explain specific political decision... Read More about Learning critical realist research by example: Political decision-making in transport.

Disappearing Traffic? An Evaluation of Pedestrianisation in Taunton Town Centre (2020)
Report
Melia, S., & Calvert, T. (2020). Disappearing Traffic? An Evaluation of Pedestrianisation in Taunton Town Centre. Bristol: West Somerset and Taunton Council, Rees Jeffreys Road Fund

This study evaluated the traffic and travel impacts of a trial pedestrianisation scheme in Taunton town centre. The scope of the scheme, and the research project, were both scaled back. The only road to be closed during the trial was a short sectio... Read More about Disappearing Traffic? An Evaluation of Pedestrianisation in Taunton Town Centre.

Urban expansion, road building and loss of countryside - a non-linear relationship (2020)
Journal Article
Melia, S. (2020). Urban expansion, road building and loss of countryside - a non-linear relationship. World Transport Policy and Practice, 26(2), 44 - 51

This study conducted a secondary analysis of data from a previous study of the geographical distribution of ‘undisturbed’ countryside in England. It juxtaposes the proportion of undisturbed countryside in each local authority area against the total... Read More about Urban expansion, road building and loss of countryside - a non-linear relationship.

Transport and urban housing growth – Unfinished business for Labour (2019)
Report
Melia, S. (2019). Transport and urban housing growth – Unfinished business for Labour

This discussion paper has been written following an open invitation from Prof. Phil Goodwin for contributions to the Shadow Transport Minister’s work towards Labour’s manifesto. It draws on research by the author and others into the relationship bet... Read More about Transport and urban housing growth – Unfinished business for Labour.

How Green Belt Policy Could be Adapted to Promote Sustainability (2019)
Report
Melia, S. (2019). How Green Belt Policy Could be Adapted to Promote Sustainability. Labour Party

In 2019 I was invited to join an academic panel advising the Shadow Planning Minister, who was reviewing Labour's planning policy in the run-up to an anticipated election. This paper was my second contribution to that process. It illustrates one of... Read More about How Green Belt Policy Could be Adapted to Promote Sustainability.

Who is Flying Less for Environmental Reasons (2019)
Journal Article
Purnell, P., & Melia, S. (2019). Who is Flying Less for Environmental Reasons. World Transport Policy and Practice, 25(3), 197-209

Many previous studies have shown how people with pro-environmental attitudes tend to fly more than the general population. This study examines the minority who have reduced their flying for environmental reasons. It used an online questionnaire dis... Read More about Who is Flying Less for Environmental Reasons.

Why did UK governments cut road building in the 1990s and expand it after 2010? (2019)
Journal Article
Melia, S. (2019). Why did UK governments cut road building in the 1990s and expand it after 2010?. Transport Policy, 81, 242-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.07.006

Why did a Conservative UK government decide to cut back road building during a time of austerity in the 1990s, whereas a Conservative-led Coalition government decided to substantially increase road building during a time of austerity after 2010? This... Read More about Why did UK governments cut road building in the 1990s and expand it after 2010?.

Is the urbanisation of young adults reducing their driving? (2018)
Journal Article
Melia, S., Chatterjee, K., & Stokes, G. (2018). Is the urbanisation of young adults reducing their driving?. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 118, 444-456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2018.09.021

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd In recent decades, in many developed countries, licence-holding, car ownership and driving, amongst young adults have declined. One of the explanations advanced for these declines is the urbanisation of young adults, their growing... Read More about Is the urbanisation of young adults reducing their driving?.

What happens to travel behaviour when the right to park is removed? (2018)
Journal Article
Melia, S., & Clark, B. (2018). What happens to travel behaviour when the right to park is removed?. Transport Policy, 72, 242-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2018.07.002

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd What happens to travel behaviour when the right to park at a destination is removed? This question, fundamental to travel demand management and land-use planning, has only been partially addressed in the literature so far. The imp... Read More about What happens to travel behaviour when the right to park is removed?.

Pedestrianisation and politics: A case study (2018)
Journal Article
Melia, S., Melia, S., & Shergold, I. (2018). Pedestrianisation and politics: A case study. Proceedings of the ICE - Transport, 171(1), 30-41. https://doi.org/10.1680/jtran.16.00104

Proposals to pedestrianise or close roads to traffic are often controversial. This article analyses the impact of partial pedestrianisation, using a case study conducted in Brighton, UK. Before-and-after studies found a modest traffic reduction withi... Read More about Pedestrianisation and politics: A case study.

Young people’s travel – What’s changed and why? Review and analysis (2018)
Report
Chatterjee, K., Goodwin, P., Schwanen, T., Clark, B., Jain, J., Melia, S., …Stokes, G. (2018). Young people’s travel – What’s changed and why? Review and analysis. Bristol: Department for Transport

Young adults in Great Britain and other countries are driving less now than young adults did in the early 1990s. The Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned the Centre for Transport and Society (UWE, Bristol) and the Transport Studies Unit (Unive... Read More about Young people’s travel – What’s changed and why? Review and analysis.

Does transport investment really boost economic growth? (2018)
Journal Article
Melia, S. (2018). Does transport investment really boost economic growth?. World Transport Policy and Practice, 23(3&4), 118-128

The SACTRA (1999) report on Transport and the Economy found strong theoretical grounds for believing that transport investment could boost national economies but that the empirical evidence was “weak and disputed”. This study asks whether a differen... Read More about Does transport investment really boost economic growth?.

What happens to travel behaviour when parking is removed? (2017)
Presentation / Conference
Melia, S., & Clark, B. (2017, January). What happens to travel behaviour when parking is removed?. Paper presented at 49th University Transport Studies Group Conference

What happens to travel behaviour when the right to park is removed? This controversial question, fundamental to travel demand management and land-use planning, has only been partially addressed by the literature so far. The impacts on travel to the... Read More about What happens to travel behaviour when parking is removed?.

Evaluation of the change in parking policy on Frenchay campus (2016)
Report
Melia, S., & Clark, B. (2016). Evaluation of the change in parking policy on Frenchay campus

In 2013 UWE implemented a radical change in parking policy at Frenchay campus, removing the right to park from undergraduates living in an ‘Exclusion Zone’ (with a few exceptions) covering the areas where most students live. The change was applied t... Read More about Evaluation of the change in parking policy on Frenchay campus.

Walking and cycling on shared-use paths: The user perspective (2016)
Journal Article
Delaney, H., Parkhurst, G., & Melia, S. (2017). Walking and cycling on shared-use paths: The user perspective. Proceedings of the ICE - Municipal Engineer, 170(3), 175-184. https://doi.org/10.1680/jmuen.16.00033

© 2016, ICE Publishing: All rights reserved. Shared-use paths are those used by pedestrians and cyclists, either designed for them to mix freely within the space (unsegregated) or with the space allocated to each group by surface markings and signage... Read More about Walking and cycling on shared-use paths: The user perspective.

Changes to commute mode: The role of life events, spatial context and environmental attitude (2016)
Journal Article
Clark, B., Chatterjee, K., & Melia, S. (2016). Changes to commute mode: The role of life events, spatial context and environmental attitude. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 89, 89-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.05.005

© 2016 The Authors. It has been suggested that commuting behaviours become habitual and that changes to commute mode are more likely at the time of major life events. However, evidence to support this has so far been limited to analyses of small-scal... Read More about Changes to commute mode: The role of life events, spatial context and environmental attitude.

Editorial (2016)
Journal Article
Norgate, S., & Melia, S. (2016). Editorial. Proceedings of the ICE - Urban Design and Planning, 169(3), 121-122. https://doi.org/10.1680/jurdp.2016.169.3.121

Improving the urban environment for these vulnerable and excluded groups will be a key challenge for the planners of the future. So how can any interested readers reflect this in their own work? We argue here that the design of urban land use and pub... Read More about Editorial.