Assessment of Effectiveness of Sustainable Transport Development

The traditional assessment of efficiency of operations and of development projects of transport systems is based on a mercantilist approach that considers efficiency of activities according to the «cost–income–profit of economic entities» pattern. In this case, non-systemic, external results are usually not considered, while they can be many times higher in value terms than the internal results obtained by economic entities. External results are often seen outside the realm of purely economic relations. This is especially evident in the infrastructure sector, the material basis of which is formed by transport and logistics. To some extent a crisis of economic doctrine has arisen. An ecological crisis is being observed due to unrestrained anthropogenic activity. The concentration of people and production activities in cities has become the cause of the urbanization crisis. Growing inequality has led to an exacerbation of social contradictions. As a result, mankind has faced a complex crisis of civilization. Sustainable development was recognized as the main means of resolving the crisis. Sustainable transport dev elopement-being primarily an infrastructure field of activity, serves as the foundation for building sustainable development of the economy and social sphere. The sustainable development goals set by the world community under the auspices of the UN can only be achieved through the comprehensive assessment of effectiveness of management decisions (cumulative accounting of all internalities and externalities). Transport has become a pioneer in sustainable development of territories and cities. The approach to a comprehensive assessment of effectiveness of sustainable development determines the reform of economic and fiscal relations in the future according to the principle of the Pigou tax. The objective of this article is to explore ways to improve assessment of effectiveness and methodology of sustainable development of transport organizations and transport systems. The article substantiates the relevance and directions of improving the methodology for a comprehensive assessment of the results of transport activities and presents analytical models for a comprehensive assessment of its effectiveness. The promising tasks for continuation of research and development are associated with justification and legal legitimation of the use of cost estimates of various external results of improving transport, as well as with development of a system for monitoring of information necessary for a comprehensive assessment of sustainable transport development.