Ferry connections: Still an alternative?

This paper outlines the current method of impact assessments (IA) of fixed links and ferry connections, and gives a brief presentation of the current major revision in this analytic framework to be made by the Norwegian Public Roads Directorate (NPRD). The main part of the paper presents a model for handling the mutual dependency between fixed links and ferry operations as alternatives in analyzing a socio-economic optimal design for a strait crossing. The paper considers the problem of bias in calculating ferry costs which may occur from the lack of socio-economic optimality in ferry capacity supply criterias and the impact this may have on the IA results.