Abstract for: Right timing: unseen delays and stocks in implementation of transport systems

Increasing travel demand and motorization rates pose challenges to city planners to design successful transport systems that offer enough coverage and service quality for citizens. These challenges are even more dramatic in developing countries due to poor conditions of their transport system in terms of transport supply, service and infrastructure quality and, accessibility. To respond to this challenge city planners design new transport systems that can improve urban mobility conditions. Nevertheless, implementing new transport systems requires design, infrastructure modifications and teaching the population how to use the new system. In this paper we use small system dynamics models to show that these elements involve delays that produce accumulations that can generate negative consequences on the success of the transport system that is implemented. One of these consequences may affect user satisfaction which can be understood as an accumulation of users’ experiences on the transport system. Interaction among these delays and stocks, and the absence of planning and coordination that takes into account these elements may produce congestion and low transport system users’ satisfaction. Combating inertia produced by a low level of satisfaction may turn into a difficult and long run task compromising the success of a new transport system.