ASSESSING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: A PREDICTION MODEL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSIONS USING JORDAN AS A CASE STUDY

Sustainable development, for various sectors, aims to achieve a balance between several objectives, maintaining the environmental, economic, and social dimensions to allow development to continue invariably over time. The planning processes for sustainability to improve civilization and urban development must include urban infrastructure and transportation since they are the major sectors that provide a continual flow of goods, materials, products, services, and information to improve living conditions and protect a country's defence, economic viability, prosperity, awareness, safety, and security. The right transportation mode will allow the provision of good levels of service, thus increasing the satisfaction of current and future potential users. The development of sustainable transportation infrastructure is key in modern societies. If the sustainable transportation system is well planned and managed in developing countries, it will improve and facilitate living conditions in a way that is compatible with the next generation's needs and will facilitate progress, prosperity, environmental, social, and economic welfare; if it is not well planned, it will hinder such progress. This article aims to assess sustainability dimensions for transportation as a critical infrastructure in terms of social, economic, environmental, technological, and energy aspects, with emphasis on environmental aspects. Measures of performance indicators for each dimensional goal are developed based on the data and statistical findings. The study uses models, an analytical descriptive style, and a methodology based on previous studies, as well as secondary data sources. Recommendations for enhancing transportation sustainability and potential reforms are proposed that can be applied to Jordan and generalized for other developing countries with similar circumstances.