URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION GOAL DETERMINATION: A RESEARCH APPROACH

Urban problems such as energy shortages, congestion, and increasing highway costs are prompting communities to reassess the need for public transportation. A solution can be achieved if citizens are encouraged to rely less on the automobile and more on public modes for intracommunity travel. However, achieving user shifts in mode preferences is not easy because of the automobile's popularity. Consequently, if public transportation is to realize its potential, effective planning is essential, and it must begin with the setting of appropriate goals for community transportation services. Among the complexities that add to the difficulty of setting goals are the differing needs of existing and potential user groups, the variety of transportation service alternatives, community role structure, environmental constraints, and limited resources. A promising approach to setting community transportation goals is the policy Delphi method. Through this technique information is collected independently from various individuals and groups concerning future events and policy issues. Opinions and information are gathered without the participants' having to interact. Moreover, feedback of information from other participants is provided to each Delphi panel member. The paper examines the community transportation goal-setting task in the context of a complete transportation planning process. Major attention is given to applying the policy Delphi method to generating community transportation goal information and assessing the extent of agreement among policy makers.