GOALS IN TRANSPORTATION

TODAY THE CITIZEN DOES NOT KNOW WHETHER SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE IN URBAN TRANSPORTATION OR NOT. THERE HAS TO BE AN IDENTIFICATION OF GOALS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MEANINGFUL SET OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THEM. ONE POSSIBLE APPROACH TO A MORE EFFECTIVE DEFINITION OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION SERVICE BENEFITS IS TO CONSIDER THE VALUE OF MOBILITY IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT IN TERMS OF OPTIONS PER MINUTE, WHERE THE OPTION IS A FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY, SUCH AS SHOPPING, WORKING, OR DRINKING BEER. SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF A STRATEGY TO EMPLOY TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES SO AS TO INCREASE ACTIVITY OPTIONS ARE: (1) TRANSPORTATION PLANNING MUST BE ONE ELEMENT IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE URBAN ENVIRONMENT PLANNING PROCESS, (2) TRANSPORTATION IS ONE OF THE MANY TOOLS WHICH CAN COMPENSATE FOR THE IMBALANCE OF OPTIONS AMONG METROPOLITAN AREA NEIGHBORHOODS, (3) URBAN AREAS MUST BE DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE ACTIVITY OPTIONS FOR THE PEDESTRIAN AS WELL AS THE TRANSIT RIDER AND THE AUTOMOBILE USER, (4) URBAN TRANSPORTATION GOALS SHOULD BE SUBSIDIARY TO AND RESPONSIVE TO URBAN ENVIRONMENT GOALS RELATING TO JOBS, HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND RECREATION, (5) TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE MADE ONLY WHEN TOTAL MOBILITY AND NONMOBILITY BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY OUTWEIGH THE TOTAL COSTS INCLUDING INTANGIBLE COSTS IMPOSED ON THE COMMUNITY.