TOWN PLANNING, TRANSPORT PLANNING AND POLICY

The functions of transport systems can be divided as follows: to fulfil demand requirements, to ensure that the needs of productive zones are met, and to contribute to strengthening the links between society and the state. A transport policy must aim at discovering among specific problems those which are linked with policy. Thus a modern transport policy must be definite as regards basic problems such as the authority and responsibility of the government, administrative organization, development of the infrastructure and services, cost criteria, subsidies, financing, prices and investments. A study is made of the problem of transport planning from the point of view of investments required. The realisation of the Northeastern Transport Corridor Project by the USA Department of Transportation is given as an example, special emphasis being placed on: (1) capacity and congestion forecast; (2) influence on the environment; (3) forecast of overall demand for 1975 and 1985; (4) calculation of costs for the operator and the government together with benefits to rapid transit systems between 1970 and 1999. /TRRL/