RAPID TRANSIT MUST BE IMPROVED TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC CONGESTION

By the early 1960s, many city planners and transport engineers appeared convinced that rapid transit was the cure for traffic congestion, particularly vehicular congestion on downtown traffic arteries. The aim of this article was to examine this thesis and determine to what extent its assumptions were correct. The cities of Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York are considered. Issues raised include: 1) are these cities plagued with as much traffic congestion as those without rapid transit?; 2) what have been their population trends?; and 3) what have been the records of rapid transit and surface traffic of the companies serving these cities. After these issues are explored, an examination of the reasons for the tendencies thus disclosed is provided.