COMPREHENSIVE IMPACTS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Solutions to urban transportation problems are twofold: First, alternative transportation systems must become available as a reasonable substitute for the private automobile. Second, the spatial orientation of urban areas must be planned so as to prevent the inefficient cross-hauling requirements of the populace. As the inefficiencies and dis-economics of private auto transportation increase, users will equitably share a larger proportion of the social and actual costs of the mode. The entire urban planning process should become more oriented towards land-use planning with regard to more efficient accessibility. Because of the increasing diversity of origins and destinations other than the central urban core, there will always be a need for some type of private transportation. The concept should be one of an interfacing of the two modes rather than a reliance on one or the other. The present quality of service offered by mass transit is inferior in terms of convenience, comfort and speed, as well as the low availability of service. In order to offer effective competition with the private automobile, any form of mass transit must offer comparable amenities at reasonable costs. The massive resources required to initiate the development of new systems should be a joint effort of the government and private industry.