MEGALOPOLIS TRANSPORTATION: ATTACKING THE SYSTEMS PROBLEM

THE DEMAND FOR TRANSPORTATION LEADS TO EXPANDED MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND THESE IN TURN STIMULATE STILL GREATER DEMANDS. SYSTEMS ANALYSIS HOLDS THE ONLY HOPE OF SOLVING THE MEGALOPOLIS'S PROBLEMS OF MASS TRANSPORTATION, BUT IT IS HOBBLED BY NONTECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS OUR INSISTENCE ON DISPERSING POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITIES. THE BOOZ-ALLEN APPLIED RESEARCH ANALYSIS OF THE FUNCTION OF TRANSPORTATION IS ONE OF THE LARGEST SYSTEMS ANALYSIS PROJECTS EVER ATTEMPTED. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED SO THAT THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS COULD PLAN FUTURE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. WITHIN THE FUNCTION OF TRANSPORTATION STRUCTURE, VARIOUS FUNCTIONS, SUCH AS THE VEHICLE TYPE, COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM, THE SUPPORT SYSTEM AND THE GUIDEWAY THROUGH WHICH THE VEHICLE TRAVELS, ARE INTERRELATED WITH, AND INTERACT WITH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS AND THE MOVEMENT REQUIREMENTS. IT IS BASED ON A SEQUENTIAL DIVISION OF THE VARIOUS FUNCTIONS INTO GREATER AND GREATER LEVELS OF DETAIL, EACH LEVEL INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF QUANTITIES. THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT IS STUDYING URBAN TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS IN FOUR PHASES: SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGIES, EXAMINATION OF PRESENT MODES OF TRANSPORT, SUGGESTING IMPROVEMENTS IN EXISTING SYSTEMS, AND SYSTEMS ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATE FORMS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION IN TERMS OF PASSENGER-ORIGIN AND DESTINATION POINTS SERVED AND LANDS TRAVERSED. THE OFFICE OF HIGH SPEED GROUND TRANSPORTATION IS HAVING STUDIES CONDUCTED ON IMPACT ANALYSIS AND DEMAND ANALYSIS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE DEMANDS FOR NEW TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS HAS NEVER BEEN AS GREAT AS IT IS TODAY. IF DEMAND LEADS TO EXPANDED MEANS, THEN THE U.S. IS ON THE VERGE OF AN EXPLOSION IN TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY.