ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF URBAN PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION

URBAN TRANSPORTATION AND URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROBLEMS ARE DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED. PROBLEM SYMPTOMS IDENTIFIED ARE THE LOSS OF RIDERS BY PUBLIC TRANSIT AND INADEQUATE PARKING. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THESE TRENDS WILL BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED IN THE FUTURE AS POPULATIONS GROW, INCOMES RISE, AND MORE LEISURE TIME EXPANDS. THE RESULTING DIMINUTION IN TRANSIT SERVICE WILL MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE FOR GROUPS WITH SPECIAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS. WITH THE NEW, LOWER DENSITIES OF METROPOLITAN AREAS, THE TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED IN THE PAST HAVE BECOME OBSOLETE. THE TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR SOLVING THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM ARE DESCRIBED. THREE BASIC TOOLS APPEAR APPROPRIATE: (1) CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (IN VEHICLES OR ROADWAYS), (2) CHANGES IN THE ORGANIZATION OF EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE THE SERVICE QUALITIES OFFERED, AND (3) CHANGES IN THE LOCATION AND ORGANIZATION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. THESE TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS ARE EVALUATED AND THE REACTIONS OBSERVED OF TRIP-MAKERS TO ITS CHARACTERISTICS. THE TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED ARE AUTOMOBILES, RAILROAD AND RAIL RAPID TRANSIT, BUS AND OTHER PUBLIC HIGHWAY SYSTEMS. NEW TECHNOLOGIES DESCRIBED ARE THE DUAL-LOAD VEHICLE, WHICH REQUIRES A SEPARATE ROADWAY THAT CANNOT BE SHARED WITH OTHER VEHICLES. HOWEVER, IT MEETS THE DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICE REQUIREMENT AND THE NEED FOR HIGH-SPEED MASS MOVEMENT OVER THE MAJOR NETWORK LINKS. TOOLS FOR IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION ARE DISCUSSED SUCH AS ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE, CHANGES IN THE LOCATION AND ORGANIZATION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, PROVISION FOR UNCERTAINTY, FINANCING AND RESEARCH NEEDS. THE NEED IS SHOWN FOR RESEARCH TO INCORPORATE ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE TRIP-MAKER'S DECISION IN A SINGLE MODEL AND FOR LAND USE MODELS.