Developing an Approach for the Analysis of the Long-Range Future of Public Transportation in Large Cities - Executive Summary

摘要

This report is concerned with the long-term future of public transportation in large old cities with well-developed public transportation systems. This research begins with the assumption of severe fiscal constraint, compelling reduction in real resource consumption over time, but assuming away existing institutional arrangements, including operating practices. Data needs are discussed under five headings: (1) economic and demographic projections for twenty years ahead; (2) public transportation demand; (3) the services and operations necessary to meet that demand; (4) how those services can be most efficiently provided; and (5) how the resulting highly-efficient system can be best financed. The data needed to implement the approach are then compared to the data actually available and the urban transportation planning processes in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York. The conclusions are that, despite numerous gaps and deficiencies in the data bases, the research approach can be implemented with a minimum of new data-generation efforts, but with substantial work devoted to piecing together the data resources presently at hand.