By the mid-1960s, the Greater Boston public transport system, the first of its kind in the USA, and one of the most extensive per unit of population, was in serious decline. During the late 1960s and 1970s, there was an intense public debate about the appropriate transport policies to address congestion, environmental, and health concerns. In the 1970s, local transport policies were implemented, aiming to reverse the dominance of single-occupant cars, and complemented by national measures to increase fuel efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions from new cars. These policies partly succeeded, but substantial problems remained. Five lessons were learned from this experience. Considerations of urban health and well-being can contribute significantly to transport policy. Transport policy can address problems of congestion and health impacts effectively, only if accompanied by strong and effective regional land use management and control. Such policies should not be found mainly on issues of congestion and health in the urban core. Transport costs can effectively deter rapidly increasing traffic.
Abstract