This book is a synthesis drawing upon a number of underlying fields and disciplines, primarily economics, engineering, and legal and policy studies. The functional approach supplies the integrative thread that ties the work together. The objective is to provide enough conceptual and substantive information that the reader can systematically weigh the alternatives and reach his own solution. The scope of this work is relatively broad. All of the principal passenger and freight modes are covered: railroads, pipelines, waterborne (ocean, inland, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence), and highway (automobile, truck and bus). The carriers are brought together in issues concerning urban transportation and urban intermodal problems. Final chapters cover government plans and policies and the future outlook. While this book was designed primarily to meet the needs of professional majors, it should be of use to others. Courses in transportation engineering, economics, geography, urban planning, and public administration should find it a useful supplement. There are sufficient issues in the book to be of interest to practicing professionals in the field. It is written with a view to being comprehensible to the informed layman, the non-specialized manager, and government policy officials.
Abstract