Abstract
Using data from a large international comparison of cities in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, a review is made of the role of transport infrastructure provision in shaping transport patterns and travel speeds in cities. A case is made for moving away from supply-side, road-oriented approaches to transport which induce more traffic, and towards demand management, that emphasises public transport, walking and cycling and de-emphasises investment in roads. Urban rail is shown to playa critical role in shaping urban transport patterns and in helping cities to manage travel demand and reduce their level of automobile dependence. (A)