This book deals with the economic, technological, political, and cultural factors that have combined to shape the American system of urban transportation, and attempts to appraise the significance and potential for durability of the most salient policy themes that have emerged since World War II. The book also aims to provide a foundation for evaluating proposed innovations in urban transportation policy in the years ahead. The book focuses on the personal travel components of the urban transportation system. The various chapters are presented in three sections. The first section deals with politics and considers recent system and policy evolution, as well as politics and innovation. The second section on "problems" considers criteria for system and policy innovation, energy, air quality, safety, equity, congestion, land use and urban development. The third and last section, "the options", considers policy innovation in urban transportation. Appendixes cover the following areas: urban freight transportation; noise regulation; proven and ultimate world oil reserves; assumptions employed in estimating potential energy savings from increased vanpooling, carpooling and more transit use.
Abstract