This paper presents a procedure for the evaluation of alternative transportation system design concepts based on a comprehensive, weighted hierarchy of community development criteria. Existing techniques for alternative plan evaluation are discussed, along with several potentially powerful normative procedures for system design. The basic decision model relates to the evaluation of alternative design concepts by a single group of professional planners on the basis of a single set of weighted community decision criteria statements. Extensions of the basic model relating to a possible stratification of statements of value by socioeconomic groups and a possible stratification of planners are indicated. Necessary discussion of community decision structure, formulation of community decision criteria, and weighting of those criteria are summarized. The decision model procedure is applied to three alternative systems design concepts for the transportation plan in the Louisville metropolitan area. Obvious extensions of the research are identified and applications of the procedures in land-use form and plan analysis, transportation corridor analysis, and detailed transportation system evaluation are discussed.
Samenvatting