ULO1A comparative advantage of natural ensure that a sufficient quantity of

or human resources. goods is available to satisfy

 Countries that lack an consumer demand.
1. Transportation engineering is the abundance of natural resources  The ability of highways to provide
application of technology and scientific rely heavily on transportation to reliable service has made
principles to the design, operation, planning import raw materials and export highways critical to the function of
and management of transportation manufactured products. modern economies.
infrastructure, mobility service, traffic, and
travelers for various travel modes, in order HIGHWAYS AND THE ECONOMY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
to provide for the safe, efficient, rapid, Highway systems  highway construction and
comfortable, convenient, economical, and improvements to the highway
environmentally sustainable movement of  have a direct effect on industries network can positively influence
people and goods. that supply vehicles and economic development.
2. Railroad is a mode of land transportation equipment to support highway  improvements can increase
in which flange-wheeled vehicles move over transportation accessibility and thus attract new
two parallel steel rails, or tracks, either by  vital to manufacturing and retail industries and spur local
self-propulsion or by the propulsion of a supply chains and distribution economies.
locomotive. systems,  effect that highways can have on
3. Highway is any public or private road or  serve as regional and national economic development is yet
other public way on land. It is used for economic engines. another example of the far-
major roads, but also includes other public  Good transportation, will not reaching economic influences of
roads and public tracks. assure success in the highway transportation.
4. Traffic on roads consists of road users marketplace, as the availability of
including pedestrians, ridden or herded transportation is a necessary but HIGHWAYS, ENERGY, AND THE
animals, vehicles, streetcars, buses and insufficient condition for economic ENVIRONMENT
other conveyances, either singly or growth.  As a primary consumer of fossil
together, while using the public way for  the absence of supportive fuels and a major contributor to
purposes of travel. transportation services will serve air-borne pollution, highway
5. Traffic operation oversees the design to limit or hinder the potential for transportation is an obvious
and placement of signs, signals, pavement a nation or region to achieve its target for energy conservation
markings, lighting, work zone safety and economic potential. and environmental impact
intelligent transportation systems. It works  society expects to develop and mitigation efforts
with partners on traffic safety initiatives grow, it must have a strong  energy and environmental
aimed at reducing fatalities and serious internal transportation system impacts of highway transportation
injuries from motor vehicle crashes. consisting of good roads, rail are clearly substantial, and an
systems, as well as excellent important consideration in the
TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AS A linkages to the rest of the world design and maintenance of
PROFESSION by sea and air. highway facilities and the
The Institute of Transportation Engineers development and implementation
defines traffic engineering as a subset of  transportation demand is a of policies affecting highway
transportation engineering as follows byproduct derived from the needs transportation.
Transportation engineering is the and desires of people to travel or
to transfer their goods from one HIGHWAYS AS PART OF THE
application of technology and scientific
place to another. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
principles
Traffic engineering is that phase of  The availability of transportation
facilities can strongly influence  highway transportation is part of a
engineering which deals with the planning,
the growth and development of a larger transportation system that
geometric design and traffic operations of
region or nation. includes air, rail, water and
roads, streets, and highways, their
 Good transportation permits the pipeline transportation.
networks, terminals, abutting lands, and
specialization of industry or  highways are the dominant mode
relationships with other modes of
commerce, reduces costs for raw of most passenger and freight
transportation.
materials or manufactured goods, movements.
Highways and increases competition  For passenger travel, highways
between regions, thus resulting in account for about 90 percent of
 have played a key role in the reduced prices and greater all passenger-miles.
development and sustainability of choices for the consumer.  commercial trucks account for
human civilization  Transportation is also a about 37 percent of the freight
 dominate the transportation necessary element of ton-miles and, because
system — providing critical government services such as commercial trucks transport
access for the acquisition of delivering mail, defense, and higher-valued goods than other
natural resources, industrial assisting territories. modes of transportation, nearly
production, retail marketing and 80 percent of the dollar value of
population mobility. all goods is transported by
 as a consequence, highways SUPPLY CHAINS commercial trucks.
have been studied for decades as  The survival of modern  many air, rail, water and pipeline
a cultural, political, and economic economies is predicated on freight movements involve
phenomenon. efficient and reliable supply highway transportation at some
 societies’ fundamental desire for chains. point for their initial collection and
access to activities and affordable  Industries have become final distribution.
land has generated significant increasingly dependent on their
supply chains to reduce costs HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION AND
highway demand, which has
and remain competitive. THE HUMAN ELEMENT
helped define and shape highway
 most manufacturing industries  passenger options include single-
networks.
today rely on just-in-time (JIT) occupant private vehicles, multi-
IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPORTATION delivery to reduce inventory- occupant private vehicles, and
 Tapping natural resources and related costs, which can be a public transportation modes (such
markets and maintaining a substantial percentage of total as bus).
competitive edge costs in many industries.  highway safety and the changing
 have a significant impact on the  JIT delivery - materials required demographics of highway users
economic vitality of an area and for production are supplied just are important considerations.
the ability to make maximum use before they are needed.
Passenger Transportation Modes and
of its natural resources.  reduces inventory costs, it
Traffic Congestion
 Nations with well-developed requires a very high degree of
certainty that the required  Of the available urban
maritime systems (British Empire
materials will be delivered on transportation modes offer an
in the 1900s) once ruled vast
time. unequaled level of mobility.
colonies located around the
 If not, the entire production  The single-occupant private
globe.
process could be adversely vehicle has been a dominant
 United States, Canada, Asia, and
affected and costs could rise choice that travelers-confront
Europe—are leaders in industry
dramatically. high levels of congestion, and
and commerce.
struggle with parking-related to
 Without the ability to transport, a  In retail applications, effective
have the flexibility in travel
country is unable to maximize the supply chains can significantly
departure time and destination
reduce consumer costs and
  Traffic congestion that has arisen cities to the suburbs has been infrastructure is the proportionate
as a result of extensive private- made possible by the increased maintenance and rehabilitation
vehicle use and low-vehicle mobility provided by the major schedule that will follow.
occupancy presents a perplexing highway projects undertaken  Although there are sometimes
problem. during the 1960s and 1970s. compelling reasons to defer
 programs aimed at reducing  This mobility enabled people to maintenance and rehabilitation,
congestion by encouraging improve their quality of life by such deferral can result in
travelers to take alternate modes gaining access to affordable unacceptable losses in mobility
of transportation (bus-fare housing and land, while still being and safety as well as more costly
incentives, increases in private- able to get to jobs in the central rehabilitation later.
vehicle parking fees, tolls and city with acceptable travel times.  As a consequence of past capital
traffic-congestion pricing, rail- and  Conventional wisdom suggested investments in highway
bus-transit incentives) or that as overall metropolitan traffic infrastructure and the current high
increasing vehicle occupancy congestion grew (making the cost of highway construction and
(high-occupancy vehicle lanes suburb-to-city commuting pattern rehabilitation, there is a strong
and employer-based ridesharing much less attractive), commuters emphasis on developing and
programs) can be considered would seek to avoid traffic applying new technologies to
viable options. congestion by reverting to public more economically construct and
 no other mode offers the transport modes and/or once extend the life of new facilities
departure-time and destination- again choosing to reside in the and to effectively combat an
choice flexibility provided by central city. aging highway infrastructure.
private, single-occupant vehicles.  However, a different trend has  Included in this effort are the
 Managing traffic congestion is an emerged. Employment centers extensive development and
extremely complex problem with have developed in the suburbs application of new sensing
significant economic, social, and now provide a viable technologies in the emerging field
environmental, and political alternative to the suburb-to-city of structural health monitoring.
implications. commute (the suburb-to-suburb  There are also opportunities to
commute). extend the life expectancy of new
Highway Safety  The result is a continuing infrastructure with the ongoing
 highway infrastructure also have tendency toward low-density, nanotechnology advances in
a human cost. private-vehicle based material science.
 Although safety has always been development as people seek to  Such technological advances are
a primary consideration, retain the high quality of life essential elements in the future of
highways continue to exact a associated with such highway infrastructure.
terrible toll in loss of life, injuries, development. Vehicle Technologies
property damage, and reduced  Ongoing demographic trends also  Until the 1970s, vehicle
productivity as a result of vehicle present engineers with an ever- technologies evolved slowly and
accidents. moving target that further often in response to mild trends in
 involves technical and behavioral complicates the problem of the vehicle market as opposed to
components and the complexities providing mobility and safety. an underlying trend toward
of the human/machine interface.  An example is the rising average technological development.
 highway safety have been age of the U.S. population that  Beginning in the 1970s, however,
intensified dramatically in recent has resulted from population three factors began a cycle of
decades. cohorts (the baby boom following unparalleled advances in vehicle
 efforts to improve highway design the Second World War) and technology that continues to this
(such as more stringent design advances in medical technology day: (1) government regulations
guidelines, breakaway signs, and that prolong life. on air quality, fuel efficiency, and
so on), vehicle occupant  Because older people tend to vehicle-occupant safety, (2)
protection (safety belts, padded have slower reaction times, energy shortages and fuel-price
dashboards, collapsible steering taking longer to respond to increases, and (3) intense
columns, driver- and passenger- driving situations that require competition among vehicle
side airbags, improved bumper action, engineers must confront manufacturers (foreign and
design), as well as advances in the possibility of changing domestic).
vehicle technologies (antilock highway-design guidelines and  The aggregate effect of these
braking, traction control systems, practices to accommodate slower factors has been vehicle
electronic stability control) and reaction times and the potentially consumers that demand new
new accident countermeasures higher variance of reaction times technology at highly competitive
(campaigns to reduce drunk among highway users. prices.
driving), have gradually managed  Vehicle manufacturers have
to reduce the fatality rate — the HIGHWAYS AND EVOLVING found it necessary to reallocate
number of fatalities per mile TECHNOLOGIES resources and to restructure
driven.  As in all fields, technological manufacturing and inventory
 some people drive more advances at least offer the control processes to meet this
aggressively (speeding, following promise of solving complex demand.
too closely, frequent lane problems. For highways,  In recent years, consumer
changing) in vehicles with technologies can be classified demand and competition among
advanced safety features, thus into those impacting vehicle manufacturers has
offsetting some or all of the infrastructure, vehicles, and traffic resulted in the widespread
benefits of new safety control. implementation of new
technologies. technologies including
 many people are more influenced Infrastructure Technologies Investments supplemental restraint systems,
by style and function than safety in highway infrastructure anti-lock brake systems, traction
features when making vehicle  have been made continuously control systems, electronic
purchase decisions. throughout the 20th and 21st stability control, and a host of
 These issues underscore the centuries. other applications of new
overall complexity of the highway  It is difficult to imagine, in today’s technologies to improve the
safety problem and the trade-offs economic and political safety and comfort in highway
that must be made with regard to environment, that a project of the vehicles.
cost, safety, and mobility (speed). magnitude of the interstate  There is little doubt that the
highway system would ever be combination of consumer
Demographic Trends seriously considered. demand and intense competition
 Travelers’ commuting patterns  This is because of the prohibitive in the vehicle industry will
(which lead to traffic congestion) costs associated with land continue to spur vehicle
are inextricably intertwined with acquisition and construction and technological innovations.
such socioeconomic the community and environmental  Evolving vehicle technologies
characteristics as age, income, impacts that would result. play a critical role in the highway
household size, education, and  It is also important to realize that system.
job type, as well as the highways are long-lasting  Such technologies directly
distribution of residential, investments that require influence highway design and
commercial, and industrial maintenance and rehabilitation at traffic operations, and are critical
developments within the region. regular intervals. considerations in providing high
 One could argue that the  The legacy of a major capital levels of mobility and safety.
population shift from the central investment in highway 
  It is essential that highway  This material constitutes the underground electrified railroads,
engineers understand how fundamental principles of and bus transportation.
vehicle design and technology highway engineering and traffic  City travel by public transit has
are interrelated with highway analysis that are needed to begin been replaced largely by the use
design and operation. to grasp the many complex of automobiles on urban
elements and considerations that highways, although rail rapid
Traffic Control Technologies come into play during the transit and light rail systems have
 Intersection traffic signals are a construction, maintenance, and been built in many large and
familiar traffic-control technology. operation of highways. medium-sized cities since the
 At signalized intersections, the 1970s.
trade-off between mobility and TRANSPORTATION HISTORY The Automobile and Interstate Highways
safety is brought into sharp focus. Early Road Building and Planning  The invention and development
 Procedures for developing traffic  During the eighteenth century, of the automobile created a
signal control plans (allocating travel was by horseback or in revolution in transportation in the
green time to conflicting traffic animal-drawn vehicles on dirt United States during the twentieth
movements) have made roads. century.
significant advances over the  As the nation expanded  No facet of American life has
years. westward, roads were built to been untouched by this invention;
 Today, signals at critical accommodate the settlers. the automobile (together with the
intersections can be designed to  In 1794, the Lancaster Turnpike, airplane) has changed the way
respond quickly to prevailing the first toll road, was built to we travel within and between
traffic flows, groups of signals can connect the Pennsylvania cities cities.
be coordinated to provide a of Lancaster and Philadelphia.  Only four automobiles were
smooth through-flow of traffic,  The nineteenth century brought produced in 1895.
and, in some cases, computers further expansion of U.S.  By 1901, there were 8000
control entire networks of signals. territorial boundaries, and the registered vehicles and by 1910,
 In addition to traffic signal population increased from three over 450,000 cars and trucks.
controls, numerous safety, million to 76 million.  Between 1900 and 1910, 50,000
navigational, and congestion-  Transportation continued to miles of surfaced roads were
mitigation technologies are now expand with the nation. constructed, but major highway-
reaching the market under the  The remainder of the nineteenth building programs did not begin in
broad heading of Intelligent century saw considerable activity, earnest until the late 1920s.
Transportation Systems (ITS). particularly in canal and railroad  By 1920, more people traveled by
 Such technological efforts offer building. private automobile than by rail
the potential to significantly The Canal Boom transportation.
reduce traffic congestion and  An era of canal construction  By 1930, 23 million passenger
improve safety on highways by began in the 1820s when the Erie cars and three million trucks were
providing an unprecedented level Canal was completed in 1825 registered.
of traffic control. and other inland waterways were  In 1956, Congress authorized a
 There are, however, many constructed. 42,500-mile interstate highway
obstacles associated with ITS  Beginning in the 1830s, this network, which is now completed.
implementation, including system efficient means of transporting The Birth of Aviation
reliability, human response and goods was replaced by the  Aviation was in its infancy at the
the human/machine interface. railroads, which were being beginning of the twentieth century
 Numerous traffic-control developed at the same time. with the Wright brothers’ first flight
technologies offer the potential  By 1840, the number of miles of taking place in 1903.
for considerable improvement in canals and railroads was  Both World Wars I and II were
the efficient use of the highway approximately equal (3200 mi), catalysts in the development of
infrastructure, but one must also but railroads, which could be air transportation.
recognize the limitations constructed almost anywhere in  The carrying of mail by air
associated with these this vast, undeveloped land at a provided a reason for government
technologies. much lower cost, superseded support of this new industry.
canals as a form of intercity  Commercial airline passenger
SCOPE OF STUDY transportation. service began to grow, and by the
 Highway engineering and traffic  Thus, after a short-lived period of mid-1930s, coast-to-coast service
analysis involve an extremely intense activity, the era of canal was available.
complex interaction of economic, construction came to an end.  After World War II, the expansion
behavioral, social, political,
of air transportation was
environmental, and technological The Railroad Era
phenomenal.
factors.  The railroad was the emerging
 The technological breakthroughs
 This complexity makes highway mode of transportation during the
that developed during the war
engineering and traffic analysis second half of the nineteenth
(coupled with the training of
far more challenging than typical century, as railway lines were
pilots) created a new industry that
engineering disciplines that tend spanning the entire continent.
replaced both ocean-going
to have an overriding focus on  Railroads dominated intercity steamships and passenger
only the technical aspects of the passenger and freight railroads.
problem. transportation from the late 1800s
 A summary of the historical
 To be sure, the technical to the early 1920s.
highlights of transportation
challenges encountered in  Railroad passenger development is shown in Table
highway engineering and traffic transportation enjoyed a 1.1.
analysis easily rival the most resurgence during World War II
complex technical problems but has steadily declined since
encountered in any other then, owing to the
engineering discipline. competitiveness of the
 However, it is the economic, automobile.
behavioral, social, political, and
environmental elements that  Freight rail was consolidated and
introduce a level of complexity remains viable. Railroad mileage
unequalled by any other reached its peak of about
engineering discipline. 265,000 miles by 1915.
 The remaining chapters in this Transportation in Cities
book do not intend to provide a  Each decade has seen
comprehensive assessment of continuous population growth
the many factors that influence within cities, and with it, the
highway engineering and traffic demand for improvements in
analysis. urban transportation systems has
 Instead, Chapters 2 through 8 increased.
seek to provide readers with the  City transportation began with
fundamental elements and horse-drawn carriages on city
methodological approaches that streets; these later traveled on
are used to design and maintain steel tracks.
highways and assess their  They were succeeded by cable
operating performance. cars, electric streetcars,
  They also work for consulting
firms that carry out the planning
and engineering tasks for these
organizations.
 During the past century,
transportation engineers have
been employed to build the
nation’s railroads, the interstate
highway system, and rapid transit
systems in major cities, airports,
and turnpikes.
 Each decade has seen a new
national need for improved
transportation services.
 It can be expected that in the
twenty-first century, heavy
emphasis will be placed on the
rehabilitation of the highway
system, including its surfaces and
bridges, as well as on devising a
means to ensure improved safety
and utilization of the existing
system through traffic control,
information technology, and
systems management.
TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYMENT a wide variety of job  Highway construction will be
 Employment opportunities exist in opportunities, the primary required, particularly in suburban
several areas of transportation, opportunities for civil engineers areas.
including business logistics or are in the area of transportation  Building of roads, highways,
supply chain management, infrastructure. airports, and transit systems is
vehicle design and manufacture,  In this role, they are responsible likely to accelerate in less-
provision of services related to primarily for the planning, design, developed countries, and the
transportation, and the provision construction, operation, and transportation engineer will be
of the infrastructure required if maintenance of the transportation called on to furnish the services
vehicles are to function as system within the United States. necessary to plan, design, build,
intended.  The transportation engineer is the and operate highway systems
 The physical-distribution aspect professional who is concerned throughout the world.
of transportation, known as with the planning, design,  Each of the specialties within the
business logistics or physical- construction, operations, and transportation infrastructure
distribution management, is management of a transportation engineering field is described
concerned with the movement system, as illustrated in Figure next.
and storage of freight between 1.6.  Transportation Planning
the primary source of raw  Transportation professionals
 Transportation Infrastructure
materials and the location of the must make critical decisions
Design
finished manufactured product. about the system that will affect
 Logistics is the process of the thousands of people who use  Highway Construction
planning, implementing, and it.  Traffic Operations and
controlling the efficient and  The work depends on the results Management
effective flow and storage of of experience and research and  Maintenance Operations
goods, services, and related is challenging and ever changing and Management
information from origination to as new needs emerge and new
consumption as required by the technologies replace those of the
customer. past.
 An expansion of the logistics  The challenge of the
concept is called supply-chain transportation engineering
management: a process that profession is to assist society in
coordinates the product, selecting the appropriate
information, and cash flows to transportation system consistent
maximize consumption with its economic development,
satisfaction and minimize resources, and goals, and to
organization costs. construct and manage the system
in a safe and efficient manner.
Vehicle Design and Transportation  It is the engineer’s responsibility
Services to ensure that the system
 Vehicle design and manufacture functions efficiently from an
is a major industry in the United economic point of view, and that
States and involves the it meets external requirements
application of mechanical, concerning energy, air quality,
electrical, and aerospace safety, congestion, noise, and
engineering skills as well as land use.
those of technically trained
mechanics and workers in other
trades.
 The service sector provides jobs
for vehicle drivers, maintenance
people, flight attendants, train
conductors, and other necessary
support personnel.
 Other professionals, such as
lawyers, economists, social
scientists, and ecologists, also
work in the transportation fields
when their skills are required to
draft legislation, to facilitate right-
of-way acquisition, or to study Specialties within Transportation
and measure the impacts of Infrastructure Engineering
transportation on the economy,  Transportation engineers are
society, and the environment. typically employed by the agency
responsible for building and
Transportation Infrastructure Services maintaining a transportation
 Although a transportation system system, such as the federal,
requires many skills and provides state, or local government, a
railroad, or a transit authority.
ULO1B transportation activities and  For most of this century, public
policies within one cabinet level transportation was provided by
agency. the private sector.
1. Transportation system means the state  In turn, many states followed by  However, increases in auto
transportation infrastructure and related forming their own transportation ownership, shifts in living patterns
systems, including highways and toll roads departments. to low-density suburbs, and the
open to the public and associated rights-of-  The Interstate Commerce relocation of industry and
way, bridges, vehicles, equipment, park and Commission (ICC), created in commerce away from the central
ride lots, transit stations, transportation 1887 to regulate the railroads, city, along with changes in
management systems, intelligent vehicle was given additional powers in lifestyle (which have been
highway systems, and other ground 1940 to regulate water, highway, occurring since the end of World
transportation systems. and rail modes, preserving the War II) have resulted in a steady
2. Transit is a passage or transition through inherent advantages of each and decline in transit ridership.
or across, or public transportation. promoting safe, economic, and  Since the early 1960s, most
3. Modes of transportation are the means efficient service. transit services have been
by which passengers and freight achieve  The intent of Congress was to provided by the public sector.
mobility. They are mobile transport assets develop, coordinate, and  Income from fares no longer
and fall into three basic types; land (road, preserve a national transportation represent the principal source of
rail and pipelines), water (shipping), and air. system; however, the inability to revenue, and over a 25- to 30-
implement vague and often year period, the proportion of
Transportation Systems and contradictory policy guidelines funds for transit provided by
Organization coupled with the extensive use of federal, state, and local
 The transportation system in a congressionally mandated governments has increased
developed nation is an projects, known as earmarks, has steadily.
aggregation of vehicles, guide- not helped to achieve the results  While it generally is believed that
ways, terminal facilities, and implied by national policy. highways and motor transport will
control systems that move freight  More recently, regulatory reform play a dominant role in providing
and passengers. has been introduced, and personal transportation in the
 These systems are usually transportation carriers are beginning decades of the twenty-
operated according to established developing new and innovative first century, there are many
procedures and schedules in the ways of providing services. unforeseen changes that could
air, on land, and on water.  The ICC was abolished in 1996. alter the balance between public
 The set of physical facilities, MODES OF TRANSPORTATION and private transportation.
control systems, and operating  The U.S. transportation system  Some could contribute to a
procedures referred to as the today is a highly developed, decline in transit ridership while
nation’s transportation system is complex network of modes and others might cause transit to
not a system in the sense that facilities that furnishes shippers become stronger, and for the
each of its components is part of and travelers with a wide range of remainder, there would be little or
a grand plan or was developed in choices in terms of services no effect.
a conscious manner to meet a set provided.  The potential changes that could
of specified regional or national  Each mode offers a unique set of influence transit usage are
goals and objectives. service characteristics in terms of categorized here from the book
 Rather, the system has evolved travel time, frequency, comfort, Urban Mass Transportation
over a period of time and is the reliability, convenience, and Planning.
result of many independent safety. Factors Bad for Transit.
actions taken by the private and  The termlevel of service is used • Growth of suburbs
public sectors, which act in their to describe the relative values of • Industry and employment moving
own or in the public’s interest. these attributes. from the central city
 Each day, decisions are made  The traveler or shipper must • Increased suburb-to-suburb
that affect the way transportation compare the level of service commuting
services are used. offered with the cost in order to • Migration of the population to the
 The decisions of a firm to ship its make tradeoffs and mode south and west
freight by rail or truck, of an selection. • Loss of population in “frost-belt”
investor to start a new airline, of a  Furthermore, a shipper or traveler cities
consumer to purchase an can decide to use a public carrier • Growth in private vehicle
automobile, of a state or or to use private (or personal) ownership
municipal government to build a transportation. • Increased diversity in vehicle
new highway or airport, of  For example, a manufacturer can types such as SUVs, pickup
Congress to deny support to a ship goods through a trucking trucks, and RVs
new aircraft, and of a federal firm or with company trucks; a • High cost per mile to construct
transportation agency to approve homeowner who has been fixed-rail transit lines
truck safety standards, are just a relocated can hire a household • High labor costs
few examples of how moving company or rent a truck; Factors Good for Transit.
transportation services evolve and a commuter can elect to ride • Emphasis by the federal
and a transportation system takes the bus to work or drive a car. government on air quality
shape.  Each of these decisions involves • Higher prices of gasoline
DEVELOPING A TRANSPORTATION a complex set of factors that • Depletion of energy resources
SYSTEM require tradeoffs between cost • Trends toward higher-density
 Over the course of a nation’s and service. living
history, attempts are made to The Role and Future of Public • Legislation to encourage “livable
develop a coherent transportation Transportation cities” and “smart growth”
system, usually with little  Public transportation is an • Location of mega-centers in
success. important element of the total suburbs
 A transportation plan for the transportation services provided • Need for airport access and
United States was proposed by within large and small circulation within airports
Secretary of the Treasury Gallatin metropolitan areas. • Increased number of seniors who
in 1808, but this and similar cannot or choose not to drive
 A major advantage of public
attempts have had little impact on TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATIONS
transportation is that it can
the overall structure of the U.S. • The operation of the vast network
provide high-capacity, energy-
transportation system. of transportation services in the
efficient movement in densely
 As stated in the TRNews special United States is carried out by a
traveled corridors.
issue on the fiftieth anniversary of variety of organizations.
 It also serves medium- and low-
the interstate highway system, • Each has a special function to
density areas by offering an
engineers and planners failed to perform and serves to create a
option for auto owners who do
recognize or account for the network of individuals who,
not wish to drive and an essential
impact of this immense national working together, furnish the
service to those without access to
system on other transportation transportation systems and
automobiles, such as school
modes or on its effect on services that presently exist.
children, senior citizens, single-
urbanization and sprawl. • The following sections will
auto families, and others who
 The creation of the U.S. describe some of the
may be economically or
Department of Transportation organizations and associations
physically disadvantaged.
(DOT) in 1967 had the beneficial involved in transportation.
effect of focusing national
• The List is illustrative only and is
intended to show the wide range
of organizations active in the
transportation field.
• The following seven categories,
described briefly in the sections
that follow, outline the basic
purposes and functions that these
organizations serve:
1. Private companies that are
available for hire to transport
people and goods.
2. Regulatory agencies that monitor
the behavior of transportation
companies in areas such as
pricing of services and safety.
3. Federal agencies such as the
Department of Transportation and
the Department of Commerce,
which, as part of the executive
branch, are responsible for
carrying out legislation dealing
with transportation at the national
level.
4. State and local agencies and
authorities responsible for the
planning, design, construction,
and maintenance of
transportation facilities such as
roads and airports.
5. Trade associations, each of
which represents the interests of
a particular transportation activity,
such as railroads or intercity
buses, and which serve these
groups by furnishing data and
information, by representing them
at congressional hearings, and by
furnishing a means for discussing
mutual concerns.
6. Professional societies composed
of individuals who may be
employed by any of the
transportation organizations but
who have a common professional
bond and benefit from meeting
with colleagues at national
conventions or in specialized
committees to share the results of
their work, learn about the
experience of others, and
advance the profession through
specialized committee activities.
7. Organizations of transportation
users who wish to influence the
legislative process and furnish its
members with useful travel
information.