Managing And Financing Urban Public Transport Systems

"This book compares the institutions and regulatory contexts in which transit systems operate, the operations and management problems with which they must contend, and the policy options and solutions which they have implemented."--BOOK JACKET.

Urban transport systems are essential for economic development and improving citizens' quality of life. To establish high-quality and affordable transport systems, cities must ensure their financial sustainability to fund new investments in infrastructure while also funding maintenance and operation of existing facilities and services. However, many cities in developing countries are stuck in an "underfunding trap" for urban transport, in which large up-front investments are needed for new transport infrastructure that will improve the still small-scale, and perhaps, poor-quality systems, but revenue is insufficient to cover maintenance and operation expenses, let alone new investment projects. The urban transport financing gap in these cities is further widened by the implicit subsidies for the use of private cars, which represent a minority of trips but contribute huge costs in terms of congestion, sprawl, accidents, and pollution. Using an analytical framework based on the concept of "Who Benefits Pays," 24 types of financing instruments are assessed in terms of their social, economic and environmental impacts and their ability to fund urban transport capital investments, operational expenses, and maintenance. Urban transport financing needs to be based on an appropriate mix of complementary financing instruments. In particular for capital investments, a combination of grants †“from multiple levels of government†“ and loans together with investments through public private partnerships could finance large projects that benefit society. Moreover, the property tax emerges as a key financing instrument for capital, operation, and maintenance expenses. By choosing the most appropriate mix of financing instruments and focusing on wise investments, cities can design comprehensive financing for all types of urban transport projects, using multi-level innovative revenue sources that promote efficient pricing schemes, increase overall revenue, strengthen sustainable transport, and cover capital investments, operation, and maintenance for all parts of a public transport system, "from the sidewalk to the subway."

This book sets out a road map for the provision of urban access for all. For most of the last century cities have followed a path of dependency on car dominated urban transport favouring the middle classes. Urban Access for the 21st Century seeks to change this. Policies need to be more inclusive of the accessibility needs of the urban poor. Change requires redesigning the existing public finance systems that support urban mobility. The aim is to diminish their embedded biases towards automobile-based travel. Through a series of chapters from international contributors, the book brings together expertise from different fields. It shows how small changes can incentivize large positive developments in urban transport and create truly accessible cities.

Developing Countries Have Different Transportation Issues and Requirements Than Developed Countries An efficient transportation system is critical for a country’s development. Yet cities in developing countries are typically characterized by high-density urban areas and poor public transport, as well as lack of proper roads, parking facilities, road user discipline, and control of land use, resulting in pollution, congestion, accidents, and a host of other transportation problems. Public Transport Planning and Management in Developing Countries examines the status of urban transport in India and other developing countries. It explains the principles of public transport planning and management that are relevant and suitable for developing countries, addresses current transportation system inefficiencies, explores the relationship between mobility and accessibility, and analyzes the results for future use. Considers Socioeconomic and Demographic Characteristics It’s projected that by 2030, developing nations will have more vehicles than developed nations, and automated guided transit (AGT) and other transport systems will soon be available in India. This text compares five cities using specific indicators—urbanization, population growth, vehicle ownership, and usage. It determines demographic and economic changes in India, and examines how these changes have impacted transportation demand and supply, transport policy and regulations, and aspects of economics and finance related to public transport. The authors emphasize preserving and improving existing modes, efficient use of the public transport management infrastructure, implementing proper planning measures, and encouraging a shift towards sustainable modes. They also discuss sustainability in terms of environment, energy, economic, and land use perspectives and consider the trends of motorization, vehicle growth, modal share, effects on mobility and environment, and transport energy consumption and emissions. Public Transport Planning and Management in Developing Countries addresses the growing resource needs and economics of public transport in developing countries, explains various aspects of public transport planning and management, and provides readers with a basic understanding of both urban and rural public transport planning and management in developing countries.

By 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities. To thrive, they will need efficient and sustainable forms of transport, but to achieve this, the financial incentives guiding urban transport operation must change – and change rapidly. Urban transport plays a critical role in determining the social, environmental and economic shape of cities. Improving Urban Access: New Approaches to Funding Transport Investment provide innovative ideas on how we might reorganize transport finance to ensure that it is suited to serving the social, environmental and economic principles that must guide future urban living. Continuing the work begun by its predecessor, Urban Access for the 21st Century, the authors assess the complexity of implementing new finance approaches and suggest ways to make positive and radical changes. Although the range of revenue raising options remain limited to users, indirect beneficiaries, and the general public, these can be recast to transform the way transport is paid for and therefore how its services are delivered. New finance models only succeed when they are intrinsically linked to the economic, social, cultural and political forces that create urban life. Together these volumes provide a starting point for the deeper research and policy design needed to successfully create urban transport finance systems that can address the challenges that 21st century cities present.

On the transport system of Delhi, India.