The Transportation Experience

The Transportation Experience explores the historical evolution of transportation modes and technologies. The book traces how systems are innovated, planned and adapted, deployed and expanded, and reach maturity, where they may either be maintained in a polished obsolesce often propped up by subsidies, be displaced by competitors, or be reorganized and renewed. An array of examples supports the idea that modern policies are built from past experiences. William Garrison and David Levinson assert that the planning (and control) of nonlinear, unstable processes is today's central transportation problem, and that this is universal and true of all modes. Modes are similar, in that they all have a triad structure of network, vehicles, and operations; but this framework counters conventional wisdom. Most think of each mode as having a unique history and status, and each is regarded as the private playground of experts and agencies holding unique knowledge, operating in isolated silos. However, this book argues that while modes have an appearance of uniqueness, the same patterns repeat: systems policies, structures, and behaviors are a generic design on varying modal cloth. In the end, the illusion of uniqueness proves to be myopic. While it is true that knowledge has accumulated from past experiences, the heavy hand of these experiences places boundaries on current knowledge; especially on the ways professionals define problems and think about processes. The Transportation Experience provides perspective for the collections of models and techniques that are the essence of transportation science, and also expands the boundaries of current knowledge of the field.

While much of the transportation systems in Europe and the United States are mature (if not senescent), the rest of the world is still planning, developing, and deploying new systems. The accomplishments and mistakes of places like the United Kingdom and the United States, then, can teach us lessons that may be applied to places where transportation remains nascent or adolescent. The Transportation Experience seeks to understand the genesis of transportation policy in America and the UK, along with the roles that this policy plays as systems are innovated, deployed, and reach maturity, and how policies might be improved.

International Trade and Transportation Infrastructure Development: Experiences in North America and Europe examines the impact of trade agreements, such as the North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the European Union Customs Union, and their relationship to transportation systems and infrastructure in member countries. It analyzes historical trade by mode, evaluating modal shifts due to trade policy and disputes, and their implications for all involved nations. This book also examines both supply and demand trends, reviewing transportation processes, and the stakeholders involved. Capacity development, funding mechanisms, and operational characteristics of each mode are detailed in relation to the policies that influence them. The book reviews recent trends and the impact of disruptive technologies, as well as future potential regulatory changes, with relation to upcoming infrastructure plans, project funding, and operations. This book is an ideal reference for transportation practitioners involved in planning, feasibility studies, consultation and policy for international transportation systems or infrastructure. Academic researchers and graduate students in transportation planning, international relations, and trade will also find this book useful. Compiles in one source up-to-date insights on important public transport themes, issues, and debates Examines a wide range of public transport topics in the multidisciplinary fields of economics, policy, operations, and planning Bridges the gap between scientific research and policy implementation

A cinematic journey through the Seoul subway that masterfully portrays the many unique lives we travel alongside whenever we take the train. A poetic translation of the bestselling Korean picture book. Accompanied by the constant, rumbling ba-dum ba-dumof its passage through the city, the subway has stories to tell. Between sunrise and sunset, it welcomes and farewells people, and holds them -- along with their joys, hopes, fears, and memories -- in its embrace. Originally published in Korean and brought to English-speaking audiences with the help of renowned translator Deborah Smith (The Vegetarian),I Am the Subwayvividly reflects the shared humanity that can be found in crowded metropolitan cities. ★ '[S]ensitive, closely observed portraits.' --Publishers Weekly ★ 'A contemplative, poignant rendering of everyday journeys.' --Kirkus Reviews ★ '[B]eautiful and unusual.' --Youth Services Book Review ★ 'Bewitching.' --Foreword Reviews ★ 'A poetic tribute to Seoul and its people, I Am the Subwaymakes for an unforgettable journey.' --BookPage

The reader is taken on a joyously meandering ride over a thirty year span, telling how San Francisco's F-line came about, through the efforts of a multitude of San Franciscans including visionaries, planners and engineers, politicians and community activists, transit operators and everyday transit riders. The idea of vintage streetcar operations was born in the 1970s, and then becomes tangible with the "Trolley Festivals" in the 1980s. It took another 20 years for the "F-Line" to become a permanent part of San Francisco's transit scene, and that saga is told as well.

Does transportation affect the lives of minority, low-income, elderly, and physically disabled citizens? The answer is yes, and those effects can be profound, according to The Right to Transportation. The authors argue that transportation policies can limit access to education, jobs, and services for some individuals while undermining the economy and social cohesion of entire communities. Policies that have nurtured the U.S. highway system and let public transportation wither have also led to ghettos and social isolation. More and more communities are recognizing the problem. This book explains the strategies and policies that can address inequities in the nation's transportation and transportation planning systems so that the benefits and burdens of those systems can be shared equally across all communities. With a close examination of how transportation policies affect individuals and communities, the book is a guide to transportation fairness. It explains the demographic trends, historical events, and current policies that have shaped transportation in the U.S. and offers recommendations for moving to equity.