The Transportation Renaissance

The full story of Personal Rapid Transit, a driverless, computer-controlled system of public transportation, has never before been told. Parts of this story have been told over and over again in countless meetings with government authorities at all levels and to many potential investors. It has been described in several technical books devoted to the subject, in hundreds of technical papers, and in the published proceedings of the International Conferences on PRT which have been held, usually at the major universities. But none of these sources tell the whole story. This is the first book to do so, and in a style that is enlightening, entertaining, and at times quite humorous. Despite his lighthearted fashion, the author shows how time and again the cause of PRT has been set back, sometimes unwittingly, by governmental and other forces, sometimes, but not always, acting in the perceived best interest of the public. Yet the proponents of PRT have managed to struggle on. PRT today is more thoroughly engineered prior to its commercialization than any other form of transportation in history. We stand today on the threshold of its realization. It is just a question of time until many of the cities of the world will have this revolutionary form of transportation.

Although its author does not put it that way, the book bearing that title could well be put as “A story that needs to be told.” Indeed, the chronicle of a mighty transformation that is too often overshadowed by other events. . At the beginning of the 20th century the steam locomotive powered train was supreme in transportation. Then by mid century it had all but disappeared. Yet at the dawn of the new century the auto, truck, and airplane was little more than a hobby of the few. That railroad at the turn of the century had a dramatic excitement and position in the culture of its own. Yet now, at the present beginning of the new 21st century that “railroad” still occupies a prominent place in the world of transportation. It did not suffer the fate of the horse and buggy, as commonplace in the late 19th, century. Instead, the railroad underwent a transformation as dynamic as the auto, truck and plane, and even the oncoming telephone, radio, moving picture and television and computer. That steam powered Iron Horse has been replaced by the diesel-electric locomotive, the “electric” train, and even as the 21st century emerged, the “floating train” maglev. But there was far more to that transformation indeed. That is the story that has been told more comprehensively than ever before in the just public book of that title. And it shows together how well man and machine have worked together to draw upon other emerging technologies and advances that swept into reality far more in the 20th century than any time in the history of man.

Although its author does not put it that way, the book bearing that title could well be put as "A story that needs to be told." Indeed, the chronicle of a mighty transformation that is too often overshadowed by other events. . At the beginning of the 20th century the steam locomotive powered train was supreme in transportation. Then by mid century it had all but disappeared. Yet at the dawn of the new century the auto, truck, and airplane was little more than a hobby of the few. That railroad at the turn of the century had a dramatic excitement and position in the culture of its own. Yet now, at the present beginning of the new 21st century that "railroad" still occupies a prominent place in the world of transportation. It did not suffer the fate of the horse and buggy, as commonplace in the late 19th, century. Instead, the railroad underwent a transformation as dynamic as the auto, truck and plane, and even the oncoming telephone, radio, moving picture and television and computer. That steam powered Iron Horse has been replaced by the diesel-electric locomotive, the "electric" train, and even as the 21st century emerged, the "floating train" maglev. But there was far more to that transformation indeed. That is the story that has been told more comprehensively than ever before in the just public book of that title. And it shows together how well man and machine have worked together to draw upon other emerging technologies and advances that swept into reality far more in the 20th century than any time in the history of man.

Dejan Petkov explores the tramway renaissance in Western Europe from a socio-technical standpoint and focuses on the development in Germany, France, and England. A multiple case analysis reveals the drivers, impact forces, actors and interest constellations behind the tramway renaissance in these countries and demonstrates the large variations in local systems and their style. A key finding is that there can be quite different paths to the success of tramway systems, but this success usually comes at a cost and can have a comprehensive character only if the systems are considered an integral part of the overarching strategies and concepts for urban and regional development.

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.

Overregulated and displaced by barges, trucks, and jet aviation, railroads fell into decline. Their misfortune was measured in lost market share, abandoned track, bankruptcies, and unemployment. Today, rail transportation is reviving. American Railroads tells a riveting story about how this iconic industry managed to turn itself around.