CHEAPER SOLUTIONS NEEDED AS FEDERAL FUNDS SHRINK

Federal assistance for public transport in the United States is now reduced to less than half the demand of 23 cities planning or constructing new transit systems. Many cities face the dilemma of setting back construction plans or accepting Federal support in a secondary role. The author suggests that a possible solution could be found from shifting from heavy rail towards integrated bus and light rail networks with more reliance on local funding. Policies used for the evaluation of new proposals have been revised to include the requirement for a reliable source of more than 50 per cent local financial support. New projects are now required to attract new users and reduce travel time for existing passengers. An example is given of the development of the public transport network in Houston where the residents were asked to choose between three alternative plans based on integrated bus and light rail. Experience showed that the public favoured an easy-to-use transit system, built to basic standards with staged construction to spread the cost. (TRRL)

  • Availability:
  • Corporate Authors:

    IPC Transport Press Limited

    Quadrant House, The Quandrant
    Sutton, Surrey,   England 
  • Authors:
    • Kiepper, A F
  • Publication Date: 1985-1

Media Info

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00394459
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
  • Files: ITRD, TRIS
  • Created Date: May 31 1985 12:00AM