THE EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS: THREE CASE STUDIES IN PENNSYLVANIA

Issues relevant to the conduct of effectiveness or post-implementation evaluation studies are addressed within the context of urban transportation projects. In particular, the conceptual rationale underlying development of the experimental plan is discussed in detail. An experimental plan serves to rule out systematically factors that might cause an observed difference between measures of effectiveness. Several such recurrent factors--called threats to internal validity--are described as well as are experimental plans useful in ruling them out. These more theoretical notions are discussed subsequently within the contexts of three transportation projects in Pennsylvania. These include a safety improvement project, a ridesharing program, and a transit fare reduction study. The findings of the study, which resulted from a review of the literature and interviews with transportation officials, suggest an unnecessarily wide gap between the state of the art and the actual practice in the design of effectiveness evaluations. The authors offer some suggestions for improving the conduct of such studies as a means of improving the way decisions are made, particularly at the state level.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1984/991/991-008.pdf
• Summary URL:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors of Transportation.
• Authors:
  • Loukissas, Philippos J
  • Mace, John L
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 54-62
• Monograph Title: Social and technological issues in transportation planning
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 991
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Before and after studies; Fares; Highway safety; Project management; Public transit; Ridesharing; State departments of transportation
• Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania
• Old TRIS Terms: Project analysis
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00450910
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309038006
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 28 1986 12:00AM