ALTERNATIVE SUBSIDY TECHNIQUES FOR URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Subsidies for urban public transportation can be paid directly to transportation providers for supplying certain specified services or directly to transportation users in the form of discount transportation vouchers. These two subsidy mechanisms can be referred to as provider-side subsidies and user-side subsidies respectively. This paper discusses the likely advantages and disadvantages of three approaches urban communities can take to subsidizing public transportation: provider- side subsidies alone; user-side subsidies alone; and combined provider-side and user-side subsidies. Provider-side subsidies may be easier to administer than user-side subsidies, but they have often resulted in increased costs and in public dependence on a relatively small number of providers and services. User-side subsidies appear to offer more flexibility and efficiency; subsidized users can choose those providers and services that best meet their needs. The paper outlines a program of case studies and experiments designed to test hypotheses and fill major information gaps associated with these alternative subsidy approaches. /Author/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1976/589/589-005.pdf
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=ALTERNATIVE+SUBSIDY+TECHNIQUES+FOR+URBAN+PUBLIC+TRANSPORTATION&author=R.+Kirby&author=R.+MCGILLIVRAY&publication_year=1976
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Taxation, Finance, and Pricing. 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.
• Authors:
  • Kirby, Ronald F
  • MCGILLIVRAY, ROBERT G
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 25-29
• Monograph Title: Urban transportation finance
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 589
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Costs; Economic efficiency; Flexibility; Public transit; Subsidies; Transportation; Urban areas; Urban transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• Old TRIS Terms: User characteristics
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Economics; Finance; Society; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142353
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309025559
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 30 1981 12:00AM