PARATRANSIT PLANNING: APPLICATION OF A SYSTEMATIC, MARKET-ORIENTED PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING PROCESS

A scheme for the paratransit planning and programming process in major metropolitan areas is outlined. The classical systems analysis approach to planning--i.e., goal setting, alternative design, alternative analysis, alternative evaluation, and choice--is examined with respect to its market-segment orientation. It is argued that market segments (defined as mixes of socioeconomic characteristics, trip purpose, spatial pattern, and time pattern) must be introduced into the alternative-design step of the process. Furthermore, because of the inherent uncertainties and shortcomings of the five-step systems analysis planning process, the entire approach must pragmatically be couched in an incremental, time-staged, short-range programmatic approach, conceptually analogous to a hierarchical decision-tree analysis. The theoretical concepts presented are illustrated by using as an example the promotion of commuter ridesharing in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. The example focuses on both the market orientation and incremental programmatic properties of the ridesharing aspects of the paratransit planning process. (Author)

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1980/778/778-008.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=PARATRANSIT+PLANNING%3A+APPLICATION+OF+A+SYSTEMATIC%2C+MARKET-ORIENTED+PLANNING+AND+PROGRAMMING+PROCESS&author=K.+Sobel&author=D.+Alschuler&publication_year=1980
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Urban Transport Service Innovations (Paratransit). 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:
  • Sobel, Kenneth L
  • Alschuler, David M
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 45-50
• Monograph Title: Paratransit 1980
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 778
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Computer programming; Marketing; Paratransit services; Socioeconomic factors; Systems analysis; Transportation planning; Trip purpose
• Uncontrolled Terms: Programming
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00334542
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309031230
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 28 1981 12:00AM