UMTA'S PERSPECTIVE

Our metropolitan regions' expanding need for mobility is accompanied by a national concern for federal spending. If transportation services required by sprawling metropolitan regions are to be maintained, ways must be found to augment federal transit assistance. A four-point plan covering problems in the realm of local financing has been developed. First, financial planning must be developed in conjunction with transportation forecasting activities. Once a transit need is established, an effective project that meets specific regional demands should be developed, with a fiscal plan that responds to the project's monetary requirements. Alternative funding measures should be based on a community's relative needs and assets; they must reflect the region's particular characteristics. Involving the private sector in developing alternative funding sources has overwhelming advantages, including stronger, more efficient transit systems; gearing transportation to local needs; enhancing the financial base; and promoting community interest that may lead to enhanced ridership. The third point is the necessity of devising sound, state-of-the-art financial planning techniques to produce the best funding systems available. Such planning mechanism must be in place at the system's earliest stage. A system can be cost-effective only if it is concived with meticulous precision. Data input must be consistent with empirical evidence to ensure that the results are an accurate representation of the needs and expectations of the public. Implementing a package logically employing the specifics determined during planning is the fourth stage. For a plan to be applied effectively, a good working relationship must be established among all concerned parties; private citizens' input must be obtained early; and everone involved must be aware of their respective roles and responsibilities.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr208/sr208-009.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0360859X
• 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. This paper appeared in TRB Special Report 208, Proceedings of the Conference on Evaluating Alternative Local Transportation Financing Techniques. Conference was conduced by TRB and sponsored by FHWA and UMTA, November 28-30, 1984, Denver, Colorado.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Stanley, Ralph L
• Conference:
  • Conference on Evaluating Alternative Local Transportation Financing Techniques
  • Location: Denver Colorado, United States
  • Date: 1984-11-28 to 1984-11-30
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: pp 43-44
• Monograph Title: PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE ON EVALUATING ALTERNATIVE LOCAL TRANSPORTATION FINANCING TECHNIQUES
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 208
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cooperation; Cost effectiveness; Finance; Implementation; Needs assessment; Private enterprise; Public participation; Public transit
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Financial management
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Highways; Public Transportation; Research; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00451154
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM