CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THE FIXED-GUIDEWAY DECISION PROCESS

During the last two decades, a number of cities have developed or considered fixed-guideway systems. Because the actions of eight metropolitan areas have been involved in the fixed-guideway evaluation process, a conceptual decision model could be based on their experiences. The decision process for four of the areas--Portland, San Diego, Sacramento, and Santa Clara County--resulted in the construction of light-rail transit systems; two of the cities--Houston and Los Angeles--opted for a system of transitways, and two cities--Milwaukee and Columbus--chose not to develop a fixed-guideway system. The decision process for a fixed-guideway system is a complex interaction of various issues and actors. The principal issues affecting fixed-guideway decision making are social, systemic, and funding. Social issues are external system factors such as economic development, land use impacts, and energy issues. Systemic issues, which are the technical criteria used in alternatives analysis or comparable studies, include capital and operating costs and ridership estimates. Funding issues pertain to the availability of financial resources and their impact on decision making. Actors are categorized as the public (local citizens, including special-interest and community groups), local officials (persons or groups designated to evaluate fixed-guideway alternatives), and institutions (federal and state funding agencies and various state transportation departments and commissions). The case study analysis indicates that technical criteria are not critical factors in fixed-guideway decision making. Instead, the decision process is dominated by political interaction among local, state, and federal officials guided by social benefits, actual or perceived, and systemic issues that influence funding for transit alternatives.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1990/1266/1266-015.pdf
• Record URL:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1266, Urban Public Transportation Research 1990. 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:
  • Euritt, Mark A
  • Hoffman, M Allen
  • Walton, C Michael
• Publication Date: 1990

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 152-162
• Monograph Title: Urban public transportation research
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1266
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Decision making; Finance; Financing; Guideways; Light rail transit; Planning; Politics; Rail transit; Socioeconomic factors
• Old TRIS Terms: Fixed-guideway transit; Systemic planning
• Subject Areas: Economics; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00602754
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309050189
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Dec 31 1990 12:00AM