GREATER TORONTO AND THE CAR: SUSTAINABILITY AND COST-BASED PRICING

This paper focusses on the rise, impacts and possible future roles of the private automobile in large urban centers, using Toronto as an example. A long term perspective is taken, looking back over the 20th century and speculating on the possible evolution of the metropolis and its dominant transportation modes - the automobile and truck - during the 21st century. The paper examines the concept of sustainable transportation in terms of transportation capability, land use, resource conservation, environmental effects and affordability. Factors underlying the massive growth of automobile and truck transportation during the 20th century are examined, including changes in transportation sustainability over the past 100 years and the major impacts of these modes, particularly in terms of environment and conservation. Future trends in transportation demand and market shares of the various travel modes are broadly projected. The importance of user charges for using vehicles, fuel, road and parking is emphasized, noting that parking incentives are perhaps the most basic way of affecting behavior to achieve greater sustainability.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Full Conference proceedings available only on CD.
• Corporate Authors:

  International Road Federation

  525 School Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20024
• Authors:
  • IRWIN, N
• Conference:
  • XIIIth World meeting of the International Road Federation
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
  • Date: 1997-6-16 to 1997-6-20
• Publication Date: 1997

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: n.p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; City planning; Conservation; Demand; Environmental impacts; Land use; Pricing; Sustainable development; Sustainable transportation; Transportation modes; Transportation planning; Trucks; Urban transportation; User charges
• Old TRIS Terms: Resource conservation
• Subject Areas: Environment; Finance; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00751771
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 9 1998 12:00AM