Using Public Transportation to Reduce the Economic, Social, and Human Costs of Personal Immobility

Using Public Transportation to Reduce the Economic, Social, and Human Costs of Personal Immobility
Author: Ricardo Byrd
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
Total Pages: 148
Release: 1999
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9780309066013

This report provides a method to define and measure the costs of personal immobility at a local level and contains a compendium of public transportation practices that address immobility, help reduce costs, and possibly provide economic benefits to both the riders and the larger community. The focus is on practices that assist people who need transportation to health care or who are transitioning from welfare to work. This report should be of interest to planners, decision makers, and social service and transportation providers. It should also serve as a resource to assist decision makers and transportation service providers in using their services more effectively to address the issue of personal immobility.

Transportation and Economic Development Challenges

Transportation and Economic Development Challenges
Author: Kenneth Button
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2011-01-01
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 085793063X

Recent years have seen considerable changes in the technology of transportation with the development of high-speed rail networks, more fuelefficient automobiles and aircraft, and the widespread adoption of informatics in disciplines such as traffic management and supply chain logistics. The contributions to this volume assess transportation interactions with employment and income, examine some of the policies that have been deployed to maximize the economic and social impacts of transportation provision at the local and regional levels and analyze how advances in transportation technologies have, and will, impact future development. Due in part to the general liberalization of markets, there have been major changes in the institutional environment in which transportation is supplied; these changes inevitably affect wider economic systems and development, although in turn these changes feed back upon transportation networks. The contributors to this work develop these and other themes, from a variety of perspectives, implementing a wide range of academic approaches into their analyses. Stemming from initiatives of the Network on European Communications and Transport Activities Research (NECTAR), Transportation and Economic Development Challenges presents a body of research that exemplifies the organization's objective of fostering research collaboration around the world.

Economic Analysis and Infrastructure Investment

Economic Analysis and Infrastructure Investment
Author: Edward L. Glaeser
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 479
Release: 2021-11-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 022680058X

"Policy-makers often call for expanding public spending on infrastructure, which includes a broad range of investments from roads and bridges to digital networks that will expand access to high-speed broadband. Some point to near-term macro-economic benefits and job creation, others focus on long-term effects on productivity and economic growth. This volume explores the links between infrastructure spending and economic outcomes, as well as key economic issues in the funding and management of infrastructure projects. It draws together research studies that describe the short-run stimulus effects of infrastructure spending, develop new estimates of the stock of U.S. infrastructure capital, and explore the incentive aspects of public-private partnerships (PPPs). A salient issue is the treatment of risk in evaluating publicly-funded infrastructure projects and in connection with PPPs. The goal of the volume is to provide a reference for researchers seeking to expand research on infrastructure issues, and for policy-makers tasked with determining the appropriate level of infrastructure spending"--

Transportation Policy and Economic Regulation

Transportation Policy and Economic Regulation
Author: John Bitzan
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 380
Release: 2018-04-14
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0128126213

Transportation Policy and Economic Regulation: Essays in Honor of Theodore Keeler addresses a number of today's important transportation policy issues, exploring a variety of transportation modes, and examining the policy implications of a number of alternatives. Theodore Keeler had a distinguished career in transportation economics, helping to shape regulatory policies concerning the transportation industries and assessing the appropriateness of various policies. A distinguishing feature of his work is that it always had policy implications. As a tribute to Theodore Keeler, this book examines transportation policy issues across a variety of transportation industries, including aviation, railroads, highways, motor carrier transport, automobiles, urban transit, and ocean shipping. The book evaluates the economic impact and effectiveness of various policies, employing empirical analyses and new estimation techniques, such as Bayesian analysis. The book is designed for transportation professionals and researchers, as well as transportation economics students, providing an in-depth analysis of some of today's important transportation policy issues. Policy changes established in the last 35-40 years have introduced profound changes in the business environment of the transportation industry. Past policy changes promoted the free market's role in setting prices and determining service availability. While 21st century policy has focused on a variety of other issues, such as safety, road and air congestion, productivity growth, labor relations and exhaust emission, many still promote the role of competition. In addition to examining various transportation policy issues in the U.S., the book explores some approaches to dealing with transportation issues in different parts of the world. Contemporary transportation policy debates have broadened from their initial focus of primarily examining the merits of reforming economic regulations at national levels, to now examining a variety of issues such as alternative methods of social regulation (such as safety regulation and emission controls), new approaches to changing economic regulations, the potential for reforming international regulations, and the appropriate role for government in transportation. - Examines transportation policy developments across a variety of modes, including some international analysis - Shows how new policy changes, such as changes in regulation, affect overall transportation system performance - Features chapters that use innovative methodologies, such as Bayesian techniques, qualitative analysis, and an attribute-incorporated Malmquist productivity index - Examines the ways that policy impacts depend on a variety of factors, and shows how economic tools can be used to gain greater insights into the likely impacts of policy and the desirability of various policies - Analyzes transport prices, quality of service, safety, the use of information technology and operating issues, highlighting how transportation enhances quality of life