CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

A DISCUSSION IS GIVEN OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING RULES AND STANDARDS WITH THE FOLLOWING ASSUMPTIONS' /1/ A SINGLE URBANIZED AREA, WHICH HAS FUNCTIONALLY REALISTIC BOUNDARIES, A KNOWN POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE, DEFINED REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS, AND EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS BEING CONSIDERED, /2/ A SET OF PROPOSED NEW TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ALTERNATIVES FOR THE AREA ARE PRESENTED THAT COVERS ALL REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDES ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND TYPES OF OWNERSHIP, AND /3/ AN EFFECTIVE METHOD IS AVAILABLE FOR WEIGHTING AND COMPARING THE VARIOUS CRITERIA TO EVALUATE THE PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. THE PROBLEM IS TO DEFINE CRITERIA ON WHICH THE EVALUATING PROCESS IS TO BE BASED. THE CLASSES OF CRITERIA ARE DISCUSSED AND AN APPROACH TO CRITERIA SELECTION IS GIVEN. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CHOICE DEFINITION, AND APPLICATION OF CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS ARE FRAUGHT WITH UNCERTAINTY. MORE KNOWLEDGE IS URGENTLY NEEDED CONCERNING THE EFFECTS OF THESE UNCERTAINITIES ON TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DECISIONS WHICH MUST BE MADE AND ARE BEING MADE. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT RESEARCH PROJECTS BE SET UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO CARRY OUT SYSTEMATIC SENSITIVITY STUDIES USING REAL CITY DATA TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF ALTERNATE CRITERIA AND METHODS ON TRANSPORTATION PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS.