Transportation systems analysis: A personal view

In the last 10 years, the field of transportation systems analysis has emerged as a new and recognized profession. Around the world, more and more government agencies, universities, researchers, consultants, and private industry groups are becoming truly multi-modal in their orientations, and adopting a systematic approach. Specialists of many different disciplines and professions are working together on multi-disciplinary approaches to complex transportation issues. The characteristics of the field of transportation systems analysis are these: (a) multi-modal, covering all modes of transport (air, land, marine, etc.) and both passengers and freight; (b) multi-sectoral, encompassing the problems and viewpoints of all sectors--government, private industry, and the public; (c) multi-problem, ranging across a spectrum of issues which include national and international policy, the planning of regional systems, the location and design of specific facilities, operational issues such as more effective utilization of existing facilities, carrier management issues, and regulatory, institutional, and financial policies; the objectives considered relevant often include national and regional economic development objectives, urban development objectives, environmental quality, and social equity, as well as service to users and financial and economic feasibility and many other aspects of public and private concern; (d) multi-disciplinary, drawing on the theories and methods of engineering, economics, operations research, political science, psychology, and other natural and social sciences, management and law. Transportation systems analysts are professionals who endeavor to analyze systematically the choices which are open to public or private agencies in making changes in the transportation system and services in a particular region. They work on problems in a wide variety of contexts, such as these: (a) urban trunsportotion planning, producing long-range plans (5-Z years) for multi-modal transportation systems in urban areas as well as short-range programs (O-5 years), including operational improvements in existing facilities and services as well as location and design decisions for new facilities and services; (b) regional passenger true yportation, dealing primarily with intercity passenger transport by air, rail, and highway, and possible new modes (e.g. the Northeast Corridor Study in the U.S.; “Project 33” in Western Europe); (c) national freight transport, in developed countries such as the United States where issues of truckrail-water competition are of particular importance, as well as in developing countries, where the magnitude of investments in the transport sector, its spatial distribution, and its allocation among modes are all important components of the overall problem of national economic development planning; (d) international transport, where issues of containerization, competition of marine and air, intermodal coordination, and others are important issues for freight shippers and carriers, in an era of increasing international trade. In this short note, I would like to give a personal view as to the status of the field of transportation systems analysis. Space requirements force me to select only a few of the most important themes, and to limit references as well.