Priorities for University Research in Transportation Proceedings of a Workshop (1976) / Chapter Skim
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Pages 31-39
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From page 31... ...
This meeting on priorities for university research follows on the heels of the American Public Transit Association-Urban Mass Transportation Administration meeting on transportation R&D held last month. At that conference, George Pastor distributed a paper in which he noted that we are hopeful of entering a period of rational thinking after what he described as the overaction of the 1970 to 1973 period, followed by an overreaction of the 1973-1974 period.
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From page 32... ...
Federal research in urban transportation, and research in advanced technology for high speed, intercity ground transportation, remained at a relatively low level until about 1969 when funding levels rose steadily. Much enthusiasm was generated, and there were high expectations for transportation R&D.
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From page 33... ...
o Transportation as a tool for urban growth: The obvious cross impacts of urban growth patterns and transportation system development formed the basis for a rising interest in using transportation as a tool for shaping urban or corridor growth. Interest in new towns and polynucleus growth patterns, all nurtured and tied together by new forms of transport, occupied the public and private fancy.
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From page 34... ...
Air quality is still closely tied to vehicle emissions, but attempts to curtail emissions involve tradeoffs with energy efficiency. Transportation remains one of America's greatest consumers of energy.
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From page 35... ...
Whether most proposed rapid transit systems serve the poor in this capacity has been a point of debate for several years. This discussion of contradictions merely serves to highlight some of the inconsistencies and conflicting goals that have plagued urban transportation research for the past decade.
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From page 36... ...
The heart of many of the controversies and failures of the past decade has been an inadequate framework for presenting costs or describing service characteristics. Furthermore, 28
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From page 37... ...
One is that the overall funding level for university research in transportation, and transportation R&D in general, is woefully inadequate. The total funds available from the Program of University Research and UMTA's Section 11 Program amount to only about $5 million.
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From page 38... ...
I hold this view because, when I look back over the developments of the past decade, I conclude that in this area we have fallen flat. Many of the public controversies over which alternatives to choose have centered on conflicting and ill-understood statements about the cost of what is being offered and, in fact, on just what, from a service viewpoint, is being offered.
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From page 39... ...
The limited funds and short horizons preclude longrange research of the type we are more comfortable with and for which we are better suited. Insofar as we can change the situation, we should try.
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