Transportation Planning

Professor: Wachs
Units: 1.0
Elective Course
Concentration: Social Science; Policy Analysis course for cohort years 2011 and beyond

How responsibilities for transportation investments are divided among local, regional, state, and federal bodies and how these organizations perspectives differ. Evolution of transportation policy over time (over 200 years). Fundamental differences among nations in transportation policy — the U.S. versus, England, New Zealand, Scandinavian Countries, developing nations (India and China). Return on investment in infrastructure and principles that can be applied to financing transportation. User fees and hypothecation versus general fund financing. Measuring the performance of transportation systems and using performance indicators in resource allocation. The growing fiscal crisis in transportation. Evolution of Federal transportation policy and laws. Appropriations, federal funding formulas and local/state/federal funding disputes. The role of public-private partnerships. Earmarking in transportation programs. Dealing with externalities: case studies of air pollution and greenhouse gases. Multimodalism: how can policy reflect balance between automobile oriented societies and the need for alternatives like transit and cycling? How can societies balance the needs for goods movement against those for people movement? Advocacy groups, politics and analysis in transportation — the example of regional comprehensive transportation planning.