Services and their Associated Infrastructures

Source: adapted from R. Prud’homme (2005) Infrastructure and Development, in F. Bourguignon and B. Pleskovic, (eds). Lessons of Experience, Proceedings of the 2004 Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics, Washington: The World Bank and Oxford University Press, pp. 153-181. Infrastructures are capital goods that are not directly consumed and serve

3.4 – The Provision and Demand of Transportation Services

Authors: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue and Dr. Theo Notteboom Transport supply is the capacity of specific transportation infrastructures and modes over a time period. Transport demand is mobility needs for the same time period, even if they are only partially satisfied. 1. The Supply and Demand for Transportation Each transport mode shares

3.3 – Transport Costs

Authors: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue and Dr. Theo Notteboom Transport costs are a monetary measure of what the transport provider must pay to produce transportation services. 1. Transport Costs and Rates Transport systems face requirements to increase their capacity and reduce mobility costs, an objective that has seen continuous improvements in

3.2 – Transportation and Society

Author: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue Transport systems support complex economic and social interactions and are thus a component of society. Transportation reflects the aspirations of a society such as accessibility and mobility, which expands its horizon. 1. Mobility and Society Mobility is one of the most fundamental characteristics of human activities.

3.1 – Transportation and Economic Development

Authors: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue and Dr. Theo Notteboom The development of transportation systems is embedded within the scale and context in which they take place, from the local to the global and from environmental, historical, technological, and economic perspectives. 1. The Economic Importance of Transportation Development can be defined as

Transit Fare for the New York City Subway, 1904-2015 (inflation adjusted)

Source: New York Transit Museum. Note: Inflation adjusted figures are not available before 1913. Since it was opened in 1904, the New York City subway operated on a flat fare structure, implying that fares are irrespective of the distance traveled. Adjusted to inflation, fares have substantially increased over the years,

Spatial Structure Challenges of Urban Transit

There are several challenges facing a city’s transit system: Decentralization and suburbanization (sprawl) have been associated with lower densities that cannot be efficiently serviced by mass transit systems outside specific corridors. Under such circumstances, transit is limited to a part of the city and city-wide services become prohibitive. Therefore, sprawl

Farebox Recovery Ratio, Selected Transit Systems

Source: Adapted from Wikipedia. Very few public transit systems worldwide generate enough revenue from fares to cover operating expenses. This is even more challenging if capital costs, such as infrastructure investments, are considered. The profitability of a transit system is usually measured using the farebox recovery ratio, which is the

Average Hourly Traffic on George Washington Bridge, 2016

Source: US DOT. The George Washington Bridge (GWB), linking Manhattan to New Jersey, is one of the most heavily used bridges in the world, with daily traffic between 275,000 and 300,000 vehicles. This accounts for more than 100 million vehicles per year. Completed in 1931, a second level containing six

Bicycle Pool, Paris, France

Photo: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, 2008. The pooling of vehicles for short-term rent is an option that is increasingly being considered and applied to support urban mobility. The above photo shows the “Velib” (Velo Libre) initiative in Paris, France, where bicycles are offered for rental for less than 24 hours, and