Urban Transportation Planning In the United States: An Historical Overview: Fifth Edition
Urban transportation planning is carried out primarily by state and local agencies. Over the years, much experience has been gained in the planning and evaluation of urban transportation systems. This knowledge can be useful to planners and decision makers in the development and implementation of transportation system changes. In this context, it is important to understand the transportation and planning options which have been tried, and how they developed into the approaches we have today. This report describes the evolution of urban transportation planning over the last sixty years.
This is the Fifth Edition of this report which was first published in 1983. The earlier edition discussed urban transportation planning to mid-1992. This edition updates the evolution of urban transportation planning and policy to mid-1997. It also contains some additions and revisions to the earlier edition. This report is an updated version of "Evolution of Urban Transportation Planning" which was first published in 1979 as Chapter 15 in Public Transportation: Planning, Operations and Management, edited by George E. Gray and Lester L. Hoel. It was revised and published in 1992 as Chapter 3 in Public Transportation, Second Edition, edited by George E. Gray and Lester L. Hoel.
The report focuses on key events in the evolution of urban transportation planning including developments in technical procedures, philosophy, processes and institutions. But, planners must also be aware of changes in legislation, policy, regulations and technology. These events have been included to provide a more complete picture of the forces that have affected and often continue to affect urban transportation planning.
Summarizing so much history in a single report requires difficult choices. The efforts of many individuals and groups made important contributions to the development of urban transportation planning. Clearly, not all of these contributions could be included or cited. This report concentrates on the key events of national significance and thereby tries to capture the overall evolution of urban transportation planning. Focusing on key events also serves as a convenient point to discuss developments in a particular area.
The report is generally arranged chronologically. Each period is titled with the major theme pervading that period as viewed by the author. Not all key events fit precisely under a particular theme, but many do. The discussion of the background for some events or the follow-on activities for others may cover more than one time period and is placed where it seemed most relevant.
The report takes a multimodal perspective and attempts to provide a balanced view among a number of subject areas including:
- Significant Federal legislation
- Major, relevant Federal regulations and policies
- Highway concerns
- Transit concerns
- Environmental issues
- Energy issues
- Safety issues
- Relevant conferences
- Technological developments
- Transportation service alternatives
- Manuals and methodological developments
- National transportation studies
- National data resources
- Local events with national significance
Over the years, the author has discussed these events with many persons in the profession. Often they had participated in or had first hand knowledge of the events. The author appreciates their assistance, even though they are too numerous to mention specifically.
In preparing this report, the author was directly aided by several individuals who provided information on specific events. Their assistance is appreciated: Barry Berlin, Susan Binder, Norman Cooper, Frederick W. Ducca, Sheldon H. Edner, Christopher R. Fleet, Charles A. Hedges, Donald Igo, Anthony R. Kane, Thomas Koslowski, Ira Laster, William M. Lyons, James J. McDonnell, Florence Mills, Camille C. Mittelholtz, Norman Paulhus, Elizabeth A. Parker, John Peak, Sam Rea, Carl Rappaport, James A. Scott, Mary Lynn Tischer, Martin Wachs, Jimmy Yu, and Samuel Zimmerman.
The author appreciates the review comments provided by: Donald Emerson, David S. Gendell, James Getzewich, Charles H. Graves, Thomas J. Hillegass, Howard S. Lapin, Herbert S. Levinson, Alfonso B. Linhares, Gary E. Maring, Ali F. Sevin, Gordon Shunk, Peter R. Stopher, Carl N. Swerdloff, Paul L. Verchinski, and George Wickstrom.
The author also appreciates the assistance of Loretta Graham in the preparation of this report .
Any errors of fact or interpretation are the responsibility of the author.
Edward Weiner
Washington, DC
September, 1997
