Introducing Transit Preferential Treatment: Is a Political Maverick Necessary for Public Transportation to Innovate?
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 131, Issue 2
Abstract
Buses, and more generally at-grade public transportation, remain the most important component of transit services in all urban areas but the steady increase in travel demand, especially in private automobiles, has resulted in a growing level of congestion, affecting both cars and public transportation. The innovative introduction of preferential treatment is surprisingly not generalized in spite of its benefits, raising the question of whether preferential treatment is transferable. By applying the agenda-building theory to the context of public transportation, the paper outlines how innovative policy making can be introduced and determines if the presence of a policy entrepreneur is a necessary and sufficient condition. Using 11 cities in Europe and America as case studies, essential elements have been identified for addressing public reaction, institutional fragmentation, and the stance of decision makers. It can be concluded that the rising concerns about transportation and the emergence of mixed decision-making models allow cities to implement preferential treatment without a policy entrepreneur.
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Acknowledgments
This paper is part of a research project being supported by the Tren Urbano MIT/UPR program and the Chicago Transit Authority. This work was also supported, in part, by the US Department of Transportation’s University Transportation Centers Program, New England University Transportation Center. The writers would like to thank the interviewees around the world for providing relevant insights for the case studies.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 131 • Issue 2 • June 2005
Pages: 79 - 86
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 7, 2003
Accepted: Oct 21, 2004
Published online: Jun 1, 2005
Published in print: Jun 2005
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