Capacity Of Urban Transportation Modes

Information on capacity of various modes of urban transportation is an essential tool in urban transportation planning. Based on the capacity of urban freeways and arterials to carry vehicles and the capacity of private automobiles and transit vehicles to carry persons, relationships between the capacities of various transportation modes may be derived. The inherent capacity characteristics of a transportation system based on the automobile is primarily suited to areas in which space for its movement and storage is abundant, and in which traffic volumes do not require the higher capacities of transit systems. Transit is adapted for handling CBD-oriented peak volumes of passengers and other traffic volumes in high-density corridors or to high-density destinations. The correct matching of transport capacity to transport demand will produce the optimum plan for future transportation networks of United States cities.