No abstract

During a period of high gasoline prices and in the absence of alternative means of transportation, commuters in rural areas in the United States are incurring higher transportation costs than their urban counterparts. Due to an inadequate investigation of rural commuters' preferences, this exploratory research is an attempt to understand whether individuals would be willing to use public transit if it were to be provided and what the factors are that influence their decision. Analysis of survey data suggests commuters' preference for public transit service in a rural transit district, and its sustenance requires a focus on those service attributes that individuals value most.

Rapid population growth, traffic congestion and air pollution from automobiles have made Environmental Protection Agency to designate Denton County as part of the Dallas - Fort Worth 8-hour non-attainment area. In 2001, county residents and elected officials petitioned the Texas Legislature to create the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA). In 2002, DCTA was created through a countywide election to provide environment friendly public transportation services. Soon DCTA embarked on a plan for collaboration with the public and various stakeholders. In this case study, efforts have been made to understand the reasons behind DCTA's plan for collaboration, the initiatives it undertook and the public's perception of such collaborative efforts. Based on evidences, it has been concluded that even a well designed plan of interaction can have structural flaws. Such flaws coupled with lack of understanding of local history can impede the establishment of a meaningful partnership with the local community.

Mobility management aims at the provision of accessible, multimodal, and affordable transportation services to all individuals in a community, including the elderly, disabled and lower income individuals. It has much potential to deliver public transit services in a cost efficient way and uses a customer driven and market based approach to make it more responsive to the needs of individuals in a community. In mobility management, there is much emphasis on coordination and collaboration, which makes mobility management an attractive option for many communities, especially in an era of limited funding and shortage of resources. To explore the feasibility of its practice in this country, this paper has tried to disseminate valuable information on regulations and statutes that help to establish the legal foundation for mobility management and also support services that are available from advocacy agencies and interest groups to develop, manage, and sustain such programs.

In 1990, the state of California passed the pioneering mandate on zero emission vehicles (ZEV). This technology-forcing regulation is aimed at improvement of air quality and protection of public health from the adverse effects of air pollutants from automobiles. Facing severe opposition from the auto industry, the mandate has been revised a number of times, most recently in 2003, whereby the requirement for ZEVs have been made to align with the pace of technology development. Review of strategies used in implementation of the mandate has revealed greater emphasis on the economic incentives for rather than on environmental merits of ZEVs. Using prospect theory as the framework for analysis, the reasons have been explored. The findings of the study help us to understand how decisions are made with respect with to deviations from a mental anchor point and through the process of evaluation of losses and gains.