A Model Framework for Transportation and Community Plan Analysis

Abstract

A major weakness of present planning models is their neglect of the distributional consequences that result from alternative transportation and urban development plans. This shortcoming has serious implications for the evaluation and plan selection process because the costs and benefits considered can, by definition, be no more than partial. The model framework presented here makes explicit certain of these consequences; in particular, changes in the level of transportation service available to specific groups in the community, However, the approach described in this article does not represent a comprehensive framework for plan analysis and evaluation. For example, it does not consider the externalities generated by transportation plans, such as the social and environmental impacts resulting from the physical presence of transportation facilities. The model does, however, have the advantage of analyzing certain of the service characteristics of the transportation system at the micro scale, where they are more compatible with the treatment of externalities. Both service characteristics and externalities can then be incorporated in a comprehensive evaluation framework, such as those suggested by Hill (1968), Lichfield (1969), and, more recently Turner (1972).