Transportation for livable cities. Vukan R. Vuchic

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1 The Crisis of U.5. Cities and Metropolitan Areas: An Overview --
2 The City-Transportation Relationship --
3 How Did We Get Here? Transportation Policies and Practices in the United States --
4 Urban Transportation Policies: United States and Peer Countries --
5 Common Misconceptions in Urban Transportation --
6 Transportation Policies for Livable Cities --
7 Implementing the Solutions: Measures for Achieving Intermodal Balance --
8 Cities and Transportation: What Is the Future? -- Bibliography -- Index

The era of projects aimed at maximizing vehicular travel is being replaced by the broader goal of achieving livable cities: economically efficient, socially sound, and environmentally sustainable. This book explores the complex relationship between transportation and the character of cities and metropolitan regions. Transportation for Livable Cities dispels the myths and emotional advocacies for or against freeways, rail transit, bicycles, and other modes of transportation.

The author discusses the consequences of excessive automobile dependence and shows that the most livable cities worldwide have inter-modal systems that balance highway and public transit modes while providing for pedestrians, bicyclists, and paratransit. Vuchic defines the policies necessary for achieving livable cities: the effective implementation of integrated intermodal transportation systems.