3 answers
Siddhartha
Student
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
1
Question
Asked
342 views
How can public transportation improve quality of life in both urban and rural areas (within the United States and internationally) and what specific transit systems or strategies would best deliver these benefits?”
As a Transportation planner, engineer, or other professional in the field of transportation, do you think the United States and/or other North and South American nations could benefit from more accessible and efficient public transportation options? If so, what type or types of transportation would you focus on to cultivate the culture of accessible and efficient transportation in the US and abroad? Finally, in these situations, could a hybrid underground-above-ground option (most notably seen in Porto) be utilized in highly historical cities such as Boston, USA, or Rio de Janeiro, Brazil? #fall25
Login to comment
3 answers
Donald Knapik
VP/ Founding Member at DO iT, LLC
82
Answers
Paoli, Pennsylvania
Updated
Donald’s Answer
Dear Siddhartha,
I applaud your visionary thinking on this subject. You have formulated the exact question for which transportation professionals have been struggling with for centuries. You are fortunate to be in a position to have access to transportation tools that did not exist in the past. The opportunities will be tremendous for those who can envision how it all can work together and utilize all the latest resources to get it done. There is so much to learn, I guarantee, you will never be bored as there is always another element to include, new technology, and/or new requirements.
Transportation is the engine that drives economic, business and logistic solutions around our planet. There is no one solution! I spent most of my adult life in the transportation industry. From high-speed trains around the world, commuter railroads throughout North America, airlines, ships and barges, buses, cars, bikes and highways. I would encourage you to think in very broad and in overarching terms. There are not a lot of innovative ideas that have not been tried somewhere in the world, maybe you'll change that! It is very important to have a working knowledge of all modes of transportation, inter-modal solutions, and individual mobility. In my opinion and experience there are two areas which provide the greatest rewards: The modal specialist .... The person who has expensive operational and functional expertise specific to one mode. The other is the generalist, who knows how to connect the fundamentals and specifics of the services she/he plans to work with. These are the people who will build the connectivity of the future.
I started on a railroad as a ticket seller/on train person, I sat in every seat from the bottom (including locomotive engineer) to General Manager of a major commuter rail system, VP of high-speed rail product development, Master mechanic, Sr. Director of Business Improvement and integration and many others. Before high speed trains were even tested in the USA, I belonged to the high speed rail association, was reading, learning and talking with high-speed operators around the world. When the time came to develop this service here, I was ready and well positioned. Later I worked with airlines, regulatory agencies and associations. I also had my own business.
It will be important for you to have excellent business skills and understanding as many of the barriers to effective inter-modal transportation solutions have nothing to do with the vehicle providing the transportation. It will help enormously to have an understanding of the bushiness acumen related to each different transportation system. Sound daunting? It is, but the good news is once you have figured out how one operates, the others will fit in the same general template. For example: Railroads have very high capital requirements in terms of land acquisition. Airlines also require high capital, but for different reasons (leasing or buying aircraft). For the individuals who understand the business structure of various modes, hold the keys to effectively putting different modes together. All modes are different yet all have certain commonalities, talk to a ship owner, a railroad president, or the president of an airline, each will tell you that none of their vehicles makes money except when it's moving. And the more moving it does, the more maintenance it will require, and the more equipment required to maintain the service. I always considered of this work as : I get to do this, I don't have to do it!
Political knowledge is essential to today's transportation professional. Many modes of transportation are entwined in local, state, national and international politics (and law). Depending where or what mode you're working with; many projects have long lead times. Here in the United states, most governments have a four year term. That's a long time until you understand that most major transportation projects will take longer than four years to complete. The wheels of politics sometime move very slowly, they have a limited attention span and your job will be to maintain interest, enthusiasm and finance for your project(s). Presentation skills will be an important part of your job/ you can work on this now!
Vehicle design, utilization and connectivity are exciting building blocks of all transportation systems. I've had the opportunity to take an idea from a blank piece of paper through design, construction and implementation of service. It is challenging, stimulating and educational. It you're able to do this, I can tell you, "The first time you see the vehicle, facility or service you've designed, it is a very satisfying and exciting experience".
Right now on the northeast Corridor (Amtrak service between Washington DC and Boston, MA), there are high-speed trains making limited stops, regional trains making stops in all major cities, commuter trains connecting hundreds of communities, through freight trains bringing every commodity you could think of, including trucks, and local freight trains making deliveries to local businesses. There are the largest fleet of inter, intra and cross-country buses in north America connecting many communities with major destinations. There are direct connections to major airports connecting the world to the northeast and beyond. There are highways and waterways connecting all of this transportation fabric. Jet fuel comes to many airports by ship and/or barge, Water taxis - to cruise ships... and after more than one-hundred years it still does not interconnect effectively. Fare collection systems, technical and safety systems, passenger and logistic systems do not effectively interconnect. Those are some of the challenges and opportunities yet to be resolved. Facilities need to be redesigned to cope with modern modes.
The key to the future will be balance, interoperability and coordination. There is no reason to think one size fits all. With the new tools available to the transportation professional, enhanced solutions are not only possible, but indeed probable. Yet, with all the personal, technical and policy interactions required, it is unlikely that these positions will be replaced. In the past, key elements in transportation were:
Trip time is everything, parking is next, everything else.....Make is easy for the traveler,
Tomorrow, that's simply not enough.
Supersonic Transportation, very high speed trains, high speed subway, enhanced air traffic control systems, super ships, super ports to micro-cars and electric bikes, super sidewalks.... all will significantly change the transportation environment. I hope you'll be there to build these systems to serve more and more people. Always remember, it's all about balance, the best service for the requirement, it's not about what mode is faster, it's about the mode(s) that have the best trip time point to point, always make it safe and easy for all customers (mobility impaired, peope with Disabilities too).
Good Luck, Keep learning, change the world!
Don Knapik
Start subscribing to transportation newsletters and keep up with the newest technical innovations.
Become involved with your local and state transportation regulators, transportation and manufacturers associations.
Look for internship opportunities with companies who are involved in the areas in which you have the greatest interest.
Start planning for your next phase of eduaction to provide you with the fundamental skills in your area of interest.
Look for shadowing opportunities that will show you the realities of working in this field.
I applaud your visionary thinking on this subject. You have formulated the exact question for which transportation professionals have been struggling with for centuries. You are fortunate to be in a position to have access to transportation tools that did not exist in the past. The opportunities will be tremendous for those who can envision how it all can work together and utilize all the latest resources to get it done. There is so much to learn, I guarantee, you will never be bored as there is always another element to include, new technology, and/or new requirements.
Transportation is the engine that drives economic, business and logistic solutions around our planet. There is no one solution! I spent most of my adult life in the transportation industry. From high-speed trains around the world, commuter railroads throughout North America, airlines, ships and barges, buses, cars, bikes and highways. I would encourage you to think in very broad and in overarching terms. There are not a lot of innovative ideas that have not been tried somewhere in the world, maybe you'll change that! It is very important to have a working knowledge of all modes of transportation, inter-modal solutions, and individual mobility. In my opinion and experience there are two areas which provide the greatest rewards: The modal specialist .... The person who has expensive operational and functional expertise specific to one mode. The other is the generalist, who knows how to connect the fundamentals and specifics of the services she/he plans to work with. These are the people who will build the connectivity of the future.
I started on a railroad as a ticket seller/on train person, I sat in every seat from the bottom (including locomotive engineer) to General Manager of a major commuter rail system, VP of high-speed rail product development, Master mechanic, Sr. Director of Business Improvement and integration and many others. Before high speed trains were even tested in the USA, I belonged to the high speed rail association, was reading, learning and talking with high-speed operators around the world. When the time came to develop this service here, I was ready and well positioned. Later I worked with airlines, regulatory agencies and associations. I also had my own business.
It will be important for you to have excellent business skills and understanding as many of the barriers to effective inter-modal transportation solutions have nothing to do with the vehicle providing the transportation. It will help enormously to have an understanding of the bushiness acumen related to each different transportation system. Sound daunting? It is, but the good news is once you have figured out how one operates, the others will fit in the same general template. For example: Railroads have very high capital requirements in terms of land acquisition. Airlines also require high capital, but for different reasons (leasing or buying aircraft). For the individuals who understand the business structure of various modes, hold the keys to effectively putting different modes together. All modes are different yet all have certain commonalities, talk to a ship owner, a railroad president, or the president of an airline, each will tell you that none of their vehicles makes money except when it's moving. And the more moving it does, the more maintenance it will require, and the more equipment required to maintain the service. I always considered of this work as : I get to do this, I don't have to do it!
Political knowledge is essential to today's transportation professional. Many modes of transportation are entwined in local, state, national and international politics (and law). Depending where or what mode you're working with; many projects have long lead times. Here in the United states, most governments have a four year term. That's a long time until you understand that most major transportation projects will take longer than four years to complete. The wheels of politics sometime move very slowly, they have a limited attention span and your job will be to maintain interest, enthusiasm and finance for your project(s). Presentation skills will be an important part of your job/ you can work on this now!
Vehicle design, utilization and connectivity are exciting building blocks of all transportation systems. I've had the opportunity to take an idea from a blank piece of paper through design, construction and implementation of service. It is challenging, stimulating and educational. It you're able to do this, I can tell you, "The first time you see the vehicle, facility or service you've designed, it is a very satisfying and exciting experience".
Right now on the northeast Corridor (Amtrak service between Washington DC and Boston, MA), there are high-speed trains making limited stops, regional trains making stops in all major cities, commuter trains connecting hundreds of communities, through freight trains bringing every commodity you could think of, including trucks, and local freight trains making deliveries to local businesses. There are the largest fleet of inter, intra and cross-country buses in north America connecting many communities with major destinations. There are direct connections to major airports connecting the world to the northeast and beyond. There are highways and waterways connecting all of this transportation fabric. Jet fuel comes to many airports by ship and/or barge, Water taxis - to cruise ships... and after more than one-hundred years it still does not interconnect effectively. Fare collection systems, technical and safety systems, passenger and logistic systems do not effectively interconnect. Those are some of the challenges and opportunities yet to be resolved. Facilities need to be redesigned to cope with modern modes.
The key to the future will be balance, interoperability and coordination. There is no reason to think one size fits all. With the new tools available to the transportation professional, enhanced solutions are not only possible, but indeed probable. Yet, with all the personal, technical and policy interactions required, it is unlikely that these positions will be replaced. In the past, key elements in transportation were:
Trip time is everything, parking is next, everything else.....Make is easy for the traveler,
Tomorrow, that's simply not enough.
Supersonic Transportation, very high speed trains, high speed subway, enhanced air traffic control systems, super ships, super ports to micro-cars and electric bikes, super sidewalks.... all will significantly change the transportation environment. I hope you'll be there to build these systems to serve more and more people. Always remember, it's all about balance, the best service for the requirement, it's not about what mode is faster, it's about the mode(s) that have the best trip time point to point, always make it safe and easy for all customers (mobility impaired, peope with Disabilities too).
Good Luck, Keep learning, change the world!
Don Knapik
Donald recommends the following next steps:
Violetta Voronina
Contract Manager
6
Answers
Laurel, Maryland
Updated
Violetta’s Answer
Hi! This is such a great question.
I recently learned that Las Vegas implemented an underground roadway! I know New York has the subways, too. With so many people in highly populated areas, traffic is horrible. Plus parking. It's extremely time consuming to drive or Uber. I personally support public transportation and I think it's a huge benefit. Taking an underground train to get somewhere within minutes (such as the one from London to Paris) is incredible and should be in the U.S. as well! Cities like NY or LA or even LV could benefit from them for sure. I think underground is the way to go, we could improve what's already there. It's a very interesting field and I hope it grows more and more!
I recently learned that Las Vegas implemented an underground roadway! I know New York has the subways, too. With so many people in highly populated areas, traffic is horrible. Plus parking. It's extremely time consuming to drive or Uber. I personally support public transportation and I think it's a huge benefit. Taking an underground train to get somewhere within minutes (such as the one from London to Paris) is incredible and should be in the U.S. as well! Cities like NY or LA or even LV could benefit from them for sure. I think underground is the way to go, we could improve what's already there. It's a very interesting field and I hope it grows more and more!
Cory Yeager, PE, SE, MsC, PPM
65
Answers
Updated
Cory’s Answer
The question is great but the reality is harsh.
Many urban areas provide mass transit but without government subsidies they would fold and close.
Also the limited amount of funding keeps them from running efficiently instead of just above a maintenance budget.
There are great singular examples of transportation innovation but maybe not complete systems.
High Speed Rail in Japan
Interstate System in US
Roman Network
Railroad System in US
IMO the best systems are tailored made for a group or function which means purposeful spending.
I believe having general mass transit is a must but the solution is not one system over the other but a layered system of subways to get across town and buses to move between blocks or Burroughs. Systems competing like buses, rail and subway do in urban areas cause poorly planned systems with too much overlap. Additionally the layers have to account for cultural preferences in purpose and need. Rural areas won’t need the multilayered system like an urban space.
The complication is that without private public partnerships and the profit complement most mass transit systems are overfunded on a per rider review. When you talk about congestion you talk about personal life trip generation and with urban revitalization there is a more effective and capitalistic way to reduce trips or trip length as markets become closer to the table. Again super interesting but super complicated. Goood luck.
Many urban areas provide mass transit but without government subsidies they would fold and close.
Also the limited amount of funding keeps them from running efficiently instead of just above a maintenance budget.
There are great singular examples of transportation innovation but maybe not complete systems.
High Speed Rail in Japan
Interstate System in US
Roman Network
Railroad System in US
IMO the best systems are tailored made for a group or function which means purposeful spending.
I believe having general mass transit is a must but the solution is not one system over the other but a layered system of subways to get across town and buses to move between blocks or Burroughs. Systems competing like buses, rail and subway do in urban areas cause poorly planned systems with too much overlap. Additionally the layers have to account for cultural preferences in purpose and need. Rural areas won’t need the multilayered system like an urban space.
The complication is that without private public partnerships and the profit complement most mass transit systems are overfunded on a per rider review. When you talk about congestion you talk about personal life trip generation and with urban revitalization there is a more effective and capitalistic way to reduce trips or trip length as markets become closer to the table. Again super interesting but super complicated. Goood luck.