Alternate route : toward efficient urban transportation /

Winston and Shirley present an economic modeling study of US urban transportation, which concludes that a determined policy of efficient pricing and service levels for all the major modes (auto, car pool, bus, rail, taxi) would yield significant net benefits. Very large taxpayer savings in government operated services would more than offset large consumer losses from dramatic price increases on all modes, and from severe service cuts on transit to maintain efficient load factors. Further savings could be obtained by privatizing all modes and "freeing" them from political influence and inefficient policies. The authors base their findings on innovative and nicely described economic demand and supply models, which are, however, used to forecast the effects of often draconian changes in input variables far beyond the range of data used to estimate the models. In dealing with all modes, and even their ownership, this unusual book goes far beyond other works, including the principle author's previous excellent book on road pricing (Road Work: A New Highway Pricing and Investment Policy, with Kenneth A. Small and Carol A. Evans, CH, Mar'90). The references, footnotes, and index are extensive and excellent. Graduate and research collections. D. Brand formerly, Harvard University