Chapter 9 Transportation and Communications

• Understanding modern transportation and communications systems

• Point out historically specific nature of these systems

• Cost-space & time-space convergence• Transportation & economic development• Transportation policy• Innovations in transportation in U.S. metro areas• Communications innovations & computer

networks• Social & economic impacts of the Internet• Likely future impacts of IT

Transport Networks: An Historical Perspective

• The capitalist imperative & the development of transportation technologies

• Site & situation – in time and space• Improvements in transport promote the division of

labor – specialization – and trade, Fig 9.1• This helps improve productivity and raise real

wealth – but there are distributional consequences• “In today’s world, almost nothing is consumed

where it is produced; …” p. 286 Really?• Transportation innovations & impacts on the

developing world (picture p. 291)

European High Speed Rail: where are we?

Network Options – Fig 9.3

Least Cost to Use

A B

C D

MaximumConnectivity

Least Cost to Build Hybrid

A

DC

B A B

C D

High TravelCosts AC, BD

Benefit-Cost Evaluation of Network Choice:- Benefits: relative travel cost (savings), interaction- Costs: investment, operations

Evaluating Networks for Maximum Net Benefits

Ullman’s Famous Map of Railway Traffic

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

5

3 7

4 10 Cost = 10Revenue = 15Net Benefit = 5Cost = 12, R = 18Net Benefit = 6

Cost = 14, R = 25Net Benefit 11

Cost = 19, R = 29Net Benefit = 10

Ullman’s Famous Railroad Map

Taaffe, Morrill &Gould

Similar to Fig 10.3Vance’s endogenicAnd exogenic model

The cumulative Causation concept

Hoyle

Spatial Impact of Transport Improvements – Cost Space

and Time Space Convergence1. Demand forAccessibility

2. TechnologicalDevelopment

3. TransportInnovation4. Time-space

convergence

5. Spatial adaptationto changes in time-space organization(centralization andspecialization

6. IncreasedInteraction

Search

Janelle model

Key Consequences of Janelle Model

• Long-run decrease in friction of distance

Distance

Inte

ract

ion

t1

t2 t3

Due to innovations in transportation methodsand improvements in media themselves

Result: Lowered average ton-mile costs of transportationand decreased importance of transport costs as afactor cost AND other costs rise in importance

Consequences of Janelle Model, Cont.

• The spatial pattern of production moves from dispersed……..

C1 C2

C3

M1

M2

M1

M1

L1

L2

L3

Consequences of Janelle Model, Cont.

• To concentrated, taking advantage of the intrinsic comparative advantages of resource supplies

C1 C2

C3

M1

M2

M1

M1

L1

L2

L3

L*

M1

• Resulting in (1) geographic specialization, (2) increasedspatial extent of production, (3) greater interaction(consider this model operating across many industries)

Examples of Janelle Model

Steam-powered railroads versus waterborne sailing vessels & canal era or overland by horse-drawn wagons. Fig 9.7

Development of Interstate Highway System

Development of intermodal cargo-container system (ship/rail)

? What about in the services? Clearly impact in business/tourist services. But what about the Internet? Figure 9.8 – disappearance of long-distance telephone rates

Adaptation of Borchert model

General Properties of Transport Costs

Curvilinear Transport Costs

Variations in Transport Costs Among Modes

Distance

Tra

nsp

ort

Cos

t/U

nit

Wei

ght

Truck

Rail

ShipPipeline

Air

T R S

Factors Influencing Transport Rates1. Grouping freight rates into zones

2. Variations due to commodity characteristics

(a) Differences in cost of service related to:

(1) Loading characteristics

(2) Size of shipment

(3) Perishability and risk of damage

(b) Elasticity of Demand for Transportation

3. Variations due to traffic characteristics

(a) intermodal competition

(b) traffic density

(c) direction of haul

General Relationship Between Distance and Unit Cost per ton-mile

Distance

Quantity

$

Factors Influencing Transport Costs

• International shipping regimes (cargo container carriers & ports)

• Location of high-tech – often near airports• Free trade zones• Deregulation and privatization• Development of networks (esp. airline –

hub & spoke vs. complex point to point) Figure 9.14 (one not two carriers!)

• Figure 9.19: Yucca Mtn. still controversial

Personal Mobility in the U.S.

Note the increase in non-journey to work tripsLabels are off in right-hand figure

Home towork

Social & Rec.

Other familyor personalbusiness