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
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