LEARNING FROM LOS-ANGELES - TRANSPORT, URBAN FORM, AND AIR-QUALITY

Los Angeles is well known around the world as an automobile-oriented l ow density community, yet recent transportation policies have emphasiz ed greater capital investment in rail transportation than in highways, and recent policies have attempted to discourage automobile usage thr ough transportation demand management. While these policies have accom plished small shifts toward public transport and somewhat lower depend ence upon singly occupied automobilies for work commuting, the financi al costs of these policy changes has been very large in relation to th eir benefits. Proper pricing of transportation alternatives, more crea tive use of new and emerging transportation technologies, and the prov ision of many more opportunities for simpler private sector transport services, would all appear to be more promising as cost-effective appr oaches to coping with congestion in Los Angeles than the current regio nal transportation policies.