For shorter distances, rail travel is less efficient unless it is incorporated into the transportation network that serves passengers in gridlocked parts of town. In these instances, people can efficiently use light rail as a form of mass transit, and this mode of transport makes sense. Each mode of transport has its pros and cons, and there is often much overlap between these pros and cons for each mode. The situation in New Jersey calls for a very definitive answer in transport management, and for a high level of understanding relative to cargo and passenger demands and the supply of transport vehicles.

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Provide a two-page response for each of the following questions. Defend your answers with the appropriate citations. (Note: You may combine both questions (4-pages) under one document submission.) Please click on the hyperlinks below as well.

1. What would you suggest to the mayor of a small city or town of 30,000 population, as the most appropriate typological transportation network model for analyzing his/her city-s rustic, tree lined, beautiful asphalt laid exercise trails (about 4 feet wide) of 30 miles in diameter, running throughout the wooded part of a small town or city, with an expected congestion problem of an increase of 3,000 to 5,000 daily weekend walkers, bikers, and skaters; combine kids, dogs, elderly, young people? The trail was designed for 500 people. This surge is expected on between May and August as tourists flock to see this cute town.

2. What would you suggest to the mayor of Washington, DC as the most appropriate typological transportation network model for analyzing his/her city-s downtown business center where automobile gridlock happens from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. each business day? Truck delivery traffic is also mixed in with passenger automobile traffic.

Increasing Capacity without Compromising Utility

The mayor of a small town that is expecting a large increase in congestion along an exercise trail should count his blessings, as this represents an excellent opportunity for growth and for economic gain from the many tourists traveling to his or her city or town. The congestion considerations along the trail are many, but there are many specific and effective solutions that could be implemented to cut down on congestion and encourage commerce. Since the traffic congestion is projected mainly for weekends, the follow solutions could be temporarily implemented either only on weekends or only during the busy season from May to August.

The geography of the trail is unchangeable, since it already exists as an exercise trail. Also, the modes of personal transportation associated with it are unlikely to change. But this does not mean that other supplementary routes or trails could be built closer to the tourist attractions and shops that the out-of-towners are likely to frequent. This could help to alleviate tourist traffic during weekends in places that residents typically gather or use as an exercise trail. Another idea involves the stratification of the trail itself, as it already exists.

In order to increase the efficiency of the trail, the mayor should break the trail down into different traffic sections (Hamilton-Baillie, 2008). This helps to alleviate much of the congestion created my multi-modal forms of personal transportation. For example, the trail could be divided in two with one side designated as a bike and skate lane and the other as a walking lane. Or the trail could be more simply divided in two for two-way traffic. Both of these solutions represent excellent examples of how the trail could be divided for maximize efficiency.

Another solution would be to limit the use of the trail during certain times of the day for certain activities (Hamilton-Baillie, 2008). Since many people walk or ride their bikes during the morning and afternoon hours, perhaps the trail could be limited to these uses during different parts of the day. or, dog walker could be encouraged to walk their dogs at specific times during the day since they likely represent significant obstacles in congestion relief for the other modes of personal transport. The dog-walkers could be further discouraged from utilizing the exercise path by creating dog-walking zones or parks in and around the city for dogs and their owners to walk in. This would cut down on animal traffic on the trail itself.

Still another solution that the mayor should consider would be to create an area near the shops and tourist attractions that are limited to foot traffic only (Hamilton-Baillie, 2008). This may help to alleviate congestion on the exercise trail that is associated...

The tourists would be encouraged to walk to and from the downtown area and from shop to shop, further reducing the automobile and delivery truck congestion downtown. Perhaps the mayor could create a farmer's market or craft fair along parts of the trail during the weekend that would encourage tourists to use it while residents who regularly use the trail for exercise would be discouraged from utilizing it on the weekends. The mayor could also consider implementing extra mass transit routes and boosting the supply of mass transit transportation options that are convenient for the tourists in order to draw them away from the trail and to encourage alternate routes and modes of transport.
Congestion Problems in Washington D.C.

The mayor of Washington D.C. has quite a dilemma in his hands since the congestion of the downtown business center likely hinders businesses as well as consumers, commuters, and tourists. The best approach for him, and the most cost effective, is to analyze the needs of the different groups using the roads during those hours and prioritize their usage. Certainly it is impossible to make everyone happy all the time, but it is possible to maximize the existing transportation infrastructure.

Since truck delivery traffic is a necessary piece of the entire transportation and gridlock puzzle, it stands to reason that these vehicles would have a hard time adapting to a different mode of transportation. Therefore, it would benefit these trucks to have truck specific lanes and loading zones (Rodrigue; Comtios; and Slack, 2009). These zones could be designated for the specific gridlock times only or they could be used all day and night. It would also benefit the city to incentivize delivery times to take place outside of the gridlock window. Perhaps creating truck and transit only lanes or even designating certain streets for this traffic only in certain parts of the day would be a logical solution as well. Either way, the least maneuverable and least flexible group in this puzzle is likely to be the delivery truck traffic.

As far as the passenger automobile traffic, it is far easier to influence the behavior of these drivers than it is the delivery truck drivers. Automobiles can be restricted on certain streets during certain parts of the day, and parking downtown can be limited during the 7 am to 10 am timeframe to discourage automobiles from going into this part of town for business or tourism. Perhaps an even more effective solution is to encourage people who live and work in the gridlock areas to take a bus or other form of mass transit. The mayor could offer government subsidized buss passes or even discount passes for commuters and consumers looking to move around in the grid locked area (Nelson; et. al., 2007). This would help alleviate the large number of automobiles during this time frame.

The typology of the different forms of road transport needs to be better understood in order to create a system that functions well for everyone. Trucks and deliveries should be encouraged to go directly to their destinations while cars and other passenger vehicles should be encouraged to park on the outskirts of downtown and walk in, or to avoid the area completely during these hours. The mayor's analysis of the situation should involve both the local businesses that suffer during these times as well as the delivery trucks and the commuters that are looking to move from home to work and back again (Nelson; et. al., 2007). The behaviors of these groups in early morning hours are often difficult to modify because they are looking to arrive at their places of work on time. The existing transportation infrastructure can be sufficiently modified to create a more traffic and business-friendly environment downtown during this timeframe.