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Lessons from a landmark US policy for transportation, land use and air quality, and implications for policy changes in other countries *
Author(s) -
Gertz Carsten
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international social science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.237
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1468-2451
pISSN - 0020-8701
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2451.2003.05502010.x
Subject(s) - equity (law) , legislature , transportation planning , politics , transport policy , sustainable transport , business , process (computing) , land use , quality (philosophy) , sustainable development , public economics , economics , economic growth , economic policy , public transport , political science , transport engineering , sustainability , engineering , ecology , philosophy , civil engineering , epistemology , computer science , law , biology , operating system
Normally, discussion about more sustainable mobility concentrates on the travel behaviour of individuals, but the transportation system is also very much influenced by the behaviour of institutions. This paper looks into changes in transportation planning and financing mechanisms initiated by the US Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act, introduced in 1991, and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21 st Century, introduced in 1997. In spite of their limitations, these legislative provisions, driven by strong advocacy coalitions, have had a significant impact on US transport policy. They indicate lessons for other countries both in terms of the political process and in terms of interactions between levels of policy making. A top‐down approach at the Federal level can be useful to enhance a nationwide bottom‐up planning process at the local and regional level. The ability to induce reform even in an unbalanced and unsustainable transport system with high car ownership, extreme development of car‐oriented infrastructure, and high car use is an indication of more general potential for change.