BOOK REVIEW
URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING: A DECISION-ORIENTED APPROACH By Michael D. Meyer and Eric J. Miller Second Second Edition, Edition, McGraw-H McGraw-Hill ill Series Series in Transpor Transportati tation, on, McGraw-Hill, New York; 2001; 637 pages Today’s oday’s transport transportatio ation n planners planners and engineers engineers need a diverse verse set of knowledg knowledge e to be effectiv effective e practitio practitioners ners and researchers. The second edition of Urban Transportation Planning: A Decision-Oriented Decision-Oriented Approach by Michael Meyer and Eric Miller is a very accessible and thorough introduction to this body of knowledge. This textbook maintains a good balance between an introduction to the theoretical aspects of the field of urban transportation and the implications of the theory, regulati regulations, ons, and institut institutiona ionall factors factors on planning planning and engiengineering practice. The basic theme of the book, like the first edition published in 1984, is to allow informed decision-making. Coupled with this basic theme is an emphasis on the multimodal nature of transportation, the emerging importance of data issues, the impacts pacts of pol policy icy on planni planning ng practi practice, ce, and clearl clearly y identi identified fied links to community viability and quality of life issues. To support this theme, the vast material on the subject is presented in nine chapters that can be grouped into four categories: the institut institutiona ionall framewor framework k for transpor transportati tation on planning, planning, the systems and data issues related to the analysis of transportation systems, analysis methods and evaluation, and implementation issues. The first group of chapters, Chapters 1 and 2, provide the reader with a comprehensive introduction to the changing nature of transportation planning and the factors motivating these changes. This material is supplemented by an Appendix, listing legislation that has impacted transportation planning in recent years. The second group of chapters, Chapters 3 and 4, provide the foundati foundation on for transport transportatio ation n analysis analysis by presenti presenting ng the characteristics and impacts of urban transportation systems and a nice discussion on data issues. The material on data gathering ering mechan mechanis isms ms is up-toup-to-dat date e and emphas emphasize izess issues issues involved in effectively using data for system management. The third group of chapters, Chapters 5, 6, and 7 exposes the reader to the technical transportation planning process. A
highlight of this material is that the book remains true to its claim claim of being being ‘‘systems ‘systems-ori -oriente ented.’ d.’’’ In that traditio tradition, n, the authors do not restrict the discussion of modeling to the usual transport transportatio ation n models models such as sequenti sequential al transpor transportati tation on planplanning models, discrete choice and activity-based methods, and goods movement and air-quality impact analysis. Instead, the authors authors also discuss the larger larger context context of transpor transportati tation on systems analysis with the presentation of urban activity models, especially land-use models, which are treated in some detail (in Chapter 6). In general, general, the treatmen treatmentt of most modeling modeling approache approachess is very concise. However, there is also perhaps a missed opportunity with respect to the new and extremely important areas of dynamic models and simulation-based models required to design design and evaluate evaluate intellig intelligent ent transpor transportati tation on systems systems (ITS). (ITS). Altho Although ugh the materi material al is not detail detailed ed enough enough for advanc advanced ed graduate study and will need to be supplemented by additional readings, the authors do a good job of presenting the various classes of urban models to the reader. The last group of chapters, Chapters 8 and 9, contain material on system and project-level evaluation and on program and project project implemen implementati tation. on. This material material is a must-rea must-read d for practiti practitioner oners, s, especiall especially y because because of the rich examples provided. This edition retains the excellent overview of the many facets of transpor transportati tation on planning planning of the first edition. edition. While the authors do not treat many technical issues in great detail, the strength of the book is the diversity of subject matter covered and extensive references. The book will make an excellent text for beginning beginning transpor transportati tation on planning planning and engineeri engineering ng students. It will also serve as an important reference for advanced students and professionals in the field. Its benefit as a reference could be improved if a list of tables and figures was provided.
TRANSPORTATION ON ENGINEERING / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2001 454 / JOURNAL OF TRANSPORTATI
Piyushimita Thakuriah Assistant Professor College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL 60607
