A transit study team headed by Louis J. Gambaccini, former general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Philadelphia, returned at the end of October from a close look at Intelligent Transportation System projects in Europe. The trip concluded at the ITS World Congress in Berlin.
Members of the mission led by Gambaccini were selected under the Transit Cooperative Research Program, which fosters the professional development of U.S. transit managers by providing opportunities to gain global perspectives in mobility management.
TCRP aims to broaden the options available to transit professionals in achieving high quality transportation systems and services. The Eno Transportation Foundation manages the study mission program under TCRP.
Gambaccini's extensive leadership experience in the transit industry makes his personal assessment of the current European experience especially significant when it comes to the "paradigm shift" going on in this country.
By Louis J. Gambaccini
The American transit industry is undoubtedly being driven to new paradigms affecting operating structures: governance; financing sources and mechanisms; guiding concepts; the competitive environment; and the planning and regulatory contexts.
Most industry leaders understand that we are at a critical juncture, which will almost certainly lead to major change, like it or not. Most transit leaders, I believe, responsibly and realistically want to be active partners in facilitating such change. The last major discontinuity affecting transit occurred in the 1960s with the founding of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, state and federal departments of transportation, the "3-C" planning process, and regional transit operating agencies.
The devolution of responsibility for operating assistance from federal to state and local levels over the last decade is driving this process of change, along with such factors as continuing pressures for downsizing and reinventing the business; budget cuts; pressure to adapt service to changing demographics; the continued surge in vehicle miles traveled; and sprawl and the decline in priority for energy conservation and air pollution control.
Our recent study trip involving five European cities and participation in the ITS World Congress in Berlin in late October underscored the paradigm shifts that have occurred and are occurring in Europe. Our visit took us to London, Southampton, Paris, Munich, and Berlin, the site of the World Congress.
London and Southampton
Much has been written about the shift to privatization in England over the last decade. Virtually all public transport except London Transport Underground has been given over to the privatizing process, with consequent significant reductions in public subsidies. Even London Transport Underground, which was not privatized, has realized a remarkable turnaround in its financial results.
Relentless efforts at cost reductions and annual increases in fares (higher even than CPI) have resulted in the case of the non-privatized Underground moving from substantial deficits to a fiscal year-end result (in March 1997) of a surplus equivalent to $340 million. This surplus above operating costs is sufficient to cover about a third of the system's annual capital cost requirements.
There can be little question that a dramatic paradigm shift has occurred in the financial results of public transport across England. Despite some negatives flowing from privatization-such as some instances of reduced ridership and some diminution in the coordination of schedules and services-the process of privatizing is not likely to be reversed under the new Labor Party leadership. It is expected that some re-regulation will occur under the Blair Government to correct a few of the undesired consequences and to support a party commitment toward more "integrated transport policy."
A first step in this direction was the merger of the Departments of Environment and Transport in the early months of the new government. The national government is currently developing its so-called "Integrated Transport Policy" with a broad public outreach process.
In London and Southampton, there is an evident major commitment to public outreach and inclusiveness in the process of policy formulation. The stated objectives of the Hampshire (Southampton) Transport Community Involvement Program best sums up the process (they call them the "4As"):
- raise Awareness of transport issues in Hampshire;
- increase Acceptance that individuals can personally contribute to solving these problems;
- change Attitudes toward car use; and
- encourage individuals to take Action to change their travel behavior patterns.
Paris
Paris continues to impress the visitor for its thoughtful, steady approach to public transport improvement as it has over the years since World War II. There is a history of public acceptance of national and capital region leadership in metropolitan planning and problem solving, and that continues in evidence in the quality of public transport today.
Less reliant, apparently, on public input and more reliant on technical expertise and strong leadership in applying and advancing high technology and coordinating transport improvements, transportation in Paris has shown dramatic advances also, though the paradigms are different than in the United Kingdom.
The Road Info Center outside Paris, which tracks every accident in the country on a real-time basis and communicates road conditions in real time with the public, is probably the most advanced technologically anywhere. The leadership by Paris in the development of a "smart card" under European Union financing and its teamwork with "Smart Card Club" members from several European countries is a showcase of international cooperation in ITS development.
Berlin and Munich
One cannot help but be struck by the tempo of new construction in Berlin. The pace of urban development, following the removal of the "Wall," dominates the activity of the city. The integration of transportation-East and West Berlin-and the dramatic reinvestment in transport infrastructure provide the major momentum of Berlin today.
Munich's traffic control system, with major involvement by diverse public and private organizations, is a model of incremental, sustained development of traffic management, employing the most advanced state-of-the-art equipment.
Certain themes are evident in Europe:
- the public and the politics support expansion and improvement of public transport and the more effective management of deliberately constrained highway capacity and improved highway efficiency;
- pursuit of "high-tech" applications to facilitate improvements in transport (both highway and public transport) is of the highest priority;
- the European Union has dramatically accelerated international cooperation and the formation of consortia to advance the state of the art in ITS;
- mobility management, seamless transportation, and overall transport system efficiency are being pursued with commitment;
- an emphasis on demand management is clearly more of a shaping force than modal bias. The drive to real-time information, fare simplification and automation, traffic control from remote centers, and pre-emption of traffic signals to favor multi-occupancy transport vehicles is symptomatic of customer-driven high-tech; and
- competitive "tendering" (privatization) has become a norm in the U.K. and is being rapidly expanded in Germany. Controlling or reducing public operating subsidies is a priority and cost cutting, including high-technology applications and fare increases, are being pursued with vigor.
Clearly, deep-rooted historical and cultural differences between the U.S. and Europe have guided our very different approaches to transport financing and support. Nevertheless, there is much to learn.
For information on the ITSP selection process and the study mission reports, contact the Eno Foundation at telephone (703) 729-7200 or fax (703) 729-7219.
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