Speaking from our experiences in Texas, Sam Staley and Adrian Moore get it right in Mobility First. As our nation’s population continues to grow and our infrastructure continues to age, we need to come up with new solutions to meeting transportation needs. The recommendations in Mobility First will no doubt cause an uproar in some quarters, but the position they ... Read moretake is one that will move the dialogue forward and help America remain competitive in our increasingly global economy.
Rick Perry, Governor of Texas In spite of a considerable volume of research by urban economists over the last 40+ years, there is still a huge gap between the policies and projects that are routinely put forward by policy makers and the ones that solid research supports. . . . Serious researchers have little good to say about the conventional approaches; most suggest the policies outlined in Mobility First. The arguments are clearly stated and well documented. The rest is up to those who are serious about better transportation policy. They should read this book.
Peter Gordon, professor, School of Policy, Planning, and Development, University of Southern California This work by Staley and Moore is an invaluable contribution to the looming public choice question in the debate over the proper use of roads and railways and how alternative pricing and financial arrangements can allocate resources for mobility that allows for the greatest individual freedom.
Lawrence Lai, University of Hong Kong Sam Staley and Adrian Moore, both of the Reason Foundation, have come out with an excellent and highly readable book on urban transportation policy. Mobility First belongs on any list of outstanding planning books of 2008 in my opinion. In fact, I would place it very near the top if not at the very top of the list.
C. Kenneth Orski
Innovation Newsbriefs
Mobility First is an interesting and, yes, reasoned take on the congestion problems plaguing roads in the United States and elsewhere, and it does not stint in suggesting ways to improve how we fund, plan, and build roads. Millions of commuters stuck in agonizing traffic delays or enduring painfully long commutes would surely agree forthwith on any strategy that worked.
Civil Engineering, June 2009
Mobility First differs from most other urban transport books by constantly reminding us that the economic viability of cities depends on the ability of the transport system to respond to consumer demand for trips and that that demand is constantly evolving. Staley and Moore cover the economics of transport as well as the design details that could contribute to increased mobility. This book is a must read for urban managers of large cities in the United States and around the world who are facing rapid urbanization coupled with urban income increase and therefore constantly evolving demand for urban transport. They will find answers for adapting existing urban transport systems to constantly evolving land use patterns and to households and firms demand for increased mobility.
Alain Bertaud, former principal planner, Urban Development Division of The World Bank The authors detail how to fix America's gridlocked and deteriorating road and transit systems, offering solutions to modernize transit and expand, road capacity, set goals for reducing congestion, increase performance standards and transparency, and change the way the nation funds its roads and highways.
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