Transportation Logistics Management

ATTACHMENTS ARE BELOW!!

Please answer original forum with a minimum of 250 words minimum and respond to both students separately with a minimum of 100 words each

Page 1 Original Forum with References 

Page 2 Cline response with references 

page 3 Zachary response with references 

Original Forum 

This is a research based forum in which I would like you to do some extra research once you have read the attached article to answer the question in this forum. You are expected to comment on this forum post by Sunday.

After you have read the article entitled "Pricing as a tool in coordination of local transportation" I want you to come up with some new factors/variables that you think affect the American public's use of mass transit.

Student Response

Cline

Access- In my home state of North Carolina, we are a predominately rural area with several large metropolitan areas (Charlotte, Piedmont Triad, Research Triangle). Our larger areas do have rather significant public transit offerings, to include rail. Also, these larger areas have some limited service to smaller adjacent communities, as well as counties that provide regional public transportation services.  However, for the most part ready access to a large portion of the state is relatively limited. Unfortunately, the populations most affected (lower class, rural) are those that could benefit most for the services offered through public transportation. This is a variable that is difficult to fully explore in this post. However, it's a seemingly obvious one in that if you have services available yet limited access to the groups most likely to utilize, the cost per rider will be increased simply due to low user rates.

Cost- According to the GoRaleigh website (https://raleighnc.gov/services/content/PWksTransit/Articles/BusRates_old.html), the cost of a monthly public transit pass is $40, with qualifying reduced fares of $20. For those individuals within easy access to stops/stations, this is a relatively low cost to pay for transportation ($2/day assuming 20 workdays per month). However, with the cost of gas staying below the $2/gal point for an extended period of time, car owners are finding it easier and more convenient to utilize their personally owned transportation in lieu using public transportation.

Convenience- This relates to the cost variable above. In addition to cost, prospective public transportation users have to take into account accessibility of stops not only to their homes, but their places of work and outside businesses as well. A five to ten minute walk for most people would not be too much to ask. However, if there is no readily available access, prospective riders (who own cars) will find it much easier to drive themselves as opposed to taking the bus (especially with lower fuel costs). Plus, driving themselves can take them from point to point (home to work) without the additional need to move from those areas to a transit stop.

Zachary

One of the factors in utilizing mass transportation in America is one being felt by everyone in the current situation we live in which involves health. Environments like buses and subways used by millions of Americans to get to their destination are crowded. With the possibility of a dangerous disease spreading in the manner that COVID-19 is spreading the mass transportation industry is faced with the challenge of establishing guidelines and procedures to help mitigate the spread of diseases while still providing the service that people desperately need. Additionally, there is the issue or pressure of using renewable energy sources today due to the rise of climate temperatures and the growing concern of causing irreversible damage to the planet. Some steps have already been taken in transportation to help mitigate the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels through alternate means such as battery and solar powers. However, certain methods of transportation such as trucks utilized to move cargo, buses, and trains are dependent on the use of fossil fuels. Another challenge facing the mass transportation industry is one that was highlighted in the required reading for this weeks module, but is still a factor today. This issue is roadways. According to the Bureau of Transportation Logistics, there are several states that are sitting at a 50% acceptable roadways or less including Hawaii, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. Damaged or subpar roadways can cause unnecessary damage to vehicles increasing costs to the companies that provide mass transportation. Lastly, we can still see an issue arise from population growth. Traffic congestion is a known issue for mass transportation. According to an article written by the National Academic Press and the Transportation Research Board, the United States population is set to grow  1 percent annually with highway use on a similar upward trend. This will only aggravate the current issue of traffic jams, and rush hour.