THE IMPORTANCE OF MOTOR-VEHICLE TRANSPORTATION

THE IMPORTANCE OF MOTOR-VEHICLE TRANSPORTATION:

Today in the United States, Canada, Europe and other developed areas of the world, motor vehicles are the principal means for transporting persons and goods. In the continental United States (by 1971) some 113 million motor vehicles, including 20 million trucks and 400,000 buses, traveled 1.1 trillion mi. annually on some 3.7 million mi. of roads and streets. There is a motor vehicle for each two persons, enough to transport the entire population at once; 79% of the U.S households own at least one automobile. This motor-transport operation in all its phases consumes some $ 160 billion annually and utilizes over 13 million persons, or in six of those gainfully employed. It uses 20% of the nation’s steel, 60% of its rubber, and vast amounts of many other products. Fuel consumption (in1970) was 97 billion gal, or 460 gal for each man, woman, and child. In 1970, 112 million persons were licensed to drive.

 Table 1-1 dramatically illustrates the overall importance of motor vehicles to intercity passenger and freight movement in the United States. And the comparisons of overall ton-miles for freight movements do not tell the whole story, since truck transportation predominates where goods are more expensive and haul distances are short. For example, of the total tonnage of manufactured goods transported less than 50mi, 69% goes by highway, 17% by rail, 13% by water, and 1% by postal or parcel delivery services.

TABLE 1-1.    Intercity passenger and freight movements in the United States 1969 (ton-miles in billions).

	Passenger-miles		Intercity freight
	Passenger-miles (billions)	Total %	Ton-miles (billions)	Total ton-miles (%)
Railroad	12	1.1	780	41.1
Motor vehicles
Autos	977	86.5	--	--
Buses	26	2.3	--	--
Trucks	--	--	404	21.3
Inland waterways	4	0.4	300	15.8
Pipelines	--	--	411	21.6
Airways	111	9.7	3	0.2
Total	1,130	100.0	1,898	100.0

Urban areas likewise rely heavily on motor-vehicle transportation. Nationwide, 96% of all urban passenger trips are automobile, 3% by motor bus, and 1% on subways or elevated or surface railways. Not only do these figures indicate the predominant role of the private automobile in urban passenger movements, but they laso show that rubber-tired vehicles travelling on pavements carry the major burden of public transit. Even so, such averages can be deceptive. On the one hand, some smaller urban areas are without effective public transportation even by bus, and rely almost entirely on the private automobile. At the other extreme, New York City, which generates 81% of all rail and 10% of all bus traffic for the nation, would be completely crippled without its rapid transit (61% of passengers) and buses (39% of passengers). Other large cities with high population densities likewise depend heavily on public transportation, particularly for trips to and from work. But even here the private automobile is dominant; in the central areas of the cities with population over 100,000, 72% of the work trips are by private automobile.

Transit use in Western Europe is far greater than in the United States. In London and Paris rides per year per person are over 250; they are higher in other places. But excepting a few U.S places such as New York, rides are only 50-80 per year per person.

Motor vehicles also dominate goods movements in urban areas. To illustrate, in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, which encompasses the entire New York City urban complex, 73% of the tonnage is moved by truck, 25% by water, and 1% by rail. And of this, it is almost entirely heavy or bulk products such as sand and gravel or fuel that go by water. In urban areas where water transport is less available, these commodities would go, at least in part, by truck.  

The Point of this discussion is to show the present degree of dependence of the United States, and, to a lesser degree of other developed nations, on highway transportation. It is probable that, over time, and under such forces as an acute energy shortage, other modes may augment or possibly replace it. But, it for no other reason than that restructuring large public enterprises take one or more decades, transportation by rubber-tired vehicles travelling on pavements will dominate in the years immediately ahead. Clearly, if by some magic all motor vehicles were brought to a halt, the country would be crippled.

            Improved transportation, predominantly highway-oriented, also is crucial for the developing nations. Efficient movement of agricultural products, access to medical attention, and the ability to transport raw materials and finished products, are all essential if the developing nations are to be raise living standards above the subsistence level. None of these can be accomplished when transportation relies on what men or animals can carry on their backs who, in a day, can transport some thing like 60 or 300 lb, respectively, for 15 mi. Possibly a horse, mule, or elephant could draw half a ton an equal distance. Bur on all weather roads, one man driving a diesel tuck can move about 16 tons 200 mi. Some developing nations have made substantial beginnings in developing roads; others have plans under way, often with support from the World Bank, the Agency for International Development, the United Nations, and other agencies.

Motor vehicles are far more numerous in the United Nations in the United States and Canada than in the rest of the world. Although these countries have (1970) only 6% of the worlds population, they have half of the motor vehicle for each 2.1 persons, certain others are: Australia, 1:2.8; Great Britain and France, 1:4; South America, 1:27; Russia, 1:45; Africa, 1:83; and Asia, 1:11. But these ratios are changing fast, Infact as rapidly as increasing affluence makes possible.

The Development of motor transportation has brought tremendous changes to our cities. Until some 50 years ago, urban populations were concentrated in limited, tightly knit areas, largely because of the restrictions in movement imposed by rail-mounted or horse-drawn vehicles. The combined effects of the freedom of movement offered by motor transportation and the population shift from rural to urban areas have brought a veritable “explosion” of our cities. This trend began after World War I and has rapidly accelerated since World War II. Today our urban areas have, for better or worse, assumed a new, dispersed from, geared to motor-vehicle transportation.

Highway transportation has also brought great changes to rural areas. Practically all farm products are moved initially by motor vehicle. Many, such as milk, perishable food, and livestock, for which quick delivery is important, travel all the way to market in that manner. With the school bus, the consolidated school has replaced the one-room school house. Medical attention and similar services are almost as close at hand in the country as in town. Infact, the rural mode of living has become much like that of town and city.

Motor transportation, as reflected by vehicle production and registration, has shown extremely rapid growth in the years following World War II. Annual production by U.S manufacturers has been around 10 million vehicles; the net annual gain in vehicles on the road has been roughly 2 million. Vehicle-miles of travel have shown a similar increase, travel in rural and urban areas in 1970 was 2.5 times that in 1950 showing a 270% rise in ton-miles over 1949. One of the most troublesome questions facing highway engineers and administrators today is whether these spectacular increases will continue, particularly in such as congestion, air pollution, and noise.

Highway transportation differs from rail and some other forms of transportation because it is not under unified control or management. Almost all motor vehicles are privately owned and operated. With the exception of certain licensed car-riers, the individual driver has free selection of time, route, and speed of travel, subject only to the restrictions brought by congestions and regulations imposed for the safety and welfare of others. In turn, through motor-fuel and excise taxes, the motor-vehicle operator furnishes the greater part of highway financing.

Governments at all levels, as one of their primary functions, provide and operate the roadbeds over which motor vehicles travel and have established agencies to plan, construct, and maintain the roads, to license motor vehicles and drivers, and to police their operation. On the other hand, because of the conflicting demands of the many groups using or being served by highways, decisions of necessity often represent compromises which are less than satisfactory to all concerned.

Of the motor-transport dollar, roughly 13$ is spent for the roads and streets on which vehicles move. During the years 1921-1971, some $ 180 billion have been thus invested. In 1971, expenditures were about $21 billion annually in the United States and (in 1968) $34 billion in the entire free world.