Lecture -3

FACTORS IN TRANSPORTATION
DEVELOPMENT

Ref: Chapter 1, An Introduction to Transportation

Engineering; by William W Hay (Second Edition,1977)

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 Economic Factors

Almost all transport development is economical in nature. The chief

preoccupation of the first human beings was the procurement of
food, shelter, and clothing. As they became highly developed their
wants increased, often beyond what their local economy could
supply. Means of transporting goods and individuals from distant
places had to be devised.
Today, as much as 10 to 15 percent of the costs of any product are
transport and distribution costs.
Increased transportation productivity and lower unit costs have
occurred over the years.

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 Geographic Factors

The geographical location of natural resources determines the

transport routes that give access to those resources and create
economic utility.
The small, waterbound area of the British Isles forced those
islanders to look to other lands for food and raw materials and for
markets in which to sell their industrial production.
Britain established sea routes to her colonial possessions, built
ports and fuelling stations, and developed bases to protect these
routes and facilities.
In the US, a major objective of early highway, canal, and railway
construction was the exploitation and economic development of
new territory.

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Geographic Factors

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Geographic Factors

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 Political Policies

Political policies frequently play a deciding role in transportation

development.
The Trans-Siberian Railway was necessary to give Russia any
measure to control over her territories east of the Urals.
The Panama Canal, made the US navy a power in the Pacific, as well
as in the Atlantic.

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Political Policies

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Political Policies

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 Military

The military might of a nation is primarily intended to support its

political policies and to provide for national defense.
The Suez canal gave Britain and France control over the Indian
ocean routes with a minimum of fleet strength and expense.
Technological developments in air and highway transportation
during World War I and II, made it possible for both agencies to
grow into principle modes of transportation.

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Military

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 Technological Factors

Development in direct and supporting technologies has played an

obvious role in transportation.
Invention of the astrolabe, compass, accurate maps and charts,
chronometer, radio etc. helped in expanding sea-based transport.
Invention of gasoline engine, dependable storage battery and
pneumatic tires for highway transport and use of concrete and
bituminous materials for highway surfaces paved the way for
modern-day transport.
Modern pipelines are capable of withstanding high pumping
pressures and tight enough to hold tightly highly viscous refined
products.
Invention of powerful, lightweight and dependable engine,
lightweight metals, electronic navigation and communication aid
helped the expansion of airplane development.

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 Technological Factors

Astrolabe to
measure the inclined
position in the sky of
a celestial body

Marine chronometer, 1766.

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Technological Factors

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 Competition

The competitive urge in Western capitalistic society has given a

powerful impetus to transport development.
Railroads compete with trucks, barges, pipelines, and airlines.
Freight services compete with express and express with parcel post.
Bituminous materials compete with concrete as a road surface.
Communities and geographical areas are also in competition.

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Competition

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 Urbanization

The rapid growth of urbanization has given a powerful impetus to

transport development.
Population growth and movement from rural to urban sites calls
increasingly for improvement of intercity transport.
A simultaneous flight to the suburbs has been abetted by
expressway construction and has led the building of high-speed
automated suburban rail systems [Image 1].
The expansion of urbanization caused developing high-speed
ground transpiration (HSGT) systems to permit travelling these
corridors at speeds of 100 to 300 mph or more [Image 2]

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Urbanization

Image 1

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Urbanization

Image 2
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