Overview
Under a public choice analytical framework, the book applies formal economic measures to the passenger and taxpayer benefits of public transit service in the United States. Approximately 400 local transit budgets have been renewed annually for more than 25 years. These budgets epitomize Braybrooke and Linblom's concept of "disjointed incrementalism" and Buchanan's concept of "Public Choice" since local legislators funded transit despite constant academic criticism of transit performance. On the other hand, Braybrooke and Lindblom and Buchanan show that local budgets capture benefits that traditional planning analysis does not grasp. This is borne out in analysis in the book. Indeed, far from draining society, transit returns five dollars in benefits for each one dollar of public subsidy.Synopsis
Under a public choice analytical framework, the book applies formal economic measures to the passenger and taxpayer benefits of public transit service in the United States. Approximately 400 local transit budgets have been renewed annually for more than 25 years. These budgets epitomize Braybrooke and Linblom's concept of "disjointed incrementalism" and Buchanan's concept of "Public Choice" since local legislators funded transit despite constant academic criticism of transit performance. On the other hand, Braybrooke and Lindblom and Buchanan show that local budgets capture benefits that traditional planning analysis does not grasp. This is borne out in analysis in the book. Indeed, far from draining society, transit returns five dollars in benefits for each one dollar of public subsidy.
Booknews
Uses the theory of public choice to look beneath the surface of rhetoric associated with public policy on transportation. Constructs a nine-cell benefit matrix, cross tabulating transit's three public policy functions against three benefit classes that are familiar to most public choice theorists, then reports on several promising approaches for measuring the monetary value of transit benefits across the nine cells of the benefit matrix. Lewis is president of Hickling Lewis Brod Economics, Inc. Williams is associated with the US Department of Transportation. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)