Module 12: The Role of Transportation Engineers Flashcards
Transportation is a Non-Separable Part of Society.
-Transportation is responsible for the development of civilizations from ancient times by meeting travel demands of people & transportation requirement of goods.
-Such movement has changed the way people live & travel.
-Transportation is a non separable part of any society. It exhibits a very close relation to lifestyle, the range & location of activities, & the goods & services we consume.
-But transport also consumes a lot of resources like tie, fuel, materials & land
Economic Role of Transportation.
-The survival of modern economies is predicated on efficient & reliable supply chains. Transportation is a key component in the supply chains to reduce costs & remain competitive.
-Improvements to transportation infrastructures can increase accessibility & thus attract new industries & spur local economies
-It has long been recognized that construction & improvements to transportation infrastructures can positively influence economic development.
Societal Role of Transportation.
-Transportation has always played an important role in influencing the formation, size & pattern, & the development of societies
-Regions with greater mobility often have better opportunities to develop than those with scarce mobility. Reduced mobility impedes development, while greater mobility is a catalyst for development
-However, the mobility & opportunities that road infrastructure provides also have a human cost - it continues to exact a terrible toll in loss of life & injuries
Political Role of Transportation.
-Traditionally, an efficient administration of a country largely depends on how effectively government could communicate information to all areas of the country
-Now, it is about movements of people & goods. But, it is also needed for rapid movement of troops in case of emergency. Also, transportation infrastructures are the first to be targeted during war.
-In modern days, politics plays an important role, both positive & negative, in transportation planning & the investments & policies that go with it. Also, transportation infrastructures & initiatives are always used as wedge issues
Environmental Role of Transportation.
-The issue of transportation & the environment is paradoxical since transportation conveys substantial socio-economic benefits, but at the same time, transportation is impacting environmental systems
-As a primary consumer of fossil fuels & a major contributor to air-borne pollution, transportation is an obvious target for energy conservation & environmental impact * mitigation efforts
-We need: a shift to public transport system, as search for energy efficient engines, & alternate fuels
Role of a Transportation Engineer.
-Engineers are uniquely qualified to lead the world through the next century, through analytical thinking & intuitive problem-solving. Their scope of thinking must incorporate perspectives from beyond engineering, applying key insights from the humanities to solve the human problems we face
The Transportation Engineer,
-Not only must have an appreciation for & understanding of planning, design, management, construction, operation, control, & system optimization;
-but also should have an understanding of social political, & environmental issues at hand
Everyone Interfaces with Transportation.
-Transportation Engineers also function in a world in which a number of key participants do not understand the traffic & transportation issues or how they truly affect a particular project. These include:
-elected officials with decision making power
-the general public
-other professionals
-Because all of us interface regularly with the transportation system, many overestimate their understanding of transportation & traffic issues
-Transportation Engineers must deal productively with problems associated with naive assumptions, plans, & designs that are oblivious to transportation & traffic needs, oversimplified analyses, & understated impacts
Special Relationship with the Public at Large.
-Transportation Engineers deal with the daily safety of a large segment of the public
-Although any engineer who designs a product has this responsibility, few engineers have so many people using their product so routinely & frequently & depending upon it so totally.
-Transportation Engineer has more interface with the general public than any other engineers
Interrelationships in a Community.
-The interrelationships that exist in a community that shape a community’s values:
-Public/community
-Elected officials
-Engineers
The Reality of Decision Making.
-Technical recommendations based on rational, empirical thinking, logical deduction, are the basis.
-Another set of considerations, not engineering-basis, but represent community, humanistic & political ideals. Often, these considerations drastically change the order of priority or deviate from the technical recommendations:
-popularity of idea
-political expediency
-recommendations from interest group
Success of a Recommendation.
-Success is not necessarily 100% of the recommendations are adopted
-Success should be tied to including a community’s values into our process, & acknowledgement by the community itself that the priorities/recommendations reflect the values, needs & wants of the community
-Most important to this idea is that the values be broader than just engineering factors, but should reflect the social, economic, 7 environmental concerns & needs of a community
A Good Decision.
-The recommendations is based upon a rational process anchored in theory validated by empirical knowledge
-The final recommendations makes the most people happy
-The prioritized list of recommendations addresses, but not necessarily satisfies, all the minority opinion concerns
Ethics of Transportation Engineers - I.
-The fundamental ethical issue for Transportation Engineers is to provide for the public safety through positive programs, good practice, knowledge, & proper procedure.
-A historic standard has been that due care can be exercised in the preparation of plans, and that determinations made in the process be reasonable & not arbitrary.
Ethics of Transportation Engineers - II.
-Experience has shown that the greatest risk to a project is an incomplete analysis.
-The environmental impact process calls for a fair & complete
statement of impacts & a policy decision by the reviewers on
accepting the impacts, given an overall good analysis report
-The process does not require zero impacts; it does, however, call
for clear & complete disclosure of impacts so that policy makers
can make informed decisions
-Successful challenges to major projects are almost always based
on flawed analysis or public process, not on disagreements with
policy makers
Problems to Address.
-Urban Congestion
-Aging infrastructure
-Face the future
-Transportation Engineers must be ready to face current problems & to play an important role in any situation that involves transportation planning & engineering.
