The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of a very successful innovation in urban passenger transportation, which was introduced by the Chicago and North Western (CNW) Railway to provide suburban or commuter rail service. This study was motivated by two considerations: (1) to develop an understanding of those factors which influence the performance of a public transportation system as a basis for identifying ways in which such systems can be modified so as to better serve actual travel needs at a reasonable cost and (2) to nurture interest in developing methods of analysis that would aid in the creation of successful and desirable innovations. During the 1960's and 1970's, prior to take-over by a newly-formed regional transportation authority, the CNW was able to provide rail passenger service that was equal to or better than that of other railroads in terms of service quality, while at the same time, it was experiencing both operating and capital costs that were considerably lower. With fare levels that were roughly equal to or in some cases, less than those of other commuter systems, CNW was able to cover all expenses and make a profit. The low costs can be traced to a coordinated set of innovations that touched almost every aspect of the service. While these were very significant in terms of reducing costs, they also represented logical adaptations of known railroad systems and institutions. This study examines this innovation in the context of an overall framework from examining changes in transport technology or production processes.
Innovation in Urban Transportation: A Case Study
1980
58 pages
Report
No indication
English
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