New Paradigms for Local Public Transportation Organizations

This report will be of interest to individuals and organizations seeking fundamental change and innovation in public transportation. This report is the first step in examining how new paradigms might be introduced into local public transportation. It summarizes the key forces and factors that appear to necessitate a paradigm shift--a reinvention of the organizations that now have or share responsibility for local public transportation services. The report is presented in the following chapters: (1) Introduction: Shifting Focus to Mobility Management; (2) Local Public Transportation Today: Fragmented Roles, Marginal Performance and Declining Relevance; (3) Societal Forces and Trends: An Increasing Disadvantage for Traditional Transit; (4) The Public Policy Arena: Constraints and Contradictions; (5) Yardsticks for Measuring Success: Performance Measures Need to Reflect Broader Goals; and (6) Characteristics of Change