"TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 104: Public Transportation Board Effectiveness: A Self-Assessment Handbook provides a self-assessment process and tools to measure public transportation board effectiveness and provides references on how board characteristics can be changed to improve effectiveness in various areas. The Handbook also identifies the characteristics of public transportation boards that influence transit system performance. TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Web Document 24: The Public Transportation Board Effectiveness Study describes the process used to develop the Public Transit Board Self-Assessment Handbook"--Publisher's description.
This Guidebook is a reference tool that provides information on the organization and composition of transit boards. The Guidebook describes the structure and practices of transit boards and includes information on board-selection methods, board size, board length of service, and board composition. The Guidebook also includes a section on the primary role and activities of the transit board and the role of the transit board chair. There are guidelines for determining the roles and responsibilities of board members and a description of the characteristics of an effective board. Six case studies provide additional insight on transit board operation.
What are the best transit cities in the US? The best Bus Rapid Transit lines? The most useless rail transit lines? The missed opportunities? In the US, the 25 largest metropolitan areas and many smaller cities have fixed guideway transit—rail or bus rapid transit. Nearly all of them are talking about expanding. Yet discussions about transit are still remarkably unsophisticated. To build good transit, the discussion needs to focus on what matters—quality of service (not the technology that delivers it), all kinds of transit riders, the role of buildings, streets and sidewalks, and, above all, getting transit in the right places. Christof Spieler has spent over a decade advocating for transit as a writer, community leader, urban planner, transit board member, and enthusiast. He strongly believes that just about anyone—regardless of training or experience—can identify what makes good transit with the right information. In the fun and accessible Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit, Spieler shows how cities can build successful transit. He profiles the 47 metropolitan areas in the US that have rail transit or BRT, using data, photos, and maps for easy comparison. The best and worst systems are ranked and Spieler offers analysis of how geography, politics, and history complicate transit planning. He shows how the unique circumstances of every city have resulted in very different transit systems. Using appealing visuals, Trains, Buses, People is intended for non-experts—it will help any citizen, professional, or policymaker with a vested interest evaluate a transit proposal and understand what makes transit effective. While the book is built on data, it has a strong point of view. Spieler takes an honest look at what makes good and bad transit and is not afraid to look at what went wrong. He explains broad concepts, but recognizes all of the technical, geographical, and political difficulties of building transit in the real world. In the end,Trains, Buses, People shows that it is possible with the right tools to build good transit.
