Source Notes 24

(America2050, 06/28/2008)

Summary:

America2050 published a graph in June 2008 displaying the utility of different modes of transportation at varying distances.  This source is important because it displays the most efficient ways the government could use various forms of transportation, including high-speed rail, at increasing distances.

Topic:

High-Speed Rail

Category:

institutional

What is it?

a graph

Publication Information:

The name of the publication is America 2050.  The graph was published on June 26, 2008.

Author:

Yoav Hagler

Location:

http://www.america2050.org/2008/06/filling-the-transportation-eff.html

Accessed:

March 1, 2008

Support:

Yoav Hagler, research intern at America2050

Yoav Hagler published the image in his Master’s thesis at Columbia University.

Audience and Agenda:

America2050′s website has no listed number of recent visitors.  The type of people visiting America2050 are planners, scholars, and policy-makers looking for information on issues of transportation between the largest metropolitan regions of the United States.  They expect professional articles, releases, reports, graphs, diagrams, and sources giving in-depth information on inter-metropolitan issues.

America2050, and thus the publication of the image, are funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, The Surdna Foundation, The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, The William Penn Foundation, The Ford Foundation, and The J.M. Kaplan Fund.  It is addressing an audience of academics looking for information about issues facing large metropolitan areas.  It is an academic extension of its funding partners trying to affect policy through promoting the research of various organizations.

Usefulness:

This image is in a global context, focusing on multiple forms of transportation over increasing distances that could span the world.  It can help policymakers decide at which distances to use what forms of transportation.

The document was published with the permission of the funding foundations to give a visual representation of what forms of transportation would be best for certain distances.  It is addressing an audience of academics wanting support for arguments about which forms of transportation would be best for cities, regions, states, and cross-country travel.  It is also indirectly addressing politicians who might be deciding on whether to invest in roads, airports, or rail.

It is arguing that cars are more efficient over shorter distances, high-speed rail is more efficient over medium to long distances, and air travel is more efficient over long distances.  This graph gives support to the view that high-speed rail would be good for shorter inter-city trips.

There are no specific numbers for the independent variable, distance.  It also doesn’t list the criteria behind the dependent variable, utility.  That information is probably included in the text of the report.  The graph is just meant to establish an initial interest in what types of transportation to use at certain distances.

Dealing with high-speed rail technology, this source relates to Source Notes 13, Source Notes 26, and Source Notes 18.  Being an image, this source relates to Source Notes 23, Source Notes 26, Source Notes 20, and Source Notes 17.

Works Cited:

“Filling the Transportation Efficiency Gap.”  America2050.  <http://www.america2050.org/2008/06/filling-the-transportation-eff.html>

America2050.  <http://www.america2050.org/>

“About Us.”  America2050.  <http://www.america2050.org/about.html>

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Filed under: Institutional