ABSTRACT
An efficient and economically viable transportation system is an essential part of a modern industrial society. This is particularly true in the U.S., where growth of suburbia requires the average American worker to commute a considerable distance daily between home and work. The situation is exacerbated in many locations by a lack of adequate public transportation, which requires commuters to travel by private automobiles. The use of single occupancy vehicles not only causes congestion, delays, and air pollution, but also imposes a severe economic penalty on many Americans. A recent consumer expenditure survey showed that transportation for most Americans is an expense second only to housing. The vast majority of the transportation spending (98%) is for the purchase, operation, and maintenance of automobiles.
