[sustran] Re: Transport of Delight! New Book!

Jonathan E. D. Richmond richmond at alum.mit.edu
Thu Mar 17 02:42:17 JST 2005



Dear Todd,

The book contains a discussion of the "balance" metaphor, to which you
appear to be subject, among other things. The book is about the workings
of the mind, and why people make crazy decisions -- in the case of Los
Angeles, to proceed with a rail system that made no sense.

Perhaps you need to read it!

                                --Jonathan




On Wed, 16 Mar 2005, Todd Alexander Litman wrote:

>
> Dear Jonathan,
>
> It is easy to criticize rail transit investments if they are evaluated
> using conventional transportation engineering metrics (e.g., cost per new
> transit trip), ignoring secondary effects such as leverage effects on per
> capita automobile mileage and desirable land use effects. I hope that this
> book contains balanced information on the unique benefits of rail transit
> and transit oriented development. Your thesis was completed years ago
> before much of this was published, but you had time to incorporate it into
> the book. See, for example:
>
> Hank Dittmar, "Is Rail Transit Right For Your Community? Asking the Right
> Questions; Measuring the Benefits," Surface Transportation Policy Project
> (www.transact.org/report.asp), 1997.
>
> Hank Dittmar and Gloria Ohland, "The New Transit Town: Best Practices In
> Transit-Oriented Development," Island Press (www.islandpress.org), 2004.
>
> Carmen Hass-Klau, et al., "Bus Or Light Rail : Making The Right Choice,"
> Environment and Transport Planning, Brighton Press (Brighton), 2000
>
> John Holtzclaw, "Does A Mile In A Car Equal A Mile On A Train? Exploring
> Public Transit's Effectiveness In Reducing Driving," The Sierra Club,
> (www.sierraclub.org/sprawl/articles/reducedriving.asp), 2000.
>
> Todd Litman, "Rail Transit in America: Comprehensive Evaluation of
> Benefits," VTPI (www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf), 2004.
>
> Glenn Pascall, "The Rail Transit Debate; An Assessment Of The Arguments,"
> Discovery Institute (www.discovery.org), 2001.
>
>
> I see much more mythology and planning distortions related to automobile
> transportation (cars are often described as "sexy," see discussion in
> http://www.vtpi.org/autosex.htm and are a major status symbol as discussed
> in http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm91.htm), significant planning and modeling
> errors that favor highway building (see http://www.vtpi.org/gentraf.pdf and
> http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm76.htm), resulting in much greater economic
> resources wasted than occurs with rail investments.
>
> Best wishes,
> -Todd Litman
>
>
> At 01:14 PM 3/16/2005 +0700, Jonathan E. D. Richmond wrote:
> >I would like to let you know that my "new" book, "Transport of Delight --
> >The Mythical Conception of Rail Transit in Los Angeles," has now been
> >published by the University of Akron Press.
> >
> >It can be found here on Amazon (and I would certainly appreciate any
> >reader's comments on the Amazon site if you get a chance to read it):
> >
> >http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/188483695X/qid=1110952534/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/102-6230374-9224931?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
> >
> >I put "new" in quotes because the book is in fact an updated version of
> >my MIT doctoral dissertation. The book is about how a system of images,
> >symbols and metaphors comes together to creat powerful myths which spur
> >poor planning decisions (in this case, the creation of a rail passenger
> >system in Los Angeles). It is full of interviews of politicians,
> >planners, community leaders and others, and their responses are subjected
> >to a literary analysis to help understand the driving forces behind their
> >reasoning and actions. I find that there is a "logic of the insane," and
> >suggest that those of us subject to such a logic -- frankly all of us at
> >some time or another -- need to be able to learn to identify and reflect
> >on the assumptions which constrain us if we are to move beyond them.
> >This is not just about transportation, but about thought and
> >action as a whole.
> >
> >I also include a critique of technical modelling procedures in use in LA
> >(and typically used widely elsewhere). A history of transportation policy
> >development in the States (and specifically in Los Angeles) is also there,
> >and should be of widespread interest.
> >
> >Unfortunately, I am very unhappy with the production of the book. The
> >University of Akron Press behaved in a disgraceful way in suddenly cutting
> >out a large part of the essential illustrative material after it had been
> >painstakingly assembled and permissions paid. Arguments that this
> >decision affected the integrity of the text fell on deaf ears. The press
> >claimed they were short of money, but would not respond to an offer to pay
> >the alleged additional costs of including all the materials originally
> >planned (and which the press had received a year beforehand and had said
> >would be put into production). I have made a complaint about the press
> >director to the provost of the University of Akron.
> >
> >Despite this lapse, almost all my words are there -- I say "almost"
> >because the press refused to include a statement regarding the
> >unauthorized deletion of illustrations -- and I would of course like you
> >to have the chance to read them and perhaps recommend my book to your
> >students, since I think it has much to say of relevance to a great many
> >areas of human endavour.
> >
> >Best,
> >
> >                                    --Jonathan
> >-----
> >
> >Jonathan E. D. Richmond                               02 524-5510 (office)
> >Visiting Fellow                               Intl.: 662 524-5510
> >Urban Environmental Management program,
> >School of Environment, Resources and Development
> >Room N260B                                            02 524-8257 (home)
> >Asian Institute of Technology                 Intl.: 662 524-8257
> >PO Box 4
> >Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120                        02 524-5509 (fax)
> >Thailand                                      Intl:  662 524-5509
> >
> >e-mail: richmond at ait.ac.th               Secretary:  Kuhn Vantana Pattanakul
> >         richmond at alum.mit.edu                         02 524-6368
> >                                               Intl:  662 524-6132
> >http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/
>
>
> Sincerely,
> Todd Litman, Director
> Victoria Transport Policy Institute
> "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
> 1250 Rudlin Street
> Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada
> Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560
> Email: litman at vtpi.org
> Website: http://www.vtpi.org
>
>

-----

Jonathan E. D. Richmond                               02 524-5510 (office)
Visiting Fellow                               Intl.: 662 524-5510
Urban Environmental Management program,
School of Environment, Resources and Development
Room N260B                                            02 524-8257 (home)
Asian Institute of Technology                 Intl.: 662 524-8257
PO Box 4
Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120                        02 524-5509 (fax)
Thailand                                      Intl:  662 524-5509

e-mail: richmond at ait.ac.th               Secretary:  Kuhn Vantana Pattanakul
        richmond at alum.mit.edu		              02 524-6368
					      Intl:  662 524-6132
http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/



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