The 1970's and 1980's witnessed both substantial conceptual and practical interest in paratransit across Europe and North America, as well as widespread implementation of paratransit services and strategies. Subsequently, the trajectory of paratransit (also often referred to as flexible transport systems) has waned, to the point where it is frequently relegated to a very narrow niche (often related to special needs) in the spectrum of collective transport services. More recently, technological advances have made feasible new and / or improved approaches for organizing and delivering local passenger transportation. With practice, policy and research in paratransit now being impacted by these developments, a new set of possibilities is emerging. Some practitioners have forged ahead over the past decade and implemented services and organizational models that show the way forward for what is possible, sometimes without the benefit of the most advanced available technologies. This book draws on a selection of papers presented at the International Paratransit Conference in Monterey in October 2014 to capture these exciting developments.

At a time when transport is high on the political agenda and government decision-making is being vigorously scrutinised, there is a need for an incisive and accessible analysis of the key policy issues. This book is a highly readable introduction to the transport debate from two experts in the field. The authors celebrate the advantages of a modern transport system, but argue that years of poorly conceived and executed transport policy have resulted in Britain's transport system being far worse than it should be. They show that a substandard transport system creates economic, social and environmental costs, but demonstrate how these can be addressed through affordable and politically deliverable changes. Using a refreshingly novel approach, Shaw and Docherty use the familiar idea of the journey as the basis for their discussion. The book follows members of the Smith family as they uncover a wide array of transport issues, including why the problems we all encounter as we travel around actually come about; which policy trade-offs were responsible for creating them in the first place; what impacts we all have to suffer as a result; and what we can do to fix them. This lively and engaging approach will make the book ideal for a wide readership.

This book explores the reasons for difficulties in making cycling mainstream in many cultures, despite its claims for being one of the most sustainable forms of transport. The topic is looked at from the varying perspectives of people, the environment and the economy with multi-disciplinary contributions from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Australia, China and USA. Initially, it examines the cultural development of cycling in countries with high use and the differences in use between different sub-groups of the population. It then explores issues of urban form, and the attributes of the network and the system for appropriately accommodating cycle users. Cross-cultural issues are once again investigated through an exposition of research in developing countries and the environment in which scheme promoters and users operate. The book draws to a close with an exploration of state-of-the-art thinking on demand model.

The volume is based on papers presented at a workshop on the green transport agenda and its implications for Chinese cities, organised by the World Conference on Transport Research Society in September 2010. The five sections of this volume review the challenges facing urban transport internationally and in China. It considers approaches to policy formulation, the challenge of urban mobility and the development of green sustainable transportation, by reviewing best practice in objective setting, strategy analysis and policy selection, and comparing these with current practice in China. The authors examine passenger transport, and considers a number of current policy interventions in China and compare these with western experience with demand management and new vehicle technologies. Topics include 5D land-use transport model for a high density, rapidly growing city and Contextual requirements for electric vehicles in developed and developing countries. Finally freight and logistics is addressed, including the role of freight villages and milk run strategies, and challenges and policy recommendations for road freight in Shanghai.

This informed and lively book offers a timely analysis of the UK government's sustainable - or subsequently 'integrated' - transport policy 10 years after the publication of "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone". Written by prominent transport experts and with a foreword by Christian Wolmar, the book identifies the modest successes and, sadly, the far more significant failures in government policy over the last decade. The authors also uncover why it has proved so difficult to adopt a more sustainable approach to transport and break Britain's love-affair with the car. The book reviews the links between the idea of sustainability and transport policy, and provides an up-to-the-minute analysis of the political realities surrounding the delivery of a sustainable transport agenda in the UK. It picks up on the principal components of "A New Deal for Transport" and evaluates to what extent these have, or haven't, been delivered in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The contributors analyse why delivering sustainable transport policies seems to present particular difficulties to ministers across the UK, and considers the UK's experience in an international perspective. The book draws lessons from the last 10 years in order to better inform future policy development. "Traffic Jam" is an indispensable analysis of the difficulties involved in turning policy ideals into practical reality, and as such will be of interest to scholars, students, planners, policy analysts and policy makers.

The British state has long been regarded as one of the most stable and centralised political structures in the world, and devolution represents one of the most significant changes to its fabric in 300 years. To date research on devolution in the UK has largely focused on core public policy areas such as health, economic development and social welfare. Work on transport has been somewhat limited, despite its increased policy prominence in recent years. This book presents a thorough academic investigation into the impact of devolution on the formulation and delivery of transport policy in the UK. Using detailed interviews with key policy makers, transport providers, business organisations and user groups, the authors draw upon concepts and ideas from across the social sciences to inform their analysis. The picture that emerges is distinctly mixed: there are elements of both convergence and divergence in the strategies and policies adopted by the devolved administrations, and marked variations in the overall performance of these administrations in transport are uncovered. Ultimately, though, devolution on its own is an insufficient basis for improved policy performance what matters is the generation of enough strategic capacity to promote real change for the better.

About the authors
Danny MacKinnon is Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Aberdeen.
Jon Shaw is Reader in Human Geography and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Transport at the University of Plymouth.
Iain Docherty is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management at the University of Glasgow.
* This book presents a thorough academic investigation into the impact of devolution onthe formulation and delivery of transport policy in the UK.
* The authors draw upon concepts and ideas from across the social sciences to inform their analysis by using detailed interviews with key policy makers, transport providers, business organisations and user groups.

The SAGE Handbook of Transport Studies is an authoritative survey of contemporary transportation systems examined in terms of economic, social, and technical issues, as well as environmental challenges. Incorporating an extensive range of approaches - from modes, terminals, planning and policy to more recent developments related to supply chain management, information systems and sustainability/ecology - the work provides a cohesive and extensive overview of transport studies.

Authored by international experts in their field, each individual chapter bridges a broad range of conceptual, theoretical and geographical perspectives, and the Handbook is divided into six sections:

- Transport in the Global World

- Transport in Regions and Localities

- Transport, Economy and Society

- Transport Policy

- Transport Networks and Models

- Transport and the Environment

This Handbook will be an indispensible resource for academics, planners, and policy-makers.