1. The Transport System

1.1 The Importance of Transport

• Transport an integral part of human culture in all societies
• People wish to transport: people (individually or in mass), things (freight), and information.

Information transfer is now relatively fast and efficient.

Transport of things can be dictated as to how and when they travel.

People want to exercise control over their travel.

1.2 The Development of Transport

Stages of Development:

Human Powered

Animal Powered

Machine Powered

An alternative method of thinking of the development of transport is:

Primitive (vehicle found in nature)

Transitional (improved vehicle)

Advanced (the 'way' improved)

Chronologically transport development started with basic land and water transport where motive power was provided by the human. Land transport developed to using other animals as beasts of burden - horses, camels, etc. Further development occured with the invention of devices to attach to the animal - sleds, carts, etc. A major step forward occurred with the invention of the wheel, although the development of wheeled vehicles was fairly slow.Water transport developed with the use of devices to carry the person - canoe type structures, where the power was still provided by the human. The development of the sail allowed the use of an external power - the wind. The use of sail transport was limited by navigation restrictions (the necessity to be in sight of land) and the inability to sail against the wind. The technique of sailing against the wind developed in the mid 1400's with the development of multi-masted vessels.

A major impetus to the development of transport occur with the industrial revolution and particularly the harnessing of steam power. This led to the development of the railway in the early 1800's and a worldwide boom in railway construction occurred between about 1830 and 1900. Steam power also led to the development of steam ships and a move away from sailing ships. The development of the motor vehicle in the late 1800's and early 1900's started the decline in railway building and rail transport. However, at the turn of the century it was by no means clear as to which way road transport would develop with steam, electric and internal combustion engine powered vehicles all being used. The internal combustion engine was to win out for road transport, and its relative compactness and lightness also led to its use in the development of aircraft.

LINK TO THE PICTURE GALLERY

The Picture Gallery contains some photographs of The Development of Transport .

LINKS TO SITES ON TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT:

The Smithsonian Institue in the USA provides some overview of transport development, particularly in the last one hundred years, through its Smithsonian: Transportation History FAQs and Links

1.3 Transport in the Modern World

The major factors influencing the development of transport on a global basis are:

• The Pattern of Trading Nations. This is a complex factor. There is a growing tendency for nations to associate in trading blocks and this increases the mutual interdependence of nations.
• The Growth of Population. Estimated world population figures are:

Year	Estimated World Population (Millions)
1650	450
1900	2000
1960	3000
1980	4000
2000	6250

• The Increasing Affluence of Nations.
• The Decline in Strategic Interferences with Transport.
• The Search for Increasing Efficiency in Transport.
• Environmental Concerns. Including noise, air pollution, and safety.

Transport can be considered to have three major roles in modern society:

• Economic - Economic wellbeing is dependent on adequate transport facilities.
• Social - Transport provides for the interaction of persons, and the provision of goods and services.
• Political - Transport influences trading, which in turn influences sovereignty.

1.4 Transport / Land Use Interaction.

Transport and land use are closely related.

Can be considered in the following way:

New transport facilities results in increased accessibility, which results in land values increasing, which results in a change of land use to a higher use, which results in increased trip generation, which results in greater demand for transport services, which results in new transport facilities (back to the beginning).(i.e. a cyclic process)

This is analogous to the old problem: Which came first - the chicken or the egg? In this case, which comes first: Change to land use or change to the transport system?

Page last modified 24 June 2002.