SEMINAR ON SYSTEM EVALUATION

DEMAND-ACTUATED URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES CURRENTLY ARE SUPPLIED BY TAXIS AND, IN SOME PLACES, BY AIRPORT LIMOUSINES, SCHOOL BUSES, AND JITNEYS. THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING NEW SYSTEMS EMPLOYING RADIO- DISPATCHED MINIBUSES WAS RECOGNIZED AT LEAST AS EARLY AS 1963 WHEN THE CITY OF MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, CONDUCTED A LIMITED EXPERIMENT WITH AN IMPROVISED SYSTEM CALLED DIAL-A- BUS AND FILED A GRANT APPLICATION WITH THE U.S. HOUSING AND HOME FINANCE AGENCY. DURING A RECENT PERIOD--ABOUT 4 YEARS-- THE CONCEPT HAS HAD CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION FROM THE COMMUNITY OF PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH ANALYSTS AND THE URBAN MASS TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATION. THE DEGREE OF INTEREST THAT IS BEING SHOWN BY RESEARCHERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS IS NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD INDICATION OF THE VALUE OF THE DIAL-A-BUS SYSTEM. THEREFORE, IN THIS SEMINAR AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO CONSIDER THE VALUE OF THE SYSTEM FROM THE VIEWPOINTS OF SEVERAL OTHER GROUPS WHO MUST LEND SUPPORT IF THE SYSTEM IS TO ENJOY SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS. A NUMBER OF EVALUATION- ORIENTED QUESTIONS WERE CONSIDERED FROM THE VIEWPOINTS OF (1) OPERATORS, (2) OWNERS, (3) PATRONS, AND (4) LABOR. UNDER (1) THE FOLLOWING TOPICS ARE CONSIDERED: ALTERNATIVE OPERATING PATTERNS, THE NATIONAL POTENTIAL FOR DIAL-A-BUS, RANGE OF POSSIBLE SERVICES, AND POTENTIAL PROBLEMS; UNDER (2): PUBLIC VERSUS PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, AND COSTS AND FARES; UNDER (3): IDENTIFICATION OF THE TARGET RIDERSHIP; AND UNDER (4): POTENTIAL LABOR-MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS.