Chapter 27: Can Telecommunications Help Solve Transportation Problems? A Decade Later: Are the Prospects Any Better?

The first question posed above was the title of this chapter in the first edition of the Handbook, almost a decade ago; it received a mixed response. Many believed that the “solutions” were just around the corner, while others raised some doubts as to the likelihood of solving transportation problems with telecommunications technology. This chapter takes a fresh look at this question, a decade later. Accordingly, the second question in the title draws attention to the temporal dimension, with a tone that challenges a positive answer. In brief, we suggest that much has been learned over the past decade, but more research is still required to provide sound intellectual answers as well as findings that can support policymaking.¹