by Richard Gilbert and Anthony Perl. 2010. http://www.transportrevolutions.info/
Review:
http://transitionvoice.com/2010/12/a-ticket-to-ride/
Richard Gilbert and Anthony Perl review transportation revolutions that have occurred in the past, current transport energy use, and the transportation areas that need to be revolutionized in the future.
The thrust of the book is that we have transportation options. Those options are what need to be evaluated as the world lurches toward liquid fuel shortages for conventional internal combustion engines.
Society will find that it has benefited from not being completely reliant on internal combustion engines powering all our transportation needs. Some sectors of transportation currently rely on electric traction motors for motive power. Future transportation needs can be built on currently available electric transportation technology but would require significant investments in electric grid capability, electric infrastructure and vehicles.
The authors discuss how the major investments in current infrastructure can “lock in” a particular combination of technology and organization and provide significant resistance to further change. This is especially apparent in the US, with its lack of development in intercity high speed rail systems. Instead the US has focused on roads and highways. As air travel becomes increasingly expensive, the US will regret not having already made significant investment into rail systems.
The run-up in oil prices in 2008 provided a momentary glimpse at the future that’s coming. The reviewer notes that if the high fuel prices in ’08 had been accompanied by limitations in supply availability, then the challenge would have been in maintaining civil order.
The authors suggest that one of the elements necessary to kick-start the next transport revolution in the US would be to tax oil and gas vehicle fuels. I imagine it will not be a viable option through the next election cycle in 2012 and beyond if Republicans take the presidency.