1.221J / 11.527J / ESD.201J Transportation Systems, Fall 2002
An East Japan Railway Company Shinkansen high speed train photographed by the instructor. (Photo by Prof. Joseph Sussman.)
Highlights of this Course
This course includes online access to an expanded set of more than 500 lecture slides in PDF format, based on the instructor's book
Introduction to Transportation Systems. These slides are designed specifically to facilitate teaching by instructors other than the author.
Approaching transportation as a complex, large-scale, integrated, open system (CLIOS), this course strives to be an interdisciplinary systems subject in the "open" sense. It introduces qualitative modeling ideas and various techniques and philosophies of modeling complex transportation enterprises. It also introduces conceptual frameworks for qualitative analysis, such as frameworks for regional strategic planning, institutional change analysis, and new technology development and deployment.
Course Description
This subject introduces transportation as a large-scale, integrated system that interacts directly with the social, political, and economic aspects of contemporary society. Fundamental elements and issues shaping traveler and freight transportation systems. Underlying principles governing transportation planning, investment, operations, and maintenance. System performance and level-of-service metrics and the determinants of transportation travel demand. Design of transportation services and facilities for various modes and intermodal operations.