Editorial

The Millennium Special Issue (I)

At the annual meeting held in Washington D.C. in January 1998, the Editorial Board of the Journal of Advanced Transportation decided that a special issue would be published to commemorate the Millennium. Each paper in the Millennium Special Issue would explore a key area of transportation that is of interest to readers of the Journal. The advances made during the last few decades of the 20th Century would be reviewed, and the likely state of the art during the first few decades of the 21st century would be envisioned, in each of the papers.

The Editorial Board began the process by listing a large number of key areas of interest within the transportation field and identifying the leading international authority for each. A process of ranking and voting was used to choose the prospective list for inclusion in the Millennium Special Issue. The final list is made up of those authors that agreed to have their papers included.

The Millennium Special Issue will in fact consist of two issues of the Journal of Advanced Transportation. The current issue, Volume 34-1 (2000), the first issue of the 21st Century, will be the first one. It will focus mainly on topics related to transportation technology and transportation planning. The papers are listed in alphabetical order of the author?s last name.

J. Edward Anderson discusses the concept of personal rapid transit (PRT), which has been the key area of interest of the Advanced Transit Association. He reviews the reasons for the failure of PRT to take hold and outlines the process needed to develop the technology. The implications for a city that deploys a PRT system are discussed.

William L. Garrison looks at the relationship between innovation and transportation technologies. He critiques the innovation process and offers insights based on experiences gained in the 20th Century. He discusses the improvement that can be made via technological advances.

David A. Hensher reviews the economic efficiency of transportation systems. Aspects of institutional and market reform as well as travel choice and demand are reviewed. He argues that the 21st Century will require a better understanding of the role of markets and institutions to guide the transportation sector.

Veli Himanen reviews the current transportation landscape and policies in North Eastern Europe. Major changes that occurred in the last decennia are presented. On the basis of major studies supported by a European Commission, the prospects for the future are outlined.

C. Jotin Khisty surveys public involvement in the transportation planning process after three decades of development at the end of the 20th Century. Subsequently, he discusses the optimal approach to collective decision making through citizen involvement that is appropriate for the 21st Century.

Michael D. Meyer examines the evolution of transportation planning for urban areas during the last four decades of the 20th Century. The contents of fifteen key planning conferences that were held during that period are reviewed. Ten areas that will challenge transportation planners in the 21st Century are discussed.

We are extremely pleased that leading international researchers have agreed to contribute to both Numbers I and II of the Millennium Special Issue of the Journal of Advanced Transportation, thus ensuring that it will become a key reference work for the beginning decades of the 21st Century.