PODCAR AGGLOMERATION BENEFITS

   by         John Avault

I want to point out an aspect of the economic significance that new mobility options can have for Boston and other cities. I see Boston’s strong economy as a force for good, benefiting its residents, businesses and workers.  Greater Boston is an agglomeration of cities, towns and institutions that power a vast array of modern technology.

In Boston’s vibrant economy, space is precious and land use competition is fierce. We need space to live and space to work. We also need means to get from one place to another. Our various transportation systems and infrastructures entail costs as well as benefits. The private automobile provides a high level of convenience and flexibility, but at a very high cost. We see this in the price we pay to own and operate a car in Boston, and in the price we pay to park. There are other dimensions of this cost that are not so obvious. 

Density and porto-potties are going
up in historic downtown Boston

The number of jobs in Boston exceeds the city’s residential population. These jobs pay, on average, significantly more than Massachusetts and USA averages. Boston’s office buildings contain more than 35% of the city’s jobs. These jobs require, on average, less than 250 square feet of building space each. Hospitals contain about 12% of jobs in the city, and they correspond to an average of 211 square feet of building space each.

Stuck on Parking

Compare those numbers to a single parking space in a multi-story garage that requires about 350 square feet of floor area. Seen in this light, the automobile costs us more than just the money we spend. We are paying with very valuable limited land that we really need for jobs and housing. Because buildings and infrastructure are long-lived, we are paying by mortgaging our future.

A technology that both improves transportation access and conserves Boston’s valuable land for more productive uses deserves our serious consideration and our active investigation. PRT (or ATN, automated transit networks) can compete with the private automobile for convenience and access, and steer our land use investments to more productive uses.

Outside Boston's core, the streetscape
can still get cluttered with guideways .

Boston is an exceptional city in many ways. Millions of New Englanders, students and visiting faculty and experts identify with the “Hub of the Universe”. It has extensive but troubled transit services. Podcars will have to fit in delicately -- much as in other cities across the USA and, indeed, the world.

John Avault is a Harvard graduate who spent most of his career as Chief Economist of the Boston Redevelopment Authority. He retired a few years ago and accepts research and consulting assignments.