Balancing External Standardization With Internal Policy Making In Urban Mass Transportation

This paper examines three policies for standardization within the urban mass transportation industry and investigates the feasibility of using benefit-cost analysis to establish which of these would be most effective. Standardization is viewed as being aimed at improving passenger welfare (safety, security, health, and comfort), service levels, and economic performance. Policies considered are (1) voluntary standardization by individual properties, (2) voluntary standardization within a framework of guidelines, goals, and leadership provided by an outside authority, and (3) universal standards imposed on all properties by an outside authority. A benefit-cost approach is tentatively found feasible, and a qualitative analysis of passenger welfare standardization is described.