We would like to emphasize that a number of our recommendations establish objectives toward which we should work over a period of years, rather than suggestions for immediate legislative implementation. While we believe these objectives are sound we recognize that hasty implementation could do great harm. In these cases we recommend legislative acceptance and establishment of the objective so that all may be informed but that a time schedule for implementation be designed to fit the circumstances. As you are aware, we expected to require 2 years to complete the study under an annual budget approximately equal to the total we have expended over a period of 18 months. Curtailment of resources of time and money required we tailor the suit to the cloth. For this reason we have concentrated primarily on the troubled area of domestic surface transportation, recognizing the existence of pressing problems in other areas. The continuing research we have recommended will permit attention to these important questions. As a suggestion not directly related to our study we would like to recommend that the studies underlying the recent Department of Commerce report on transportation be printed and made available for purchase through the Government Printing Office. In closing, we would like to commend to your attention the fine cooperation we have had from most of the Advisory Council and the members of our ad hoc committees. The Under Secretary of Commerce, the regulatory agencies and other departments of Government, together with the Library of Congress, have furnished aid without which our limited staff would have been unable to proceed. Many valuable suggestions have been received from independent sources and from State regulatory bodies. We sincerely trust our product justifies their efforts. Respectfully submitted. JOHN P. DOYLE, Staff Director, Transportation Study Group. FOREWORD This is a preliminary draft of a report on our national transportation policy, prepared by a special study group under the authority of Senate Resolutions 29, 151, and 244, of the 86th Congress. It is in draft form so that the Advisory Council, which represents all forms of transportation, may comment on it before it is considered by the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. In that connection, I wish to emphasize that the conclusions and recommendations incorporated into this staff report, and which are extremely controversial, represent the views of the members of the special study group, and have neither been approved, disapproved, nor considered by the Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. The committee will await comment and advice from the Advisory Council and other interested parties. (Signed) WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Chairman. Chart I. Class I railroads, operating ratios-Percentage relation- Chapter 4. Decline of railroad traffic and revenue_ A. Relative decline of traffic___ Table VI. Relative position of railroads in intercity freight Chart IX. Relative position of railroads in intercity freight Table VII. Relative position of railroads in intercity pas- Chart V. Relative position of railroads in intercity passen- B. Absolute decline of traffic and revenue_ Part II-Transportation trends-Continued Chapter 5. Causes of decline of common carrier's position_. 1. Technological developments___ 2. Trends in patterns of commerce. 3. Growth of nonregulated carriage---- 4. Increasing public investment in transportation facilities----- Table X. Annual magnitude of three major Federal promo- tional programs for transportation, 1946-59, represent- ing Federal highway authorizations, Federal aviation obligations, and rivers-and-harbors appropriations------ Chart VIII. Annual magnitude of three major Federal pro- motional programs for transportation, 1940-60, repre- senting Federal highway authorizations, Federal avia- tion obligations, and rivers-and-harbors appropriations_- 5. Inequitable and destructive regulation of common carriers--- Chapter 6. Some economic results of decline of common carriers--- Table XVI. Railroad operating expenses, 1946-59- Table XVII. Age of freight carrying cars used in inter- Chapter 7. Trends projected to 1975_. Chart X. Freight traffic of regulated and unregulated intercity car- riers projected to 1975 compared to railroad traffic_ Exhibit A. ICC-regulated versus non-ICC intercity freight____ Chart XI. Anticipated annual expenditures for public investment Chart XII. Total Government expenditures for transportation, railroad capital expenditures, and gross national product, 1946- 92 |