TOUR 25

TRANSPORTATION
MANAGEMENT
After the completion of the chapter, students will be able to:
1. explain the definition, purpose and importance of
transportation; 2. analyze the physical constraints and
overcoming the physical environment; and 3. discuss the
transport networks and differentiate the typology and topology
of networks
Purpose of Transportation
The Importance of
Transportation
 Transport is a multidimensional activity whose
importance is:
Historical. Transport modes have played
several different historical roles in the rise of
1.

civilizations (Egypt, Rome and China), in the

development of societies (creation of social
structures) and also in national defense
(Roman Empire, American road network).
Ancient Egyptian Ancient Roman Chinese
Transportation Transportation Transportation
Social
Political
Economic
Environmental
Transportation in Geography
The world is obviously not a place where features such as
resources, people and economic activities are randomly
distributed. Geography seeks to understand the spatial order of
things as well as their interactions. Transportation is an element
of this spatial order as it is at the same time influenced by
geography as well as having an influence on it. Transportation is
not necessarily a science, but a field of application borrowing
concepts and methods from a wide variety of disciplines.
 Transportation interests’ geographers for two
main reasons. First, transport infrastructures,
terminals, equipment and networks occupy an
important place in space and constitute the basis
of a complex spatial system. Second, since
geography seeks to explain spatial relationships,
transport networks are of specific interest
because they are the main support of these
interactions.
 Transport Geography - is a sub-discipline
of geography concerned about movements of
freight, people and information. It seeks to
understand their spatial organization by
linking spatial constraints and attributes with
the origin, the destination, the extent, the
nature and the purpose of movements.
Transportation and Space
Physical Constraints
Transport geography is concerned with movements that
take place over space. The physical features of this
space impose major constraints on transportation
systems, in terms of what mode can be used, the extent
of the service, its costs, capacity and reliability. Three
basic spatial constraints of the terrestrial space can be
identified:
Three basic spatial constraints of the terrestrial
space can be identified:

Topography
Hydrology Climate
 Three basic spatial constraints of the terrestrial space
can be identified:
1. Topography
Features such as mountains and valleys have strongly
influenced the structure of networks, the cost and feasibility of
transportation projects. The main land transport infrastructures
are built usually where there are the least physical
impediments, such as on plains, along valleys, through
mountain passes, or when absolutely necessary through the
digging of tunnels.
 Water transport is influenced by water
depths and the location of obstacles such
as reefs. Coastlines exert an influence on
the location of port infrastructure.

Aircraft require airfields of considerable

size for takeoff and landing.
Topography can impose a natural convergence of
routes that will create a certain degree of centrality
and may assist a location in becoming a trade
center as a collector and distributor of goods.
Topography can complicate, postpone or prevent
the activities of the transport industry. Physical
constraints fundamentally act as absolute and
relative barriers to movements.
 An absolute barrier is a geographical feature that
entirely prevents a movement while relative barriers
impose additional costs and delays. Land
transportation networks are notably influenced by
topography, as highways and railways tend to be
impeded by grades higher than 3 percent and 1
percent respectively. Under such circumstances, land
transportation tends to be of higher density in areas of
limited topography.
2. Hydrology
The properties, distribution and circulation of water play an important role
in the transport industry. Maritime transport is influenced greatly by the
availability of navigable channels through rivers, lakes and shallow seas.
Port sites are also highly influenced by the physical attributes of the site
where natural features (bays, sand bars, and fjords) protect port
installations. Since it is at these installations that traffic is transshipped,
the location of ports is a dominant element in the structure of maritime
networks. Where barriers exist, such as narrows, rapids or land breaks,
water transport can only overcome these obstacles with heavy
investments in canals or dredging. Conversely waterways serve as
barriers to land transportation necessitating the construction of bridges,
tunnels and detours, etc.
3. Climate Its major components include temperature, wind
and precipitation. Their impacts on transportation modes and
infrastructure range from negligible to severe. Freight and
passenger movement can seriously be curtailed by hazardous
conditions such as snow, heavy rainfall, ice or fog. Air
transportation is particularly vulnerable to weather disruptions, such
as during winter when a snow storm can create cascading effects.
Jet streams are also a major physical component that international
air carriers must take into consideration. For an aircraft, the speed of
wind can affect travel costs. Tailwind conditions can reduce flight time
up to several hours for intercontinental flights.
Climate is also an influence over transportation
networks by affecting construction and maintenance
costs. Even volcanic eruptions can have an impact as
was the case in 2010 when a volcanic eruption in
Iceland released large amounts of ash in the
atmosphere, which forced the closing of most airports
in northwestern Europe as well as the cancellation of
many transatlantic flights out of concern that the ash
could damage jet engines.
Overcoming
the Physical
Environment
Overcoming the Physical Environment ∙ Rapid
technological developments have enabled transportation
to overcome the physical environment. Before the Middle
Ages, road location was adapted to topography. Since
then, efforts have been made to pave roads, bridge rivers
and cut paths over mountain passes. ∙ Engineering
techniques in terms of arch and vault used in Byzantine
and Gothic church constructions in the twelfth century
permitted bridge building
∙ Road building has been at the core of technological efforts to overcome
the environment. From the efforts to mechanize individual transport to
the development of integrated highways, road building has transformed
the environment. Land transportation was further facilitated with the
development of technical solutions for preventing temporary interruptions
in road transport provision through route ways protection. ∙ Innovations
in maritime transport can be found around the world. The earliest
developments came in the transformation of waterways for
transportation purposes through the development of canal locks. Some
of the earliest examples can be found in the Dutch canals, the
Martesana canals of Lombardy, the canal de Briare in France or the
Imperial canal of China.
The Geography of Transportation Networks
Transport networks

Transportation systems are commonly represented using

networks as an analogy for their structure and flows. Transport
networks belong to the wider category of spatial networks
because their design and evolution are physically constrained,
as opposed to non-spatial networks such as social
interactions, corporate organization and biological systems.
Network refers to the framework of routes within a
system of locations, identified as nodes. Route is
a single link between two nodes that are part of a
larger network that can refer to tangible routes
such as roads and rails, or less tangible routes
such as air and sea corridors. The territorial
structure of any region corresponds to a network of
all its economic inter- actions.
 The recent decades have seen the emergence of
transport hubs, a strongly centripetal form, as a privileged
network structure for many types of transport services,
notably for air transportation. Although hub-and-spoke
networks often result in improved network efficiency, they
have drawbacks linked with their vulnerability to disruptions
and delays at hubs, an outcome of the lack of direct
connections. When traffic becomes sufficient, direct point-
to-point services tend to be established as they better
reflect the preference of users.
Hubs, as a network structure, allow a greater
flexibility within the transport system, through
a concentration of flows. For instance, on
Figure 1.1, a point-to-point network involves
16 independent connections, each to be
serviced by vehicles and infrastructures. By
using a hub-and-spoke structure, only 8
connections are required.
The main advantages of hubs are: ∙ Economies of scale on
connections by offering a high frequency of services. For
instance, instead of one service per day between any two pairs
in a point-to-point network, four services per day could be
possible. ∙ Economies of scale at the hubs, enabling the
potential development of an efficient distribution system since
the hubs handle larger quantities of traffic. Economies of scope
in the use of shared transshipment facilities. This can take
several dimensions such as lower costs for users as well as
higher quality infrastructures
Many transportation services have adapted to include a hub-
and-spoke structure. The most common examples involve air
passenger and freight services which have developed such a
structure at the global, national and regional levels, like those
used by parcel carriers such as UPS, FedEx and DHL.
However, potential disadvantages may also occur such as
additional transshipment as less point-to-point services are
offered, which for some connections may involve delays and
potential congestion as the hub becomes the major point of
transshipment.
Point-to-point Hub-and -Spoke
THANK
YOU
VERY
MUCH