GEOG 135 – Economic Geography
Professor: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Topic 9 – Transportation and
Communications
A – Transport Networks and Costs
B – Transport Systems
Hofstra
Department
of Global
Studies
& Geography
HofstraUniversity,
University,
Department
of Global
Studies
& Geography
A – TRANSPORT NETWORKS AND COSTS
1.
2.
3.
The Function of Transportation
Transportation Networks
Transportation Costs
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Transportation as a Derived Demand
Activity
Working
Vacationing
Manufacturing
Taxi
Air travel
Touring bus
Trucks
Containership
Direct
Commuting
Warehousing
Indirect
Energy
Derived Demand
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Core Components of Transportation
Modes
• Conveyances (vehicles) used to move passengers or freight.
• Mobile elements of transportation.
Infrastructures
• Physical support of transport modes, such as routes and terminals.
• Fixed elements of transportation.
Networks
• System of linked locations (nodes).
• Functional and spatial organization of transportation.
Flows
• Movements of people, freight and information over their network.
• Flows have origins, intermediary locations and destinations.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Operational Differences between Passengers and Freight
Transportation
Board, get off and transfer without
assistance.
Process information and act on it
without assistance.
Make choices between transport
modes without assistance but often
irrationally.
Require travel accommodations
related to comfort and safety.
Must be loaded, unloaded and
transferred.
Information must be processed
through logistics managers.
Logistics managers meet choices
between transport modes rationally.
Require limited travel
accommodations.
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Centrifugal and Centripetal Networks
Centrifugal
Centripetal
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
3. Distance, Modal Choice and Transport Costs
C1
Road
C2
Transport costs per unit
C3
Rail
D1
Maritime
D2
Distance
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
3. Freight Transport Costs in Dollars per Ton-Mile
Air
4.88
Road
2.51
Rail
0.25
Water
0.07
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Average Haul Length, Domestic Freight in the United States, 19602003 (in miles)
2000
1800
1600
1400
Air carrier
Truck
Rail
Coastal
Miles
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 200220032004
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Typical Ocean Freight Costs for some Products (Asia – United
States or Asia – Europe)
Typical Shelf
Price
Shipping Costs
Shipping Costs
Share
LCD TV Set
$700
$4.00
0.5%
Digital Camera (high
range)
$450
$0.15
0.03%
Vacuum Cleaner
$150
$1.00
0.6%
Scotch Whisky (bottle)
$50
$0.15
0.3%
Coffee (1 kg)
$15
$0.15
3.3%
Biscuits (Tin)
$3
$0.05
1.7%
Beer (Can)
$1
$0.01
1.0%
$0.75
$0.04
5.3%
Apple
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Household Expenditures on Transport, United States, 2005
100%
6
80%
22
52
Transport services
6
11
15
60%
Vehicle finance charges
Other vehicle charges
Maintenance and repairs
Vehicle insurance
46
Gasoline and motor oil
Operation of vehicles
3
Purchase of vehicles
40%
43
Other vehicles
Car used
20%
42
55
Car new
0%
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
B – TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
1.
2.
3.
Passenger and Freight Options
Transport Modes
Telecommunications
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Main Passenger Modal Options
Air
Road
Rail
Maritime
Scheduled
Car
Intercity
Ferry
Charter
Taxi
HSR
RoRo
High Speed
Van/Bus
Transit
Motorcycle
Subway
Bicycle
Walking
Cruise
Commuter
LRT
Monorail
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
1. Main Freight Modal Options
Air
Truck
Rail
Maritime
Inland /
Coastal
Pipeline
Package
Package
Unit Train
Break-bulk
River/sea
Pipeline
Freighter
Less than
Truckload (LTL)
Carload
Liquid Bulk
Tow
Oil
Gas
Bellyhold
Truckload (TL)
Heavy
Dry Van
Tank
Flatbed
Curtainside
Reefer
Boxcar
RoRo
Tank Car
Flat Car
Reefer
Tank barge
Water
Deck barge
Dry Bulk
Container
Hopper barge
Container
Hopper
Gondola
ISO Container
Hopper
Intermodal
Reefer
Open Top
TOFC
Flatrack
Chassis
Domestic
Tank
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. World Road Network
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Length of the Interstate Highway System and of the Chinese
Expressway System, 1959-2012 (in km)
90,000
United States (Interstate)
80,000
China (Expressways)
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. World Rail Network and Rail Systems
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Rail Track Mileage and Number of Class I Rail Carriers, United
States, 1830-2008
275,000
200
Rand McNally (1897)
ICC
250,000
180
AAR/BTS (Class I Only)
225,000
AAR (All Classes)
200,000
140
175,000
120
150,000
100
125,000
80
100,000
Number of Class I Rail Carriers
Miles of Roads Owned
160
Class I Rail Carriers
60
75,000
40
50,000
20
25,000
0
0
1830
1850
1870
1890
1910
1930
1950
1970
1990
2010
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Domains of Maritime Circulation
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Evolution of Containerships
Early Containerships (1956-)
A
500 – 800 TEU
(LOA – Beam – Draft)
137x17x9
Fully Cellular (1970-)
13
5
8
B
13
6
15
5
9
300x43x14.5
New Panamax (2014-)
17
10
366x49x15.2
C
6
20
12,500 TEU
6
D
397x56x15.5 ; 22–10–8 (not shown)
23
15,000 TEU
18,000 TEU
4 containers high below deck
285x40x13
Post Panamax Plus (2000-)
Triple E (2013-)
A
10
9
4,000 – 5,000 TEU
Post New Panamax (2006-)
E
5
4
290x32x12.5
6,000 – 8,000 TEU
D
8
250x32x12.5
Post Panamax (1988-)
C
6 containers across
4 containers high on deck
6
3,000 – 3,400 TEU
3,400 – 4,500 TEU
6
215x20x10
Panamax (1980-)
Panamax Max (1985-)
4
200x20x9
1,000 – 2,500 TEU
B
4
10
400x59x15.5
E
8
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
World Air Travel and World Air Freight Carried, 1950-2011
6,000
Freight
160
140
4,000
120
100
3,000
80
2,000
Billions of tons-km
Billions of passengers-km
5,000
Passengers
180
60
40
1,000
20
0
0
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. World’s Major Container Ports, 2010
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Passenger Traffic at the World’s Largest Airports, 2010
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Latitudinal Intermediacy: COPA Airlines
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
2. Freight Traffic at the World’s Largest Airports, 2010
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue
3. Global Submarine Cable Network
© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue