The Future of Transportation and Communication: Visions and Perspectives from Europe, Japan, and the U.S.A.

We all know that networks are fundamental prerequisites for prosperity and production. Transportation and communication are indispensible to society, they are the elements which bind all economic systems together. Without networks and communica­ tion all social and economic life will be reduced to isolated phenomena. Therefore, transportation can't be assessed in the same way as other services. A smoothly functioning system of communications is also a prerequistite for social and economic integration between separate geographical regions. The modernization of the infrastructure is therefore an urgent task and a precondition for carrying out the whole of Europe's ambitious political, economic and social agenda. Since the need for communication and transportation does not know any national borders, the functioning of the networks needs to be adopted to this new economic and political geography. Congestions of cities, highways, railroads, airways and tele­ communications must be tackled, if precious working, commuting and leisure time is not to be wasted and heavy burdens on the environment avoided. European traffic, is for example, expected to double within the next twenty years. In certain transport modes the growth is expected to be even faster - air passenger transport doubled in 10 years and goods transport on roads doubled in 15 years.