| The rapid population increases in China have placed huge stresses on transportation services and infrastructure. In this dissertation, I focus on second-tier cities in China, which have received far less attention than first-tier cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, and yet arguably face far greater challenges. I aim to compare the public transit system in first-tier and second-tier cities in order to understand differences in public investments and management of transit services, and to use those insights to develop policy recommendations for policy makers and transit operators. My dissertation will address the following policy and empirical questions: Why do some first and second tier Chinese cities adopt different policies---in terms of funding and level of service---in developing a public transit system? How do these policies affect the technical efficiency of public transport (measured as effectiveness per unit of inputs)? How does the technical efficiency of public transport differ between first and second-tier cities? These three objectives provide the basis for me to develop a set of recommendations for transit policy in China, focusing on the second tier cities. This research has great importance, not only for China, but also for the entire world as it confronts oil security and climate change, and for the insights it provides into public transport decisionmaking and policy in developing countries. In addition, there may even be public transport insights that are valuable for the US. |
