Transportation or Communications Some Broad Considerations

Communication is replacing travel or transportation in an increasing number of ways. It is argued that this substitution should be studied in detail, taking account of the economic, political, and psychological, as well as technical factors involved. The basic problem is formulated in terms of the ways in which the substitution can be made and the kinds of environment in which it might be made. A decision matrix and a decision rule, which can be used to determine whether the decision to make a communications-transportation substitution should be made, are formulated. Ways in which the elements of the decision matrix will be determined are discussed.