The Forces That Shape Transportation Control Measures under the Clean Air Act : a Case Study of Cambridge Massachusetts

For the last twenty years, Massachusetts has been dealing with transportation control measures as part of the State Implementation Plan under the Clean Air Act. This thesis looks at the way in which transportation control measures are selected and implemented and asks whether the statute provides a workable process for achieving desired outcomes. To answer this question I conduct a case study of transportation controls in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I analyze the case study in terms of three theoretical perspectives that cut across decision-making actors and the approaches to decision-making they use. It is the interactions between the actors and their decision-making approaches that determine what decisions are made and how they are implemented. The analysis reveals that the formal decision-making process specified in the Clean Air Act establishes equity goals and then relies primarily on rational analysis to select policies. This system breaks down under pressure from disparate interests among the levels of government and between the government and special interests. I conclude that a process that formally recognizes competing interests and incorporates a mechanism to deal with them would improve the planning and implementation process and achieve better outcomes. Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Connie Ozawa Title: Lecturer, Department of Urban Studies and Planning