In Brazil, the recent explosion of informal transport activity is having profound effects on formal, regulated transport systems and is the source of great controversy in the urban passenger transportation arena. A variety of policies are being proposed to manage what has been an uncontrolled growth of the sector. This study seeks to understand the advantages these systems have for users who choose them, and how proposed policies will impact these benefits. A corridor in Rio de Janeiro with substantial informal activity was used as a case study and field trips were made to gather basic data and perform travel surveys. Standard measures of welfare changes in a discrete choice framework were used to measure the proposed policies' welfare impacts on users. Eleven candidate policies were evaluated, ranging from the eradication of the informal modes and investment in formal modes, to the legalization and regulation of the informal modes. Benefits were compared with costs to discuss policies' efficiencies, and the distribution of benefits across income classes was explored. Net benefits from some policies were found to be substantial, on the order of hundreds of dollars per year per commuter, a significant share of the typical yearly earning of 2000 dollars (US). Legalizing the informal sector was found to benefit users only slightly but further investments in the sector are probably inefficient. Users benefited most from improvements in formal mass transit modes (trains and buses), on the order of 50 to 100 dollars per commuter per year. Finally, policies to foster a competitive environment for the delivery of both informal and formal services was shown to benefit users, on the order of 50 dollars per commuter per year. These best policies are discussed in light of current and past management practices in the sector. High costs of investments, an environment resistant to and unfamiliar with open and competitive bidding for concessions, and difficulties in the enforcement of regulations will threaten the successful implementation of these policies.

In Brazil, the recent explosion of informal transport activity is having profound effects on formal, regulated transport systems and is the source of great controversy in the urban passenger transportation arena. A variety of policies are being proposed to manage what has been an uncontrolled growth of the sector. This study seeks to understand the advantages these systems have for users who choose them, and how proposed policies will impact these benefits.

A corridor in Rio de Janeiro with substantial informal activity was used as a case study and field trips were made to gather basic data and perform travel surveys. Standard measures of welfare changes in a discrete choice framework were used to measure the proposed policies’ welfare impacts on users. Eleven candidate policies were evaluated, ranging from the eradication of the informal modes and investment in formal modes, to the legalization and regulation of the informal modes. Benefits were compared with costs to discuss policies’ efficiencies, and the distribution of benefits across income classes was explored.

Net benefits from some policies were found to be substantial, on the order of hundreds of dollars per year per commuter, a significant share of the typical yearly earning of 2000 dollars (US). Legalizing the informal sector was found to benefit users only slightly but further investments in the sector are probably inefficient. Users benefited most from improvements in formal mass transit modes (trains and buses), on the order of 50 to 100 dollars per commuter per year. Finally, policies to foster a competitive environment for the delivery of both informal and formal services was shown to benefit users, on the order of 50 dollars per commuter per year.

These best policies are discussed in light of current and past management practices in the sector. High costs of investments, an environment resistant to and unfamiliar with open and competitive bidding for concessions, and difficulties in the enforcement of regulations will threaten the successful implementation of these policies.

This report describes the development process of the Bus Rapid Transit Performance Assessment

Guidebook (BRT PAG) Tool, which provides a decision support means for tool users to understand at a high level the benefits and costs associated with implementing bus rapid transit systems. The BRT

PAG Tool is based on a conceptual framework consisting of BRT system strategies; stakeholder groupings; impacts of individual BRT system strategies; measurement methods used to analyze the impacts that BRT system strategies have on different stakeholders; and quantitative estimates of benefits and costs associated with these impacts. Prior to constructing the tool, research was performed on BRT information and data sources and the structure of the tool was developed.

This study is a semi-quantitative analysis of stem cell therapy claims made by private, direct-to-consumer stem cell businesses during their presentation talks to potential consumers. Methods for data collection consisted of one live attendance of one seminar, independent audio and visual attendance of two recorded video webinars and four recorded seminars, and one video recording that was not titled as a “seminar” or “webinar” but was identified as a camera recorded talk by a clinic member to an audience and posted on the internet for further reach to potential patients. We found that the portrayal of stem cell therapies in this “early market” by direct-to-consumer stem cell clinics is too optimistic as they offer advertised therapies that are not supported by clinical evidence or substantiated by peer reviewed literature.

The Taking of Pelham 123, a 2009 film produced by Tony Scott, is based on a novel written in 1973 by John Godey (Morton Freedgood). A man hijacks a subway train, demanding the city of New York pay him a ransom of ten million dollars with the threat of killing hostages. He refuses to cooperate with authorities and instead takes a liking to train dispatcher Walter Garber, forcing him to be involved. I had the rare opportunity to acquire the original reels to the film from the original composer, Harry Gregson-Williams. Originally a heavily scored film with over 80 minutes of music, I carefully chose key scenes that would allow me to write different styles of cues and also allow the viewer to still get a comprehensive sense of the plot. The entire project was scored within the programs Logic and Pro Tools, using mostly sampled instruments with a few overlaid recorded string tracks.