Source: adapted from B. Hoyle and J. Smith (1998) "Transport and Development: Conceptual Frameworks", in B. Hoyle and R. Knowles, Modern Transport Geography, 2nd Edition, London: Wiley, p. 17.

Dimensions of Transport Geography

• Economics. The economic dimension is concerned about the costs of movements, the construction and the maintenance of transport modes and infrastructures. The performance of transport systems are often measured and justified by economic criteria. This dimension also tries to evaluate the transport demand by different sectors of activity.
• Engineering. Notably concerned by the construction and maintenance of transportation infrastructures. A dominant aspect of transport supply is linked to engineering considerations.
• Environment / Ecology. The environmental dimension is concerned about impacts of transportation on ecological systems such as the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the ecosphere. It also considers a wide array of externalities such as noise and land use. Another dimension of this field involves the impacts of natural conditions, such as the topography and the climate on the operation of transport systems.
• History. The historical dimension covers the evolution of transport networks in time and space. It tries to identify specific conditions that have influenced the establishment of transport networks and the technological, economic and social environments that have produced transport systems.
• Mathematics and Computer Science. Provide a set of tools and methods to manage information and to analyze transport related information. Most models applied to transport geography, such as spatial interaction models, are derived from mathematical methods. Operations research has considerably contributed to the field of transportation by offering a set of methods to optimize the distribution and scheduling of transportation resources.
• Planning and Policy. The political dimension aims to plan and control the transportation system through several agents and their intervention strategies. It is mainly concerned about the processes and methods for the allocation of transportation resources within corporations and governments.
• Sociology and Demography. The social dimension covers problems such as accidents, the behavior of drivers and other social aspects related to modal and spatial choice having an effect on the distance traveled. For instance, the social costs of car use impose heavy tolls on health and safety systems (police, ambulance, trauma centers, road signs, etc.). Demographic attributes and changes are also linked with the evolution of transport system, the modes used and the level of services.
• Technology. The technological dimension of transportation is not necessarily a field of study but a consideration of technological change on transportation systems. It is mainly concerned about the efficiency of  infrastructures, modes and motive forces. Successive innovations have brought forward new distribution systems whereas others have became obsolete and disappeared.