[sustran] VTPI News - Fall 2001

Todd Litman litman at vtpi.org
Fri Dec 14 20:15:11 JST 2001


                      -----------
                       VTPI NEWS
                      -----------
           Victoria Transport Policy Institute
              "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
           ------------------------------------
                Fall 2001    Vol. 4, No. 3
            ----------------------------------		  

The Victoria Transport Policy Institute is an independent research
organization dedicated to developing innovative solutions to transportation
problems. The VTPI website has many resources addressing a wide range of
transport planning and policy issues. VTPI also provides consulting services.

  			  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


VTPI ONLINE TDM ENCYCLOPEDIA - EXPANSION AND UPDATE
===================================================

The VTPI "Online TDM Encyclopedia" is a unique and comprehensive Internet
resource to help transportation professionals identify and evaluate
innovative solutions to transportation problems. The Encyclopedia is now
significantly expanded and updated. It has more than 90 chapters with
hundreds of pages of text and thousands of Internet links, providing
convenient information for Transportation Demand Management (TDM) planning,
evaluation and implementation. It is available free at
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm.


NEW CHAPTERS: 

·	Success Stories: http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm71.htm
This chapter provides information on successful and cost-effective TDM
programs.

·	Energy Conservation and Emission Reductions Strategies:
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm59.htm
This chapter identifies strategies that are particularly effective at
reducing vehicle energy consumption and pollution emissions. 

·	Livability Strategies: http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm97.htm
This chapter describes strategies that help create more livable
communities. Livability refers to environmental and social qualities that
make a community a desirable place to live, work and visit. 

·	Congestion Reduction Strategies: http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm96.htm 
This chapter describes strategies that are particularly effective at
reducing congestion problems.

·	Smart Growth Policy Reforms: http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm95.htm
This chapter describes various planning, regulatory and fiscal reforms that
encourage more efficient land use. 

·	Resilience and Security: http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm88.htm 
This chapter explores the concepts of resilience and security, and their
implications for transportation policy and TDM. Resilience refers to a
system's ability to accommodate variable and unexpected conditions.
Security refers to freedom from danger or fear, and can be considered a
subcomponent of resilience. 

·	Accessibility: http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm84.htm 
This chapter discusses the concept of accessibility and its implications
for transportation planning.

·	Wit and Humor: http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm94.htm
To add a little fun we include jokes in some chapters. We try to find ones
that relate to transportation and demand management, but some we just think
are funny. The jokes are introduced in this chapter. Follow the link to the
punchline.


UPDATED CHAPTERS:
Many chapters have been updated. In particular, see revised chapters on
nonmotorized transportation (walking, cycling, universal access and
small-wheeled transport), parking management, road pricing, equity, and
evaluation methods. 

			  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


NEW & UDATED REPORTS
====================
The following new documents are posted at the VTPI website:
http://www.vtpi.org.


"Efficient Vehicles Versus Efficient Transportation: Comprehensive
Comparison of Fuel Efficiency Standards and Transportation Demand Management"
Strategies that increase vehicle fuel efficiency reduce per-mile vehicle
operating costs, increasing annual vehicle mileage. This "rebound effect"
typically offsets 20-30% of long-term energy conservation, so a 10%
increase in average fuel efficiency causes a 2-3% increase in vehicle
mileage, resulting in net fuel savings of 7-8%. The additional vehicle
mileage imposes a number of costs on society, including increased traffic
congestion, road and parking facility costs, crashes, and some
environmental impacts. TDM-based emission reduction strategies reduce total
vehicle mileage and therefore provide additional benefits. These
mileage-related impacts are significant compared with fuel savings
benefits. Emission reduction strategies that increase total vehicle mileage
by even a small amount may be harmful to society overall, while those that
also reduce vehicle mileage can provide far greater total benefits.


End-0f-The-Trip Facility Design Program Materials
-------------------------------------------------
The excellent information sheets on bicycle parking facilities listed below
were produced by Rick Browning for the Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality. The ODEQ gave permission to post them at the VTPI website: 
"Installing Secure and Convenient Bike Racks" (www.vtpi.org/bp1.pdf)  
"Providing Covered Bike Parking" (www.vtpi.org/bp2.pdf) 
"Bike Parking in Public Areas" (www.vtpi.org/bp3.pdf) 
"Indoor Bicycle Parking" (www.vtpi.org/bp4.pdf) 
"Lockers, Showers and Changing Rooms" (www.vtpi.org/bp5.pdf) 


Variable Work Hours Guide
-------------------------
"Variable Work Hours: An Implementation Guide for Employers"
(www.vtpi.org/vwh.pdf). 
This excellent guidebook was also produced for the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality, and is posted with permission. Thanks to the ODEQ
for their generosity!


"Bicycling Renaissance in North America? Recent Trends and Alternative
Policies to Promote Bicycling," by John Pucher, Charles Komanoff, and Paul
Schimek, originally published in Transportation Research A, Vol. 33, No.
7/8, 1999.
Over the past two decades, the number of bicycle trips in the United States
has doubled. Since 48% of trips by all modes in American cities are shorter
than three miles, the potential for further growth in bicycling seems
enormous. So far, efforts to promote bicycling have focused on building
bike paths and bike lanes. Although necessary, separate cycling facilities
must be complemented by a comprehensive program to make all roads bikeable,
through both physical adaptations and enforcement of cyclists' right to use
the road. Bicycling in Canada and especially the United States is impeded
by the lack of a tradition of cycling for utilitarian purposes, and by the
marginal legal, cultural and infrastructure status of cyclists in both
countries' automobile-based transport systems.

"Cycling Safety on Bikeways vs. Roads," by John Pucher, reply to John
Forester's Spring 2001 Transportation Quarterly article "The Bikeway
Controversy."
This short article, published in the Autumn 2001 issue of Transportation
Quarterly, replies to arguments by John Forester opposing all separate
facilities and other special provisions for cyclists, written in response
to the Pucher and Dijkstra summer 2000 TQ article listed above.


			  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE
===================
Below are articles published in professional journals:

Todd Litman, "Win-Win Transportation Management Strategies: Cooperation for
Economic, Social and Environmental Benefits," in Bringing Business On
Board; Sustainable Development and B-School Curriculum (P.N.Nemetz ed.),
UBC Press (www.ubcpress.ca), 2002, pp. 293-308. Also published in the
Journal of Business Administration and Policy Analysis, Vol. 27-29, 1999-2001.

Todd Litman, "Generated Traffic: Implications for Transport Planning," ITE
Journal, Vol. 71, No. 4, Institute of Transportation Engineers
(www.ite.org), April 2001, pp. 38-47.

Todd Litman, "What's It Worth? Life Cycle and Benefit/Cost Analysis for
Evaluating Economic Value," Presented at Internet Symposium on Benefit-Cost
Analysis, Transportation Association of Canada (www.tac-atc.ca), 2001;
available at VTPI (http://www.vtpi.org).


			  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPCOMING EVENTS
===============

TRB Annual Meeting
------------------
The Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, held each January in
Washington DC, attracts thousands of transportation professionals to share
information and plan research activities. For information see the TRB
website at http://www.trb.org).

Todd Litman will present the following papers at the 2002 Annual Meeting:

"Efficient Vehicles Versus Efficient Transportation: Comprehensive
Comparison of Fuel Efficiency Standards and Transportation Demand
Management," paper 02-3330, Poster Session 208, Monday, January 14,
2:30-5:30pm, Hilton Exhibit Hall.

"Online TDM Encyclopedia; A Practical Tool for Identifying Innovative
Solutions to Transportation Problems," paper 02-2888, Poster Session 340,
Tuesday, January 15, 9:00am-12:00pm.


			  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONSULTING
==========
We are involved in several interesting consulting projects:


Rail Transit Evaluation
-----------------------
This project involves evaluating the potential economic, social and
environmental benefits of a light rail system in the Victoria, BC region.
(Client: Capital Area Regional Rail Initiative Group.)


Transportation Energy Conservation Evaluation
----------------------------------------------
This project is a review of best practice in energy efficiency, energy
conservation and use of renewables in the transport sector and to identify
those programmes that would be most appropriate for implementation by the
New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. (Project Manager:
Booz-Allen & Hamilton, New Zealand. Client: EECA, New Zealand.)


Pay-As-You-Drive Vehicle Insurance Implementation Study
------------------------------------------------------
We are helping to develop program guidelines and promotional materials for
Pay-As-You-Drive (distance-based) automobile insurance. (Project Manager:
ICF Consulting. Client: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Time Period:
May to December 2001).


Parking Management Study
------------------------
Worked with a multi-disciplinary team to develop a comprehensive parking
management plan for a commercial center in the Vancouver region. 


			  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OTHER NEWS:
===========

Residential Parking Guide
-------------------------
Ryan Russo, "Planning for Residential Parking: A Guide For Housing
Developers and Planners," Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern
California (www.nonprofithousing.org) and the Berkeley Program on Housing
and Urban Policy (http://urbanpolicy.berkeley.edu), 2001. This new Internet
document contains information on many strategies for reducing parking costs
and problems. (Also see the "Parking Solutions" chapter of our Online TDM
Encyclopedia at http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm72.htm.)


*  Parking Cash-Out Tax Policy
------------------------------
The U.S. federal tax code now makes it easier to "cash out" parking, which
means that employers can offer employees tax exempt transit benefits or
cash as an alternative to subsidized parking. For information see:

Commuter Choice website (http://www.commuterchoice.com)

Federal Transit Administration Commuter Choice website
(http://www.fta.dot.gov/library/policy/cc/cc.html)

 "Commuter Financial Incentives" chapter of our Online TDM Encyclopedia
(http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm8.htm.)


Transportation Elasticity Database
----------------------------------
The Australian Bureau of Transport Economics has produced a comprehensive
"Transport Elasticities Database Online"
(http://dynamic.dotrs.gov.au/bte/tedb/index.cfm), which contains
approximately 200 separate bibliographic references and 400 table entries
from international literature on transportation elasticities. (Also see the
"Transport Elasticities" chapter of our Online TDM Encyclopedia at
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm11.htm.)


* Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance
=============================
The Federal Highway Administration's Value Pricing Pilot Program is now
providing funding for before/after PAYD insurance simulation pilots in
Georgia and Massachusetts. The Georgia pilot will, after gathering baseline
data, provide payments to participating households that reduce their
vehicle travel, and thus their crash exposure. In a second phase, payments
will be provided to households that reduce all crash exposure factors
(vehicle mileage, risky driving behavior, and driving in dangerous
corridors and at risky times). A similar pilot simulation is being
conducted in Massachusetts. In addition to gathering before and after data,
this simulation is designed to provide the Massachusetts Division of
Insurance with the data it needs to allow PAYD insurance to be offered on a
permanent basis.

For more information on the Value Pricing program contact Allen Greenberg,
Federal Highway Administration Office of Policy, at 202-366-2425 or
Allen.Greenberg at fhwa.dot.gov. For more information on vehicle insurance
price reform see the "Pay-As-You-Drive-Insurance" chapter of our Online TDM
Encyclopedia (http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm79.htm). Contact VTPI is you would
like to receive updates on PAYD insurance issues.


*  Moving Beyond Planning: Implementing Transportation Solutions 
=================================================================
March 6 - 8, 2002, Harbour Centre, Downtown Vancouver, B.C.
The first national Canadian conference on Transportation Demand Management
(TDM) for transportation professionals, workplace TDM coordinators,
policy-makers, business leaders, and community organizations from across
Canada and the Pacific Northwest. 

Sample presentation and workshop topics: 
·	Promotional and social marketing techniques for the workplace. 
·	Economic tools & innovative strategies. 
·	Workplace incentive programs. 
·	Transportation Management Associations (TMAs). 
·	Parking management strategies and policies.
·	Integrating TDM principles into land use planning.
·	U-Pass programs.
 
Speakers Include: 
*	Don Chen, Executive Director, Smart Growth America 
*	Beth Johnson, Former Chair of the GVRD Transportation and Strategic
Planning Committee, and former board member of the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities.
* 	Eric Mann, LA Bus Rider's Union
*	Cynthia Thompson, City of Portland
*	David Collenette, Minister of Transport
* 	Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute


Presented by: 
B.E.S.T. (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation) (http://www.best.bc.ca)

Sponsored by: 
Transport Canada 
BC Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection 
TransLink 
Washington State Ridesharing Organization
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
  
For more information: 
http://www.best.bc.ca/conference 
Joy Schellenberg
Conference Coordinator  
604-736-4374
joys at portal.ca <mailto:joys at portal.ca>


UBC Chair in Sustainable Urban Transportation
---------------------------------------------
The University of British Columbia is seeking applications for the J.
Armand Bombardier Chair in Urban Transportation. This new position will
provide leadership to UBC's research and teaching on sustainable urban
transportation and spearhead the development of new capability in this
area. The tenured position is jointly established in the School of
Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) and the Sustainable Development
Research Institute (SDRI). Candidates will have an established record of
research focusing on urban transportation systems from the broad and
integrative perspective of sustainability in its technological, economic,
environmental, social and political-institutional dimensions. Within this
context applicants will be knowledgeable about transportation technology
and demand-side management and have research interests and experience in
policy analysis and implementation, methods of policy assessment, transport
modeling, and multistakeholder processes. The competition closes on January
31, 2002 and the position is available immediately. Salary and rank will be
negotiated on the basis of qualifications and experience. Information is
available at http://www.scarp.ubc.ca, http://www.chs.ubc.ca and
http://www.sdri.ubc.ca  


			  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please let us know if you have comments or questions about any information
in this newsletter, or if you would like to be removed from our mailing
list. And please pass this newsletter on to others who may find it useful.


Sincerely,

Todd Litman, Director
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
1250 Rudlin Street
Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada
Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560
E-mail:  litman at vtpi.org
Website: http://www.vtpi.org



More information about the Sustran-discuss mailing list