[sustran] VTPI News, Spring 2006

[Todd Alexander Litman]

                                  -----------
                                   VTPI NEWS
                                  -----------
                       Victoria Transport Policy Institute
                          "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
                       ------------------------------------
                            Spring 2006    Vol. 9, No. 2
                        ----------------------------------

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


ONLINE TDM ENCYCLOPEDIA
========================

The VTPI "Online TDM Encyclopedia" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/tdm>http://www.vtpi.org/tdm 
) is a comprehensive information resource to help 
identify and evaluate innovative management 
solutions to transport problems, available for 
free on our website. We continually update and 
expand the Encyclopedia. We recently added the following chapter:

"Transport Model Improvements: Improving Methods 
for Evaluating The Effects and Value of 
Transportation System Changes" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm125.htm>http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm125.htm ).

As always, we appreciate feedback. Please let us 
know if you have suggestions for improving the 
Encyclopedia or our other resources.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


NEW DOCUMENTS
==============

"Evaluating New Start Transit Program 
Performance: Comparing Rail And Bus" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/bus_rail.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/bus_rail.pdf 
). This study by Lyndon Henry and Todd Litman 
compares public transit performance between U.S. 
cities that expanded rail systems and those that expanded bus systems.


"Planning Principles and Practices" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/planning.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/planning.pdf )
This paper summarizes key principles and 
practices for effective land use and 
transportation planning. Originally written as a 
subject overview for an introduction to land use planning university course.


"Parking Taxes: Evaluating Options and Impacts" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/parking_tax.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/parking_tax.pdf 
). This report describes and evaluates various 
types of parking taxes, including commercial 
parking taxes (a special tax on parking rental 
transactions), per-space parking levies (a 
special property tax applied to parking 
facilities), and pricing of more publicly-owned parking facilities.


"Parking Management: Strategies, Evaluation and 
Planning" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/park_man.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/park_man.pdf 
). This report summarizes the book "Parking 
Management Best Practices." It describes various 
strategies that result in more efficient use of 
parking resources, and explains how they can be 
applied to help solve parking problems.


Gina Filosa, "Carsharing: Establishing Its Role 
in the Parking Demand Management Toolbox," 
(<http://vtpi.org/filosa_carsharing.pdf>http://vtpi.org/filosa_carsharing.pdf 
), Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University.
This masters thesis explores the concept of using 
carsharing as a parking demand management 
strategy, based on information gathered from 
three case studies. It provides recommendations 
for developing carsharing services and using them 
to reduce parking requirements. (Posted courtesy of the author.)

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


UPDATED DOCUMENTS
==============
We recently updated the following documents:

"Evaluating Public Transit Benefits and Costs " 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/tranben.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/tranben.pdf )

"Evaluating Transportation Equity" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/equity.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/equity.pdf )

"Evaluating Research Quality" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/resqual.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/resqual.pdf ).

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


PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE
Below are recently published books and articles.

"Parking Management Best Practices" Planners 
Press 
(<http://www.planning.org/bookservice/description.htm?BCODE=APMB>http://www.planning.org/bookservice/description.htm?BCODE=APMB 
), 2006; summarized at 
<http://www.vtpi.org/park_man.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/park_man.pdf 
). This comprehensive new book written by VTPI 
Executive Director Todd Litman will change the 
way people think about and solve parking 
problems. It describes more than two-dozen 
strategies that result in more efficient use of 
parking resources, and explains how to assemble 
them into an effective parking management program.



Lawrence Frank, Sarah Kavage and Todd Litman, 
"Promoting Public Health Through Smart Growth: 
Building Healthier Communities Through 
Transportation And Land Use Policies," Smart 
Growth BC 
(<http://www.smartgrowth.bc.ca/>www.smartgrowth.bc.ca), 
2006; available at 
<http://www.smartgrowth.bc.ca/downloads/SGBC_Health%20Report%20Final.pdf>http://www.smartgrowth.bc.ca/downloads/SGBC_Health%20Report%20Final.pdf. 
This report explains how our built environment 
shapes our transportation choices, and in turn, 
human health. It identifies specific 
transportation and land use reforms that can help 
create healthier and more livable communities.


"Parking Management: Innovative Solutions To 
Vehicle Parking Problems" 
(<http://www.planetizen.com/node/19149>http://www.planetizen.com/node/19149 
). This Planetizen editorial discusses parking 
management strategies and how they can be used to improve cities.


Todd Litman, "Impacts of Rail Transit on the 
Performance of a Transportation System," 
Transportation Research Record 1930, Transit: 
Intermodal Transfer Facilities, Rail, Commuter 
Rail, Light Rail, and Major Activity Center 
Circulation Systems, Transportation Research 
Board (<http://www.trb.org/>www.trb.org), 2005, 
pp. 23-29. This is a summary of our previous 
report, "Rail Transit In America: Comprehensive 
Evaluation of Benefits," available at http:www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf .

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


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

"Land Use Impacts on Transportation" workshop, 
June 14, 8:30am-4:30pm, by Todd Litman, sponsored 
by the Association of Professional Engineers and 
Geoscientists of BC 
(<http://www.apeg.bc.ca/prodev/events/transportation_land_use.html>http://www.apeg.bc.ca/prodev/events/transportation_land_use.html 
). This professional development workshop will 
explore how transport planning decisions (such as 
roadway design and parking supply) affect land 
use in the context of concerns about the costs of 
sprawl and the potential of smart growth 
development policies. It references the report 
"Evaluating Transportation Land Use Impacts" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/landuse.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/landuse.pdf ).


"Using Parking Strategies to Manage Traffic in 
Transit Oriented Developments" (Session 16, 
Tuesday, Aug. 8) and "Parking Management Best 
Practices" (session 37, Aug. 9), Institute of 
Transportation Engineers Annual Meeting, 
Milwaukee, WI (http://www.ite.org/AnnualMeeting )


"Transportation Demand Management Strategies," by 
Todd Litman, First International Congress on 
Citizens and Mobility Management, 25 Sept. 2006, 
Madrid, Spain 
(<http://www.congresomovilidad.com/>http://www.congresomovilidad.com 
). This major international conference will 
explore ways to integrate transport, environment, 
energy and spatial planning issues. Note to 
European colleagues: we would be happy to arrange 
other speaking engagements for Mr. Litman in 
Europe during the week prior to this conference, Sept. 18-22.


The World Conference on Transportation Research 
(WCTR), which will be held June 24-28, 2007 (Next 
year) at the University of California, Berkeley - 
the first time for a WCTR in the US. Information 
can be found at <http://www.uctc.net/wctrs>www.uctc.net/wctrs.

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


USEFUL RESOURCES
=================
Below are some new information resources that you may find useful.

Vukan Vuchic, "Urban Transit: Operations, 
Planning and Economics," John Wiley & Sons 
(http://ca.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471632651.html 
), 2005. This textbook and technical reference 
covers all aspects of urban transit operations, 
planning, and economics. It is the most 
comprehensive book we have seen on the subject. 
It thoroughly examines the technical fundamentals 
and management principles of public transit 
planning, operations and economic analysis, 
including extensive tables and graphs to help 
compare the performance and operating costs of 
various types of transit. It provides a 
comprehensive single-volume text and reference 
for students and transit professionals. The book 
includes dozens of worked problems and 
end-of-chapter exercises help familiarize the 
reader with the formulae and analytical techniques presented in the book.


BIKESAFE 
(<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/BIKESAFE>http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/BIKESAFE 
and <http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/bikesafe>www.bicyclinginfo.org/bikesafe )
BIKESAFE is an expert system that assists 
practitioners with the selection of 
countermeasures to address bicyclist safety and 
mobility problems. It includes several interactive tools to:
• Provide information on countermeasures 
available for prevention of bicyclist crashes.
• Highlight the purposes, considerations and cost 
estimates associated with each countermeasure.
• Provide a decision process to aid in selecting 
the most applicable countermeasures in a specific situatin.
• Provide links to case studies.
• Provide easy access to resources such as 
statistics, implementation guidance, and reference materials."


"The Housing and Transportation Affordability 
Index: Understanding What Makes Housing Truly 
Affordable," developed by the Center for 
Transit-Oriented Development 
(<http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/html/TOD>http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/html/TOD 
) and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and 
produced by the Brookings Institute 
(<http://www.brookings.edu/metro/umi/pubs/20060127_affindex.htm>http://www.brookings.edu/metro/umi/pubs/20060127_affindex.htm 
), 2006.
The Housing and Transportation Affordability 
Index quantifies the trade-offs that households 
make between housing and transportation costs and 
the savings that derive from more accessible 
housing locations. It shows that total housing 
and transportation costs are often lowest in 
urban communities and highest in sprawled 
location due to differences in automobile 
transportation costs. The tool is based on data 
sets available in most urban areas.


The PATH (Planning for Active Transportation and 
Health) project 
(<http://www.nrsrcaa.org/path/Documents.htm>www.nrsrcaa.org/path/Documents.htm) 
includes a new set of design tools to 
decisionmakers to plan for safer, more functional 
and more equitable access to goods, services and 
employment. PATH involves the expertise of social 
service, health, and economic development 
professionals to assist transportation planners 
by better integrating the changing patterns of 
community life with the spectrum of vital transportation needs.


Peter Nelson, Andrew Baglino, Winston Harrington, 
Elena Safirova and Abram Lipman, "Transit in 
Washington, D.C.: Current Benefits and Optimal 
Level of Provision," Resources for the Future 
(<http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-06-21.pdf>www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-06-21.pdf 
), 2006.
Researchers estimated the benefits of local 
transit service to transit users and 
congestion-reduction benefits to motorists. They 
found that rail transit generates 
congestion-reduction benefits that exceed rail 
subsidies, the combined benefits of rail and bus 
transit easily exceed local transit subsidies 
generally, and the lowest-income group receives a 
disproportionately low share of the transit 
benefits, both in absolute terms and as a share of total income.


Strategic Policy Options for Sustainable 
Development Database 
(<http://www.iges.or.jp/cgi-bin/rispo/index_spo.cgi>www.iges.or.jp/cgi-bin/rispo/index_spo.cgi 
), Research on Innovative and Strategic Policy 
Options (RISPO) by the Institute for Global 
Environmental Studies provides information, 
recommended best practices and case studies on a 
wide range of sustainable policies and strategies.


Northwest Environment Watch has changed its name 
to Sightline Institute 
(<http://www.sightline.org/>http://www.sightline.org 
). This organization engages in a variety of 
research focusing on sustainable transportation 
and land use in the Cascadia region (Washington, 
Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia). We’ve 
particularly enjoyed their webloging covering a 
variety of issues and perspectives.
                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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 email list. And please pass this 
newsletter on to others who may find it useful.




Sincerely,
Todd Alexander Litman
Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org)
litman at vtpi.org
Phone & Fax 250-360-1560
1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
“Efficiency - Equity - Clarity”

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.jca.apc.org/public/sustran-discuss/attachments/20060510/8301fa08/attachment.html