[sustran] VTPI News - Fall 2007

[Todd Alexander Litman]

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                                   VTPI NEWS
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                       Victoria Transport Policy Institute
                          "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
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                           Fall 2007    Vol. 10, No. 4
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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.
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NEWS
=====

Planners Press is promoting the book, "Parking 
Management Best Practices," with a 15% discount 
for orders this week, when purchased with James 
Kushner’s "The Post-Automobile City," until 
October 21. For information go to 
<http://www.planning.org/apastore>http://www.planning.org/apastore 
. Click on the 'Meet The Author' photo for an interview with Todd Litman.


"Comprehensive Evaluation of Congestion Costs and 
Solutions" Planetizen Blog by Todd Litman 
(http://www.planetizen.com/node/27367 ). This 
short essay points out that conventional 
congestion indicators tend to exaggerate 
congestion costs, and are biased in favor of 
highway capacity expansion over other congestion 
reduction strategies. Traffic congestion is 
overall a modest cost, so it would be wasteful to 
implement a congestion reduction strategy that 
increases other transportation costs, such as 
infrastructure costs, accidents, consumer costs 
or pollution, while congestion reduction 
strategies that also help achieve other planning 
objectives provide far more benefits to society.


'Transport Expert Todd Litman: Save Oil, Lives, 
Environment' a three part series by the "Energy 
Bulletin" (http://www.energybulletin.net/35342.html ).
1. Alter Car Insurance & Save Oil, Lives, 
Environment (http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=335 )
2. Get Paid for NOT Driving To Work (http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=341 )
3. 'Congestion Pricing' to Include Entire Regions 
(http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=345 )


"Cotter Debate on Transportation Policy and the 
Environment" between Samuel Staley (Reason 
Foundation) and Todd Litman (Victoria Transport 
Policy Institute), held at Colby College, 8 
October 2007. A Podcast of the event is available 
at http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/goldfarb . 
For references see "The Future Isn’t What It Used 
To Be" (http://www.vtpi.org/future.pdf ) and 
"Rail Transit In America" (http://www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf ).


"Parking Space Tax: Is It Really Such A 
Bolshevist Fantasy?" – Chicago Transit Blog 
(http://sicktransitchicago.blogspot.com/2007/10/parking-space-tax-is-it-really-such.html 
).
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PAYD URGENT ACTION – YOU CAN HELP!
====================================
Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) pricing means that a 
vehicle’s insurance premiums and registration 
fees are based directly on its annual mileage 
(http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm79.htm ). PAYD is an 
innovative, fair, cost-effective, easy way to 
increase transport system efficiency, providing 
many economic, social and environmental benefits. 
PAYD pricing is particularly appropriate in 
British Columbia because the Insurance 
Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has a 
mandate to maximize safety, affordability and 
consumer benefits, and to reduce climate change emissions.

PAYD is receiving growing media attention 
(www.news1130.com/news/topstory/article.jsp?content=20070906_151654_5792 
). An Internet poll by News1130 found 61% (600) 
of respondents want ICBC to offer PAYD insurance, 
against 39% (376) who oppose the concept.

The Victoria Transport Policy Institute is 
working to promote PAYD insurance in BC 
(http://www.vtpi.org/paydbc.pdf ). You can help 
by contacting ICBC CEO Paul Taylor; Minister of 
Public Safety Honourable John Les; and if you 
live in BC, your MLA 
(<http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm>www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm).
*  Describe PAYD pricing benefits, particularly 
with regard to ICBC’s stated goals (safety, 
affordability, fairness), and provincial goals 
(safety, energy conservation and emission 
reductions, congestion reduction, physical fitness and health).
*  Ask ICBC to share its research on PAYD and implement a PAYD pilot project.
*  Request that PAYD be included in ICBC’s 
Climate Change Secretariat submission.
*  If the Corporation refuses to act, ask that their objections be explained.


Paul Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
Email: <mailto:paul.taylor at icbc.com>paul.taylor at icbc.com
Fax: 604-982-2440
151 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, BC V7M 3H9

Hon. John Les, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA)
Ministry of Public Safety
Email: <mailto:john.les.mla at leg.bc.ca>john.les.mla at leg.bc.ca
Fax: 604 702-5223
#1-45953 Airport Rd, Chilliwack, BC, V2P 1A3


Please contact Todd Litman (litman at vtpi.org ) if 
you would like to stay informed about this issue as it develops.


USEFUL RESOURCES
=================

"Driving to Green Buildings: The Transportation 
Energy Intensity of Building," Environmental 
Building News 
(<http://www.buildinggreen.com/>www.buildinggreen.com 
), Vol. 16, No. 9, Sept. 2007; at 
<http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm?fileName=160901a.xml>www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm?fileName=160901a.xml 
.
This article points out that about twice as much 
energy is consumed in commuting to a typical 
office building as in the buildings for heating, 
cooling and lighting. It discusses the importance 
of applying efficient location and transport 
management to create truly green buildings, and 
describes specific ways to do this.


"Increases In Greenhouse-Gas Emissions From 
Highway-Widening Projects," Sightline Institute 
(<http://www.sightline.org/>www.sightline.org ); 
at 
<http://www.sightline.org/research/energy/res_pubs/analysis-ghg-roads>www.sightline.org/research/energy/res_pubs/analysis-ghg-roads 
. This analysis indicates that urban highway 
expansion does not reduce pollution overall 
because additional emissions from construction 
and increased vehicle traffic quickly exceed any 
reductions from reduced congestion delays.


"Saving Energy, Growing Jobs: How Environmental 
Protection Promotes Economic Growth, 
Profitability, Innovation, and Competition" by 
David Goldstein, Bay Tree Publishers 
(http://www.baytreepublish.com ); more 
information at 
http://www.cee1.org/resrc/news/07-02nl/09D_goldstein.html 
. This readable and insightful book examines how 
smart policies can reduce pollution and support 
economic development by encouraging resource 
efficiency, and discusses how to overcome specific barriers to such reforms.


"Debunking Cato: Why Planning in Portland Works 
Better Than the Analysis of Its Chief 
Neo-Libertarian Critic," Congress for New 
Urbanism (<http://www.cnu.org/>www.cnu.org); at 
http://www.cnu.org/node/1533 . This paper by 
Professor Mike Lewyn evaluates claims in a recent 
Cato Institute report, "Debunking Portland: The City That Doesn’t Work."


"Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban 
Development and Climate Change," Urban Land 
Institute and Smart Growth America 
(www.smartgrowthamerica.org/gcindex.html ). This 
book documents how key changes in land 
development patterns could help reduce vehicle 
greenhouse gas emissions, based on a 
comprehensive review of dozens of studies by 
leading urban planning researchers. It concludes 
that one of the best ways to reduce vehicle 
travel is compact development: building places in 
which people can get from one place to another 
without driving. Changing demographics, shrinking 
households, rising gas prices, and lengthening 
commutes are contributing to the demand for 
smaller homes and lots, townhouses, and 
condominiums near jobs and other activities. It 
recommends specific policy changes to make green 
neighborhoods more available and more affordable.


"Bus Rapid Transit Practitioner’s Guide, Report 
118," Transit Cooperative Research Program, TRB 
(<http://www.trb.org/>www.trb.org ); at 
<http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_118.pdf>http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_118.pdf 
. This Guide provides detailed information on the 
costs, impacts, and effectiveness of implementing 
selected bus rapid transit (BRT) components, and 
guidance of BRT system development.


"Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.: 2007 
Benchmarking Report," Thunderhead Alliance 
(http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/benchmarking.htm 
). This is an on-going effort to collect and 
analyze U.S. bicycling and walking data. This research found:
* A positive relationship between the built 
environment and nonmotorized travel activity.
* Bicycle and pedestrian safety with nonmotorized travel activity.
* Higher levels of biking and walking coincide 
with higher levels of adults meeting recommended 
levels of daily physical activity, and lower 
levels of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.
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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. 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”