[sustran] VTPI Newsletter - Spring 2008

[Todd Alexander Litman]

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                                   VTPI NEWS
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                       Victoria Transport Policy Institute
                          "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
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                           Spring 2008  Vol. 11, No. 2
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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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NEW DOCUMENTS
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"Recommendations for Improving LEED 
Transportation and Parking Credits" 
(http://www.vtpi.org/leed_rec.pdf ), by Todd Litman.
This paper describes ways to improve LEED 
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) 
transportation and parking credits. It proposes a 
new approach that can significantly increase 
support for transportation and parking 
management, greatly enhancing LEED program benefits.


"Evacuation Station: The Use of Public 
Transportation in Emergency Management Planning" 
(http://www.vtpi.org/evacuation.pdf), ITE Journal 
on the Web, January 2008, pp. 69-73, by Michael Schwartz and Todd Litman.
This paper examines emergency transportation 
planning practices and the role that public 
transit can play. While public transportation is 
often used in emergency situations, there is 
rarely planning or coordination, leading to 
confusion, inefficiency and risk. This article 
provides guidance to help transportation 
professionals better prepare for emergencies.


"Macrolevel Collision Prediction Models to 
Evaluate Road Safety Effects of Mobility 
Management Strategies: New Empirical Tools to 
Promote Sustainable Development" 
(http://www.vtpi.org/lovegrove_litman.pdf), 
presented at the Transportation Research Board 
Annual Meeting, by Gordon Lovegrove and Todd Litman.
This paper describes how community-based 
collision prediction models  can be used to 
calculate the road safety effects of specific 
mobility management strategies. It summarizes 
analysis of data from 479 urban neighbourhoods. 
The results suggest that smart growth, congestion 
pricing and improved mobility options (better 
walking and cycling conditions, and improved 
ridesharing and public transit services) can 
provide significant crash reductions.


"Intermodal Surface Public Transport Hubs: 
Harnessing Synergy for Success in America’s Urban 
and Intercity Travel" 
(http://www.vtpi.org/henry_marsh.pdf ) by Lyndon Henry and David L. Marsh.
This paper describes intermodal public transport 
hubs and their potential role in creating more 
integrated and attractive public transportation 
systems. It describes numerous examples of such 
hubs, often consisting of redeveloped older rail stations.


"Identifying the Value of Long Distance Rail 
Services: Current Issues in Transport Assessment 
and Evaluation" 
(http://www.vtpi.org/rail_evaluation.pdf ) by R. Boulter and D. Wignall.
This paper identifies international good practice 
in rail planning assessment and evaluation. It 
argues that a sustainable and efficient transport 
system requires strategic assessment and detailed 
evaluation. It identifies various distortions in 
current rail planning practices and reforms that can correct these problems.


"Evaluating Mobility Management Strategies for 
Reducing Transportation Emissions in the Fraser 
River Basin" (http://www.vtpi.org/ec_mm.pdf ). 
Summary at http://www.vtpi.org/ec_mm_sum.pdf .
This 122-page report prepared for Environment 
Canada evaluates the benefits, costs and 
feasibility of 24 mobility management (MM) 
strategies. Each strategy is describe and rated 
according to various criteria, including energy, 
emission and congestion reductions, facility cost 
savings, consumer impacts, safety impacts and 
implementation requirements. A spreadsheet 
calculates the overall impacts of various 
strategies, taking into account their vehicle 
travel and emission reduction effects, and share of total vehicle travel.
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PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE
===================

Todd Litman (2007), "Developing Indicators For 
Comprehensive And Sustainable Transport 
Planning," Transportation Research Record 2017, 
Transportation Research Board 
(<http://www.trb.org/>www.trb.org), pp. 10-15; at 
http://www.vtpi.org/sustain/sti.pdf .


Planetizen Blogs
"Economic Principles Still Apply" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/31111 )
"Don't Fill-er-up With Stupidity" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/31269 )
"Comprehensive Analysis of Transit Energy 
Conservation Benefits" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/31392 )
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UPCOMING EVENTS
================

Towards Carfee Cities: Rethinking Mobility, 
Rediscovering Proximity 
(http://carfreeportland.org ), June 16-20. Todd 
Litman will speak at the following sessions:
'Why Carfree Cities Are Safer,' Wednesday, June 18, 10:45 - 12:15
'Win-Win Market Solutions in Sustainable 
Transportation,' Thursday, June 19, 12:30 – 2:00


PAYD Insurance Workshop (http://www20.insurance.ca.gov/epubacc/REG/112249.htm )
On June 23rd the California Department of 
Insurance will hold a workshop concerning 
Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) vehicle insurance.
PAYD insurance can provide many significant 
benefits, including increased insurance 
affordability and consumer savings (particularly 
for lower-income motorists, who tend to drive 
lower-annual-mileage vehicles), increased safety, 
reduced congestion, road and parking facility 
cost savings, energy conservation, emission 
reductions, and can help reduce excessive 
insurance rates in lower-income neighborhoods 
(http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm79.htm ). There are 
many possible ways to implement PAYD, some of 
which provide much larger benefits than others. 
Our new report, "Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance: 
Recommendations for Implementation" 
(<http://www.vtpi.org/payd_rec.pdf>http://www.vtpi.org/payd_rec.pdf 
) evaluates these options and provides 
recommendations for maximizing PAYD benefits. We 
recommend developing performance standards that 
an insurance rate structure must meet to be considered PAYD.


"Planning in Challenging Climates" (http://www.pnmb.org )
Todd Litman will be a keynote speaker at this 
Planners Network Manitoba annual conference, July 17-20, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
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USEFUL INFORMATION
===================

Beginning July 2008, British Columbia will become 
the first North American jurisdiction to 
implement a revenue-neutral carbon tax 
(http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2008/backgrounders/backgrounder_carbon_tax.htm 
). Although initially small ($10/tonne of carbon, 
which is about 10 cents per gallon of gasoline), 
it is scheduled to increase annually. For more 
information see this Sightline Institute blog: 
http://sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2008/02/19/bc-s-carbon-tax-shift .


"International Fuel Prices" (www.gtz.de/fuelprices )
International Fuel Prices” is a GTZ (German 
Technical Cooperation) program to provide 
decision-makers with global fuel price data and 
policy guidance. It provides a variety of 
information on fuel prices and tax policies. 
Their bi-weekly email newsletter provides a wealth of additional information.


NextBus (http://www.nextbus.com) is a private 
company that uses Global Positioning Systems 
(GPS) to provide real-time transit vehicle 
arrival information to passengers and managers in 
various North American cities.


Jennifer Rosales (2006), "Road Diet Handbook: 
Setting Trends for Livable Streets," William 
Barclay Parsons Fellowship Monograph 20; at 
http://www.oregonite.org/2007D6/paper_review/D4_201_Rosales_paper.pdf .


John Pucher and Ralph Buelher (2008), "At the 
Frontiers of Cycling: Policy Innovations in the 
Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany," World 
Transport Policy & Practice, Vol. 13, No. 3; at 
http://www.eco-logica.co.uk/pdf/wtpp13.3.pdf.


Eric Bruun (2007), Better Public Transit Systems, 
Planners Press (https://www.planning.org/APAStore/Search/Default.aspx?p=3674 ).
This new book provides detailed guidance on 
public transportation performance and investment analysis.


"Technologies and Policies to Consider For 
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions In California" 
(http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/etaac/ETAACFinalReport2-11-08.pdf 
) by the California Economic and Technology 
Advisory Committee identifies ways to reduce 
greenhouse gases 25% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, as 
required by state law. The report gives strong 
support for mobility management strategies such 
as Pay-As-You-Drive vehicle insurance because it 
recognizes their co-benefits such as congestion and accident reductions.


Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt (2008), 
"Freakonomics: Not-So-Free Ride" 
(<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-freakonomics-t.html>www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-freakonomics-t.html). 
This New York Times column by two academic 
economists endorses Pay-As-You-Drive insurance as 
a way to help correct market distortions that 
result in economically-excessive motor vehicle travel.


Reconnecting America (2008), "TOD 202: Station 
Area Planning: How To Make Great Transit-Oriented 
Places," Reconnecting America 
(www.reconnectingamerica.org); at 
http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/public/download/tod202 .


HUD (2008), "Parking Regulations and Housing 
Affordability," Regulatory Barriers 
Clearinghouse, Volume 7, Issue 2, US Department 
of Housing and Urban Development 
(www.huduser.org); at http://www.huduser.org/rbc/newsletter/vol7iss2more.html .


Phineas Baxandall, Tony Dutzik and Joshua Hoen 
(2008), "A Better Way to Go: Meeting America’s 
21st Century Transportation Challenges with 
Modern Public Transit," U.S. PIRG Education Fund 
(www.uspirg.org); at 
http://www.uspirg.org/home/reports/report-archives/transportation/transportation2/a-better-way-to-go 
.


CNT (2008), "Housing and Transportation 
Affordability Index" (http://htaindex.cnt.org), 
by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, 
provides information on the combined cost of 
housing and transportation in various U.S. regions.


"Traveler Response to Transportation System 
Changes" 
(http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1034 
) is a comprehensive set of reports that provide 
guidance to transportation professionals on 
factors that affect travel demands, and readily 
accessible documentation on the results that can 
be expected from various transportation 
improvements. Chapter 17 of this project, 
"Transit Oriented Development" 
(<http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1034>http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1034 
) examines factors that affect vehicle trip 
generation rates of transit oriented areas, 
including increased walking for local trips, 
increased use of public transit for regional 
trips, and reduced automobile ownership rates. It 
presents four studies of prime-commute-mode 
shifts by residents when moving into TODs. More 
than 90% of TOD passengers walk to transit 
stations. Together, these factors lead to 40-60% 
reductions in vehicle trip generation rates in TODs.
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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. 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”