[sustran] VTPI NEWS - Autumn 2010

[Todd Alexander Litman]

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             VTPI NEWS
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        Victoria Transport Policy Institute
           "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
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            Autumn 2010    Vol. 13, 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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NEW VTPI DOCUMENTS
====================

 

"Contrasting Visions of Urban Transport: Critique of 'Fixing Transit: The
Case For Privatization'"(http://www.vtpi.org/cont_vis.pdf )

This report critiques the Heritage Foundation paper, "Fixing Transit: The
Case For Privatization" which recommends complete privatization and
self-finance of public transit. Our analysis indicates that such privatized,
unsubsidized transit service would be inferior and less efficient overall
than what exists in most cities, and would fail to meet consumer demands.

 

"Short and Sweet: Analysis of Shorter Trips Using National Personal Travel
Survey Data" (http://www.vtpi.org/short_sweet.pdf) 
This paper summarizes information on shorter trips, based on 2009 National
Household Travel Survey data. This analysis indicates that a significant
portion of total personal travel consists of shorter trips. About 10% of
reported trips are a half-mile or less, about 19% are a mile or less, and
41% are three miles or less. Since shorter trips tend to be undercounted,
the actual share of short trips is probably higher than these figures
indicate.

 

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UPDATED DOCUMENTS
=================
Below are just a few of many recently updated VTPI documents:

"The Future Isn't What It Used To Be" (http://www.vtpi.org/future.pdf )

"Pavement Busters Guidebook" (http://www.vtpi.org/pavbust.pdf )

"Financing Transit Systems Through Value Capture"
(http://www.vtpi.org/smith.pdf )

"Rail Transit In America: Comprehensive Evaluation of Benefits"
(www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf )

"Affordable-Accessible Housing In A Dynamic City: Why and How To Increase
Affordable Housing Development In Accessible Locations"
(www.vtpi.org/aff_acc_hou.pdf )

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PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE

=================== 

 

'Bikes Versus Cars: Who Pays Their Fair Share For Vancouver's Roads? City
does have 'free riders' problem, but it's not what you think,' Vancouver
Sun, 25 September 2010 at
(http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Bikes+versus+cars+pays+their+fair+shar
e+Vancouver+roads/3577047/story.html )

 

Recent Planetizen Blogs (http://www.planetizen.com/blog/2394 ):

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UPCOMING EVENTS

==================

 

2011 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, 23-27 January 2011 

Theme: "Transportation, Livability, and Economic Development in a Changing
World" (
<http://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting2011/Public/AnnualMeeting2011.aspx>
http://www.trb.org/AnnualMeeting2011/Public/AnnualMeeting2011.aspx ).

 

"Sustainable Transportation Indicators Subcommittee" ADD40(1)

http://pressamp.trb.org/conferenceinteractiveprogram/EventDetails.aspx?ID=17
876&Email=litman at vtpi.org

24 Jan. 2011, 12:15PM- 1:15PM, Hilton, Columbia Hall 3 & 4

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BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

====================

 

"Indicators for Sustainable Transport Policy Making and Performance
Evaluation," keynote presentation at 'A New Decade in Sustainable Transport:
Fifth Regional EST Forum in Asia' United Nations Center for Regional
Development (http://www.uncrd.or.jp/env/5th-regional-est-forum/index.htm ),
24 August 2010, Bangkok.

 

"Economic Impacts of Transportation Enhancements," presented at the
National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse Workshop
(http://www.enhancements.org/seminar/seminarfy10.asp ), 16-17 September
2010, Chattanooga, held in conjunction with ProBike/ProWalk
(http://www.bikewalk.org/2010conference/index.php )

 

'Livable Communities, Housing and Health - Toolbox Session' at "Railvolution
2010" (http://www.railvolution.com/2010conferencepapers.asp ). 

This workshop identified ways that transit oriented development and more
affordable-accessible housing can help achieve public health and social
equity objectives.

 

On May 13 and 14, 2010, the Energy Technology Innovation Policy research
group at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government convened
a workshop on "Transportation Revenue Options: Infrastructure, Emissions,
and Congestion." Workshop technical papers and report available at
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/20389/transportation_revenue
_options.html

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USEFUL RESOURCES

=================

 

"Driven Apart: How Sprawl is Lengthening Our Commutes and Why Misleading
Mobility Measures are Making Things Worse"
(http://www.ceosforcities.org/work/driven-apart )

This study by CEOs for Cities critiques methods used to measure traffic
congestion costs and evaluate congestion reduction strategies. It criticizes
the Travel Time Index (TTI) used in the commonly-cited Urban Mobility Report
as an unreliable guide for understanding urban transportation problems. The
TTI uses flawed speed and fuel economy estimates which overstate traffic
congestion costs, and it ignores the increased transportation costs
associated with more dispersed land use patterns. As a result, the TTI
favors policies that stimulate automobile dependency and sprawl. The Urban
Mobility Report's estimates of congestion delay are inconsistent with
real-time traffic data, and travel times reported in travel surveys. (Also
see, "Congestion Costs" http://www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0505.pdf )

 

"Relationship between Growth and Prosperity in 100 Largest U.S. Metropolitan
Areas"
(http://www.fodorandassociates.com/Reports/Growth_&_Prosperity_in_US_MSAs.pd
f ). This study examines the relationship between growth and economic
prosperity in major U.S. metropolitan areas. It finds that faster growth
rates are associated with lower incomes, greater income declines, and higher
poverty rates. Unemployment rates tend to be higher in faster growing areas.
The 25 slowest-growing metro regions outperformed the 25 fastest growing in
every category and averaged $8,455 more in per capita personal income in
2009. This study indicates the importance of distinguishing between 'growth'
(getting bigger) and 'development' (getting better) in planning and economic
analysis.

 

"Location Efficiency and Mortgage Default"
(http://www.costar.com/uploadedFiles/JOSRE/JournalPdfs/06.117_142.pdf ).

Based on a sample of over 40,000 mortgages, this study found that default
probability increases with the number of vehicles owned, and decreases with
higher Walk Scores in high income areas. The results provide additional
justification for smart growth development and urban revitalization
policies, because designing neighborhoods that reduce motor vehicle
ownership and use is beneficial to borrowers and banks as well as the
environment.

 

"Pay-As-You-Drive Auto Insurance In Massachusetts: A Risk Assessment And
Report On Consumer, Industry And Environmental Benefits"
(http://www.clf.org/our-work/healthy-communities/modernizing-transportation/
pay-as-you-drive-auto-insurance-payd )

This major study by MIT researchers used mileage and insurance claim data
matched for individual vehicles totaling 2.8 million vehicle-years. The
analysis found a significant correlation between miles driven and risk, and
confirms that mileage is an accurate predictor of risk, laying the
groundwork for adoption of PAYD vehicle insurance. Overall, the study
confirms the actuarial soundness of PAYD pricing and indicates that the PAYD
could provide significant benefits to users and society. (Also see
"Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance" www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm79.htm )

 

"Pedometer-Measured Physical Activity and Health Behaviors in U.S. Adults,"
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise,
(http://journals.lww.com/acsm-sse/Abstract/2010/10000/Pedometer_Measured_Phy
sical_Activity_and_Health.4.aspx)

Summarized in, "Americans walk only half as much as we should: Adults taking
a mere 5,117 steps a day, study finds" MSNBC, 11 Oct 2010
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39612832/ns/health-fitness ). This study found
that U.S. residents average only 5,117 daily steps, only about half the
amount recommended by public health experts to maintain basic fitness and
health, and far less than the 9,695 daily steps in Western Australia, 9,650
daily steps in Switzerland, and 7,168 daily stops in Japan. The author
concludes that these differences result from higher levels of automobile
dependency in North America.

 

'Are We Reaching Peak Travel? Trends in Passenger Transport in Eight
Industrialized Countries' "Transport Reviews"
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2010.518291); at
www.stanford.edu/~adammb/Publications/Millard-Ball%20Schipper%202010%20Peak%
20travel.pdf. This study finds evidence that per capita vehicle travel has
stopped growing in most industrialized countries. (Also see, "The Future
Isn't What It Used To Be" http://www.vtpi.org/future.pdf )

 

"Neighbourhood Design, Travel, and Health in Metro Vancouver: Using a
Walkability Index"
(http://www.act-trans.ubc.ca/documents/WalkReport_ExecSum_Oct2010_HighRes.pd
f ) by the University of British Columbia Active Transportation
Collaboratory (http://www.act-trans.ubc.ca ). 

This new planning tool identifies urban design factors that contribute to
neighbourhood walkability, and can be used to predict how policy and
planning decisions affect walking activity and physical fitness.

 

"Transit and Health: Mode Of Transport, Employer-Sponsored Public Transit
Pass Programs, And Physical Activity"
(http://www.palgrave-journals.com/jphp/journal/v30/nS1/full/jphp200852a.html
). 

This study found that, in Atlanta, Georgia, people who travel by public
transit were much more likely (odds ratio 3.87) of achieving 1.5 miles or 30
minutes a day of walking activity recommended for basic physical fitness and
health. (Also see, "Evaluating Public Transit Health Benefits"
http://www.vtpi.org/tran_health.pdf )

 

"Public Transit Use As A Catalyst For An Active Lifestyle: Mechanisms,
Predispositions And Hindrances" (http://hdl.handle.net/2429/30239 ). This
PhD dissertation by Ugo Lachapelle (congratulations Ugo!) analyzes
relationships between household location preferences, housing location
decisions, neighborhood design, transit use, and active transport (walking
and cycling). It finds a positive relationship between transit travel and
physical activity. Surveys indicate latent demand for living close to high
quality transit by some households. It concludes that increasing housing
opportunities near transit could increase public transit use and support
health benefits. 

 

"Physical Activity Predicts Gray Matter Volume In Late Adulthood: The
Cardiovascular Health Study" (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20944075 ).
This study published in the journal Neurology found that increased walking
by middle-aged people is associated with greater gray matter volume nine
years latter, which is in turn associated with a reduced risk of cognitive
impairment. This research indicates that walking is not only smart, it can
also make a person smarter.

 

"A Paradigm Shift Towards Sustainable Low-Carbon Transport: Financing The
Vision ASAP"
(http://www.itdp.org/documents/A_Paradigm_Shift_toward_Sustainable_Transport
.pdf ), Transport Research Laboratory for the Institute for Transportation
and Development Policy 

This report discusses challenges and actions needed to finance the paradigm
shift towards sustainable, low-carbon transport in developing countries.
(Also see, "TDM Financing Options" http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm119.htm )

 

"Smart Transportation" (http://www.smart-transportation.com ) is a
partnership of Pennsylvanian state agencies to better link transportation
investments with land use planning and decision-making. It has a variety of
information on the need for more efficient state transportation policies,
and practical ways to improve policies and planning practices.

 

GreenTRIP (http://www.GreenTRIP.org ) 

GreenTRIP is an innovative certification program that rewards residential
infill projects that apply comprehensive transport management strategies to
reduce traffic, energy consumption and pollution emissions. Designed to
complement LEED certification, which focuses on building design, GreenTRIP
measures how connected a community is and what resources and incentives are
provided to help use alternative transport modes, including walking,
cycling, ridesharing, public transit and carsharing.

 

"National TOD Database" (http://www.toddata.cnt.org ) provides detailed
demographic, geographic and economic data for 3,776 U.S. urban rail transit
stations and 833 proposed stations in 47 metropolitan areas, suitable for
research purposes (for example, to evaluate how proximity to high quality
transit affects factors such as traffic fatality rates, household
transportation expenditures and local economic development), for planning
(to identify areas where transit-oriented development should be encouraged)
and for real estate professionals (to allow developers and households
identify multi-modal neighborhoods).

 

"Parking Infrastructure: Energy, Emissions, And Automobile Life-Cycle
Environmental Accounting," Environmental Research Letters,; at
(http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/5/3/034001 ). This study by the UC
Berkeley Center for Future Urban Transport
(http://www.sustainable-transportation.com ) performs a life-cycle
environmental inventory of the 500 million estimated off-street parking
spaces in the U.S. It discusses the environmental consequences of current
parking policies. (Also see, "Parking Costs"
<http://www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0504.pdf> www.vtpi.org/tca/tca0504.pdf ) 

"Parking Management: A Contribution Towards Livable Cities," Module 2C,
Sustainable Transportation: A Sourcebook for Policy-Makers in Developing
Countries (http://www.sutp.org/dn.php?file=2c-PARKM-EN.pdf ). 

This module offers measures to address parking problems in developing cities
and is aimed primarily at stakeholders in local, regional or national
governments and anybody with an interest in this issue. This includes not
only traffic engineers but also  policy makers, land use planners, transport
planners, urban designers , and anyone interested in more efficient and
sustainable parking policies.

 

"Urban Freight In Developing Cities, Module 1G in the Sustainable Transport:
A Sourcebook for Policy-makers in Developing Cities"
(http://www.sutp.org/dn.php?file=1g-UF-EN.pdf ) by the Sustainable Urban
Transport Project Asia (http://www.sutp-asia.org ). 

Provides policy makers and planners an overview of strategies to improve
freight transport and reduce negative impacts through better management. It
includes numerous examples and case studies of effective freight transport
management policies and programs.

 

New Draft of LEED
(http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2010/11/8/Your-Guide-to-the-N
ew-Draft-of-LEED-2012-public-comment-USGBC ) 

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened the first public comment
period for a new draft of the LEED Green Building rating system, which runs
until 31 Dec. 2010. It includes a number of credits related to
transportation, reduced automobile dependence, location accessibility, and
parking management and bicycle facilities.

 

"Advancing Metropolitan Planning for Operations: The Building Blocks of a
Model Transportation Plan Incorporating Operations - A Desk Reference"
(http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop10027/index.htm ), by the
US Department of Transportation. This new publication provides guidance for
incorporating operational management strategies into state, regional and
local transportation plans. This provides a foundation for transportation
demand management.

 

 

Sincerely,
Todd Litman
Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org <http://www.vtpi.org/> )
litman at vtpi.org
Phone & Fax 250-360-1560
1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"