[sustran] VTPI News - Fall 2014

Todd Litman litman at vtpi.org
Fri Dec 19 13:44:02 JST 2014


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                 VTPI NEWS

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              Victoria Transport Policy Institute

              "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"

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              Fall 2014    Vol. 14, 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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PUBLISHED ARTICLES

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"The New Transit Safety Narrative"
(http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/JPT17.4_Litman.pdf ) =
,
by Todd Litman, Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp.
121-141.=20

Public transportation is, overall, a relatively safe (low crash risk) =
and
secure (low crime risk) transport mode. Transit travel has about =
one-tenth
the traffic casualty (injury or death) rate as automobile travel, and
residents of transit-oriented communities have about one-fifth the per
capita crash casualty rate as in automobile-oriented communities. =
Transit
also tends to have lower overall crime rates than automobile travel, and
transit improvements can help reduce overall crime risk by improving
surveillance and economic opportunities for at-risk populations. Despite =
its
relative safety and security, many people consider transit travel =
dangerous
and are reluctant to use it or support service expansions in their
communities. Various factors contribute to this excessive fear, =
including
the nature of transit travel, heavy media coverage of transit-related
crashes and crimes, and conventional traffic safety messages that =
emphasize
danger rather than safety. Transit agencies can help create a new =
transit
safety narrative by better communicating transit=A1=AFs overall safety =
and
security impacts and providing better guidance concerning how users and
communities can enhance transit safety and security.

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"Playing a CRITICAL ROLE: Author And Researcher Todd Litman On The =
Future Of
Transportation And Why So Much Of It Depends On Parking"
(http://www.vtpi.org/PPI_litman.pdf ), in "The Parking Professional," =
the
official magazine of the International Parking Institute =
(www.parking.org),
November 2014. This article discusses ways that more efficient parking
management can help reduce traffic problems, support compact =
development,
increase housing affordability, support efficient economic growth, and =
help
achieve other planning objectives.=20

=20

'Sustainable Transportation: New Kid On The Block,' in "Transportation =
in
Canada: Transforming the Fabric of our Land" (http://tinyurl.com/krtglzn =
),
Transportation Association of Canada (TAC). This book was published as =
part
of TAC=A1=AFs centennial celebration ( =
<http://www.transportation2014.ca/>
http://www.transportation2014.ca ). This chapter describes how =
sustainable
transportation principles are being incorporated into Canadian transport
policy.=20

=20

"Social Exclusion and Transportation Services: A Case Study of Unskilled
Migrant Workers in South Korea" (http://tinyurl.com/levgs39 ), "Habitat
International," Vol. 44, October 2014, Pages 482-490, by Younshik Chung =
,
Keechoo Choi, Jungsik Park and Todd Litman.=20

Abstract: As a progressive and open society, South Korea recognizes the
importance of providing public services that respond to the needs of
disadvantaged groups, reflecting principles of social justice and =
community
inclusion. Korea has a growing foreign population, including many =
low-income
migrant workers. This study investigates the transportation demands and
problems of these workers, and identifies potential ways to better meet
their travel needs. It is based on a survey of 300 randomly-selected
immigrant workers living on the outskirts of Seoul. The survey =
investigated
respondents' ability to communicate in Korean, their knowledge of
transportation services and traffic regulations, and their travel =
demands.
Various transportation problems that these workers often face, and =
potential
policy reforms to address these problems were identified. This study
indicates that many new foreign workers could benefit from information
resources and education programs on Korean language, transportation
services, traffic rules and pedestrian safety. The topic is a relatively
unexplored research subject; most previous research on low-income =
migrant
population transport demands and improvement strategies is from European =
and
North America.=20

=20

"Chauffeuring The Kids Isn=A1=AFt Just A Pain; It=A1=AFs A Major =
Expense"
(http://tinyurl.com/mu6wt4v ), by Don Cayo. This Vancouver Sun Newspaper
article summarizes findings from the paper, "Evaluating Household
Chauffeuring Burdens: Understanding Direct and Indirect Costs of
Transporting Non-Drivers" (http://www.vtpi.org/chauffeuring.pdf ) which
estimates direct and indirect costs of chauffeuring non-drivers.

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

"Land For Vehicles Or People?" (http://tinyurl.com/kmtveuk )

"Climate Change Targets? No Problem! We Have Win-Win Solutions"
(http://tinyurl.com/qjl7dks )

"How Not To Measure Traffic Congestion=A1=AAHold the Hyperbole, Please!"
(http://www.planetizen.com/node/71689 )

"Reform Transport Engineering: Expand Beyond Just Roadway Level of =
Service
(LOS) Ratings" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/71447 )

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Let=A1=AFs be friends. Todd Litman regularly posts on his Facebook page
(http://www.facebook.com/todd.litman ). Befriend him now!

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BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Todd Litman gave a keynote presentation at the
<http://www.uncrd.or.jp/?page=3Dview&nr=3D116&type=3D13&menu=3D198> =
Environmentally
Sustainable Transport Forum in Asia and Better Air Quality Conference
(http://www.baq2014est.org ) held 19-21 November in Colombo, Sri Lanka,
sponsored by the United Nations Centre for Regional Development and =
other
international organizations. The Keynote Presentation slides
(http://tinyurl.com/mfpd89a ) and Backgrounder "Implementing Transport
Policies and Programmes toward Realizing 'Bali Vision Three Zeros - Zero
Congestion, Zero Pollution, and Zero Accidents Towards Next Generation
Transport Systems in Asia'" (http://tinyurl.com/omzobel ) are available =
at
the Conference website (http://tinyurl.com/mgxbs6j ).

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"Comprehensive Evaluation of Improving Public Transit Service and More
Transit-Oriented Development" (
<https://epa.connectsolutions.com/p891ra5gno6> =
https://epa.connectsolutions.
com/p891ra5gno6 ).

This webinar sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency =
explored
the benefits of public transit improvements, and how these can be better
incorporated into planning. It discussed various economic, social and
environmental benefits from transit service improvements and transit
oriented development, and methods of quantifying them. It identified =
current
demographic and economic trends that are increasing the value of high
quality transit.=20

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting
(http://www.trb.org/annualmeeting2014/annualmeeting2014.aspx ).=20

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"Sustainable Transportation Indicators & Measures - From Meta to Local
Perspectives" (MSS15-020), Session 677, Tuesday, 3:45-5:30pm, Todd =
Litman
presiding.

These presentations explore the concept of sustainable indicators and
performance measures from a board meta-framework to local perspectives =
and
tools that help integrate sustainability objectives into agency planning
(using case study examples of Buffalo, NY and Santa Cruz, CA).=20

"Evaluating Household Chauffeuring Burdens" (15-4458), Session 588, =
Research
on Social and Economic Factors of Transportation, Tuesday, January 13, =
2015
10:45AM - 12:30PM (http://www.vtpi.org/chauffeuring.pdf ).

Household chauffeuring (also called escort trips) refers to personal =
motor
vehicle trips specifically made to transport a non-driver. This paper
develops a Chauffeuring Burden Index which can be used to quantify
chauffeuring costs and therefore the savings and benefits of transport
improvements that reduce chauffeuring burdens. This analysis indicates =
that
in automobile dependent communities chauffeuring costs often exceed
congestion costs.

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"Autonomous Vehicle Implementation Predictions: Implications for =
Transport
Planning" (15-3326), Metropolitan Policy, Planning, and Processes =
Committee,
Tuesday, January 13, 2015 1:30PM - 5:30PM (http://www.vtpi.org/avip.pdf =
).

This paper explores the impacts that autonomous (also called =
self-driving,
driverless or robotic) vehicles are likely to have on travel demands and
transportation planning. It discusses autonomous vehicle benefits and =
costs,
predicts their likely implementation, and explores how they will affect
planning decisions such as optimal road, parking and public transit =
supply.
The analysis indicates that some benefits, such as independent mobility =
for
affluent non-drivers, may begin in the 2020s or 2030s, but most impacts,
including reduced traffic and parking congestion (and therefore road and
parking facility supply requirements), independent mobility for =
low-income
people (and therefore reduced need to subsidize transit), increased =
safety,
energy conservation and pollution reductions, will only be significant =
when
autonomous vehicles become common and affordable, probably in the 2040s =
to
2060s, and some benefits may require prohibiting human-driven vehicles =
on
certain roadways, which could take longer.

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"TRB Sustainability Measurement Subcommittee" (ADD40(1)), Wednesday,
January 14, at 4.30 - 6:00 PM, at the Marriott Marquis, Independence D =
(M4),
Presiding: Dan Hardy; Henrik Gudmundsson. This replaces the Sustainable
Transportation Indicators subcommittee. It has the following scope: "To
advance the development of conceptual and operational elements for =
measuring
and assessing the sustainability of transportation systems, policies,
programs and projects.  The Subcommittee will collect, review, refine, =
and
disseminate knowledge on evolving criteria, standards, and good practice =
for
measuring and rating sustainability with the aim of broadening =
awareness,
and helping to advance, the state of the practice."

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Next-Generation Transportation Certificate: Transportation That Will =
Stand
Up To The Challenges Of The Future (http://tinyurl.com/kl8z2o9 ). Todd
Litman is an instructor in Simon Fraser University=A1=AFs new online =
program
designed to help mid-career professionals develop and apply new
transportation strategies.

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USEFUL RESOURCES

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Global Commission on the Economy and Climate =
(http://newclimateeconomy.net )
is a major new international initiative to provide independent and
authoritative evidence on actions which strengthen economic performance =
and
reduce climate change risks. The Commission=A1=AFs report, "Better =
Growth,
Better Climate" sets out a ten-point Global Action Plan for governments =
and
businesses to secure economic development in a low-carbon economy. =
Chapter 2
(http://newclimateeconomy.report/cities ) explores the roles that
resource-efficient cities can play in achieving these goals. It =
incorporates
a series of reports by the London School of Economics Cities program
(http://www.lse.ac.uk/LSECities/home.aspx ):

1.	"Cities and the New Climate Economy: the Transformative Role of
Global Urban Growth=A1=B1 (http://tinyurl.com/ksambya )
2.	"Steering Urban Growth: Governance, Policy and Finance"
(http://tinyurl.com/mve6dxg )
3.	"Accessibility in Cities: Transport and Urban Form
(http://tinyurl.com/oknp7x3 )

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Land Transport=A1=AFs Contribution To A 2=A1=E3C Target: Key Messages On =
Mitigation
Potential, Institutions And Financing Of Low-Carbon Land Transport For
Policy Makers On Transport And Climate Change =
(http://tinyurl.com/numllfm ).
This report by the Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport =
(SLoCaT)
argues that the transport sector can make a substantial contribution to
climate change emission reduction targets by applying existing,
cost-effective transportation emission reduction strategies. Also see, A
Global High Shift Scenario: Impacts And Potential For More Public =
Transport,
Walking, And Cycling With Lower Car Use (http://tinyurl.com/maw3enu ).

=20

'Transport' chapter of the "Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate
Change," (http://tinyurl.com/m4b8uf8 ) by the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, concludes that a range of integrated policies can help
reduce transport carbon emissions and provide significant =
co=A9\benefits. =20

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"Gasoline Prices And Road Fatalities: International Evidence,=A1=B1 =
Economic
Inquiry (http://tinyurl.com/kc9mb3p ). This study utilizes two decades =
of
data for 144 countries to calculate the international estimates of the
gasoline price elasticity of road fatalities. The results suggest that =
each
10% increase in gasoline pump prices reduces traffic fatalities =
3%=A8C6%, so
approximately 35,000 road deaths per year could be avoided by the =
removal of
global fuel subsidies.  =20

=20

"Fossil Fuel Subsidies: A Change In Direction?"
(http://www.iisd.org/gsi/sites/default/files/ffs_weo2014_infographic.pdf =
).
This infographic by the Global Subsidies Initiative illustrates the huge
subsidies that governments currently provide to fossil fuel production =
and
consumption (estimated at US$548 billion in 2013), their economic and
environmental harms and inequity (wealthy people benefit most), and how
governments reform them. Reducing these subsidies can reduce climate =
change
emissions and provide other economic, social and environmental benefits.

=20

"Menos Cajones, M=A8=A2s Ciudad" (=A1=B0Less Parking, More City=A1=B1)
(http://tinyurl.com/pfmyy6x ), by the Institute for Transportation and
Development Policy in Mexico City proposes various parking policy =
reforms.
It describes the importance of parking management to help create more
compact and mixed, and less congested and automobile dependence cities.=20

=20

"Bus Karo 2.0 =A8C Case Studies from India" (http://tinyurl.com/ms2tx4h =
), by
EMBARQ India provides comprehensive guidance on all aspects of Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT) planning and operations, including the design of routes =
and
support infrastructure, operations management, driving training, =
technology
applications, branding and marketing, and financing models. It uses case
studies from various Indian cities to demonstrate the large efficiency =
gains
and benefits that BRT systems can provide.=20

=20

"Urban Mobility Plans" (http://tinyurl.com/kbg7f3u ). Urban mobility =
plans
are comprehensive plans that identify urban transportation problems and
support development of integrated solutions. This report describes =
specific
policies and planning practices that can maximize urban transport system
efficiency.

=20

"New Tool Maps Bay Area=A1=AFs Expensive, Unused Parking"
(http://tinyurl.com/lw6wfwg ). The GreenTrips Parking Database
(http://database.greentrip.org ) measures the number of parking spaces =
per
unit, their occupancy rates, and the cost of that unused spaces for =
various
residential buildings in the San Francisco Bay area. The results =
indicate
that parking requirements can be substantially reduced, increasing =
housing
affordability.

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"Effect of Smart Growth Policies on Travel Demand: Explores the =
Underlying
Relationships Among Households, Firms, and Travel Demand"
(http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/shrp2/SHRP2_S2-C16-RR-1.pdf ). =
This
report documents the findings of a major project to help practitioners
understand how smart growth development effects travel activity. It =
includes
a user-friendly software tool that can be used to evaluate the impact of
smart growth policies on regional travel demand.=20

"Does Active Commuting Improve Psychological Wellbeing? Longitudinal
Evidence from Eighteen Waves of the British Household Panel Survey,"
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743514003144 ). =
Data
from eighteen waves of the British Household Panel Survey indicates that
after accounting for various potential confounding variables relating to
work, residence and health, overall psychological wellbeing was
significantly higher for active modes commuters compared to car travel =
or
public transport.=20

=20

"Evaluating the Impact of Complete Streets Initiatives"
(http://tinyurl.com/lzn34ej ), by the Center for Inclusive Design &
Environmental Access at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture =
and
Planning, describes a framework for evaluating various complete streets
project outputs (e.g., miles of on-street bicycle routes, number of
crosswalk enhancements, installed curb ramps) and outcomes (e.g., level =
of
service, crash and injury data, mode share, perceived safety, citizen
satisfaction).=20

=20

"A Multi-Modal Approach To Economic Development In The Metropolitan Area
Transportation Planning Process," (http://tinyurl.com/lxca8ns ), by the
Federal Highway Administration=A1=AFs Office of Planning summarizes =
research on
methods for incorporating economic development goals into regional =
transport
planning.

=20

"Urban Development: Faster Greener Commutes Key to Sustained City =
Growth"
(http://tinyurl.com/kdcynto ), by Cushman & Wakefield Research, a major =
real
estate consulting firm, looks at transportation and land use policy
innovations that can increase economic productivity and urban livability =
by
improving transport options and serve the demand for more compact
development.=20

=20

"Need For A Holistic Assessment Of Urban Mobility Measures =A8C Review =
Of
Existing Methods And Design Of A Simplified Approach"
(http://tinyurl.com/nz2fyoj ). This paper evaluates current tools used =
to
assess sustainable mobility. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is often =
applied to
large-scale infrastructure projects, but does not capture all relevant =
local
impacts well. Based on this analyses, a holistic approach for project
appraisal is proposed, consisting of aspects of a multi-criteria =
analysis
(MCA) and CBA methods and applicable to a variety of urban mobility
measures. Also see, "Impact Assessment Handbook: Practitioners=A1=AF =
Handbook
For Cost Benefit And Impact Analysis Of Innovative Urban Transport =
Measures,
" TIDE (Transport Innovation Deployment for Europe) Project =
(http://tinyurl.
com/odnlh4w ).

=20

"Subsidizing Congestion: The Multibillion-Dollar Tax Subsidy That=A1=AFs =
Making
Your Commute Worse"
(http://transitcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/SubsidizingCongestio=
n-F
INAL.pdf , by the Transit Center and the Frontier Group, critiques U.S.
federal tax policy which makes parking an untaxed employee benefit. The
analysis estimates that this tax benefit increases 820,000 urban =
automobile
commutes, and is regressive overall since more affluent commuters =
capture
the greatest financial benefit.=20

=20

"Trip Generation for Smart Growth Projects" (http://tinyurl.com/oye8aqj =
).
Researchers Robert J. Schneider, Susan L. Handy and Kevan Shafizadeh
developed a new, more rigorous data collection method to count vehicle =
trips
at urban sites. The results indicate that commonly-used trip generation
prediction models significantly overestimate trip generation in smart =
growth
locations, by an average of 2.3 times at the sites studied. Also see the
"Smart Growth Trip-Generation Adjustment Tool"
(http://ultrans.its.ucdavis.edu/projects/smart-growth-trip-generation ).
Most of these findings are transferable to parking generation analysis.

=20

"Phantom Trips: Overestimating the Traffic Impacts of New Development"
(http://tinyurl.com/m6ay4ut ), summary at
http://www.accessmagazine.org/articles/fall-2014/phantom-trips. This =
study
by Professor Adam Millard-Ball critically examines vehicle trip =
generation
prediction methods. It found that they often:

=A1=A4         Overestimate trip generation in smart growth locations.

=A1=A4         Use biased samples, since surveys are generally performed =
at
=A1=B0successful=A1=B1 sites.

=A1=A4         Assume that any trips made from a new building are =
=A1=B0new=A1=B1 trips,
rather than shifts of existing regional trips that would occur if the
building had not been constructed (defined as =A1=B0average=A1=B1 rather =
than
=A1=B0marginal=A1=B1 trips).=20

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As a result of these factors the author concludes that current planning
practices often result in economically-excessive urban roadway capacity.
This is further evidence that smart growth development can provide large
benefits by reducing motor vehicle ownership and use, and associated =
costs,
and that current planning practices are significantly biased in favor of
sprawl and automobile-dependency.

=20

 <http://www.evergreen.edu/csi> Infrastructure Crisis, Sustainable
Solutions: Rethinking Our Infrastructure Investment Strategies
(http://www.evergreen.edu/sustainableinfrastructure  ), by the Center =
for
Sustainable Infrastructure, distills the insights of the Pacific =
Northwest=A1=AF
s top thought leaders concerning ways to make infrastructure development
more sustainable and resilient. =20

=20

"Handbook for Corridor Capacity Evaluation: WSDOT=A1=AFs Methods For
Comprehensive Analysis Of Multimodal State Highway System Performance"
(http://tinyurl.com/p73tvof ), by the Washington State Department of
Transportation describes innovative approaches to multimodal system
performance evaluation, including our maximum throughput philosophy,
multimodal performance measures, and associated thresholds.

=20

"How Often Do Cities Mandate Smart Growth or Green Building?"
(http://tinyurl.com/p5sbjdy ), by Michael Lewyn and Kristoffer Jackson
evaluates the prevalence of various types of regulations and their =
impacts.
It finds that regulations which encourage sprawl, including minimum =
parking
requirements and maximum density limits, are common while their =
converse,
parking maxima and density minima are uncommon.

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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.

=20

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Sincerely,

Todd Litman (litman at vtpi.org)

Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org)

Office: 250-360-1560 | Mobile: 250-508-5150

1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA

     Efficiency - Equity - Clarity=20

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