[sustran] VTPI News - Late Spring 2015

[Todd Litman]

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                 VTPI NEWS

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              Victoria Transport Policy Institute

              "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"

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              Late Spring 2015    Vol. 15, 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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"Understanding Smart Growth Savings Evaluating Economic Savings and Benefits
of Compact Development, and How They Are Misrepresented By Critics"
(http://www.vtpi.org/sg_save.pdf ).

How communities develop can have many direct and indirect impacts. Smart
growth policies, which result in more compact, multimodal development,
reduce per capita land consumption and the distances between common
destinations, which reduces the costs of providing public infrastructure and
services, improves accessibility and reduces per capita motor vehicle
travel, which in turn provides economic, social and environmental benefits.
This report examines these impacts. It defines smart growth and its
alternative, sprawl, summarizes current research concerning their costs and
benefits, investigates consumer preferences, and evaluates smart growth
criticisms. This report should be useful to anybody involved in development
policy analysis.

 

"Welcome To Our Neighborhood: A Manifesto for Inclusivity"
(http://www.vtpi.org/wtonm.pdf ).

This short document summarizes key conclusions and recommendations from the
report, 'Affordable Accessible Housing in a Dynamic City'
(http://www.vtpi.org/aff_acc_hou.pdf ). 

 

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

"Well Done Vancouver! Well Done Planners!"
(http://www.planetizen.com/node/77377 )
"Welcome To Our Neighborhood: A Manifesto for Inclusivity"
(http://www.planetizen.com/node/76332 )

 

Let’s 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

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

"Transportation for Sustainability – An International Conference", held May
7-8, Washington DC. Slide presentations are available at
http://bit.ly/1EM0Br3 , including Todd Litman’s presentation, "Sustainable
Transportation Performance Evaluation Data Needs"  (http://bit.ly/1ctZUL1 ).

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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"Change for Parking Parking: Pricing Expert Panel" (http://bit.ly/1K4QWl6 ) 

Tuesday, 2 June, 1:00-4:30 pm, at the MTC Auditorium, 101 8th Street
Oakland, California. An expert panel including professors
<https://www.facebook.com/donald.shoup.3> Donald Shoup and Betty
<https://www.facebook.com/elzabeth.deakin> Deakin, Meea Kang, and Todd
Litman Will discuss the region's variable parking pricing research program
(http://parkingpolicy.com ), which is testing innovative solutions to
parking problems.

 

"A New Traffic Safety Agenda: Incorporating Transportation Demand Management
Safety Strategies" (http://www.vtpi.org/NTSP.pdf ), to be presented at the
Annual International Conference on Transportation, 8-11 June, Athens, Greece
(http://www.atiner.gr/transportation.htm ) .

 

“Evaluating Household Chauffeuring Burdens: Understanding Direct and
Indirect Costs of Transporting Non-Driver” (http://bit.ly/W8kt7r ) to be
presented at the ITEA Annual Conference and Summer School, Kuhmo Nectar
(www.toi.no/ITEA2015 ), June 15-19, 2015, Oslo, Norway.

 

"Research and Trends" presented at the Urban Challenges and Trends Seminar
(http://cometogothenburg.se ), 23 June, Gothenburg, Sweden, as part of the
Volvo Round the World Ocean Race final celebration.

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USEFUL RESOURCES

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

"Menos Cajones Más Ciudad" (https://youtu.be/PJyl0f5y7kc ) which means,
"Less Parking More City," is a terrific new short video by ITDP Mexico.
Excelente!. Click the "CC" button for English translation.

 

"The Complete Business Case for Converting Street Parking Into Bike Lanes:
An Annotated, Chart-Filled Review Of 12 Studies From Around The World"
(http://bit.ly/1GAab1L ), by Eric Jaffe. This column summarizes various
studies which show that pedestrians, cyclists and transit users tend to
spend less than drivers per shopping trip, they also tend to make more
trips, pumping more total money into the local economy over time. 

 

"Bogotá Bicycle Account" (www.bicycleaccount.org ). Bogotá, Columbia
promotes bicycles as a viable mode of transportation. It currently has 392
km (243 miles) of bikeways. This study finds that this has resulted in
bicycle use increasing from around 0.5% of daily trips in 1996 to 6% in
2014, while total cyclist casualties have declined.

 

"Are Intermodal Hubs Fancy Capital Projects or Anchors for Future
Investment?"
(http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/transit-hubs-intermodal-hubs-cost ).
Intermodal transportation hubs are places where transportation modes
connect, including bus and train stations, and even parking lots. They are
an important part of the transportation system.

 

"Two-Ways to Fix Our Downtown Neighborhoods" (http://bit.ly/1I0Htbe ), by
John Gilderbloom and William Riggs. This study compared the performance of
one-way and two-way streets. It found that in urban conditions, two-way
streets tend to significantly reduce traffic accidents, increase walking and
cycling activity, reduce local crime rates, increase local business activity
and increase property values and tax revenues.

 

"Community Design, Street Networks, And Public Health"
(http://bit.ly/1pYmbTZ ), by Wesley Marshall, Daniel Piatkowski and Norman
W. Garrick. This study investigates the influence of street network patterns
on health outcomes using data from 24 California cities. The results
indicate that residents of more compact and connected street networks have
reduced rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure. 

 

"Missing Middle Housing: Responding to the Demand for Walkable Urban Living"
(http://missingmiddlehousing.com ). This terrific new website dedicated to
the "missing middle" urban housing types such as duplexes and fourplexes,
and small apartment buildings designed to fit into residential
neighborhoods. This helps create affordable infill housing in
moderate-density neighborhoods.  

 

"Infill Design Project" (http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/34024 ), by
Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. This website provides
practical guidance to improve the design of multidwelling and rowhouse
development.

 

"King County Right Size Parking Calculator" (http://rightsizeparking.org )
lets users estimate a specific site’s parking demands, based on a model
using current local data of actual parking use correlated with factors
related to the building, its occupants, and its surroundings. 

 

"Parking Guidebook for Beijing" (http://bit.ly/1JkvkjT ), by the Institute
for Transportation and Development Policy. This report analyzes Beijing
parking problems and potential solutions, including more efficient zoning,
pricing, technologies, enforcement, design, planning and user information. 

 

"Introduction to Congestion Charging: A Guide for Practitioners in
Developing Cities" (https://openaccess.adb.org/handle/11540/4318 ), by the
Asian Development Bank and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). This report describes and evaluates congestion
charging schemes suitable for implementation in large cities.

 

"Smart Mobility: Reducing Congestion And Fostering Faster, Greener, And
Cheaper Transportation Options"
(http://dupress.com/articles/smart-mobility-trends ), Deloutte University
Press. This report describes new on-demand mobility systems that assemble
the fastest or cheapest way of getting anywhere at any time. Helsinki,
Finland plans to use these technologies to allow city resident to avoid the
need to own private cars by 2025.

 

"The Changing Shape of American Cities" (http://bit.ly/1dacJuF ). This
terrific new information resource (http://bit.ly/1b0iTNk ) by University of
Virginia Professor Luke Juday which provides data on changes in factors such
as income, education and age relative to the center of U.S. metropolitan
areas between 1990 and 2012. The graphs clearly show the large increases in
younger and affluent residents, and growth in overall population, in the
center of most cities. 

 

"The Innovative DOT: A Handbook of Policy and Practice, Smart Growth America
and the State Smart Transportation Initiative" (http://bit.ly/1ycuPFx ).
This handbook collects the innovative approaches that state transportation
leaders are already using to make systems more efficient and effective in
today’s challenging economy. Smarter transportation investments are both
possible and popular; the challenge is determining where to begin and to
whom to reach out for support and guidance.

 

"TOD Index Report" (http://todindex.com ), by Dr. John L. Renne. This study
indicates that the financial performance of for-sale and rental housing in
Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) across the United States significantly
out-performs the national housing market. Despite the impressive financial
performance of TODs, households that live in TODs spend the lowest
percentage of their income on housing and transportation costs, thus have
$10,000 more in disposable income annually compared to the average American.


"A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking"
(http://1.usa.gov/1Jkr7wO ). This Federal Highway Administration guide
provides practical information for ways that residents can improve
pedestrian and bicycle safety in their community. It contains various
checklists, tip sheets, worksheets, and sample materials that can be adapted
to meet the needs of a particular community. 

 

"Safer Streets, Stronger Economies" (http://bit.ly/1PeGDM9 ). This report by
Smart Growth America summarizes the impacts of 37 complete streets projects
for which before-and-after transport and economic data were available. The
analysis indicates that complete streets tend to improve safety for all
street users, increased biking and walking, showed a mix of increases and
decreases in automobile traffic, depending in part on the project goal, and
tend to provide economic gains like increased employment and higher property
values. Also see, "Evaluating Complete Streets Projects: A Guide for
Practitioners" (http://bit.ly/1D7vQvK ).

 

"The Complete Business Case for Converting Street Parking Into Bike Lanes:
An Annotated, Chart-Filled Review Of 12 Studies From Around The World"
(http://bit.ly/1JkuCmF ), by Eric Jaffe. Guess what? Academic studies
indicate that bicycle facilities tend to support local business activity.

 

"Road Diet Informational Guide"
(http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/road_diets/info_guide ). 

This Federal Highway Administration Guide includes safety, operational, and
quality of life considerations from research and practice, and guides
readers through the decision-making process to determine if Road Diets are a
good fit for a certain corridor. It also provides design guidance and
encourages post-implementation evaluation.

 

Metromile (https://www.metromile.com ) is a new vehicle insurance company
operating in California, Oregon, Washington and Illinois which charges
monthly premiums based on actual mileage, using on-board instrumentation. A
typical rate is $20-40 per month flat fee, plus 2-5 cents per vehicle-mile,
depending on risk factors and policy features. This can provide substantial
savings to vehicle owners who drive less than average (about 10,000 annual
miles). 

 

“How Urban Transport Projects are Appraised: Current Practice in the EU"
(http://bit.ly/1BDDDAW ), by the Wuppertal Institute for the EVIDENCE
Economic Benefits of Sustainable Transport (http://evidence-project.eu )
program. This study critically evaluates current transport project economic
appraisal practices. It concludes that current appraisal practices are
biased in various ways that favor highway expansion over more sustainable
urban transport system improvement strategies. It recommends that transport
planners develop Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) which create an
integrated set of strategies for improving urban transport system
efficiency. 

 

"Traffic Safety on Bus Priority Systems: Recommendations for Integrating
Safety Into the Planning, Design, and Operations of Major Bus Routes"
(http://bit.ly/1PU1suX ), EMBARQ. This report shows that public transport
systems that incorporate high quality infrastructure and operating features
can provide significant safety benefits on the streets where they are
implemented, reducing injuries and fatalities as much as 50%. Their report
provides detailed recommendations for incorporating safety into the design,
planning, and operation of different types of bus systems.

 

"Surging City Center Job Growth" (http://bit.ly/1GSzPC2 ), by Joe Cortright.
Census data show that the largest U.S. metropolitan areas are recording
faster city center job growth than in more dispersed commercial areas. City
centers out-perform surrounding area job growth in 21 of the 41 metropolitan
areas examined. This “center-led” growth represents the reversal of a
historic trend of job de-centralization that has persisted for the past half
century.

 

"Making the Case for Proactive Safety in Long-range Transportation Planning:
Interview with Dr. Gordon Lovegrove" (http://bit.ly/1FPQ5lf ). This ITE
Journal article describes current work by Professor Lovegrove to develop an
Interactive High-level Safety Planning Model (IHSPM) which integrates
various individual models to provide better information on road and
neighborhood design factors that affect traffic crash risks and the
effectiveness of various traffic safety strategies.

 

"Close to Home: A Handbook for Transportation-Efficient Growth in Small
Communities and Rural Areas" (http://bit.ly/1RG4TIx ). This beautiful report
analyzes how rural community development patterns affect residents’ motor
vehicle travel. The results indicate that per capita vehicle travel is
minimized if new jobs and households are concentrated in areas that already
have existing development, and lead to more jobs-housing balance in small
towns. 

 

"Moving Dollars: Aligning Transportation Spending With California’s
Environmental Goals" (http://bit.ly/1M4MD8s ), UC Berkeley and UCLA Schools
of Law. This report examines problems with current transport funding
practices, and reforms that can result in transport investments that are
better aligned with strategic planning objectives.

 

"Quantifying Transit’s Impact on GHG Emissions and Energy Use—The Land Use
Component" (http://bit.ly/1FpEc37 ). This Transportation Research Board
study used sophistical statistical analysis to evaluate interrelationships
between transit and land use patterns to understand their impacts on urban
development patterns, per capita vehicle travel and pollution emissions. The
analysis indicates that high quality transit provides substantial energy
savings and emissions reductions by encouraging more compact and multimodal
urban development.

 

"The Fiscal Implications Of Development Patterns A Model For Municipal
Analysis" (http://bit.ly/1PTyChc ). Smart Growth America, a national
non-profit, and RCLCO, a national real estate advisory firm, created a
comprehensive model to help municipalities understand the financial impacts
of development policies, and identify strategies that improve their economic
returns. The model estimates incremental public service costs and tax
revenues of various types of development. This model has already been
applied to three typical U.S. cities. Also see, "Sprawl Costs the Public
More Than Twice as Much as Compact Development" (http://bit.ly/1FpFDOT ).
This Infographic compares the costs of smart growth and sprawl based on
Halifax Regional data. 

 

"Valuing Convenience in Public Transport: Roundtable Summary and
Conclusions" (http://bit.ly/1HHtd5v ), International Transport Forum. This
summarizes a conference which investigated how user comfort, reliability,
safety and convenience affect travel demands. 

 

"Green Pricing in the Asia Pacific: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?"
(http://bit.ly/1Q0FHiu ), by Paul J. Burke. This article, published in  Asia
& the Pacific Policy Studies, discusses the potential benefits of an
enhanced use of efficient transport pricing. 

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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 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