[sustran] VTPI News - Summer 2004

[Todd Alexander Litman]

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                                   VTPI NEWS
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                       Victoria Transport Policy Institute
                          "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
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                             Summer 2004    Vol. 7, 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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VTPI ONLINE TDM ENCYCLOPEDIA - UPDATES
======================================
The VTPI "Online TDM Encyclopedia" (http://www.vtpi.org/tdm) is one of the 
most comprehensive resources available to help identify and evaluate 
innovative management solutions to transport problems. We continually 
update and expand the Encyclopedia.

New chapters:

"Roadway Connectivity" (http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm116.htm).
'Connectivity' refers to the density of connections in a road or path 
network. A well connected road or path network has many short links, 
numerous intersections, and minimal dead-ends (cul-de-sacs). As 
connectivity increases, travel distances decrease and route options 
increase, allowing more direct travel between destinations, creating a more 
accessible and resilient system.

"Strong Commercial Centers" (http://vtpi.org/tdm/tdm117.htm)
Vibrant downtowns, business districts, urban villages and other walkable, 
mixed-use activity centers can provide a variety of economic, social and 
environmental benefits. They increase accessibility, increase travel 
options and reduce per capita vehicle travel. They tend to increase 
productivity and regional economic development. They support many other TDM 
strategies.

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NEW DOCUMENTS
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"Understanding Smart Growth Savings: What We Know About Public 
Infrastructure and Service Cost Savings, And How They are Misrepresented By 
Critics" (http://www.vtpi.org/sg_save.pdf)
Various studies show that Smart Growth can save hundreds of dollars 
annually per capita compared with providing comparable public services to 
sprawled destinations. Most current development charges, utility fees and 
taxes fail to accurately reflect these location-related cost differences, 
representing a subsidy of sprawl. This paper summarizes estimates of Smart 
Growth savings, and critiques a study by Cox and Utt which claims that such 
savings are insignificant. That study misrepresents Smart Growth and 
contains several critical errors.

"Evaluating Research Quality" (http://www.vtpi.org/resqual.pdf)
This short, draft paper provides guidelines for evaluating research quality 
and discerning propaganda from true research. Please send your comments 
about it.

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UPDATED DOCUMENTS
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"Evaluating Transportation Land Use Impacts" (http://www.vtpi.org/landuse.pdf)
This paper examines how transportation decisions affect land use, and the 
economic, social and environmental impacts that result. It discusses how 
automobile use encourages sprawl, and how alternative transportation modes 
can support Smart Growth. It describes various costs and benefits of 
different land use patterns, including the opportunity cost of land used 
for roads and parking facilities, accessibility and transportation costs, 
costs of providing public services, neighborhood livability and community 
cohesion, greenspace and habitat, preservation of cultural resources, 
energy consumption and pollution emissions, housing affordability, 
pedestrian conditions, aesthetic impacts, and equity impacts. Current 
transportation planning practices tend to overlook many of these land use 
impacts, particularly those that are indirect, long-term and non-market, 
which biases planning decisions toward increased automobile use and sprawl, 
and undervalues TDM and Smart Growth. This paper describes specific methods 
for incorporating these land use impacts in transportation and land use 
planning.

"Evaluating Public Transit Benefits and Costs: Is It Cheaper To Subsidize 
Cars Instead Of Transit Service?" (http://www.vtpi.org/tranben.pdf).
This guidebook describes how to create a comprehensive framework for 
evaluating the full impacts (benefits and costs) of a particular transit 
service or improvement. It discusses best practices for transit evaluation 
and identifies common errors that can distort results. A new section 
examines recent claims by transit critics that it would be cheaper to 
subsidize cars instead of transit service to provide basic mobility. Such 
claims tend to overlook important factors, such as that many transit users 
cannot or should not drive, and that increased urban driving would 
exacerbate other transportation problems.

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PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE
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WBCSM, Mobility 2030: Meeting the Challenges to Sustainability, The 
Sustainable Mobility Project, World Business Council for Sustainable 
Mobility (http://www.wbcsd.org), 2004. This major international report 
describes various ways to create more sustainable transportation system. It 
cites VTPI as a leading source of information on demand management issues 
and strategies.

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BEEN THERE - DONE THAT
======================
During the last few months we have participated in several exciting events:

"Healthy Community Planning: Integrating Public Health Objectives in 
Transportation and Land Use Planning," presented at the 29th Annual 
National Wellness Conference, sponsored by the National Wellness Institute 
at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point 
(http://www.nationalwellness.org), 12 July 2004. The PowerPoint 
presentation is available at http://www.vtpi.org/wellness.pdf. For more 
information on this subject see our report "If Health Matters" 
(http://www.vtpi.org/health.pdf).

"Win-Win Transportation Solutions," presented at Shifting Gears: 
Sustainable Mobility for Western Communities, Sponsored by Climate Change 
Central (http://www.climatechangecentral.com) of Environment Canada, 
Edmonton, Alberta, 16 June 2004. For more information on this subject see 
our report "Win-Win Transportation Solutions" (http://www.vtpi.org/winwin.pdf).

"Pay-As-You-Drive Pricing: Innovative Strategy Proposed to Increase 
Insurance Affordability and Reduce Uninsured Driving," presented at the 
Casualty Actuarial Society Spring Meeting (http://www.casact.org), 17 May 
2004. For more information on this subject see 
http://www.vtpi.org/payd_aff.pdf.

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UPCOMING EVENTS
===============

"Pro-Walk / Pro-Bike" Victoria 2004, September 7  10, 2004, Victoria, 
British Columbia (http://www.bikewalk.org).
The major bi-annual international walking and cycling conference will be 
held September 7-10, here in Victoria, BC. Pro Walk - Pro Bike is a forum 
for sharing practical solutions, best practices and successful strategies 
for supporting healthy and sustainable lifestyles and transportation 
choices. It will both inspire participants and provide them with specific, 
hands-on tools for making more walkable and bicycle-friendly communities. 
Discount registration rates are in effect until July 31st. Delegate fees go 
up $50 (US) in August. Conference program highlights are at: 
http://www.bikewalk.org/PWPB2004/pwpb_snapshot.pdf. Todd Litman will 
present "What's It Worth: Evaluating The Full Economic Benefits Of Active 
Transportation (Walking and Cycling)". For more information on this subject 
see http://www.vtpi.org/walkability.pdf.

"Rail~Volution: Building Livable Communities With Transit," September 
18-22, Los Angeles. This annual conference explores ways to integrate 
public transit, walkability, smart growth and urban redevelopment to create 
more efficient transportation systems and livable communities. Todd Litman 
will participate in a session titled "Responding To Critics" and will 
present the results from his latest research on the economic, social and 
environmental benefits of rail transit. For more information on this 
subject see http://www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf.

"Walking the Talk" Commercial Transportation's Contribution to a 
Sustainable Environment" (www.westac.com)
October 20 & 21, 2004, Fairmont Waterfront Hotel & Ballantyne Pier, 
Vancouver, BC.
This conference will discuss the transportation industry's green 
technologies. Expect a dynamic exchange of ideas and an opportunity to see, 
learn about and touch displays  a "green goat", a "smart car", the hydrogen 
highway. Experience the new generation of friendly buses.

"Getting around on Foot in NZ Cities & Towns" 
(http://www.livingstreets.org.nz/Conf2004.htm), 25th November 2004, 
Wellington, New Zealand. This one-day conference is targeted at transport 
professionals, health and activity professionals, urban designers, 
landscape planners, public officials and advocates for walking. It follows 
on last year's "Towards Sustainable Land Transport Conference," 
(http://www.nziht.co.nz/special_events/tslt/index.html), held November 
2004, Wellington

2005 TRB Annual Meeting
The 2005 Transportation Research Board 84th Annual Meeting takes place 
January 9-13, 2005. The deadline for paper submissions is 1 August 2004 
(http://gulliver.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=3809).TRB welcomes any 
transportation-related paper submittals for consideration for presentation, 
and/or publication as part of the Transportation Research Record. VTPI 
Director Todd Litman will chair the TRB Sustainable Transportation 
Evaluation and Indicators Subcommittee. This subcommittee explores 
practical ways of evaluating progress toward sustainable transportation. 
Please contact him if you have questions or suggestions concerning this 
subcommittee.

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

The City of Seattle's "One-Less-Car Study" involved 86 households that 
lived with 'one-less-car' for either six or nine weeks while keeping 
detailed trip diaries recording their travel patterns. The families 
demonstrated that every type of household (with and without children, high 
and lower incomes, etc.) in a variety of Seattle's neighborhoods can meet 
their needs with 'one-less-car' while saving money and reducing stress. 
Many families continued to reduce their vehicle ownership and use after the 
study ended. The "One-Less-Car Demonstration Study Replicability Package" 
(http://www.seattle.gov/waytogo/replicabilitypackage.htm) provides 
information on the project and guidance on implementing it in other cities.

Will Toor and Spenser Havlick, "Transportation and Sustainable Campus 
Communities," Island Press (http://www.islandpress.org), May 2004. First 
chapter is available at 
http://www.islandpress.org/books/detail.html?SKU=1-55963-656-4. This 
detailed, 264-page book describes examples of North American collage and 
university campus transportation management programs, including their goals 
and objectives, features, case studies, and recommendations for 
implementing such programs. Includes parking management and pricing, 
transit service improvements, UPass programs, walking and cycling 
encouragement, ridesharing, carsharing, automobile use restrictions, and 
marketing programs. This book is highly recommended for anybody working 
with school or campus management programs.

The Canadian Centre for Sustainable Transportation (http://www.cstctd.org) 
provides information, research and strategic policy advice to help create 
transportation systems that are clean, efficient, and equitable. The Centre 
performs research on a variety of related issues. The recent "Sustainable 
Transportation Monitor" (Number 10) includes discussion on transportation 
energy supply, and freight truck transport efficiency.

Access Exchange International (http://www.globalride-sf.org) is a 
non-profit organization that promotes cost-effective access to public 
transportation for disabled persons in developing countries. AEI 
publications, "Mobility For All: A Guide To Making Transportation 
Accessible For Persons With Disabilities And Elders In Countries Around The 
World," and "Making Access Happen: Promoting and Planning Transport for 
All,"  are available from the Swedish Institute on Independent Living 
(http://www.independentliving.org). The website also provides links to 
various resources to help improve mobility for people with disabilities.

Anybody involved in transit planning will appreciate the recently-released 
report, "The Demand for Public Transit: A Practical Guide," Transportation 
Research Laboratory, Report TRL 593 (http://www.trl.co.uk), 2004; available 
at http://www.demandforpublictransport.co.uk. It is a comprehensive 
analysis of the various factors that affect transit ridership, including 
fares, quality of service, and costs of automobile travel.

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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 mailing 
list. And please pass this newsletter on to others who may find it useful.




Sincerely,
Todd Litman, Director
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
1250 Rudlin Street
Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada
Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560
Email: litman at vtpi.org
Website: http://www.vtpi.org