[sustran] VTPI NEWS - Winter 2008
Todd Alexander Litman
litman at vtpi.org
Fri Jan 11 03:23:13 JST 2008
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VTPI NEWS
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Victoria Transport Policy Institute
"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
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Winter 2008 Vol. 11, No. 1
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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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ACTION ALERT
==============
"Tax-Free Transit Benefits In Canada" (http://www.vtpi.org/TT_alert.htm )
For more than a decade VTPI has promoted
employer-based incentives for public transit,
called "tax-free transit benefit" or "tax-free
transit passes" (http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm8.htm
). There is now a promising opportunity to have
this policy established in Canadas tax code. If
you are a Canadian resident, your support can
help. Please click the link above for information.
NEW DOCUMENTS
==============
"Smart Transportation Emission Reductions" (http://www.vtpi.org/ster.pdf )
This report investigates how to identify the
optimal (best overall, taking into account all
benefits and costs) transportation emission
reduction strategies. Current evaluation methods
tend to undervalue mobility management due to
various types of biases. More comprehensive and
objective analysis tends to rank mobility
management strategies among the most
cost-effective emission reduction options. This
report describes ways to correct current planning
bias so mobility management solutions can be implemented to the degree optimal.
"Measuring The Performance Of Transit-Oriented
Developments In Western Australia,"
(http://www.vtpi.org/renne_tod_performance.pdf )
This new report by Professor John Renne
summarizes factors to consider when evaluating
TOD transport, economic social and environmental
impacts. It recommends longitudinal measurement
of performance indicators in six categories,
including travel behaviour, the local economy,
the natural environment, the built environment,
the social environment and the policy context.
"Sustainable Transportation Indicators: A
Recommended Program To Define A Standard Set of
Indicators For Sustainable Transportation
Planning" (www.vtpi.org/sustain/sti.pdf )
This paper, a cooperative effort by the
Transportation Research Boards 'Sustainable
Transportation Indicators Subcommittee' (ADD40
[1]), discusses how to develop a standard set of
indicators for sustainable transportation
evaluation. It describes sustainable
transportation definitions and concepts,
discusses factors to consider when selecting
indictors, recommends specific sustainable
transportation indicators, and discusses issues
of data quality. We hope this will lead to the
development of a standardized set of sustainable
transportation indictors for worldwide use.
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UPDATED DOCUMENTS
==============
"Appropriate Response To Rising Fuel Prices" (www.vtpi.org/fuelprice.pdf )
This paper evaluates public policy options for
responding to rising fuel prices. There is
popular support for policies to minimize retail
prices by reducing fuel taxes or providing
production subsidies. But price-minimization
policies are likely to harm consumers and the
economy overall by encouraging transportation
system inefficiency. Rather than reducing fuel
prices it would be better to allow prices to rise
and simultaneously working to improve transport system efficiency.
"Smart Growth Reforms" (http://www.vtpi.org/smart_growth_reforms.pdf )
This paper identifies specific policy, planning,
regulatory and fiscal reforms that support smart growth.
"Land Use Impacts On Transport" (http://www.vtpi.org/landtravel.pdf ).
This paper examines how various land use factors
such as density, regional accessibility, mix and
roadway connectivity affect travel behavior,
including per capita vehicle travel, mode split and nonmotorized travel.
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IN THE NEWS
============
"Connected Urban Development" program with Cisco
Systems and the Clinton Foundation
(<http://commitments.clintonglobalinitiative.org/projects.htm?mode=progressreport&rid=43067&blogId=216>http://commitments.clintonglobalinitiative.org/projects.htm?mode=progressreport&rid=43067&blogId=216
). I'm a special advisor on transportation and
land use planning. The project will include bus
transit improvements, a handheld navigation
device (a mobile telephone with web-browsing, GPS
and automatic fare payment capabilities), road
pricing (likely to be implemented in Seoul), some
smart growth policies, plus promotion of
telework. For more information see Ted Samson's
InfoWorld Sustainable IT blog
(http://weblog.infoworld.com/sustainableit/archives/2007/12/cisco_clinton_g.html
).
We Rock Geekaliciously!
(<http://www.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2007/10/15/congestion-is-the-cure-worse-than-the-disease>http://www.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2007/10/15/congestion-is-the-cure-worse-than-the-disease
)
Litman's Planetizen Blogs (http://www.planetizen.com/user/2394 ).
VTPI Executive Director Todd Litman shares
information and insites in blogs posted on
Planetizen, a public-interest information
exchange for urban planners, designs, and developers. Below are examples:
"Smart Emission Reduction Strategies" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/28841 ).
"Place Trumps Mobility Equals Paradise,"
Planetizen Blog (http://www.planetizen.com/node/28195 )
"Smart Growth Safety Benefits," Planetizen Blog
(http://www.planetizen.com/node/28523 )
"Ten Insights on Carbon Policy," Seeking Alpha
Stock Market Opinion & Analysis"
(http://seekingalpha.com/article/56026-ten-insights-on-carbon-policy
), by Tom Konrad.
"Transportation model decreased travel costs,
added options" The Daily Journal
(http://www.daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=406356
), 26 October 2007.
"Gas prices affect TransLink" Georgia Straight
(http://www.straight.com/article-115501/gas-prices-affect-translink
), 25 October 2007.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
==========================
"US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection
Summit" (www.seattle.gov/mayor/climateSummit2007.htm )
The two-day U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate
Protection Summit in Seattle, included
presentations by former President Bill Clinton,
Vice President Al Gore via satellite, New York
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and VTPI E.D. Todd
Litman. This event stressed the importance of
local and regional actions to create more
livable, efficient and sustainable communities
(<http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=6336&state=52>http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=6336&state=52
).
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UPCOMING EVENTS
================
Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting
(http://www.trb.org/meeting ). Below are some events VTPI will participate in:
Workshop 141, "Cutting Carbs in the
Transportation Sector: International Efforts to
Address Global Climate Change," Sunday, 13
January 2008, 12:15pm-5:30pm, Hilton, International East
'Macrolevel Collision Prediction Models to
Evaluate Road Safety Effects of Mobility
Management Strategies: New Empirical Tools to
Promote Sustainable Development' (08-2385),
http://www.trb.org/am/ip/paper_detail.asp?paperid=21962,
Poster Session 253, Monday, January 14, 2008, 9:30am-12:00pm.
"Evaluating Quality of Accessibility for
Transportation Planning" (08-0495); SESSION #:
332, Monday, January 14, 2008, 2:30pm- 5:00pm.
(http://www.vtpi.org/access.pdf )
"Valuing Service Quality Improvements in
Transport Planning" (08-0998); SESSION #: 337,
Monday, January 14, 2008, 2:30pm- 5:00pm (http://www.vtpi.org/quality.pdf )
Transportation and Sustainability Committee"
(ADD40); Monday, January 14, 2008, 7:30 PM - 9:30
PM, Hilton Map Room, Hilton Hotel
"Sustainable Transportation Indicators
Subcommittee" (ADD40[1]); SESSION MMM08-035,
Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 12:15pm- 1:15pm Bancroft Room, Hilton Hotel
"Performance Measures for Sustainability"
(Session 677); Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 10:15 AM - 12:00 PM, Hilton
"New Perspectives on Sustainable Transportation"
(Session 734); Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM, Hilton
"The Carmichael Conference On The Future of
American Transportation,"
(http://www.nationalcorridors.org ), St. Louis, MO, January 28-29, 2008.
This conference is organized by the National
Corridors Initiative with the support of major
transportation advocacy organizations including AASHTO, APTA, NARP, ETC.
"Transportation Demand Management Toolkit"
(http://www.academicimpressions.com/pdf/0108-transportation-demand.pdf
), January 28-30, San Diego, CA.
This conference on Campus Transport Management
(http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm5.htm ) will help
participants learn to plan and implement
techniques that can reduce parking costs, improve
town-gown relations, help green your campus, and
reduce single occupant vehicle trips to and around campus.
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USEFUL RESOURCES
=================
"Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban
Development and Climate Change,"
(http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/gcindex.html ).
This book documents how land development changes
could help reduce vehicle greenhouse gas
emissions, based on a comprehensive review of
dozens of studies. The authors make the case that
one of the best ways to reduce vehicle travel is
compact development: building places in which
people can get from one place to another without driving.
"Transport and Climate Change: A new module of
the GTZ Sustainable Urban Transport Sourcebook"
(http://www.sutp.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_details/gid,383/lang,uk
)
This new module summarises the challenges that
climate change mitigation has to face in the
transport sector and presents options to deal with them.
"Smart Growth E-Learning Portal"
(http://www.moodleserv.com/smartgrowthca ), is an
educational program describing various smart
growth concepts and implementation strategies,
developed by the Smart Growth Canada Network,
sponsored by Natural Resources Canada.
"ITE Journal
(http://www.ite.org/itejournal/0711.asp ), Vol.
77, No. 11, November 2007. This issue includes
two excellent articles which indicate that the
Institute of Transportation Engineers supports
multiple modes and community livability:
'President's Award for Merit in
Transportation Engineering: Road Diet Handbook,',
by Jennifer A. Rosales. This award-winning paper
describes the benefits of road diets and how they can be implemented.
"Innovative Intermodal Solutions for Urban
Transportation Paper Award: Quantifying
Transit-Oriented Development's Ability To Change
Travel Behavior," by John Gard. This
award-winning paper summarizes information on
transit-oriented development impacts on transit
rider and automobile trip generation. It
indicates that TOD typically increases per captia
transit ridership 2-5 times and reduces vehicle trip generation 8% to 32%.
"Your Next Move: Choosing a Neighbourhood with
Sustainable Features,"
(http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/62180.pdf
), helps consumers evaluate community
sustainability when selecting a home. It
describes features that create safe, convenient,
environmentally-friendly and affordable neighborhoods.
'Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from the
Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany,' by John
Pucher and Ralph Buehler, published in "Transport
Reviews," Vol. 28, No. 4, July 2008; at
http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf .
This paper describes the policies and planning
practices that result in very high levels of
cycling transportation in the Netherlands,
Denmark, and Germany, and the feasibility of
applying these strategies in other countries.
"Design Guidelines for 'Greening' Surface Parking
Lots,"
(http://www.toronto.ca/planning/urbdesign/greening_parking_lots.htm
). These Guidelines by the City of Toronto are
designed to deal with common urban design and
environmental challenges found within and around surface parking lots.
Two Cool Videos:
"Ciclovia and Recreovia"
(http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/ciclovia ).
This video clip shows the 'Ciclovia and
Recreovia' program, in which major streets in
Bogota, Columbia are closed to motor vehicle
traffic so residents can walk, bike, run, skate, recreate, picnic, and visit.
"Parking Illustrated: Toy Cars And Stop-Motion
Animation Show How Parking Reform Can Work,
(http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/12/21/donald-shoup-plays-with-parking-fees-and-matchbox-cars
). A fun video with Parking Master Professor Donald Shoup.
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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
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