[sustran] VTPI Newsletter - Fall 2016

[Todd Litman]

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                 VTPI NEWS

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              Victoria Transport Policy Institute

              "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"

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              Fall 2016    Vol. 16, No. 3

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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 (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 REPORTS

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"Urban Sanity: Understanding Urban Mental Health Impacts and How to Create
Saner, Happier Cities" (http://www.vtpi.org/urban-sanity.pdf )

This report examines how urban living affects residents' mental health and
happiness, and ways to create saner, happier cities. Some often-cited
studies suggest that urban living increases mental illness and unhappiness,
but a critical review indicates that much of this research is incomplete and
biased. This report examines specific mechanisms by which urban living can
affect mental health and happiness, and identities practical strategies that
communities and individuals can use to increase their urban mental health
and happiness. 

Summarized in:

"Important New Report on How Urban Design can Help Improve Urban Mental
Health" (http://bit.ly/2fKcOcT ), Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health.


"Urban Sanity: Understanding Urban Mental Health Impacts and How to Create
Saner, Happier Cities" (http://bit.ly/2gDfg3W ), CityFix. 

"Cities are Good for Mental Health and Happiness, But Only if Designed
Properly" (http://bit.ly/2gPEJKi ), Condo.Ca, Canada's Condominium Magazine.

 

"The Hidden Traffic Safety Solution: Public Transportation"
(http://www.apta.com/mediacenter/pressreleases/2016/Pages/Hidden-Traffic-Saf
ety-Solution.aspx ), American Public Transportation Association. This report
shows how public transportation can increase safety for users and
communities. Public transit travel has about a tenth the traffic casualty
(death and injury) rate as automobile travel, and residents of
transit-oriented communities have about a fifth the per capita traffic
casualty rate as in automobile-oriented areas. These benefits are often
overlooked: conventional transit project evaluation seldom considers these
traffic safety impacts, and traffic safety programs seldom advocate transit
improvements, although it can be a very cost-effective traffic safety
strategy, considering all benefits and costs. 

Summarized in:

"High Quality Public Transportation Can Provide Huge Traffic Safety
Benefits" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/88491 ), Planetizen

"America Has a Terrible Traffic Safety Record Because We Drive Too Much"
(http://bit.ly/2gPBsKT ), Street Blog.

"Investing in Transit Is an Investment in Saving Lives"
(http://bit.ly/2gPBmD1 ), Mobilizing the Region. 

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PUBLISHED & PRESENTED ELSEWHERE

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

"Evaluating Middle Tennessee Region Public Transportation Funding Sources"
(http://bit.ly/2fmHtuR ). This report identifies and analyzes potential
funding sources that could help finance the local portion of investments
needed to develop high-quality public transit services in the Middle
Tennessee region. It evaluates 20 potential funding sources according to
eight criteria, including potential revenue, predictability and stability,
social equity impacts, contributions from non-residents, travel impacts,
consistency with economic development objectives, public acceptability, and
implementation requirements. 

Summarized in:

"Study Recommends Transit Funding Sources. Leaders Ponder How to Pay for $6B
Plan" (http://bit.ly/2fJQD6w ).

 

Nashville is an exciting and fun city. In addition to its great music and
food, visit the Nashville Civic Design Center
(https://www.civicdesigncenter.org ), a wonderful organization working to
apply state-of-art urban design, including a program called "Shaping the
Healthy City" (http://bit.ly/2gpH0bD ) which provides detailed analysis of
community health risks and pro-health strategies. They produced a beautiful
book which cites VTPI research.

 

"Evaluating Return: A Benefit-Cost Calculator for Active Transportation
Projects" (http://bit.ly/2fMtodt ) by Gigi Cooper and Jennifer Danziger,
published in the ITE Journal. This article describes a new tool for
measuring walking and bicycling benefits and costs, based on the VTPI
report, "Evaluating Active Transportation Benefits and Costs"
(http://www.vtpi.org/nmt-tdm.pdf ). 

 

"Moving Toward a Sustainable California: Exploring Livability, Accessibility
& Prosperity" (http://bit.ly/2gpuYio ). This major study for the California
Department of Transportation developed new transportation performance
evaluation methods that incorporate prosperity (economic factors such as
income, business, and property values) accessibility (factors affecting
people's ability to access opportunities such as travel time, land use
accessibility and public transit availability) and livability (quality of
life factors such as affordability, public health, environmental quality and
aesthetics). Todd Litman contributed to the study.

 

"Mobilizing Sustainable Transport for Development" (http://bit.ly/1QfyiG5 ),
the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Group on
Sustainable Transport. This comprehensive report identifies transport
policies that integrate equitable economic growth, social development, and
environmental protection. It cites VTPI research on public transport safety
benefits.

 

"50 Steps Toward Carbon-Free Transportation" (http://bit.ly/2gPJF1A ),
Environment America Research & Policy Center . Describes a bold new vision
for efficient and low emission transportation - with 50 common-sense policy
reforms helping to chart a new way forward, incorporating VTPI research.

 

"Transportation Planning Handbook" (http://bit.ly/2gPJm6Z ), Institute of
Transportation Engineers. This comprehensive (1,200 page) reference book
presents fundamental transportation planning concepts. It cites numerous
VTPI publications, particularly in the Parking chapter.

 

"Urbanization and Development: Emerging Futures: Word Cities Report 2016"
(http://wcr.unhabitat.org ), United Nations Habitat. This comprehensive
analysis indicates that new urban planning and governance can help create
more efficient, equitable and healthy communities. It cites Todd Litman's
report, "Analysis of Public Policies that Unintentionally Encourage and
Subsidize Sprawl" (http://bit.ly/1EvGtIN ). 

 

The Victoria Transport Policy Institute how has a Wikipedia page
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Transport_Policy_Institute ). 

 

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

*	"Truly Responsive and Inclusive Planning"
(http://www.planetizen.com/node/89718 )
*	"Rethinking Traffic Safety" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/88561)
*	"Urban Sanity: Understanding Urban Mental Health Impacts and How to
Create Saner, Happier Cities" (http://www.planetizen.com/node/88410 )

 

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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UPCOMING EVENTS

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

"Cities of Tomorrow: New Thinking About Cities" (http://www.economicforum.ge
), 9th Local Economic Development Forum, Tbilisi, Georgia. Todd Litman will
give a presentation on the roles public transit plays in efficient and
equitable cities (http://www.economicforum.ge/news/3112 ).

 

TransportationCamp (http://transportationcamp.org/events/dc-2017 ), 7
January 2017, Arlington, Virginia. Transportation Camps are "unconferences"
provide an opportunity for transportation professionals and activists to
exchange information on diverse topics selected by participants at the
event. 

 

The Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting, 10-14 January 2016 in
Washington DC (http://bit.ly/2gcFBaM ). More than 12,000 transportation
experts are expected to participate in this annual event. 

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BEEN THERE, DONE THAT

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

"Selling Transit Oriented Development: Communicating the Direct Benefits to
Households, Businesses and Governments"
(http://vtpi.org/Selling_TOD_3May2016.pdf ) presented at the 2016 Los
Angeles TOD and Real Estate Development Conference
(http://www.tod.org/events/la2016.html ). This presentation described the
direct benefits that TOD can provide to residents, businesses and local
governments, based on analysis in the recent report, "Selling Smart Growth"
(http://www.vtpi.org/ssg.pdf ). 

 

"Sacramento Transit 101"
(http://www.350sacramento.org/the-climate-report.html ). This workshop by
Todd Litman discussed why and how to improve public transit services and
create more affordable housing in transit-oriented neighborhoods. 

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USEFUL RESOURCES

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

"Safer Cycling through Improved Infrastructure" (http://bit.ly/2gqOtv9 ),
American Journal of Public Health. This editorial by professors John Pucher
and Ralph Buehler, and associated research articles, provide information on
cycling crash trends in North American cities, and ways that cities can
increase cycling safety.

 

"Housing Development Toolkit" (http://bit.ly/2daTO5v ) identifies practical
ways to increase affordability by allowing more compact housing types and
reduced parking requirements. 

 

"6 Tips For Talking Housing Solutions" (http://bit.ly/2fJYCAS ).

This Sightline Institute "flashcard" provides great information on how to
talk about affordable infill housing in a positive way to neighbors who may
be skeptical.

 

"Is Usage-Based Auto Insurance the Gas Tax You've Been Waiting For?"
(http://bit.ly/2fYt6wu ).  This article describes various benefits of
usage-based (also called "pay-as-you-go" and "per-mile") vehicle insurance,
and recent experience implementing this reform. Since insurance is the
second or third largest vehicle expense, after fuel and depreciation, this
can give motorists a major new incentive to reduce their driving, providing
a number of direct and indirect benefits (see "Distance-based Vehicle
Insurance as a TDM Strategy" www.vtpi.org/dbvi.pdf ).

 

"Benefit-Cost Analysis for Transportation Planning and Public Policy:
Towards Multimodal Demand Modeling" (http://bit.ly/2bYJ0Zj ). This report by
the Mineta Transportation Institute examines existing practices of
transportation planning benefit-cost analysis, and ways to make them more
multimodal. 

 

"Transport Justice: Designing Fair Transportation Systems"
(http://bit.ly/2fYu3EX ). The book presents a novel, and radically
progressive, approach to transportation planning, with far-reaching
implications for current transport policies. Drawing on philosophies of
social justice, the book defines a set of principles for transportation
planning and subsequently presents a practical approach to transportation
planning based on these principles.

 

"City Planning and Population Health: a Global Challenge"
(http://bit.ly/2gzEvGw ). This article identifies eight integrated regional
and local interventions that encourage walking, cycling and public transport
use, and reduce private motor vehicle use. Together, they help create
healthier and more sustainable cities.

 

"Safer City Streets: Methodology for Developing the Database and Network"
(http://bit.ly/2gD3AOz ). This report provides guidance for the
International Transport Forum's  Safer City Streets project, which helps
cities improve their road safety data collection and analysis in order to
identify effective urban traffic safety strategies. 

 

"Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Volume II" (http://bit.ly/2fKbV3Z ).
This Strong Towns book includes outstanding essays such as, "Can you be an
engineer and speak out for reform?" "Dealing with Congestion," and "My Car
Pays Cheaper Rent Than Me." 

 

"The High Cost of Buying a Car If You're Poor" (http://bit.ly/2gDaPpC ).
This column, which includes a link to John Oliver's segment on auto lending,
describes how easy it is for lower-income households to become trapped by
high automobile costs. 

 

"A 90 Second Lesson in How Parking Can Kill Cities" (http://bit.ly/2fuH7Ge
). This short video describes the impacts of that parking can have on urban
efficiency and equity, and better ways to manage parking.

 

"Pathways to Urban Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities for the
United States" (http://bit.ly/2gBvWY2 ), the National Academies of Sciences.
This new report, available free as PDF file, offers recommendations to help
U.S. cities work toward sustainability, based on lessons learned from nine
urban regions. The report recommends that every U.S. city develop a
sustainability plan that not only accounts for its own unique
characteristics but also adapts strategies that have led to measurable
improvements in other cities with similar economic, environmental, and
social contexts.

 

"The Portland Plan: Down With McMansions, Up With Abundant Housing Options"
(http://bit.ly/2g3lOak ). This article describes policy reforms to encourage
the development of more, smaller and more affordable housing units in
Portland, Oregon neighborhoods. This is part of the Sightline Institute's
excellent series, "Legalizing Inexpensive Housing"
(http://www.sightline.org/series/legalizing-inexpensive-housing ).

 

"Low Car(bon) Communities" (http://bit.ly/2gpNaZ9 ). Authors Nicole Foletta
and Jason Henderson describe examples of cities that are reducing dependency
on cars. Innovative and inspirational, these communities provide a rich
array of data and metrics for comparison and analysis. This book should be
of interest to urban planners, sustainable transportation advocates, and
students. Use the code FLR40 at the Routledge site for a 20% discount.

 

"Revitalizing Places: Improving Housing and Neighborhoods from Block to
Metropolis" (http://bit.ly/2fszLii ). This insightful, comprehensive and
attractive guidebook describes best practices for improving housing and
neighborhoods, including densifying existing metropolitan areas,
retrofitting existing urban areas, and developing better greenfield sites.
Although developed for the "Rethinking Social Housing in Mexico" program,
most of the concepts apply to cities around the world.

 

"What's at Stake? How Decreasing Driving Miles in Massachusetts Will Save
Lives, Money, Injuries, and the Environment" (http://bit.ly/2gBA0HT ),
MASSPIRG Education Fund. This report describes and quantifies various
economic, social and environmental benefits what could result from policies
that reduce driving and improve other modes. It estimates that each one
percentage point reduction in vehicle travel below current state forecasts
will provide $20 billion worth of savings and benefits. 

 

"Access Magazine" (http://www.accessmagazine.org/articles/fall-2016 ). This
issue includes several interesting and easy-to-read articles concerning
smarter parking solutions.

 

"It's Time to Rethink How the World's Great Cities Manage Traffic"
(http://bit.ly/2fYtlYx ). Describes costs of car-dominated communities:
motor vehicles have an insatiable appetite for space, and cause health
risks.  

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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