SMART GROWTH, TRANSIT INVESTMENT, AND TRAVEL PRICING
Overview
Transportation models are important tools that help researchers understand how large and complete systems—like a transportation system—operate. They can help guide the development of innovative transportation policies including smart growth, transit investment, and travel pricing.
Project
description
Modeling is key to studying transportation issues such as parking
and land use policies, and ways to reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and automotive
emissions. IMR has used advanced travel demand models and an integrated land
use and transportation models to evaluate these issues in the
IMR researchers reviewed empirical and modeling literature to identify effective land use, transit, and pricing policies and optimal combinations of those policies, and to provide a comparative context for the results of the simulation. Some of the key findings of this study are:
· Land use and transit policies may reduce VMT and emissions by about 5% to 7%, and the addition of modest auto pricing policies may further reduce VMT and emissions by about 4% to 6% compared to a future base case scenario for a 20-year time horizon
· Development taxes and land subsidy policies may not be sufficient to generate effective transit-oriented land uses without strict growth controls elsewhere in the region
· Parking pricing should not be imposed in areas served by light rail lines and in areas in which increased densities are promoted with land subsidy policies.
Learn More
University of
http://www.uctc.net/papers/diss069.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/dced/index.htm
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/ppasg.htm
Association of Bay Area Governments - Smart Growth Strategy/Regional Livability Footprint Project
http://www.abag.ca.gov/planning/smartgrowth/index.html
Examples from the
http://www.sacog.org/regionalfunding/betterways.pdf
http://www.smartgrowth.umd.edu/
Smart Growth
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
Smart Growth Network
Smart Growth Planning
http://www.smartgrowthplanning.org/
Mobility 21 Coalition
http://www.mobility21coalition.com/smartgrowth/index.html
Overview
Carsharing, or more broadly, shared-use vehicles, is one of the innovative strategies that could be integrated into smart growth policies to reduce vehicle miles traveled, congestion, and degrading air quality. Members of a shared-use vehicle organization pay a fee for a short-term rental of a personal vehicle for a trip or a segment of a trip.
There are two types of shared-use vehicle services: station cars and carsharing. Station cars are generally linked to transit and can be shared, while carsharing vehicles are always shared and are not typically linked to transit. The majority of carsharing programs have vehicles based at neighborhood lots where members access and return vehicles to the same lot. In contrast, station cars largely serve transit and rail commuters by proving transit access either on the home-end, destination-end, or both.
Carfree housing is another innovative mobility option being examined to reduce the negative effects of travel. Carfree housing refers to residential developments that have restrictions on the number of cars that residents can own, limited parking availability, or increased parking costs. For example, a carfree housing policy could require that 10 percent of all households with two or more cars in all zones outside a downtown area (with carsharing services) become one-car households, and that in the downtown zones, five percent of households with two or more cars would become zero-car households and five percent would become one-car households. Carfree housing should ideally integrate several factors, including 1) frequent public transit services; 2) basic shopping services located within walking distance; 3) a good cycling network; 4) shelter from traffic noise and pollution; and 5) open space for children to play and adults to congregate.
Project description
Researchers examined the predicted travel, emission, and economic
benefits of carsharing and carfree housing.
They simulated three innovative mobility scenarios forecast to 2025 using
an advanced regional travel demand model.
This model approximated the effects of transit-based carsharing
(short-term vehicle access linked to transit), real-time transit information
services (providing travelers with real-time information through telephone,
television, Internet, kiosks, changeable message signs, handheld electronic
devices, pagers and cell phones), and carfree housing (residential developments
designed with limited parking provisions) in the
The results of this study indicated that there were relatively modest reductions in vehicle travel and emissions, in part, due to limited transit service availability in the region. Despite the modest travel effects of the scenarios, the economic analysis showed a net benefit for all three of the innovative mobility scenarios. The total per-trip benefit ranges from $0.01 to $0.05. The yearly total benefit for all scenarios would be significant, particularly if there were a combination of services and policies in place.
Learn More
Carsharing Operations and Inventories
Carfree Information
Car Free Development:
http://www.carfreehousing.org/index.html
Carfree Living:
http://www.autofrei-wohnen.de/homeEngl.html
http://www.preservenet.com/carfreehousing/
Carfree.com
ADVANCED TRANSIT AND HIGHWAYS
Overview
To address roadway congestion, communities throughout the nation that are at risk for air quality problems are proposing major and costly beltway highway projects (e.g., the Legacy Highway in the Salt Lake City, Utah region, and the Grand Parkway in Houston, Texas). The methods typically used to evaluate the effectiveness of these highway projects may be limited because they do not fully represent how increases in roadway supply will lower auto travel time costs and increase travel demand. As a result, the projected benefits of these new highways—reduced congestion and emissions—may be overstated. Moreover, the measures used to evaluate the environmental impacts of proposed new highway projects may not adequately identify and evaluate alternatives to such projects.
To ensure that these issues are included in the analysis of highway projects, transportation decision makers need access to and a better understanding of the practical benefits of more advanced land use and transportation models. Better models can help stakeholders think about the effects of different transportation and investment choices, understand the trade-offs between the sometimes competing goals of congestion reduction and environmental preservation, and identify the guiding principles upon which they wish to base the development of their community.
Project
description
Researchers applied different models to several policy
scenarios in the
The simulation of these policy scenarios answered four policy and methodological questions.
- What are the respective models’ strengths and weaknesses, and what effect does this have on their evaluation of policies?
- Can transit investment, auto-pricing policies, and land use measures be just as, or more, effective in reducing congestion as alternatives to highways and have the added benefit of improving air quality and protecting environmentally sensitive lands?
- What is the relative significance of the results of the alternative scenarios simulated, given plausible errors in socio-economic projections?
- Can auto-pricing policies be used to significantly reduce vehicle emissions without imposing losses on travelers?
The study also examined the implications of the answers to these questions in the context of the transportation planning process.
Learn More
http://www.sacog.org/publications/SACOG02003.pdf
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/toolbox/sacramento_methodology_land.htm
SMART MOBILITY MODEL PROJECT
Overview
A collaborative of Caltrans, Partners for Advanced Transit
and Highways, and the
The project involved collecting data and gathering
information to understand the mobility issues facing transportation planners,
assessing existing innovative mobility travel options and their effects on
travel, the economy, and air quality, and providing recommendations for
mobility options based on this research.
At UC Davis, campus planners were interested in applying innovative
mobility services and technologies to the upcoming UC Davis Long Range
Development Plan.
The premise behind the Smart Mobility Model Project was that a transportation
system should facilitate mobility by providing a variety of modes for
individuals to choose from when planning a trip. This might include an
automobile for some trips, public transit, bicycle, electric bike, small
electric car, e-commerce, smart shuttles, or similar low speed mode for other
trips. One option might be a Smart Mobility service.
Project
Description
Overview of the Smart
Mobility Model Project and Key Findings:
The Smart Mobility Model Project was designed to encourage
the development and testing of innovative mobility technologies in concert with
smart growth land–use strategies. The project was initially focused on land use
in the
Step One: Understanding the Problem
The initial phase of the project focused on data collection
and information gathering in order to develop an understanding of the factors
that affect local and regional transportation patterns and the problems that
Sacramento and Davis residents encounter when traveling to and from work and
for day-to-day activities. Existing regional baseline travel data were used and
a UC Davis travel survey was completed to gain a comprehensive understanding of
regional and campus travel patterns.
[ Download/View UC Davis Campus Planning Environment ]
[ Download/View UC Davis and Sacramento Travel Patterns ]
Step Two: Innovative Mobility Travel Options
The second phase of the project also included an assessment
of the broad range of smart growth approaches, information technologies, and
clean-fuel technologies to improve connectivity and expand the suite of
regional transportation options. Options that were considered include: smart
bus stops and shuttle services with real-time information, smart cards, smart
parking management, niche applications for electric bikes and small electric
cars, carsharing, linkages between housing and carsharing, and e-commerce. [ Download/View Some of the Innovative Mobility Travel Options Examined in this Study ]
Step Three: Focus Group Response to
Innovative Mobility Options
To gain a stronger understanding of how individuals might respond to smart growth and innovative services and technologies, focus groups were conducted on the UC Davis campus and with the broader community.
[ Download/View Responses of Focus Groups to the Innovative Mobility Options ]
Step Four: Evaluation of the Travel, Economic, and Air Quality Effects of the Innovative Mobility Options
Next, researchers used computer simulation models to examine the travel, economic, and air quality effects of several innovative mobility options.
[ Download/View Results of the Simulation Analysis of the Innovative Mobility Options ]
Step Five: Recommended Innovative Mobility Options
Finally, the Smart Mobility Model research team matched identified needs with the appropriate smart growth strategies and innovative mobility services, proposing innovative mobility research demonstration projects.
[ Download/View Proposed Research Demonstration ]
Learn More
Mineta Transportation Institute
Transportation and Air Quality, State and Local Transportation Resources
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/stateresources/
Smart Growth Resources
http://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/smartgrowth.htm
Smart Growth
http://www.epa.gov/dced/index.htm
Urban Land Institute
http://www.uli.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
Mobility 21 Coalition
http://www.mobility21coalition.com/smartgrowth/index.html
Smart Growth Planning
http://www.smartgrowthplanning.org/
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/ppasg.htm
Smart Growth Network
http://www.smartgrowth.org/default.asp
Smart Growth
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
CommuterPage.com
http://www.commuterpage.com/links/linkcom.htm
One Option – A Smart
Mobility Service
Part of an effective transportation system might include a smart mobility service, which would enable users to evaluate cost, convenience, and impacts before making a choice about which form of transportation to use. Such a service would reduce negative environmental impacts, make better use of transportation resources, and enable people to develop a closer connection to their community and be more satisfied with their mobility options. Strategically bundling a smart mobility service with smart growth land-use strategies should increase the viability of all transportation modes while enhancing quality of life. Here’s why:
Most people in American society rely on their cars to get around; the cost of travel and our transportation system designs encourage almost exclusive dependence on the single occupancy vehicle. Thus, once we purchase a car, we typically choose to drive it almost exclusively of other modes of transportation.
A smart mobility service, however, shifts the fixed costs of
vehicle ownership (such as purchase price, insurance, and maintenance) to a
variable fee based on actual usage. Under this model, users evaluate costs and
convenience of travel, and choose among other attractive transportation modes
for some trips. Single occupancy travel still occurs, but to a lesser degree.
Mobility becomes a service that users subscribe to, rather than a product
(e.g., an automobile) that is purchased and owned.
Seamless door-to-door connectivity is a key element of a smart mobility
service. For the majority of users today, connectivity is lacking from most
existing public transit systems, largely because land-use patterns and minimum
passenger requirements for transit prevent comprehensive coverage in lower
density neighborhoods. So, although a person may work close to a transit stop,
transit access on the home side of a trip is often more than a mile away. This
lack of connectivity reduces consumer options, and, as a result, means they
don’t use transit. Lack of use further restrains transit services and a vicious
cycle ensues.
Connectivity options, such as small electric cars, electric
bicycles, the Segway Human Transporter, bikes or carsharing
vehicles as demonstrated in CarLink II, present a viable
means to complete a transit trip. Land-use patterns designed to encourage more
transit options together with advanced information systems can also improve
connectivity. Real-time traveler information about trip options, transit
schedules, smart parking, and other modal alternatives and technology such
as smart cards that can provide instant access to vehicles for short-term use
all can improve connectivity and make smart mobility a cost-effective option
for users.
A smart mobility service would result in significant benefits to society and to
individual users. Many of the negative side effects of exclusive dependence on
automobile travel, such as air pollution, congestion, and parking stress, would
be reduced. Alternative modes, such as carsharing, could also gain
acceptability. At the same time more people would experience greater connectivity
because their increased use of transit helps promote better transit service and
more mobility options, while reducing automobile ownership and dependence.
Smart mobility services could also save people money -- especially those who
currently spend a high proportion of their income on owning and maintaining a
vehicle. Finally, smart mobility services increase the use of a range of
mobility options (such as, cars, buses, trains, bikes, shuttles, etc.),
resulting in more efficient resource use.