Government agencies sometimes face the criticism that they have difficulty coordinating between various silos. In the transportation sector this may stem, in part, from the historic approach of separating modes into different funding, maintenance, and development streams. While barriers still exist, some agencies are developing coherent multimodal policy to combat this. In other cases incoherence can occur when different segments of the same network fall under the jurisdiction of different agencies, each with its own priorities and maintenance approaches.
Accessibility
Measuring access to destinations can help agencies predict transit ridership
Many transportation agencies throughout the U.S.—some working directly with SSTI—are beginning to think about service in terms of access to destinations. A few, like the Washington and Virginia DOTs, are measuring accessibility in planning and project selection. New research suggests that accessibility analysis can also be helpful in predicting travel outcomes like transit ridership.
Pedestrians respond to built environment changes, according to study
With consistent growth in most urbanized areas around the world, changes to the built environment to accommodate multimodal travel will become one of our most important adaptations. A recent study from Melbourne, Australia, of pedestrian flows over five years found that built environmental changes accounted for 50-60% of the increase in foot traffic in the downtown region.
Rapid transit may not fix traffic problems, but there are added benefits
More state and local agencies are investing in high-capacity transit lines to ease pressure along busy corridors. While the added capacity can relieve traffic congestion in the short-term, new research suggests that—just as with new road capacity—traffic soon appears to fill the extra space. Nonetheless, transit can have added benefits that make it worth the investment.
Improved transit access boosts employment rates
By Saumya Jain A recent study from Britain finds a strong correlation between public transit job accessibility and employment outcomes, especially for low-income people and those who do not have access to personal cars. Although there has been a lot of research around the issue …
Modeling pedestrian trips is becoming more practical
With new technology, we can better analyze pedestrian movement, offering insights into disability access, project selection, and more.
No car? Accessing the vaccine will be difficult
The inequities felt by communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 are replicated in auto-centric vaccine roll-outs.
MnDOT improves critical pedestrian crossings on reservations
A new HAWK crossing shows how transportation agencies can identify safety improvements through an equity lens.
SSTI releases practitioner guide to measuring accessibility
We’re excited to announce our new guide for practitioners, Measuring Accessibility.
The Divisive Legacy of an Urban Freeway in Austin, Texas
Groups such as the Austin Latino Coalition argue that while the Black and Latino residents east of I-35 are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, they’re not being prioritized to receive the vaccine. Locating the majority of vaccine providers to the west of I-35 (figure 1) represents a burden to the east-side residents who may rely on transit in this city—considered the most car-dependent in Texas.