As bicycling and walking have become more popular methods of transportation, cities and states are searching for better techniques for estimating traffic from these non-motorized modes. Both on individual corridors and throughout transportation systems, traffic volumes are essential for planning and performance measures. But measuring non-motorized traffic can be more difficult than counting cars and trucks, so new techniques are needed to estimate traffic patterns. Colorado DOT worked with researchers at the University of Colorado-Denver to establish Colorado-specific methodologies for estimating bicycle and pedestrian volumes via a limited sample of existing counts.
research
Motor vehicle pollution a major contributor to American deaths
Last year, following six years of decline, the number of traffic fatalities in the U.S. rose 5 percent—to 34,000—continuing the position of motor vehicle crashes as one of the leading causes of death, particularly among young people. It is the top cause of death for ages 5 to 24. Two recent independent studies now suggest that simply living near major roadways and breathing harmful emissions from motor vehicles might be an even greater threat to U.S. health, making the death toll from traffic far worse.
Development of Tools for Assessing Wider Economic Benefits of Transportation (TRB, 2013)
A new study by SHRP2 details the development of tools to help assess the wider economic benefits of transportation projects. In addition to the study, four sets of spreadsheet tools that can aid in transportation project impact assessment are provided.
Factors affecting the decline in VMT: A new SSTI report
SSTI has released a paper outlining factors contributing to the recent decline in American driving and the implications for transportation planning.
Factors affecting the decline in VMT: A new SSTI report
SSTI has released a paper outlining factors contributing to the recent decline in American driving and the implications for transportation planning.
VMT Inflection Point: Factors Affecting 21st Century Travel (SSTI, 2013)
For many decades, transportation planning has assumed continued increases in automobile use. Now, in a major reversal, the average American is driving considerably less. No one can predict the future with certainty, but there are many reasons to think that VMT trends will not revert to the 20th century trend. This paper lists some of those reasons, with references to supporting literature.
Ready. Transit. Go: Lining up development to meet current and future transportation demands
A recent study by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota considers the perspective of developers and business leaders interested in developing TOD sites in the Twin Cities. The study finds that there is an unmet demand for TOD and other walkable, multimodal transportation infrastructure. However, encouraging walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods will require the different actors involved—developers, business owners, and municipalities—to work together to develop a new suite of policies, zoning codes, and other ordinances that will foster this type of development.
Has Motorization in the U.S. Peaked? Part 2: Use of Light-Duty Vehicles (Michael Sivak, 2013)
This study is an examination of trends from 1984-2011 in distances driven by light-duty vehicles in the U.S. The study concludes that because the onset of the reductions in the driving rates was not the result of short-term, economic changes, the 2004 maxima in the distance-driven rates have a reasonable chance of being long-term peaks as well.
Lower VMT of TOD the result of density more than rail
A study published in the Journal of the American Planning Association argues that the rail transit frequently used to define transit-oriented development is not the most important factor in reducing vehicle miles traveled and car ownership. Overall density and the availability of parking were shown to be the most important variables in predicting reduced driving.
Got the flu? Maybe you need to ride public transit more
A new study from the U.K. finds that conventional wisdom may have it wrong when it comes to the link between getting sick and riding in crowded buses or trains. Research has shown that those who ride transit most frequently are less likely to get the flu.