Accessibility analysis, measuring the ease with which people can reach destinations, could shift the paradigm in the fields of land use and transportation planning. Where traffic speeds once reigned supreme, momentum is building behind the adoption of a more comprehensive metric. While uptake has thus far been somewhat diffuse among cities, metropolitan planning organizations, and states, those who have the capacity and resources to implement accessibility analysis find it a powerful tool for leveling the playing field between modes, focusing on the movement of people over vehicles, and centering the needs of under-resourced communities.
webinar
Webinar recap: Parking reform for 21st century communities
Parking reform is a growing priority for cities and towns across the U.S. This has important implications for transportation professionals, outlined in a recent webinar from SSTI, the Form-Based Code Institute, and Smart Growth America.
April webinar recap: Intercity buses and state DOTs
The April 24 SSTI webinar on intercity buses and the role of state DOTs yielded exciting ideas about how states can facilitate improved connections and service. We were joined in the webinar by MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle and MassDOT staff member Kyle Emge, who runs the MassDOT BusPlus program, to talk about this important transportation option for longer-distance travel.
Housing and Transportation Affordability Index (CNT, n.d.)
Website demonstrating that when transportation costs are included, exurban areas are very expensive to live in, even though real estate is cheap. Go to website
FHWA planning and environment linkages training webinar
The Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) Program, a joint effort of FHWA’s Office of Planning and Office of Project Development and Environmental Review, is offering a training webcast titled “PEL 101: The Tools for Adopting …
Achieving a state of good repair
Dr. Michael Meyer from Georgia Tech University (and an expert panel member for several SSTI reports) made a presentation (available here) to USDOT officials about the importance of performance management in improving U.S. highway and …
Policy options for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. transportation: No silver bullet
Transportation accounts for 2/3 of the nation’s oil consumption and produces between ¼ and 1/3 of all the CO2 emitted from the nation’s energy consumption. TRB established a special committee of experts to explore policy …
TRB Webinar: A Community Visioning Approach to Support the Collaborative Decision-Making Framework for Transportation Investments
TRB will hold a webinar on May 25, 2011, from 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. EDT that will explore a project developed by TRB’s second Strategic Highway Program (SHRP 2) about ways to incorporate community visioning into …
TRB webinar on climate change adaptation features California and Michigan DOTs
“State departments of transportation are modifying their planning efforts and practices to adapt to the effects of climate change on facilities and operations. Transportation providers are seeking to learn what other states and regions are …
New direction for the Highway Capacity Manual: Include active traffic management and a multimodal approach
The latest edition of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) updates how engineers and planners assess the traffic and environmental effects of highway projects. According to TRB: • It is the first HCM to provide an …