[getsmart-l] FW: VTPI News - Fall 2007

[Janet May]

  _____  

From: Todd Alexander Litman [mailto:litman at vtpi.org] 
Sent: October 14, 2007 6:27 AM
To: litman at vtpi.org
Subject: VTPI News - Fall 2007

 

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                                  VTPI NEWS
                                 -----------
                      Victoria Transport Policy Institute
                         "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
                      -------------------------------------
                          Fall 2007    Vol. 10, No. 4
                       -----------------------------------
      
The Victoria Transport Policy Institute is an independent research
organization dedicated to developing innovative solutions to transportation
problems. The VTPI website (http://www.vtpi.org ) has many resources
addressing a wide range of transport planning and policy issues. VTPI also
provides consulting services.
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
NEWS
=====
 
Planners Press is promoting the book, "Parking Management Best Practices,"
with a 15% discount for orders this week, when purchased with James
Kushner's "The Post-Automobile City," until October 21. For information go
to http://www.planning.org/apastore . Click on the 'Meet The Author' photo
for an interview with Todd Litman.
 
 
"Comprehensive Evaluation of Congestion Costs and Solutions" Planetizen Blog
by Todd Litman ( http://www.planetizen.com/node/27367
<http://www.planetizen.com/node/27367> ). This short essay points out that
conventional congestion indicators tend to exaggerate congestion costs, and
are biased in favor of highway capacity expansion over other congestion
reduction strategies. Traffic congestion is overall a modest cost, so it
would be wasteful to implement a congestion reduction strategy that
increases other transportation costs, such as infrastructure costs,
accidents, consumer costs or pollution, while congestion reduction
strategies that also help achieve other planning objectives provide far more
benefits to society. 
 
 
'Transport Expert Todd Litman: Save Oil, Lives, Environment' a three part
series by the "Energy Bulletin" ( <http://www.energybulletin.net/35342.html>
http://www.energybulletin.net/35342.html ).
1. Alter Car Insurance & Save Oil, Lives, Environment (
<http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=335>
http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=335 )
2. Get Paid for NOT Driving To Work (
<http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=341>
http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=341 )
3. 'Congestion Pricing' to Include Entire Regions (
<http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=345>
http://energytechstocks.com/wp/?p=345 )
 
 
"Cotter Debate on Transportation Policy and the Environment" between Samuel
Staley (Reason Foundation) and Todd Litman (Victoria Transport Policy
Institute), held at Colby College, 8 October 2007. A Podcast of the event is
available at http://www.colby.edu/academics_cs/goldfarb . For references see
"The Future Isn't What It Used To Be" ( <http://www.vtpi.org/future.pdf>
http://www.vtpi.org/future.pdf ) and "Rail Transit In America" (
<http://www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf>  http://www.vtpi.org/railben.pdf ).
 
 
"Parking Space Tax: Is It Really Such A Bolshevist Fantasy?" - Chicago
Transit Blog (
<http://sicktransitchicago.blogspot.com/2007/10/parking-space-tax-is-it-real
ly-such.html>
http://sicktransitchicago.blogspot.com/2007/10/parking-space-tax-is-it-reall
y-such.html ).
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
PAYD URGENT ACTION - YOU CAN HELP!
====================================
Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) pricing means that a vehicle's insurance premiums
and registration fees are based directly on its annual mileage (
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm79.htm <http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm79.htm>  ).
PAYD is an innovative, fair, cost-effective, easy way to increase transport
system efficiency, providing many economic, social and environmental
benefits. PAYD pricing is particularly appropriate in British Columbia
because the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) has a mandate
to maximize safety, affordability and consumer benefits, and to reduce
climate change emissions. 
 
PAYD is receiving growing media attention (
<http://www.news1130.com/news/topstory/article.jsp?content=20070906_151654_5
792>
www.news1130.com/news/topstory/article.jsp?content=20070906_151654_5792 ).
An Internet poll by News1130 found 61% (600) of respondents want ICBC to
offer PAYD insurance, against 39% (376) who oppose the concept.
 
The Victoria Transport Policy Institute is working to promote PAYD insurance
in BC ( <http://www.vtpi.org/paydbc.pdf>  http://www.vtpi.org/paydbc.pdf ).
You can help by contacting ICBC CEO Paul Taylor; Minister of Public Safety
Honourable John Les; and if you live in BC, your MLA (
<http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm>  www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm).
*  Describe PAYD pricing benefits, particularly with regard to ICBC's stated
goals (safety, affordability, fairness), and provincial goals (safety,
energy conservation and emission reductions, congestion reduction, physical
fitness and health). 
*  Ask ICBC to share its research on PAYD and implement a PAYD pilot
project. 
*  Request that PAYD be included in ICBC's Climate Change Secretariat
submission.
*  If the Corporation refuses to act, ask that their objections be
explained.
 
 
Paul Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
Email: paul.taylor at icbc.com
Fax: 604-982-2440
151 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, BC V7M 3H9
 
Hon. John Les, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA)
Ministry of Public Safety
Email: john.les.mla at leg.bc.ca
Fax: 604 702-5223
#1-45953 Airport Rd, Chilliwack, BC, V2P 1A3
 
 
Please contact Todd Litman (litman at vtpi.org ) if you would like to stay
informed about this issue as it develops.
 
 
USEFUL RESOURCES
=================
 
"Driving to Green Buildings: The Transportation Energy Intensity of
Building," Environmental Building News (www.buildinggreen.com
<http://www.buildinggreen.com/>  ), Vol. 16, No. 9, Sept. 2007; at
www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm?fileName=160901a.xml . 
This article points out that about twice as much energy is consumed in
commuting to a typical office building as in the buildings for heating,
cooling and lighting. It discusses the importance of applying efficient
location and transport management to create truly green buildings, and
describes specific ways to do this.
 
 
"Increases In Greenhouse-Gas Emissions From Highway-Widening Projects,"
Sightline Institute (www.sightline.org <http://www.sightline.org/>  ); at
www.sightline.org/research/energy/res_pubs/analysis-ghg-roads . This
analysis indicates that urban highway expansion does not reduce pollution
overall because additional emissions from construction and increased vehicle
traffic quickly exceed any reductions from reduced congestion delays.
 
 
"Saving Energy, Growing Jobs: How Environmental Protection Promotes Economic
Growth, Profitability, Innovation, and Competition" by David Goldstein, Bay
Tree Publishers ( http://www.baytreepublish.com
<http://www.baytreepublish.com> ); more information at
http://www.cee1.org/resrc/news/07-02nl/09D_goldstein.html . This readable
and insightful book examines how smart policies can reduce pollution and
support economic development by encouraging resource efficiency, and
discusses how to overcome specific barriers to such reforms.
 
 
"Debunking Cato: Why Planning in Portland Works Better Than the Analysis of
Its Chief Neo-Libertarian Critic," Congress for New Urbanism (www.cnu.org
<http://www.cnu.org/> ); at http://www.cnu.org/node/1533 . This paper by
Professor Mike Lewyn evaluates claims in a recent Cato Institute report,
"Debunking Portland: The City That Doesn't Work."  
 
 
"Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change,"
Urban Land Institute and Smart Growth America (
<http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/gcindex.html>
www.smartgrowthamerica.org/gcindex.html ). This book documents how key
changes in land development patterns could help reduce vehicle greenhouse
gas emissions, based on a comprehensive review of dozens of studies by
leading urban planning researchers. It concludes that one of the best ways
to reduce vehicle travel is compact development: building places in which
people can get from one place to another without driving. Changing
demographics, shrinking households, rising gas prices, and lengthening
commutes are contributing to the demand for smaller homes and lots,
townhouses, and condominiums near jobs and other activities. It recommends
specific policy changes to make green neighborhoods more available and more
affordable.
 
 
"Bus Rapid Transit Practitioner's Guide, Report 118," Transit Cooperative
Research Program, TRB (www.trb.org <http://www.trb.org/>  ); at
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_118.pdf . This Guide
provides detailed information on the costs, impacts, and effectiveness of
implementing selected bus rapid transit (BRT) components, and guidance of
BRT system development.  
 
 
"Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.: 2007 Benchmarking Report," Thunderhead
Alliance ( <http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/benchmarking.htm>
http://www.thunderheadalliance.org/benchmarking.htm ). This is an on-going
effort to collect and analyze U.S. bicycling and walking data. This research
found:
* A positive relationship between the built environment and nonmotorized
travel activity.
* Bicycle and pedestrian safety with nonmotorized travel activity.
* Higher levels of biking and walking coincide with higher levels of adults
meeting recommended levels of daily physical activity, and lower levels of
obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. 
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
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in this newsletter, or if you would like to be removed from our email list.
Please pass this newsletter on to others who may find it useful.




Sincerely,
Todd Alexander Litman
Victoria Transport Policy Institute (www.vtpi.org)
litman at vtpi.org
Phone & Fax 250-360-1560
1250 Rudlin Street, Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, CANADA
"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
 

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