[getsmart-l] Victoria Transport Policy Institute News - Summer 2007

[Janet May]

  _____  

        
                                 -----------
                                  VTPI NEWS
                                 -----------
                      Victoria Transport Policy Institute
                         "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
                      -------------------------------------
                          Summer 2007    Vol. 10, No. 3
                       -----------------------------------
      
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.
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
ONLINE TDM ENCYCLOPEDIA 
========================
 
The VTPI "Online TDM Encyclopedia" (http://www.vtpi.org/tdm ) is a
comprehensive information resource to help identify and evaluate innovative
management solutions to transport problems, available for free on our
website. Many of the chapters have recently been updated with new
information.
 
The Encyclopedia has a new feature titled, "Organizations and Stakeholder
Groups" ( <http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/index.php#stakeholders>
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/index.php#stakeholders ). This section indicates the
best mobility management strategies for various types of organizations and
stakeholder groups, including businesses, and local, state/provincial and
federal government agencies.
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
SMART TRANSPORTATION EMISSION REDUCTIONS
====================================
Many governments and organizations are now evaluating climate change
emission reduction options. There are many possible ways to reduce
transportation emissions, but some provide far more total benefits than
others. Emission reduction strategies that reduce vehicle travel also reduce
congestion, roadway and parking costs, accidents and sprawl. 
 
"Win-Win Transportation Solutions" are cost-effective, technically feasible
market reforms that help solve transportation problems by improving mobility
options and removing market distortions that stimulate excessive motor
vehicle travel. They provide many economic, social and environmental
benefits. If implemented to the degree economically justified, our analysis
indicates that Win-Win solutions could achieve the transport component of
Kyoto emission reduction targets while supporting other economic and social
objectives. Critics are wrong to claim that meeting emission reduction goals
would harm the economy: by choosing the right strategies we can achieve both
environmental goals and economic development goals. 
 
However, conventional tends to consider a limited set of impacts and so
tends to undervalue Win-Win strategies. Only by applying more comprehensive
analysis can their full benefits be recognized. VTPI has updated its reports
concerning Win-Win strategies.

For more information:
 
"Win-Win Emission Reduction Strategies: Smart Transportation Strategies Can
Achieve Emission Reduction Targets And Provide Other Important Economic,
Social and Environmental Benefits," ( http://www.vtpi.org/wwclimate.pdf
<http://www.vtpi.org/wwclimate.pdf> )
 
"Win-Win Transportation Solutions: Cooperation for Economic, Social and
Environmental Benefits," (http://www.vtpi.org/winwin.pdf )
 
"Efficient Vehicles Versus Efficient Transportation: Comparing
Transportation Energy Conservation Strategies,"
(http://www.vtpi.org/cafe.pdf  <http://www.vtpi.org/cafe.pdf> ).
 

NEW DOCUMENTS
==============
 
"Guide To Calculating Mobility Management Benefits" (
<http://www.vtpi.org/tdmben.pdf>  http://www.vtpi.org/tdmben.pdf )
This Guide provides instructions for estimating the benefits of a specific
Mobility Management (also called Transportation Demand Management or TDM)
strategy or program.
 

"Evaluating Accessibility for Transportation Planning" (
<http://www.vtpi.org/access.pdf>  http://www.vtpi.org/access.pdf ).  
This paper discusses the concept of 'accessibility' and how it can be
incorporated in transport planning. Many factors affect accessibility,
including mobility (physical movement), the quality and affordability of
transport options, transport system connectivity, mobility substitutes, and
land use patterns. More comprehensive analysis of accessibility in planning
expands the scope of potential solutions to transport problems. 

 
"Build for Comfort, Not Just Speed: Valuing Service Quality Impacts In
Transport Planning" ( http://www.vtpi.org/quality.pdf
<http://www.vtpi.org/quality.pdf>  )
This paper examines practical ways to evaluate qualitative transport
improvements such as increased convenience, comfort and security in
transport planning. Conventional transport planning and evaluation practices
tend to focus on quantitative impacts and undervalue qualitative impacts.
Improving qualitative analysis can expand the range of impacts and options
considered in transport evaluation, leading to better planning decisions. 

 
"Evaluating Transportation Affordability" (
<http://www.vtpi.org/affordability.pdf>
http://www.vtpi.org/affordability.pdf )
This paper investigates the concept of 'transportation affordability,' its
importance to society, how to evaluate it for transport planning, and
practical ways to improve it. Conventional planning tends to consider a
relatively limited range of transport affordability impacts and objectives.
More comprehensive analysis can help decision makers better understand
affordability impacts and identify more effective strategies for improving
transport affordability. 

 
"Pay-As-You-Drive Pricing in British Columbia: Backgrounder" (
<http://www.vtpi.org/paydbc.pdf>  http://www.vtpi.org/paydbc.pdf ). 
Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) pricing means that a vehicle's insurance premiums
and registration fees are based directly on the amount it is driven. PAYD
pricing is particularly appropriate in British Columbia because the
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) insures all vehicles in the
province and has a mandate to maximize social benefits, including traffic
safety, insurance affordability and emission reductions (due to the
province's aggressive climate change emission reduction targets). This short
paper describes PAYD, summarizes its history in BC, and describes how PAYD
pricing can help achieve provincial objectives. This is part of a new
campaign to encourage ICBC to implement a PAYD pilot project to evaluate the
concept.

 
"Designing Pay-Per-Mile Auto Insurance Regulatory Incentives Using the NHTSA
Light Truck CAFE Rule as a Model" ( <http://www.vtpi.org/07-3457.pdf>
http://www.vtpi.org/07-3457.pdf ), by Allen Greenberg
This paper, presented at the 2007 Transportation Research Board annual
meeting, describes the concept of Pay-As-You-Drive-And-You-Save (PAYDAYS)
insurance, which converts premiums into distance-based fees, and evaluates
its value as an energy conservation strategy based on the method used by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
to develop new fuel economy rules for light trucks.
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
UPDATED DOCUMENTS
==============
"Pavement Busters Guide: Why and How to Reduce the Amount of Land Paved for
Roads and Parking Facilities," (www.vtpi.org/pavbust.pdf )
This guide identifies ways to reduce the amount of land devoted to roads and
parking facilities. It identifies current policies and planning practices
that unintentionally contribute to economically excessive road and parking
requirements, and specific strategies for reducing the amount of land paved
for roads and parking facilities. This analysis indicates that road and
parking pavement area can often be reduced in ways that are cost effective
and maintain adequate levels of accessibility. 
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
================
VTPI will participate in these upcoming events:
 
'A City Built for Everyone: A Sustainable, Equitable and Smart
Transportation Forum,' Sustainable Calgary (
http://www.sustainablecalgary.ca  <http://www.sustainablecalgary.ca> )
September 29, 2007, Calgary, Alberta
 
 
'WALK21 2007 - Putting Pedestrians First' (http://www.toronto.ca/walk21 )
October 1st To 4th, Toronto, Canada
Walk21 Toronto 2007 is the 8th annual conference on walkable and livable
communities. 
Monday, Oct. 1, all day workshop, 'Measuring walking: Towards
internationally standardized monitoring methods of walking and public space'
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 10:45-11:15, 'Economic Value of Walking'
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2:00-3:30, 'Can You Spy the Signs: How Walking with
Children Can Change the World' (Suzanne Kort-Litman)
 
      
Cotter Debate on Transportation Policy and the Environment (
<http://www.colby.edu/news_events/calendar>
http://www.colby.edu/news_events/calendar )
Monday October 8, 2007, 7:00 p.m.
Debate between Todd Litman (Victoria Transport Policy Institute) and Samuel
Staley (Reason Foundation)
 
 
Canadian TDM Summit ( http://www.actcanada.com/EN/Conference2007
<http://www.actcanada.com/EN/Conference2007>  )
November 25-28, 2007, Calgary, Alberta
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
USEFUL RESOURCES
=================
 
'Sustainable Transportation Indicators Listserve'
The Transportation Research Board's Sustainable Transportation Indicators
Subcommittee (ADD40[1]) now has an active listserve. We are currently
working to develop recommendations for a preferred definition of sustainable
transportation, and development of a recommended set of indicators, which
could be adopted by TRB. This list is open to anybody interested in these
issues. To subscribe, go to http://lists.cutr.usf.edu/read/?forum=sti .
 
The GTZ "Sustainable Transport Sourcebook" is now available in HTML format (
http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content
<http://www.sutp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=566&Itemid=40
&lang=en> &task=view&id=566&Itemid=40&lang=en ). These versions are
identical in content (and virtually identical in format) to the PDF
versions, but easier to download with low band width Internet.
  
"Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide" (
<http://www.itdp.org/STe/ste24/new_pub.html>
http://www.itdp.org/STe/ste24/new_pub.html ).  After over two years of
effort, 800 pages of text, and nearly 1000 images and graphics. The document
is currently in English, but it will be translated to Spanish, Portuguese,
French, Chinese, and Indonesian. 
 
"Transit Oriented Development; Chapter 17, Travel Response To Transportation
System Changes," (
http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1034
<http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1034> ), by John E.
Evans and Richard H. Pratt. 
This latest volume of this comprehensive study of factors that affect travel
behavior. It indicates that transit-oriented development can provide
significant reductions in per capita vehicle ownership and use, and increase
walking and public transit travel.
 
"WalkScore" ( <http://www.WalkScore.com>  http://www.WalkScore.com)
automatically calculates a neighborhood's walkability rating by identifying
the distance to public services such as grocery stores and schools. It works
for any street address in the United States of America and Canada, assigning
points based on the distance to local amenities, using Google maps and
business listings.
  
"Economics of Travel Demand Management: Comparative Cost  Effectiveness and
Public Investment" ( www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/77704.pdf
<http://www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/77704.pdf>  ).
This document by the Center for Urban Transportation Research provides
guidelines for applying benefit/cost analysis to mobility management
programs. It describes TRIMMS (Trip Reduction Impacts for Mobility
Management Strategies), a software program that automates economic
evaluation.
 
"Impact of Employer-based Programs on Transit System Ridership and
Transportation System Performance," (
<http://www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/77605.pdf>
http://www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/77605.pdf).
This study by the Center for Urban Transportation Research uses a traffic
model to evaluate the impacts of Commute Trip Reduction programs on
transportation system performance. It finds that such programs can provide
significant reductions in traffic congestion delay and fuel consumption. 
 
"Getting Up To Speed (GUTS): A Conservationist's Guide to Wildlife and
Highways," ( <http://www.gettinguptospeed.org/>
http://www.GettingUpToSpeed.org) provides a foundation for evaluating
roadway environmental impacts and incorporating this information into
transport planning.  
 
"Economic Benefits of Land Conservation" (
<http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/econbens_landconserve.pdf>
www.tpl.org/content_documents/econbens_landconserve.pdf ).
This document by the Trust for Public Lands describes how land conservation
and parks can help communities grow smart, attract investment, revitalize
cities, boost tourism, protect farms and ranches, prevent flood damage, and
safeguard the environment. It includes monetized estimates of some impacts.
  
"Portland's Green Dividend," (
http://www.ceosforcities.org/internal/files/PGD%20FINAL.pdf
<http://www.ceosforcities.org/internal/files/PGD%20FINAL.pdf> ), by Joe
Cortright. This study by CEOs for Cities finds that as a result of
innovative transportation and land use policies, Portland, Oregon area
residents drive about 20% fewer annual miles and use alternative modes about
twice as much as in comparable cities, and as a result enjoy various
benefits, including more regional economic development, consumer cost
savings, reduced air pollution, better health and more livable urban
neighborhoods. Also see, 'Less driving is more cash for Portland' "The
Oregonian" (
<http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1187576751202
450.xml&coll=7>
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/11875767512024
50.xml&coll=7 )
 
"Smart Parking Seminar - Developing Policies for Your Community" (
http://www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/parking_seminar.htm
<http://www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/smart_growth/parking_seminar.htm>  ), by the
San Francisco region Metropolitan Transportation Commission. This website
contains materials developed for a training seminar on parking policies to
support smart growth.
  
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) has an
excellent e-newsletter called Sustainable Transport (
http://www.itdp.org/STe/index.html <http://www.itdp.org/STe/index.html>  ).
  
Ian W. H. Parry, Margaret Walls and Winston Harrington (2007), Automobile
Externalities and Policies, (
<http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-06-26-REV.pdf>
http://www.rff.org/rff/Documents/RFF-DP-06-26-REV.pdf )
This paper discusses the nature, and magnitude, of externalities associated
with automobile use, including local and global pollution, oil dependence,
traffic congestion and traffic accidents. It discusses current federal
policies affecting these externalities, including fuel taxes, fuel-economy
and emissions standards, and alternative fuel policies; discusses emerging
pricing policies, including congestion tolls, and pay-as-you-drive insurance
reform; and summarizes what appears to be the appropriate combination of
policies to address automobile externalities. 
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  
Please let us know if you have comments or questions about any information
in this newsletter, or if you would like to be removed from our email list.
And 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"
 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.web.net/archives/getsmart-l/attachments/20070906/b4eb9f60/attachment.htm