[getsmart-l] FW: VTPI NEWS - Winter 2008

[Janet May]

  _____  

From: Todd Alexander Litman [mailto:litman at vtpi.org] 
Sent: January 10, 2008 1:13 PM
To: Litman at vtpi.org
Subject: VTPI NEWS - Winter 2008

 


                                 -----------
                                  VTPI NEWS
                                 -----------
                      Victoria Transport Policy Institute
                         "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
                      -------------------------------------
                          Winter 2008    Vol. 11, No. 1
                       -----------------------------------
      
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.
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
ACTION ALERT 
==============
 
"Tax-Free Transit Benefits In Canada" ( http://www.vtpi.org/TT_alert.htm
<http://www.vtpi.org/TT_alert.htm>  )
For more than a decade VTPI has promoted employer-based incentives for
public transit, called "tax-free transit benefit" or "tax-free transit
passes" ( <http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm8.htm>
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm8.htm ). There is now a promising opportunity to
have this policy established in Canada's tax code. If you are a Canadian
resident, your support can help. Please click the link above for
information.
 
 
NEW DOCUMENTS
==============
 
"Smart Transportation Emission Reductions" ( <http://www.vtpi.org/ster.pdf>
http://www.vtpi.org/ster.pdf )
This report investigates how to identify the optimal (best overall, taking
into account all benefits and costs) transportation emission reduction
strategies. Current evaluation methods tend to undervalue mobility
management due to various types of biases. More comprehensive and objective
analysis tends to rank mobility management strategies among the most
cost-effective emission reduction options. This report describes ways to
correct current planning bias so mobility management solutions can be
implemented to the degree optimal.
 
 
"Measuring The Performance Of Transit-Oriented Developments In Western
Australia," ( http://www.vtpi.org/renne_tod_performance.pdf
<http://www.vtpi.org/renne_tod_performance.pdf>  )
This new report by Professor John Renne summarizes factors to consider when
evaluating TOD transport, economic social and environmental impacts. It
recommends longitudinal measurement of performance indicators in six
categories, including travel behaviour, the local economy, the natural
environment, the built environment, the social environment and the policy
context. 
 
 
"Sustainable Transportation Indicators: A Recommended Program To Define A
Standard Set of Indicators For Sustainable Transportation Planning" (
<http://www.vtpi.org/sustain/sti.pdf>  www.vtpi.org/sustain/sti.pdf )
This paper, a cooperative effort by the Transportation Research Board's
'Sustainable Transportation Indicators Subcommittee' (ADD40 [1]), discusses
how to develop a standard set of indicators for sustainable transportation
evaluation. It describes sustainable transportation definitions and
concepts, discusses factors to consider when selecting indictors, recommends
specific sustainable transportation indicators, and discusses issues of data
quality. We hope this will lead to the development of a standardized set of
sustainable transportation indictors for worldwide use.
                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
UPDATED DOCUMENTS
==============
 
"Appropriate Response To Rising Fuel Prices" (
<http://www.vtpi.org/fuelprice.pdf>  www.vtpi.org/fuelprice.pdf )
This paper evaluates public policy options for responding to rising fuel
prices. There is popular support for policies to minimize retail prices by
reducing fuel taxes or providing production subsidies. But
price-minimization policies are likely to harm consumers and the economy
overall by encouraging transportation system inefficiency. Rather than
reducing fuel prices it would be better to allow prices to rise and
simultaneously working to improve transport system efficiency.
 
 
"Smart Growth Reforms" ( <http://www.vtpi.org/smart_growth_reforms.pdf>
http://www.vtpi.org/smart_growth_reforms.pdf )
This paper identifies specific policy, planning, regulatory and fiscal
reforms that support smart growth.
 
 
"Land Use Impacts On Transport" ( <http://www.vtpi.org/landtravel.pdf>
http://www.vtpi.org/landtravel.pdf ).
This paper examines how various land use factors such as density, regional
accessibility, mix and roadway connectivity affect travel behavior,
including per capita vehicle travel, mode split and nonmotorized travel. 
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
IN THE NEWS
============
 
"Connected Urban Development" program with Cisco Systems and the Clinton
Foundation (
<http://commitments.clintonglobalinitiative.org/projects.htm?mode=progressre
port&rid=43067&blogId=216>
http://commitments.clintonglobalinitiative.org/projects.htm?mode=progressrep
ort&rid=43067&blogId=216 ). I'm a special advisor on transportation and land
use planning. The project will include bus transit improvements, a handheld
navigation device (a mobile telephone with web-browsing, GPS and automatic
fare payment capabilities), road pricing (likely to be implemented in
Seoul), some smart growth policies, plus promotion of telework. For more
information see Ted Samson's InfoWorld Sustainable IT blog (
<http://weblog.infoworld.com/sustainableit/archives/2007/12/cisco_clinton_g.
html>
http://weblog.infoworld.com/sustainableit/archives/2007/12/cisco_clinton_g.h
tml ).
 
 
We Rock Geekaliciously! (
<http://www.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2007/10/15/congestion-is-the-c
ure-worse-than-the-disease>
http://www.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2007/10/15/congestion-is-the-cu
re-worse-than-the-disease )
 
Litman's Planetizen Blogs ( http://www.planetizen.com/user/2394
<http://www.planetizen.com/user/2394> ).
VTPI Executive Director Todd Litman shares information and insites in blogs
posted on Planetizen, a public-interest information exchange for urban
planners, designs, and developers. Below are examples:
"Smart Emission Reduction Strategies" (
<http://www.planetizen.com/node/28841>  http://www.planetizen.com/node/28841
).
"Place Trumps Mobility Equals Paradise," Planetizen Blog (
<http://www.planetizen.com/node/28195>  http://www.planetizen.com/node/28195
)
"Smart Growth Safety Benefits," Planetizen Blog (
<http://www.planetizen.com/node/28523>  http://www.planetizen.com/node/28523
)
 
 
"Ten Insights on Carbon Policy," Seeking Alpha - Stock Market Opinion &
Analysis" (
<http://seekingalpha.com/article/56026-ten-insights-on-carbon-policy>
http://seekingalpha.com/article/56026-ten-insights-on-carbon-policy ), by
Tom Konrad.
 
"Transportation model decreased travel costs, added options" The Daily
Journal ( http://www.daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=406356
<http://www.daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=406356>  ), 26
October 2007.
 
"Gas prices affect TransLink" Georgia Straight (
<http://www.straight.com/article-115501/gas-prices-affect-translink>
http://www.straight.com/article-115501/gas-prices-affect-translink ), 25
October 2007.
 
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
==========================
 
"US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Summit" (
<http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/climateSummit2007.htm>
www.seattle.gov/mayor/climateSummit2007.htm )
The two-day U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Summit in Seattle,
included presentations by former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al
Gore via satellite, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and VTPI E.D. Todd
Litman. This event stressed the importance of local and regional actions to
create more livable, efficient and sustainable communities (
<http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=6336&state=52>
http://www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=6336&state=52 ).
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
UPCOMING EVENTS
================
 
Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting ( http://www.trb.org/meeting
<http://www.trb.org/meeting> ). Below are some events VTPI will participate
in:
 
Workshop 141, "Cutting Carbs in the Transportation Sector: International
Efforts to Address Global Climate Change," Sunday, 13 January 2008,
12:15pm-5:30pm, Hilton, International East
 
'Macrolevel Collision Prediction Models to Evaluate Road Safety Effects of
Mobility Management Strategies: New Empirical Tools to Promote Sustainable
Development' (08-2385),
http://www.trb.org/am/ip/paper_detail.asp?paperid=21962, Poster Session 253,
Monday, January 14, 2008, 9:30am-12:00pm.
 
"Evaluating Quality of Accessibility for Transportation Planning" (08-0495);
SESSION #: 332, Monday, January 14, 2008, 2:30pm- 5:00pm. (
<http://www.vtpi.org/access.pdf>  http://www.vtpi.org/access.pdf )
 
"Valuing Service Quality Improvements in Transport Planning" (08-0998);
SESSION #: 337, Monday, January 14, 2008, 2:30pm- 5:00pm (
<http://www.vtpi.org/quality.pdf>  http://www.vtpi.org/quality.pdf )
 
Transportation and Sustainability Committee" (ADD40); Monday, January 14,
2008, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, Hilton Map Room, Hilton Hotel
 
"Sustainable Transportation Indicators Subcommittee" (ADD40[1]); SESSION
MMM08-035, Tuesday, January 15, 2008, 12:15pm- 1:15pm Bancroft Room, Hilton
Hotel
 
"Performance Measures for Sustainability" (Session 677); Wednesday, January
16, 2008, 10:15 AM - 12:00 PM, Hilton
 
"New Perspectives on Sustainable Transportation" (Session 734); Wednesday,
January 16, 2008, 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM, Hilton
 

"The Carmichael Conference On The Future of American Transportation," (
<http://www.nationalcorridors.org>  http://www.nationalcorridors.org ), St.
Louis, MO, January 28-29, 2008. 
This conference is organized by the National Corridors Initiative with the
support of major transportation advocacy organizations including AASHTO,
APTA, NARP, ETC.
 
 
"Transportation Demand Management Toolkit" (
<http://www.academicimpressions.com/pdf/0108-transportation-demand.pdf>
http://www.academicimpressions.com/pdf/0108-transportation-demand.pdf ),
January 28-30, San Diego, CA.
This conference on Campus Transport Management (
<http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm5.htm>  http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm5.htm ) will
help participants learn to plan and implement techniques that can reduce
parking costs, improve town-gown relations, help green your campus, and
reduce single occupant vehicle trips to and around campus.
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
USEFUL RESOURCES
=================
 
"Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change," (
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/gcindex.html
<http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/gcindex.html> ).
This book documents how land development changes could help reduce vehicle
greenhouse gas emissions, based on a comprehensive review of dozens of
studies. The authors make the case 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. 
 
 
"Transport and Climate Change: A new module of the GTZ Sustainable Urban
Transport Sourcebook" (
<http://www.sutp.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_details/gid,383/la
ng,uk>
http://www.sutp.org/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_details/gid,383/lan
g,uk )
This new module summarises the challenges that climate change mitigation has
to face in the transport sector and presents options to deal with them. 
 
 
"Smart Growth E-Learning Portal" ( <http://www.moodleserv.com/smartgrowthca>
http://www.moodleserv.com/smartgrowthca ), is an educational program
describing various smart growth concepts and implementation strategies,
developed by the Smart Growth Canada Network, sponsored by Natural Resources
Canada.
 
 
"ITE Journal" (http://www.ite.org/itejournal/0711.asp ), Vol. 77, No. 11,
November 2007. This issue includes two excellent articles which indicate
that the Institute of Transportation Engineers supports multiple modes and
community livability:
    'President's Award for Merit in Transportation Engineering: Road Diet
Handbook,', by Jennifer A. Rosales. This award-winning paper describes the
benefits of road diets and how they can be implemented.
    "Innovative Intermodal Solutions for Urban Transportation Paper Award:
Quantifying Transit-Oriented Development's Ability To Change Travel
Behavior," by John Gard. This award-winning paper summarizes information on
transit-oriented development impacts on transit rider and automobile trip
generation. It indicates that TOD typically increases per captia transit
ridership 2-5 times and reduces vehicle trip generation 8% to 32%.
 
 
"Your Next Move: Choosing a Neighbourhood with Sustainable Features," (
<http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/62180.pdf>
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/62180.pdf ), helps consumers evaluate
community sustainability when selecting a home. It describes features that
create safe, convenient, environmentally-friendly and affordable
neighborhoods.
 
 
'Making Cycling Irresistible:  Lessons from the Netherlands, Denmark, and
Germany,' by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler, published in "Transport
Reviews," Vol. 28, No. 4, July 2008; at
http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/Irresistible.pdf .
This paper describes the policies and planning practices that result in very
high levels of cycling transportation in the Netherlands, Denmark, and
Germany, and the feasibility of applying these strategies in other
countries.
 
 
"Design Guidelines for 'Greening' Surface Parking Lots," (
<http://www.toronto.ca/planning/urbdesign/greening_parking_lots.htm>
http://www.toronto.ca/planning/urbdesign/greening_parking_lots.htm ). These
Guidelines by the City of Toronto are designed to deal with common urban
design and environmental challenges found within and around surface parking
lots.
 
 
Two Cool Videos:
"Ciclovia and Recreovia" ( <http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/ciclovia>
http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/ciclovia ). This video clip shows the
'Ciclovia and Recreovia' program, in which major streets in Bogota, Columbia
are closed to motor vehicle traffic so residents can walk, bike, run, skate,
recreate, picnic, and visit.
 
"Parking Illustrated: Toy Cars And Stop-Motion Animation Show How Parking
Reform Can Work,"
(http://www.streetsblog.org/2007/12/21/donald-shoup-plays-with-parking-fees-
and-matchbox-cars ). A fun video with Parking Master Professor Donald Shoup.
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
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"
 

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