Browsing by Subject "Transit"
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Item An analysis of the City of Austin’s TOD guidelines and interim standards of development(2007-08) Clark, Norma Katherine, 1983-; Beamish, Anne, 1954-The purpose of this study is to analyze the interim standards and determine whether or not they provide enough of a design base to produce a site plan which satisfies the City’s TOD principles. These guidelines and standards express vital elements and characteristics which the city desires to implement within their TOD districts. By developing a site plan for a specified TOD using only the given interim standards of development I will be able to examine their strengths and weakness and determine whether or not the goals of the City guidelines were met.Item Austin's route forward : an exploration of alternative demand estimation and the transit planning process(2015-05) Mosteiro, Jonathan David; Jiao, Junfeng; Machemehl, RandyAlternative demand estimation techniques for transit planning have gained increased attention in recent years. These "sketch planning" models are often faster and easier to use than traditional four-step travel demand models, and can therefore play a significant role in preliminary feasibility analyses for major fixed-guideway transit planning initiatives. This paper uses one such sketch planning tool produced by Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 167 to explore ridership potential along two light rail corridors in the City of Austin. Planners recently completed a planning process for an initial segment of urban rai in central Austin that was ultimately defeated by voters in a 2014 bond election called to fund the project. The ridership results produced by the Report 167 model corroborate some claims made by transit advocates who opposed Proposition 1 that the highest ridership route was not advanced to voters in the election. By using a sketch planning tool to compare ridership along the ill-fated Project Connect route to a route advocated by critics of the process, this paper also provides insight into the role that sketch planning can play in the transit planning process, both generally and in the context of rail planning efforts in Austin.Item Autonomous vehicles : land use implications for Austin, Texas(2015-08) Palmer, Rebekah Mae; Wegmann, Jake; Jiao, JunfengAutonomous vehicles are said to be a disruptive technology that will transform the way we live in coming decades. Drawing from the historical context of conventional vehicles and their subsequent transformation of land use development patterns, this paper seeks to understand the ancillary implications of such advances in transport. I assert the argument that Austin will be amongst the first cities to experience these shifts due to its history of economic development strategy, large populous of technology 'first-adopters,' the city's struggle to accommodate rapid growth, and Austin's context within Texas' business-friendly regulatory environment. The literature review aims to cover a broad, high-level view of the current status of autonomous vehicle development and provide context for how the academy is researching the possibilities for autonomous vehicle commercialization. A second portion of this report summarizes the views of Austin-based traffic engineers, transit researchers, attorneys, and other experts serving on various policy advisory councils in Austin, Travis County, and Central Texas.Item Demographic characteristics of transit-oriented development areas in California(2008-08) Huang, Chao-Hsing, active 2008; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-This study is to understand how Transit-Oriented Development influences demographic characteristics within its boundary. Case studies from the California TOD database was used. Through the changes of TOD during 1990 and 2000 and the comparison of trends in TODs and located regions, many TODs are low-income areas and such factors induces other demographic phenomenon. Meanwhile, the level of transit use did not change much and the vehicle ownership did not decrease definitely. Though such facts might imply the inefficiency of TOD, there are other factors such as economic and transit environment that cause this fact. Thus, TOD is actually influenced heavily by background policies, experience, and supportive transit circumstances.Item Documentation and preliminary analysis of property values surrounding Austin's commuter rail stations(2007-05) Coburn, Chad; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-Commuter rail infrastructure often adds value to neighboring properties. The best methods to measure changes in values require baseline data from a year prior to system implementation. The current planning of a commuter rail in Austin, TX presents the need to document property values for future studies. The report records 2005 property values from Travis and Williamson Central Appraisal Districts, using GIS to group the data by various distances away from the proposed train stations. In addition, a large set of secondary improvement data and census demographic information about each site has been accumulated. Future researchers will be able to conduct matched-pair and multivariable regression models with the data, and rely on the station descriptions for a solid understanding of the sites and their relationships.Item HOT Lane Policies and Their Implications(2011-08-08) Goel, RahulHigh-Occupancy toll (HOT) lanes allow lower-occupant vehicles (LOVs) to use a HOV lane for a fee, while maintaining free travel to qualifying HOVs. HOT lanes are gaining interest throughout the country as a strategy for meeting multiple performance objectives in congested urban freeway corridors. Currently there are ten fully operational HOT lanes around the country in seven different states and this research examined the nine of them (excluding I-35 W). Even with only a handful of operational HOT lane projects, there is great diversity in terms of HOT lane design and operations. With HOT lane implementation there are many issues, including: toll rates, vehicle occupancy requirement, number of access points, and safety. This research examined (i) the different factors which lead to the development of the HOT lanes in their respective corridors (ii) the objectives of the HOT lanes (iii) changes made in the corridor due to HOT lane implementation (iv) the different impacts of the HOT lanes and (v) the extent to which the objectives of the HOT lanes were achieved. Using three pairs of HOT lanes with similar design and operational characteristics, comparisons were made to examine the impacts of the similar HOT lanes in two different corridors. With the strict registration requirement for HOV3+ on the I-95 Express Lanes there were indications that some carpoolers broke up in to lower occupancy vehicles. Tolled access for HOV2s on I-95 as well as the SR 91 Express Lanes resulted in lower usage of the Express Lanes by the HOV2s (fewer than 30 percent of the total corridor HOV2s) as compared to a conventional HOV lane (60 percent) where HOV2 access is free. The effect of availability of transit on the HOT lanes can also be seen from SR 91 as compared to I-95. On SR 91, the Express bus does not use the Express Lanes and there was almost no change in its ridership after the Express Lanes were implemented. However, on I-95, the Express bus uses the Express Lanes and travel time of buses decreased by 17 minutes due to Express Lanes implementation. The Express bus ridership also increased by 30 percent. On the SR167 and I-25 HOT lanes, the exogenous factors like gas prices and economic recession seemed to influence the usage of the HOT lanes. In both the HOT Lanes, carpool usage was positively correlated to the gasoline prices. On I-25, the increasing unemployment rate coincided with the decreasing toll paying travelers. On SR 167 there were also indications of mode shifts among the transit, carpool and toll paying SOVs due to fluctuating gas prices. With declining gas prices, the transit and carpool usage went down while toll paying users increased. An inverse relationship between the convenience of access points and the safety perceived by the HOT lane users was found. For example, I-15 Express Lanes in Salt Lake City reduced the access points from unrestricted with the previous HOV lanes to limited with the Express Lanes. As a result, more predictable merging led to an increase in the perceived safety of the Express lanes as well as the speed of the corridor. On the other hand, some carpoolers mentioned not using the Express Lanes anymore because of access inconvenience. The access inconvenience was also mentioned by previous carpoolers in HOV lanes on I-95 as one of the reasons for not using the Express Lanes. These findings underscore the importance of outreach programs during the planning process of the HOT lanes to minimize the confusion among the previous users of the HOV lanes and spreading awareness among them regarding the increased safety benefits.Item Housing and transit challenge : anticipating neighborhood change in Houston's rail corridors(2014-12) Guajardo, Luis Gerardo; Mueller, Elizabeth J.The expansion of Houston’s rail transit network and related transit-oriented development will transform the city’s growth pattern for decades to come. Environmental, public health, and accessibility improvements may accrue, however, what impact will the added infrastructure have on Houston’s neighborhoods, particularly on lower income households more sensitive to displacement pressures? This professional report seeks to clarify and evaluate the housing-transit connection occurring along the city of Houston’s light rail corridors by triangulating between revealed and stated preferences, at both the national and local level. The literature review reveals light rail transit induces neighborhood change significantly more than other transit modes, and, that both access and design-related features catalyze land value appreciation. Consequently, meta-studies on transit impact were reviewed to provide a framework to analyze all three corridors in Houston. Current household characteristics in Houston’s transit corridors reveal striking similarities to those that have incurred drastic neighborhood change in other parts of the country. These studies foreshadow in-migration of higher-income, owner-occupied, and more car-user households into light rail transit neighborhoods. Accordingly, these findings inform my call for local and state efforts to anticipate neighborhood change by leveraging the production of more affordable housing for the corridors through Houston’s special purpose districts and the state’s distribution of low-income housing tax credits.Item Innovative transportation finance : value capture techniques applied in the state of Texas(2010-08) Tooley, Shaun E.; Zhang, Ming, 1963 Apr. 22-; Paterson, RobertTransportation finance has been historically dominated by assessing taxes to transportation users and taxes on the general public. Innovative financing mechanisms such as tax increment financing, special assessment districts, and others represent value capture techniques that tax property owners to pay for transportation costs. Value capture techniques provide supplemental funds to support capital construction costs but are not substitutes for existing dedicated and traditional tax revenue methods. The major findings of Texas practice indicate that tax increment financing for transit does not significantly contribute towards the transit infrastructure. Instead tax increment funds finance the improvement of public infrastructure surrounding transit stations and stops and can be labeled transit-supportive investments.Item Light rail impacts on property values : analyzing Houston's METRORail(2011-05) Campbell, Elizabeth Cochrane; Zhang, Ming, 1963 Apr. 22-; Kahn, Terry D.Light rail transit (LRT) systems are tools to help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, promote high-density development and more affordable housing, and curtail urban sprawl in metropolitan cities throughout the United States. The impact of transit system services on property values has been studied from various perspectives using many statistical approaches. There are two general categories of effects that proximity to a light rail system can have on the value of residential properties: accessibility benefits (experienced in close proximity to the LRT stations) might increase property values, while nuisance qualities (experienced in both proximity to the LRT line and stations) could have a negative effect on residential property values. Due to the opposing nature of these coexisting effects, results from many empirical studies have been contradictory or inconclusive. This report reviews the spectrum of results found by the growing body of literature focusing on the capitalization effects of rail stations on property values. The economic effect of one particular LRT system, the 7.5 mile long METRORail line located in Houston, Texas, on the value of properties within close proximity to rail stations has not been thoroughly examined, as it only opened for service in 2004. This study utilizes property data acquired from the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD), Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, and Hedonic Price Models to analyze the impact of the LRT system in the city of Houston, Texas, on the value of residential properties that lie within close proximity to the line’s rail stations.Item Link park access with obesity risk reduction : case study of Austin, Texas(2016-08) Gentles, Coleen Elaine; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-Previous research has determined that public transportation options are severely limited in certain neighborhoods. These so-called “transit deserts” prevent many residents from relying on public transportation to get to and from home and work. But is access to public parks any better? As cities continue to reinvest in their public parks, residents will be motivated to visit them, so long as all modes of transportation are available: walking, bicycling, driving, and bus routes/rail lines for public transportation. And if the bus routes and rail lines ran frequently with actual stops near the parks, that would be even better. This project examined the overlay of mean childhood obesity scores and Austin city parks data, including distance from bus stops to park centers using GIS, correlation and regression methods. The park amenity data was multiplied by a standard MET (metabolic equivalent) value. Maps were created to spatially show the relationships between city parks, transit routes, and obesity scores in block groups. The results revealed that Austin city parks and bus routes are spread throughout the city. The outskirts of Austin lack public parks but the bus routes extend further than the city park system. But only 61% of Austin city parks are reached within a quarter-mile bus stop service area. The obesity data revealed a wide range in mean childhood obesity levels, from 7% in West Austin to 47% in East Austin. Sixteen neighborhood parks are located within a quarter-mile bus stop service area and high childhood obesity block groups. There is, however, no correlation between block group obesity scores, distance from bus stops to neighborhood parks, park amenity scores, and park acreage. Although the data does not show a correlation between the presence of neighborhood park amenities and estimated obesity rates for children, peer reviewed studies have made this connection. Even though the statistical analysis does not show that park access by transit explains childhood obesity prevalence, park access does matter, and policy makers should pay attention to more than just park amenities. Improving access to parks may increase use, thus reducing childhood obesity trends in the long term.Item Mitigating the impacts of fare increases on low-income transit-dependent populations(2014-05) Cortez, John-Michael Vincent; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-This report discusses the effects of the Great Recession on US transit agency budgets, and the actions taken to cope with declining revenues, including increases in fares, which disproportionately impact low-income, transit-dependent populations. For a variety of reasons, US transit agencies have responded by establishing programs to mitigate the impact of fare increases on vulnerable populations. A scan of US transit agency websites identified five prevalent types of mitigation programs established by transit agencies. A case study of Capital Metro transit agency offers some insight on these issues. Finally, recommendations for additional research and action in this arena are discussed.Item Potential shift from transit to single occupancy vehicle due to adaptation of a high occupancy vehicle lane to a high occupancy toll lane(2009-05-15) Chum, Geoffrey LinusModifying a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane into a high occupancy/toll (HOT) lane generally involves allowing single occupant vehicles (SOVs) to travel on the free-flow HOV lane for a toll. This may entice some former transit riders to pay the toll to obtain the benefits of traveling in their own vehicle on the HOV lane. Thus, the introduction of a HOT lane has the potential to impact transit ridership, dramatically lowering the average vehicle occupancy of the lane. In 2003, surveys were distributed to park-and-ride bus passengers on the Katy Freeway and Northwest Freeway corridors in Houston. Passengers? responses to questions regarding their trip characteristics, their socioeconomic characteristics, and stated preference scenarios were used to develop a mode choice model. To determine how transit passengers might react to a proposed HOT lane, HOT lane scenarios with varying tolls and travel time savings were simulated using this model. For all scenarios, only a small percentage of transit passengers were estimated to switch to driving alone on the HOV lane. Fewer people would switch during the peak period than during the off-peak period. Transit passengers shifting to SOV on the HOV lane would reduce the average vehicle occupancy (AVO) only about 1 percent to 2 percent. SOV drivers shifting from the general purpose lanes to the HOV lanes are likely to affect AVO much more. However, as long as free-flow conditions are maintained, this analysis shows that the HOV lane can be successfully adapted to a HOT lane and move more people, even if a few transit passengers choose to drive alone.Item The Effect of Light Rail Transit on Employment: A Case Study of Dallas, Texas(2014-08-05) Mendez, JoelThe decentralization of residents and jobs from central cities has greatly impacted low income residents as they have remained in the central city while employment opportunities are locating further away. This trend has negatively impacted the employment participation of these residents, worsening their economic situation. Public transit may mitigate this issue by providing direct employment connections to residents and creating employment opportunities through the stimulation of development in the area. This can help attract more jobs into the central city, while potentially increasing the employment opportunities for low income residents. This study aims to investigate whether proximity to light rail transit influence total employment and various types of employment opportunities by comparing longitudinal employment data within ? mile of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail stations to those in the control groups identified through the propensity score matching technique. The propensity score matching method was utilized in an attempt to obtain an adequate control group within the analysis and estimate the influence which proximity to transit has on employment. Additionally, multi-linear regression was integrated into the analysis act as a second level of analysis in the estimation of the influence which proximity to transit has on employment. Although differences in employment were found between areas in close proximity to transit versus comparable areas located elsewhere, it was not found that proximity to transit had a positive or negative influence on employment. The results did not support the stated hypotheses as no significant influence was obtained through this analysis. As seen by these results, the presence of transit does not automatically induce development; certain policies have to be in place in order to encourage it to occur.Item Town and gown bikeways planning : an analysis of bicycle planning within the greater University of Texas-Austin community and the City of Austin as compared to similar college communities(2009-08) Huntoon, Lee Anne; Paterson, Robert G.This paper will focus on the “town and gown” relationships between cities and universities and their combined planning efforts for bikeway networks. An examination of the bicycle plans, use of bicycle boulevards and bike lanes, etc. will be applied to towns known for their university populations such as Berkeley, California with the University of California and Palo Alto, California with Stanford University and how the City of Austin and the University of Texas-Austin compares in utilizing the same principles in their bicycle facilities planning efforts.Item Transit oriented development and neighborhood change along the light rail system : the social equity impact of the Metro Blue line in Los Angeles(2014-08) Sung, Seyoung; Jiao, JunfengThis report examines how the neighborhoods along the Metro Blue line have changed over the past two decades, and reflects on the current emerging issue in Transit oriented development (TOD), which is promoting equitable transit neighborhoods. The primary study area includes the route of the Metro Blue line through Los Angeles County where the most economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities are located in the county. In order to investigate the impact of the rail line effectively, the concept of Walksheds are used as the units of analysis, which is defined as the area within a half-mile walking distance from the transit station. Focusing on social equity impact of the transit system operation, the comparison analysis between Los Angeles County and the twenty-two Walksheds of each station in the line evaluates the changes in the close-by neighborhoods while also looking at various social demographic indicators that can reflect demographic shifts using decennial Census data of 1990, 2000, and 2010. While looking at the change through time series data analysis vertically, the performance of each station area is examined horizontally. Therefore, comparative analysis is conducted in four stages to figure out the extent to which the neighborhoods have changed, how rapidly the change occurred and whether the neighborhood change occurred in a positive way or not. The result from the four comparative analyses indicates that the Metro Blue line did not work as a catalyst for promoting economic opportunity in the region in spite of the initial expectations of its advocates. In the beginning of the rail operation of 1990, the neighborhoods along the rail line were excluded and poverty was widespread in the region. However, even after two decades, the twenty-two Walksheds along the Metro Blue Line still remain as undesirable places to live and marginalized as compared to the rest of the county. Moreover, the neighborhood change in the twenty-two Walksheds is negatively linked to the Walksheds based on the result of the comparative analysis.Item Transit proximity and trip-making characteristics : a study of 2007 Chicago metropolitan region travel tracking survey(2008-08) Hong, Sujin, active 2008; Zhang, Ming, 1963 April 22-; Butler, Kent S.Influence of built environment on travel behavior has been recognized by several studies in last decade (Cervero 2003, 2004, Ewing at al 2003 and etc.). Easy access to the transit station and mixed land use has been largely emphasized by New Urbanist because of its influence on transit ridership and reduction of vehicle mile travel. However, empirical evidence that proximity of residential location to the transit station or mixed land use reduces auto dependency and encourages transit ridership has been lack for Chicago metropolitan region in spite of its long history of transit development. This study uses 2007 Chicago metropolitan region travel tracking study data and travel characteristics of residents living within walkable distance from the CAT or METRA rail station in Chicago Metropolitan region was analyzed in comparison with those of residents living beyond walkable distance from the rail station in order to find any difference in socio-demographic characteristics and travel characteristics. In general, households located within walkable distance (a quarter mile for this study) from the rail station are more likely to be low income households, to reside in a multifamily rental housing. Residents living within walkable distance show higher portion of African American or Asian proportion, of smaller-sized households (a single member household or childless household). They are likely to own fewer cars than residents living far from the rail station. With this observation of some difference in sociodemographic and travel characteristics between two groups, probability of transit use and rail use in a relationship with home location and job location were tested using binary logistic model. The result indicates that the number of household vehicles per person in the household influences negatively on residential location. The more available household cars per person, the less likely it is that a household is located within walkable distance from the rail station. Work location was also an important factor for transit or rail use. This provides evidence that providing mixed land use where jobs and housing are all provided within walkable distance from the transit station can increase transit use and reduces auto-dependency that current American society is facing severely.Item Urban Form and Travel Patterns at the Regional Scale Considering Polycentric Urban Structure(2012-10-19) Yi, Young-JaeIncreasing concerns about climate change have attracted global interests in reducing auto travel. Regional average vehicle miles traveled (VMT) vary across the urbanized areas in the U.S., suggesting a potential influence of development patterns on greenhouse gas emission. To explore the contribution of development control to driving reduction at the regional scale, this dissertation estimated impacts of urban form on two travel outcomes at the metropolitan scale: daily vehicle miles traveled (DVMT) per capita and daily transit passenger miles (DPMT) per capita. To overcome major problems of previous studies, i.e., lack of generalizability and multicollinearity, a cross-sectional analysis of 203 U.S. urbanized areas was conducted, using directed acyclic graph and structural equation modeling. A literature review revealed gaps in the previous research: while individual-level behavioral studies have identified distance from the center as the most influential factor on VMT, regional-level studies have not reflected this relationship and failed to deliver effective implications for land use policies. A method to identify regional centers was evaluated to appropriately measure polycentric urban structure of contemporary metropolitan areas. The evaluation found that lower density cutoff, wider reference area, and equal treatment between central business district (CBD) and subcenters yielded better performance in McMillen's two-stage nonparametric method. Results also showed that for polycentric areas, the use of a polycentric model produced a better model fit than the monocentric model. Major findings of this dissertation include 1) higher regional concentration, greater local density and less road supply per capita lowered VMT, and 2) higher local density and more transit supply per capita increased PMT. These results imply that different approaches to development control are needed for different sustainable transportation goals - intensifying regional centers such as infill developments for VMT reduction, and compact neighborhood development approaches, such as transit oriented development for transit promotion. However, CBD has a limited capacity and indiscreet compact developments at the urban fringe can lead to decentralization from the regional perspective, and consequently result in increased VMT. This study suggests polycentricism as a potential solution for the contradictive development principle. By allowing dispersion and concentration at the same time, urban form control at the regional level will be more beneficial than conventional local-level control.Item Value capture programming to support a regionally significant project in a regionally significant transit project for the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG)(2011-05) Waggoner, Nathaniel James; Butler, Kent S.; Paterson, RobertThis report outlines five criteria common to successful value capture programs that support transit; 1) predictable need/unmet demand, 2) authority and capacity to achieve policy adoption and implementation, 3) the financial feasibility of the project, 4) the level of concurrent planning that support the project and lastly 5) the projects level of significance. This report will focus on a logical approach to evaluating the possibility of employing a value capture strategy within the jurisdiction of the Berkeley-Charleston- Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) using the given criteria. The suggested value capture strategy that emerges from this evaluation recognizes the existing and potential value capture mechanisms that could support a regionally significant transit project if budgeting and select revenues are synergized in the context of the regional plan.