Transit

The Alliance for Biking & Walking's Benchmarking Project is an ongoing effort to collect and analyze data on bicycling and walking in all 50 states and at least the 50 largest cities. This is the second biennial Benchmarking Report.

This field survey attempts to identify the number and location of "regional-serving" walkable urban places in the 30 largest American metropolitan areas in the U.S, where 138 million, or 46 percent, of the US population lives. This field survey determines where these walkable urban places are most prevalent on a per capita basis, where they are generally located within the metro area, and the extent to which rail transit service is associated with walkable urban development. The first section defines the key concepts used in the survey, providing relevant background information for those who have not read The Option of Urbanism. The second section outlines the methodology. The third section, which is the heart of the report, outlines the findings and conclusions of the survey.

10 Principles:

1. Mobility Balance,
2. Street Connectivity,
3. Community Character,
4. Forecasting is not Planning,
5. Transit will not Alleviate Congestion,
6. Active Living,
7. Multimodal Streets,
8. Sustainable Mobility,
9. Empowerment,
10. Monitoring & Reporting

These Urban Street Design Guidelines are intended to ensure that the best aspects of Charlotte's transportation network are re-cretaed as the city and its street network continue to evolve.

Studying transporation trends, the City of Boulder attempt to document a change in the use of modes in their city using gathered data and surveys.

Strategies for Metropolitan Atlanta's Transportation and Air Quality aims to develop a framework for reducing auto dependence and vehicle emissions in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, while maintaining economic vitality . The data analysis from this study shows that in order for Atlanta to achieve their regional goals of clean air, decreased auto dependence, and a high quality of life, a land use plan to focus growth into existing and emerging urban centers was needed.

A survey of 31 multi-family housing complexes near rail stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, Oregon, show peak parking demand is 25-30 percent below supplies and, for most projects, falls below national standards.

The Local Government Commission's Smart Growth Zoning Codes: A Resource Guide is intended to help local officials improve community livability through code reform. It is meant for jurisdictions that already have developed a broad vision for making their communities more livable.

The Los Angeles County MTA Board of Directors initiated the Metro Rapid Demonstration Program in March 1999 in response to observing Curitaba's system in Brazil. Curitaba's public transportation model has been a driving force behind the FTA's national Bus Rapid Transit initiative. Following the demonstration program, passenger ratings of satisfaction with the Metro Rapid system increased for all elements of service measured.

Complete the streets so everyone can use them safely and conveniently—that's the new cry of advocates, planners and elected officials who are behind a movement to fundamentally alter the way roads are planned, designed and built.

Incomplete streets a barrier for riders, good service—In too many cases, road design is out of sync with the needs of the people who are riding buses, trains, and trolleys. Poor design slows transit service and discourages people from using public transportation. Even in communities served by public transportation, incomplete streets may discourage residents from fully using the service. Many users are unable to get to transit stops in a safe and convenient manner.

Complete streets are not limited to a few designated corridors. Many communities have launched main street initiatives, adopted bicycle plans, or undertaken special planning processes for nonmotorized travel in specific places. In contrast, complete streets policies strive for diversity on just about every thoroughfare. And the process of creating complete streets is leading planners and engineers across the country to approach street design in fundamentally new ways.

Concerns about livability are shared by every type of community, in inner cities, small towns and rural areas. This booklet explores how people in these communities are working in partnership with transportation agencies on locally-initiated projects and programs to create transportation systems that enhance places. While this booklet emphasizes the direct relationship between community reinvigoration and community-supportive transit facilities, case studies also demonstrate how the sympathetic design of roadways strengthens the connection between the two.

An ordinance providing for the continuation of a one-half of one percent retail transactions and use tax by the Sacramento Transportation Authority for local transportation purposes

The Collaborative's Transportation Team has been particularly focused on practices that will assist the Sacramento countywide area achieve the vision of at least at 10% shift in travel mode from automobiles to walking, cycling, and transit. Transit use is forecasted to increase from 1.3% of trips to 4% or 5% or more, in the Sacramento countywide area.

A diverse group of more than 100 citizens from all walks of life came together in 2001 as the Sacramento Transportation and Air Quality Collaborative. These participants represented businesses, the environment, public agencies, community groups, underserved populations and local neighborhood areas. For five years, these community leaders and agency staff contributed countless hours to education, dialogue, deliberation and consensus building in this civic engagement effort.

As people grow older, they often become less willing or able to drive, making it necessary to depend on alternative methods of trans- portation. Unfortunately, the United States is currently ill prepared to provide adequate transportation choices for our rapidly aging population. Alternatives to driving are sparse, particularly in some regions and in rural and small town communities. As the number of older people increases, so too will their mobility needs. How the nation addresses this issue will have significant social and economic ramifications. This report presents new findings based on the National Household Transportation Survey of 2001 and places them in the context of other research on mobility in the aging population.

Conventional suburbs are over built and out of favor. In cities and suburbs alike, walkable neighborhoods linked by train are the future. Here's how a new nertwork of privately funded alliances can make the future come to pass more quickly and cheaply- and help reingorate housing and the economy.

This research helps confirm what had been intuitively obvious: in the four metropolitan areas studied, transit-oriented development (TOD) housing produced considerably less traffic than what is generated by conventional development.

This paper provides a preliminary assessment of the Metro Orange Line, one of the first full-featured bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in the U.S.

1. Ditch concurrency
2. Code form
3. Get network
4. Complete streets
5. High Speed Rail: Again? Local?