EasyConnect II: Integrating Transportation, Information, and Energy Technologies at the Pleasant Hill BART Transit Oriented Development
January 1, 2010|California Department of Transportation
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Smart growth policy strategies attempt to control increasing auto travel, congestion, and vehicle emissions by redirecting new development into communities with a high-intensity mix of shopping, jobs, and housing that is served by high-quality modal alternatives to single occupant vehicles. The integration of innovative technologies with traditional modal options in transit-oriented developments (TODs) may be the key to providing the kind of high-quality transit service that can effectively compete with the automobile in suburban transit corridors. A major challenge, however, of such an integration strategy is the facilitation of a well-designed and seamless multi-modal connection infrastructure – both informational and physical. EasyConnect II explored the introduction and integration of multi-modal transportation services, both traditional and innovative technologies, at the Pleasant Hill Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District station during the initial construction phase of the…
Bus Rapid Transit and Development: Policies and Practices that Affect Development Around Transit
December 1, 2009|National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, Center for Urban Transportation Research
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Foreword
The development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems is relatively recent in the United States, but several systems are in operation and more are advancing. There is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between land use and BRT system development, particularly in comparison to other fixed-guideway modes such as heavy and light rail. While recognizing that existing land uses have an important and complex influence on the development costs and benefits of fixed-guideway projects, this research focuses primarily on the impact such projects have had on existing and future land uses and economic development, as well as the policies and practices that have been used by local governments that have the potential to affect development. Finally, additional note has been taken as to whether the benefits and incentives offered along transit corridors between Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) are equitable in cities where both modes…
BART Transit-Oriented Development Program
October 15, 2009|BART
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PowerPoint slideshow summarizing the Bay Area Rapid Transit property development plans as of Oct. 15, 2009
Extended Meter Hours Study
October 13, 2009|San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
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Executive Summary
The SFMTA currently manages approximately 24,000 on-street metered parking spaces, most of which are operated from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The SFMTA uses parking pricing and time limits to:
Achieve desirable levels of parking availability
Reduce congestion and illegal parking
Improve Muni’s speed and reliability
Increase overall safety for all road users
Increase economic vitality
In May 2009, the SFMTA initiated a study to refine an April 2009 proposal to extend the hours of meter operation to 10 p.m. citywide Mondays through Saturdays, and to operate parking meters from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The study was intended to better match when and where meter hours are extended with when and where parking is difficult to find in commercial areas. This study includes a survey of other jurisdictions’ practices, a review of previous reports on parking in the City, and the collection of new data on parking occupancy levels, business hours of…
Northern California Google Transit Feasibility Study
October 1, 2009|Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency
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Executive summary
This pilot planning study has been funded by a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311 grant through the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Mass Transportation to improve online travel information dissemination and help travelers utilize connections between transportation services. The Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency (SCRTPA) is the lead agency.
This project is to test and study integrating rural and small-urban public transit service schedule and geographic information into Google Maps/Transit. The study area includes nine California counties in Northern and Eastern California.
SCRTPA selected Trillium Solutions with Nelson-Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. to conduct a pilot implementation of the Google Transit trip planner for selected agencies within the study area and determine the feasibility of Google Transit.
The assessment of Google Transit feasibility regards its ability as a customer information…
Preserving Affordability and Access in Livable Communities: Subsidized Housing Opportunities Near Transit and the 50+ Population
September 30, 2009
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Executive Summary
INTRODUCTION
A livable community has affordable and appropriate housing, supportive features and services, and adequate mobility options for people, regardless of age or ability. As communities address the general shortage of affordable housing, preserving affordable housing in transit-oriented developments (TODs) is one of the challenges that communities can address to increase their livability.
TODs are compact, walkable, mixed-use communities that are developed around high-quality public transportation. Residents often prize these places for the advantages created by the proximity to transportation and other amenities. One consequence of this desirability is that it can increase land and property values, exacerbating housing affordability challenges.
As policymakers try to extend the benefits of TODs to affordable housing locations, they must ensure that those benefits are available to people of low and moderate incomes and to those with different mobility…
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Vehicle Miles Traveled
April 23, 2009|Ecology Law Quarterly, University of California at Berkeley
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The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) commits California to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The transportation sector is the top GHG emitter in California, contributing roughly 40 percent of all California emissions. Poor fuel efficiency and high vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are primary contributors to transportation sector GHG emissions. Meeting California’s GHG emissions reduction goals requires reductions in both per-mile emissions and vehicle miles traveled. Fuel efficiency has been addressed historically by federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, and California has passed its own legislation regulating GHG emissions from vehicles.
Accessibility of Bay Area Rail Transit Stations: An Evaluation of Opportunities for Transit Oriented Development
April 1, 2009|California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
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Abstract
Many groups have been pushing for a shift from automotive oriented transportation and land use, to transit-oriented transportation and land use. These groups have many valid reasons. However, just as it is fair to point out issues about auto travel, so too is it fair to see how transit performs at meeting certain goals. This paper examines the important characteristic of accessibility afforded to travelers. This is quantified through the calculation of accessibility indices for stations, for the specific case of two existing rail systems and four proposed rail extensions in the San Francisco Bay Area.
As a whole, the four extensions investigated increase regionwide rail accessibility by 18.5 percent, not an insignificant increase. However, the new stations are on average less accessible than their existing counterparts. Two of the four extensions perform well on accessibility measures, either their stations have high accessibility, or jobs around them contribute to high…
Windfall for All: How Connected, Convenient Neighborhoods Can Protect Our Climate and Safeguard California’s Economy
April 1, 2009
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Chapter 1: SB 375 Can Make California More Affordable
California has often led the country in developing innovative, successful responses to environmental crises. Over the past three years, California has taken a leadership role in addressing global warming. AB 32, passed in 2006, committed the state to significant greenhouse gas emission reductions. This law is more than a symbolic gesture: California is the 15th largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in the world.
Of those emissions, transportation comprises by far the largest and fastest-growing source, representing nearly 40 percent of all emissions in the state.
The groundbreaking SB 375, passed in 2008, will make it easier for Californians to drive less. It will help to link local and regional planning to create more convenient and efficient communities, with shorter commutes and more transportation choices. Combined with already-approved approaches to cleaner fuels and efficient vehicles, SB 375 is pivotal for…
Bay Area Burden
April 1, 2009|Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing
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Executive Summary
Bay area Burden provides a comprehensive analysis of the “cost of place” in nine counties located throughout the San Francisco region by examining the costs and impacts of housing and transportation on Bay Area residents, their neighborhoods, and the environment.
The Impacts of High Housing and Transportation costs
Bay Area households spend an average of more than $28,000 annually on housing—about 39 percent of the area median income. In addition to the high cost of housing, Bay Area households spend nearly $13,400 annually on transportation. Combined, this cost burden of $41,420 per year represents 59 percent of the median household income in the Bay Area. The high combined costs of housing and transportation leave many Bay Area households with insufficient remaining income to comfortably meet their basic needs. This underscores the importance of broadening our understanding of housing affordability to consider the combined costs of housing and…
