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Introduction Links between travel demand, transportation system characteristics, urban form and distribution of population and employment have been the focus of several studies in the literature (Badoe and Miller, 2000; Boarnet and Crane, 2001; Boarnet and Sarmiento, 1998; Cervero et al., 2006; Cervero and Kockelman, 1997; Clifton et al., 2012; Ewing and Cervero, 2001; Ewing and Cervero, 2010; Ewing et al., 2011; Frank and Pivo, 1994). These have been viewed as the sources of several challenges related to energy consumption, global warming, environmental quality, and economic viability. Increasing mobility, primarily in terms of vehicle miles traveled (VMT), has been one key contributor to these challenges, particularly in terms of traffic congestion, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air pollution and fuel consumption (Badoe and Miller, 2000; Ewing et al., 2011; Stead, 1999). Deterioration of central urban areas and traditional downtowns along with urban sprawl, and the increased use…

Introduction The transport sector accounts for nearly half the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Washington State (WSDOT 2009). Addressing transport sector GHG emissions is a priority for mitigating the impact of climate change and achieving environmental sustainability. Efforts include state-level legislation, regional climate action plans, and analysis of GHG impacts in environmental review (ICF International 2013; WSDOT 2009). One strategy for decreasing GHG emissions is reducing the amount of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita. In Washington state, House Bill 2815 was passed in 2008 and established a target to reduce light-duty VMT per capita 18 percent by 2020, 30 percent by 2035, and 50 percent by 2050. Environmental sustainability, however, is just one aspect of a sustainable transportation system. Social equity and economic vitality comprise the other two principles of the “triple bottom line” definition of sustainability and must also be addressed to achieve a…

Introduction Environmental noise, and persistent high levels of transportation noise in particular, have been shown to have considerable effects on human health and well-being [1,2]. According to the WHO, one third of the EU citizens are annoyed by environmental noise and about 25% of the EU citizens experience sleep disturbances due to environmental noise [1]. According to the first round of noise mapping in agglomerations and on major roads, around 56 million people within agglomerations and 34 million people outside agglomerations across the EU are exposed to noise levels above Lden 55 dB [3], a limit level that has been suggested by the WHO to protect the majority of people from being seriously annoyed [4]. Railway noise seems to be a less serious problem than road traffic noise as only 6.3 million citizens in agglomerations and 5.4 million along major railways outside agglomerations in the EU are exposed to noise levels exceeding Lden of 55 dB, according to the first noise…

Introduction Many studies have analyzed the relationship between the built environment and mode choice, but the underlying behavioral mechanisms remain somewhat less well understood. Higher densities, more diversity, and better local accessibility are often believed to result in less car use, more public transport, and more cycling and walking (for a more comprehensive review, see, e.g., Badoe and Miller 2000; Bartholomew and Ewing 2009; Crane 2000; Ewing and Cervero 2001; Handy 2002; Handy 2005; Stead et al. 2000; Stead and Marshall 2001; van Wee 2002; Van Acker and Witlox 2005). However, not all peo­ple that reside in high-density, diverse, and accessible neighbor­hoods travel by definition by public transport or walk and bike instead of using their cars. This is (partly) due to differences in more subjective and behavioral influences such as perceptions (Van Acker et al. 2010). It might be possible that one person perceives the built environment as unsafe, preventing him or her…

Executive Summary Since the year 2009 half the world’s population has been living in a city, as shown by statistics from the United Nations. And the trend is ongoing. By the year 2050 it is thought that the number of city dwellers will increase by 85 percent to reach 6.3 bil­lion – that is, two thirds of the world popu­lation will then be living in cities. This means that cities will have to absorb the bulk of future population growth. The challenges associated with this de­velopment are most evident in connection with infrastructure issues. Transport facili­ties, power and water supplies and waste disposal all have to keep up with the growth that is anticipated. But we often get the impression that cities are being driven by events – just responding to uncontrolled growth, rather than acting with foresight. At the same time, urbanization does harbor opportunities for cities. For exam­ple, an attractive metropolis acts as a lure for business enterprises of both national and…

System Access Policy Sound Transit’s mission is to plan, build, and operate regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for central Puget Sound. Sound Transit is committed to wisely managing public funds and facilitating access to its regional high capacity transit system while fulfilling the agency’s mission. Sound Transit’s responsibility is to provide and operate a high-capacity transit system delivering fast, frequent transit service that connects the region’s urban centers. Sound Transit is authorized to use its tax revenues to plan, construct and operate high-capacity transit as defined in its enabling legislation (81.104 RCW). The System Access Policy establishes a framework for Sound Transit’s support and management of, and investment in, infrastructure and facilities to provide customer access to its transit services. Sound Transit will seek to provide or facilitate equitable improvements in access to transit services in cooperation with public and…

Summary The purpose of this project (TCRP H-31) is to explore a broader social context for individual decision making related to residential location and travel behavior. Because residential location and travel behavior have a large effect on society’s consumption of energy, on levels of pollution, and on health, there is great value in increasing our understanding of the mechanism of choice. Better understanding could lead to better insights on the part of planners and decision makers as to how to predict choice and how to influence it through better policies and design, education, and communication. While the transportation community has considerable experience in using rational economic models of decision making in exploring residential and travel choice, there is less research into decision-making models from other fields, such as sociology, psychology, and marketing research. This project provides a look at an approach from the field of psychology that adds valuable perspective…

Introduction Cuba has been called the world’s largest open-air antique car museum. To anyone who visits Cuba, it is all but impos­sible to miss the pre-1960s American-made cars that daily ply the roads (Figure 1). The vintage cars from such manufacturing giants as Ford, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Chrysler as well as long-forgotten DeSotos, Nashs, Packards, Studebakers, and Edsels are ubiquitous on Cuban roads, especially in Havana. As the volume of international tourists (especially from the U.S.) increases, and articles in the popular press about the Island become more prevalent, awareness of this fleet of old American cars continues to grow. But few visitors understand the lengths to which Cubans go to keep these classic cars running. What is the cultural message carried in some of Detroit’s most extravagant creations? What explains the extraordinary efforts to keep the cacharros (jalopies) running? The purpose of this article is to identify some of the forces behind the…