Blog Entry

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-10-14/bring-home-best-in-the-world-ideas-to-make-sure-your-city-thrives

"because cities that work for bicyclists are more vital, prosperous, convenient and attractive places to live and work. "  

This article is extremely motivating in my opinion; as student interested in transportation planning, finding a way to make communities more vital, prosperous, convenient, and attractive are our main goals and this article was fueled by that same desire. 

In cities such as the Netherlands and Copenhagen, biking accounts for 35% of the way people choose to travel.  Because of this statistic, American organizations - such as Colorado-based non-profit PeopleForBikes - that are interested in incorporating these travel behaviors into domestic cities have begun to organize visits to Copenhagen and Denmark to inspire the development of future, more efficient, community-based transportation programs.  

Cities around the nation are being asked to participate with PeopleForBikes and their mission to cultivate social, economic, and cultural wealth through the implementation of strong bicycling systems that compliment the cities specific needs. Visits to the Netherlands and Copenhagen have taken place - with more planned for the future - and the inspiration that planners leave with has changed the level of mobility and accessibility in their cities, for the better.  

Cities such as Chicago, Denver, Madison, and Indianapolis are amongst many American cities that have participated in PeopleForBikes' global transportation tour.  Indianapolis, for example, has since become one of the nations leaders in protected bike lanes following Brian Payne's - the President of the Central Indiana Community Foundation's - study tour visit of Denmark and Sweden.  Following Brian Payne's visit, his foundation launched a campaign that is projected to add $863 million dollars and 11,000 jobs to the Indianapolis local economy by developing an eight mile bike and pedestrian route - that is separated from traffic - through the center of the city.  Not only does this provide an economic benefit for the city by stimulating job growth, but the level of accessibility and mobility will increase tremendously for the frequent commuters - mainly workers and residents - of Indianapolis.  

The level of social, economic and cultural impact that the PeopleForBikes global initiative has created is not only long-lasting, but a viable way to encourage future global collaboration amongst the diverse array of planning, health, and governmental organizations.  This notion of study tours has already begun to cultivate relationships among cross-state planners, health officials, engineers, council members, and neighborhood leaders - further encouraging a national movement to increase mobility and efficiency within American cities.  

--

Mimi Hefner

USC Sol Price School of Public Policy

Autonomous Vehicles: The Future of Urban Transportation

Autonomous Vehicles: The Future of Urban Transportation

by Jeremy Smith 

After a class discussion with Robert Huddy back in October, I have been thinking a lot about driverless vehicles. We have all heard about Google's progress with its autonomous vehicles; experts are saying they will hit the streets before 2020! What will this mean for the future of urban structures? I think it's main impacts will happen in the physical structure of cities, social dynamics, and the "driver" industry. 

Automated vehicles are expected to eliminate the human error of driving, reducing traffic caused by accidents as well as being able to be integrated into an ITS, maximizing the efficiency of our automobile infrastructure. Autonomous vehicles will also greatly reduce the need for parking, as users will either be able to order vehicles from their phone, or have their vehicle drive back to their home after dropping them off. By increasing the efficiency and mobility of urban areas, cities will be able to allow for high densities of land uses, which would normally be limited by traffic. I also argue that automated vehicles will extend the 1st and last mile of existing transit, and will help expand the reach of urban transit systems. 

In terms of Social impacts, I see two main groups that could be affected: the elderly and the youth. Aging Baby Boomers will be able to stay in their homes longer by providing more mobility for those unable to drive. I also see driverless cars changing family dynamics, where parents can have their cars drop off and pick up their kids from school, increasing mobility for education and taking a burden off of parents allowing for varied work schedules and changing family dynamics. 

Lastly, the taxi and limo industry is worth $11 billion and the freight transportation industry, worth over $210 billion in the US. With the automation of these vehicles and services, what will happen to the millions of well-paid drivers who often have low levels of education and barriers of entry to other industries. How will the employment of robotics affect the US economy who, in many ways, relies on these jobs due to low levels of education? All of this while the cost of learning to be a robotics engineer is increasing (in terms of tuition) every year. 

Here is an interesting article that speaks to many of these points: http://www.brightsideofnews.com/2012/09/27/governor-brown-signs-california-driverless-car-law-at-google-hq/

Jeremy Smith

jeremyds@usc.edu

USC Sol Price School of Public Policy '17

Comment on: Bob Hope Article Post

Looks like LA Times picked up the story as well. Our class discussion was ahead of the game!

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-1112-bob-hope-20141112-story.html

-MonDar

Bob Hope Article

Good timing: here's a brief blog post about Bob Hope airport (via CurbedLA). Interesting to note that the airport is "try[ing] to build a stronger association between the airport and nearby media companies, entertainment venues and tourist attractions." Sounds like linking Bob Hope with transit (Red Line subway, HSR, Amtrak/Metrolink) could be a priority for the airport (versus the sluggish addition of transit to other LA airports).

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/11/could_bob_hope_airport_become_hollywood_burbank_airport.php#more

- Tay Vaughn

Electric Jeepneys in the Philippines

Hi,

Thought this might be a fun article to add to the blog!

http://energyblog.nationalgeographic.com/2014/11/05/one-year-after-typhoon-yolanda-a-philippines-city-rebuilds-with-sustainble-transport-in-mind/

Best,

Arvin Dicioco

Definition of Success - Looking At Congestion

We treat traffic congestion as a stand-alone problem.  Too many cars and drivers. Not enough roadway

to accomodate the demand for transportation and mobility.  Yet overlooked in this seemingly endless

discussion of traffic congestion is how we use land.  How do we define home ownership and upward

mobility--as well as physical mobility?  The greater Los Angeles metropolitan area has some 11 million

residents, and if only a subset used a vehicle, it's not hard to see why we have traffic congestion.

People need to get to work, school, health care, appointments, care for a relative, shop or seek

public services. 

Los Angeles needs in-fill development and much more high density housing.  Just pause and think for a moment.

Whenever a developer proposes a high density housing unit within the borders of Los Angeles, one of the first

things that happens is the objections of neighbors.   "We don't want that condo unit in our area.  We have

a nice residential neighborhood and that condo unit might attract too many people.  A condo might upset

the topography and look of the neighborhood."

Unspoken is the fear that high density housing might be used for low or moderate income families.  People

talk about finding affordable housing or helping those with moderate incomes, but they also don't want them

in their neighborhood.  This is hard to admit and this is why developers tend to push the boundaries and add

to more urban sprawl.  Is it a smart move for a land developer to move his construction crews and materials some

50 miles outward from a city center just to build a housing development?  What are the developer's hurdles

and costs?

If in-fill development and high density housing were made a higher priority and given the tag of success in 

home ownership and upward mobility, would we see so many families having to commute 30 to 75 miles

each day from home to work?  Could transit be dovetailed to more centralized development so families 

would not need to buy a car--and just maybe go into car-sharing programs instead?  We have defined success

and home ownership as being that detached, ranch-style home in the suburbs.  We have made the

traffic patterns and land use patterns reflect our perception of success.  It starts with basics.  How do we educate

our young about success and upward mobility?  What is their picture of success--to struggle like

their parents at trying to own a costly and remotely located detached dwelling?

We all complain about the lack of affordable housing in Los Angeles and the need to commute further and

further into the hinterlands for an affordable home.  Yet how did we get here?  Did we help shape this

pattern of land use and perception of success and upward mobility?  Europeans have for generations used

bicycles and public transit, such as trolleys and buses, to get to their destination.  They have done this because

the price of fuel is much higher in Europe than in the U.S.  We have kept the price of petroleum-based fuel artificially low

to spur the car market and exhibit another indicator of success--owning a car.  We complain about congestion and

try various gimmicks to spur ride-sharing, tele-commuting and build some expensive subway systems.  These

efforts are add-ons, and they only mitigate just some of the congestion.

What we suggest and need is a wholesale re-making of what home ownership should be.  We should drop the

fears about high density housing and learn to be neighbors again vs. living in our stereo-bedecked vehicle

zooming the 75 miles from home to work and fighting the long delays returning home.  It would make sense

economically, socially and in terms of energy consumption, lower vehicle miles traveled and lowered

emissions and warming.  The solution is within us and how we perceive what home ownership can be. 

We can change that perception and habit.  It will take patience and public education, but it can be done.  The

alternative is more blogs and academic discussions about how we can tame traffic congestion and nibble around

the edges of the problem again.

Norman Dong

Senior Transportation Planner/Caltrans (Retired)

Resources-for the Transportation Planning Students

Mike,

 

The class was great,  you have some really smart young people this year.

 

Here are a few additional resources for articles and events to post to the Blog which your students may find useful.

 

http://trainnews.org/

 

This is a compendium of daily railroad articles US and international, from local press and trade publications.

 

http://www.rand.org/events/2014/10/28.html

 

This is the announcement and reservation information for the Rand event Marty Wachs is holding on Self Driving Vehicles on October 28, 2014.

 

http://www.vtpi.org/

 

This is the Victoria Transportation Policy Institute (VTPI) Website and TDM Encyclopedia link.

 

http://reason.org/staff/show/robert-poole.html

 

Here is the website for Bob Poole and the Reason Foundation transportation policy materials.

 

https://www.enotrans.org/

 

Here is the Eno Foundation website, which has some great resources on all manner of transportation subjects.

 

Thanks,

 

Bob Huddy