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Transportation Planning: Yesterday and Today

T H E O N - G O I N G P A R A D I G M S H I F T I N T R A N S P O RT AT I ON P L A N N I N G

D R . M I K E L O W R YA S S I S T A N T P R O F E S S O R

C I V I L E N G I N E E R I N G D E P A R T M E NTU N I V E R S I T Y O F I D A H O

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Is this “planning” or reacting?

Are we more concerned with moving cars or people?

Ills of an Automobile Dependent Society

Air pollution Climate change Dependence on foreign energy sources Dependence on non-renewable energy sources Water pollution Increased runoff (flooding and erosion) Habitat fragmentation Loss of green space Congestion (road rage, waste of time) Vehicular accidents (property damage, injuries, and fatalities) High opportunity cost for maintenance (snow removal, repair) Mobility discrimination of underprivileged (poor, children, and elderly) Community fragmentation Loss of public space Social seclusion Noise pollution Sedentary lifestyles, i.e. obesity

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New perspectives on…

Land use

Urban form

Infrastructure

Policy

Land Use and Urban Form

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Yesterday’s Yesterday’s paradigmparadigm

Today’s Today’s paradigmparadigm

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New Urbanist

Neighborhood

1. identifiable center and edge

2. walkable size

3. mixed income and land use

4. high street connectivity

5. highlight special civic sites and open space

Infrastructure Yesterday’s paradigmYesterday’s paradigm

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Today’s paradigmToday’s paradigm

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17.4 m (58 ft)

17.4 m (58 ft)

9.6 m (32 ft)

Before

After

17.4 m (58 ft)

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Street Furniture

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Before

Road Diet

After

Traffic CalmingTraffic Calming

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Policy

Transportation Supply Management (TSM)

More facilities

More capacity

Intelligent transportation Systems (ITS)

Yesterday’s paradigmYesterday’s paradigm

Travel Demand Management (TDM)

Congestion pricing

Increased parking fees

Letting the congestion happen

Employer incentives for ridesharing

Flexible work hours

Work-from-home programs

Distance-based pricing

Today’s paradigmToday’s paradigm

Thank you…Thank you…

…Questions?…Questions?

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Possible Exam Questions• What are the five desirable attributes of a New Urbanist

Neighborhood?

• What are some examples of Transportation Demand Management strategies?

• What is distance-based pricing?

• What are some of the motivations for sustainable transportation (i.e. what are some of the ills of an auto dependent society)?

• What recent programs demonstrate the paradigm shift that is underway with regards to transportation planning?