Tufts University

Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning

Transportation Planning UEP 0173-01 (Spring 2011)

Course Instructor Mark Chase, 617-290-3876 mark.e.chase@gmail.com

Tuesday 6:00- 8:30 Location TBA

Office hours: By appointment only

Course Description

Transportation systems are a web made up of vehicles, networks and

terminals. We will focus on the skills and tools needed to effectively plan
transportation projects- both directly through planning skills and indirectly
through managing consultants. These skills will be presented within the
context of how transportation intersects with communities.

Course Objectives-- At the end of the course students will understand the
profession of transportation planning including the institutions, professionals
and citizen groups that impact transportation policy. The course will look at:

• Transportation from the perspective of economic and environmental

efficiency
• Professional disciplines and sub-disciplines of transportation planning
including walking, bicycling, transit, para-transit and cars.
• Transportation problems and solutions presented within the context of
social change, technological advancement and environmental
constraints.
• Physical and institutional contexts of transportation planning including
streetscape design, local zoning, and regional planning.
• Social contexts of transportation including: disadvantaged
communities, affordable housing and livable streets

Within every session of the course we will be presenting specific planning

tools that are used to determine how well transportation systems are
working and what corrective measures are needed to improve the system.

This is a survey course. We will be examining transportation broadly.

Students will be expected to research their own specialty and interest areas
as part of two major projects in the course. For efficiencies sake you should
try to ascertain what areas you are interested in focusing on as early as
possible in the course so that you can use your independent research to gain
depth in this area (more on that below).

Structure of Course/ Assessment

Each class will cover a major theme of urban transportation planning. With
some variation, the general format of each class will have three parts: The
first hour will be a lecture/ slide show-overview of a major transportation
topic. The second hour will involve a presentation by transportation
professional. The final hour will focus on technical skills related to the
subject area at hand.

Grades

Student grades will be based on class participation (15%), a neighborhood

transportation survey (15%), a mid term exam (30%), and a final
presentation and paper(40%). These are described in more detail below:

Class participation (15%): This is a intense/ condensed summer course.

Each class is the equivalent of a full week in a normal Spring/ Fall semester
class. Arrange your schedule so you can make it to ALL the classes. Be
sure to do the readings and come prepared to participate in class
discussions. As you do the readings think about questions or provocative
ideas that are brought up in the readings. Be prepared to talk about these
in class. If you are a sit-back-and-watch student, you need to push yourself
to participate in class discussion. Each class will begin with a small
presentation by one or two students in the class on items-in-the-news that
are related to the class topic for that day. Please read over the syllabus and
pick a few classes that you are interested in leading this discussion on.

Neighborhood Transportation Survey 15%

This exercise helps you to apply class concepts to a neighborhood or

business district that you care about. Pick a geographic area to analyze
that includes at least one intersection and a section of street (100 to 300
yards). Keep a journal on Google Docs that includes an analysis of the street
(share this with me). For each class through class 6 (Streetscape Design)
apply class concepts to this area. Consider the following concepts:

• Networks/ Nodes and Vehicles for each mode of transportation that

we cover. What are the assets and deficiencies that you observe?
• Social impacts--> young old and infirm? Opportunities for social
interaction?
 • Environmental impacts: noise, air pollution
• Aesthetics: is this area beautiful when considered from each modes
viewpoint?
• What modes are missing? Is it a problem that they are missing or is
the mode inappropriate for the segment that you are analyzing?

Suggest Improvements and/or Solutions to deficits. Address the following:

• Costs?
• Political barriers to excellence?
• Institutional barriers to excellence?
• Financial Barriers?
• Prospects for change... political/ transportation strategies
• Other issues and opportunities that you noticed

Note: You do not need to cover each of the above for every journal entry,
but relevant areas should be touched on when appropriate.

Midterm exam (30%): This is a take home exam that is comprised of the
following question: Tell me succinctly in (1000 to 1200 words) what
elements of transportation planning most directly impact a policy or planning
issue that you are concerned about. Your challenge is to communicate
clearly the nature of the problem, the most cost effective and important
solutions and policies that can help remedy the situation, and political,
economic or social barriers to implementation. A key element here is writing
an extremely tight paper. If you have concerns about your writing skills, be
sure to get help editing from your good-writing-editing friends.

Final Project: Students will work in teams or alone towards a final

presentation and paper that will highlight either a specific transportation
mode, technology or problem, or focus on the intersection of transportation
and their particular focus or interest area at UEPP. You must have a project
outline to me by February 15th. Please contact me before February 8th if
you are having trouble coming up with a project.

Please submit all work electronically (no paper please!).

Class Schedule

Class 1 (January 25) INTRODUCTORY CLASS

The wonderful world of transportation-- student interests and what this class
will cover.

Review of format of class, grading and getting the most from the class
Mind map of class mates interests in transportation

Speaker: Jackie Douglas, Program Manager, Livable Streets Alliance

Walk Score

Class 2 (February 1) PEDESTRIAN PLANNING BASICS

Walking: the oldest and most important mode of transportation.

Speaker-- Rosa Carson, Program Coordinator, WalkBoston: the nexus

between the pedestrian environment, multi-modal transportation and quality
of life.

Readings

Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Safe Routes to Transit (Pedestrian

section) for Institute for Transportation and Development Policy

Dumbaugh, Eric. 2005. Safe Streets Livable Streets. Journal of the American
Planning Association. Vol 71(3) pp 283-300.

Jacobsen, P.L. 2003. Safety in Numbers: more walkers and bicyclists, safer
walking and bicycling. Injury Prevention Vol. 9. pp 205-209

Hamilton-Baillie, Benjamin. Home Zones - Reconciling People, Places and

Transport

Pucher, John and Lewis Dijkstra. 2003. Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling
to Improve Public Health: Lessons from the Netherlands and Germany.
American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 93(9) Use the following link:
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/full/93/9/1509

Class 3 (2/8) BICYCLE PLANNING

Please contact me by today if you are having any trouble designing

your final project.

The worlds most efficient transportation: Climate Change/ Energy

A world tour

An overview of the politics of bicycle advocacy

Guest Speaker: Kathleen Ziegenfuss, City of Somerville

Technical Skills-- Analyzing a section of street and intersection to design

bicycle accommodations

Readings

"A lot can happen between the lines: Completing NYC streets,"
Transportation Alternatives Magazine, Fall 2007.
http://www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/magazine/2007/fall/10-13.pdf

"Building a Better Bike Lane," (Bike-friendly cities in Europe are

launching a new attack on car culture. Can the U.S. catch up?) by
Nancy Keates, The Wall Street Journal, May 4 2007.
http://livablestreets.info/files/wsj_4may07_bikes.pdf

Thunderhead benchmarking report

http://peoplepoweredmovement.org/pdf/benchmarking2007.pdf

World Transport Policy and Practice, Volume 15, Number 1, April

2009--> Read only Pages 47- 63
http://www.eco-logica.co.uk/pdf/wtpp15.1.pdf

FHWA "University Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation",

http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pedbike/pubs/05085/toc.htm#toc
In the guide read only the following sections:
Sections: 3.6 (bike section),
Lesson 13: Selecting Bicycle Facility Types
Lesson 15: Bicycle Lanes

MUTCD Shared Lane Markings Guidance:

http://members.cox.net/ncutcdbtc/sls/slmtoncjan07.pdf

Cambridge Massachusetts Bicycle Parking Guidelines:

http://www.cambridgema.gov/CityOfCambridge_Content/documents/
tpat_BikeParkingBrochure.pdf

Class 4 (2/15) NOTE: Your final project outline/ proposal is due

today!

TRANSIT PLANNING I

Introduction to service planning using Bus and Bus Rapid Transit

BRT Expert & Consultant, Paul Schimek
TransSystems

Readings

Making Transit Work: TCRP Special Report 257: Skim pages 1-59

Better Public Transit Systems, Eric Bruun, pp 9-23, 45-72 (skip

examples) & 111-120.

Peruse the Embarq website with special attention the the Bus Rapid
Transit secitons: http://www.embarq.org/

Latin American Busways: Moving People Rather than Cars:

http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/111/1/
Latin_American_Busways,_Lloyd_Wright,_Natural_Resources_Forum,_May_200

World Resources Institute/ Embarq: How We Move: Sustainable

Transport Around the World, Dr. Nancy Kete and Dr. Dario Hidalgo --
visit all the cities on the map and click through to the links. Some of
the more important links are also listed below. http://www.embarq.org/en/
news/08/06/25/how-we-move-sustainable-transport-around-world

Curitiba's urban experiment/ Frontline: Be sure to read through all

the pages of this nifty website! It's a little confusing to navigate, but
spend some time on it. http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/
fellows/brazil1203/ Key Transportation page:
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/fellows/brazil1203/
solutions.html

NYTimes Article on Curitiba: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/

fullpage.html?res=9C04EED91231F933A15756C0A9619C8B63

International Herald Tribune, December 28, 2007:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/28/business/wbspot29.php

An interesting article on the politics of transportation and how ideas

need to survive political adminsitrations:
http://www.drclas.harvard.edu/revista/articles/view/561

Quantifying the Importance of Image and Perception to Bus Rapid

Transit, National Bus Rapid Transit Institute

Critque of the Silver Line Phase 1: Boston:

http://www.sierraclubmass.org/issues/conservation/silverline/
slreport.pdf

Critique of TranSantiago: http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/

y2008/Mungerbus.html

Supplemental BRT Resources

BRT in Developing Countries: http://www.itdp.org/index.php/

program_areas/detail/
developing_high_quality_low_cost_mass_transit/

Bus Rapid Transit Policy Center: http://www.gobrt.org/

Class 5 (3/1) NOTE: Mid Term is Due Today!

TRANSIT PLANNING II

Financing Transit & the Politics of Transit Funding

Speaker: Brian Kane, Budget and Policy Analyst, MBTA Advisory Board

Technical skills: Introduction to transit planning/ bus service concepts

Readings

Born Broke, Brian Kane, 2009, MBTA Advisory Board

MBTA Advisory Board Proposed Budget: http://www.mbtaadvisoryboard.org/Reports/

FY10_Budget-Report.pdf

Eric Bruun, Better Public Transit Systems, Analyzing Investments and

Performance (PAGES TBA)

Classes 6 & 7 (3/8 & 3/15) STREETSCAPE DESIGN

March 15: Final Project Proposal Due

Designing streets for all modes (not just cars)

Technical Presentation: Brian Postlewaite, Civil Engineer, Sims Maini &

McKee Associates-- Understanding the world of traffic engineers and the
complexities of designing intersections/ roads for multiple modes and users

Readings

Reclaiming City Streets for People: European Commission, Directorate

General for the Environment: Disappearing traffic in Europe:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pubs/pdf/streets_people.pdf

"Rethinking the Urban Speedway," (For decades, highway engineers

focused on designing wider, straighter, faster roads. Now, moving traffic
quickly is no longer the sole goal), Governing Magazine, October 2005.
http://livablestreets.info/files/governing_oct2005_engineeringspeed.pdf

Disappearing Traffic? The Story So Far: Just skim this article for data on
traffic recuctions:
http://www.contextsensitivesolutions.org/content/reading/disappearing-
traffic/

ITE Context Sensitive Solutions. This is a big document:

Skim Chapters 1-4 paying particular attention to the following sections:

"Introduction to CSS" from bottom of page 4 through page 6 (using the

numbering in the document/ not the pdf page number). Although we're
focusing on the design components of CSS be sure to understand Tables 1.1
and 1.2.

Read Chapters 5-9 and understand all Terms in Glossary on page 216.

New York City Street Design Manual

Read carefully through page 39. Skim the rest of the manual.

Compare the content and format of this manual with the ITE Street Design
Manual

Understand all Glossary terms on page 200

Washington Post Article on VA efforts to limit cul de sacs:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/21/
AR2009032102248.html

Classes 8 & 9 (3/29 & 4/5) CARS AND THEIR ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE
TRANSPORTATION

Planning for the Car:Techniques for reducing auto dependence

Transportation Demand Management: Why getting people out of cars is

always cheaper than expanding auto-based facilities/ cost benefits

Using management techniques to pay for transportation goods and services

we want.

Technical Skills: Parking management techniques that support sustainable

transportation

Speaker: Stephanie Groll, Parking and Transportation Demand Management

Planning Officer, City of Cambridge

Readings

Skim this page: Why manage transportation demand? http://www.vtpi.org/

tdm/tdm51.htm

Browse Cambridge PTDM Program Summary http://www.cambridgema.gov/

CDD/et/tdm/index.html

Donald Shoup: High Cost of Free Parking (PDF on Blackboard)

Donald Shoup: Cruising article (PDF on Blackboard)

Congestion pricing primer on FHWA website: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/

publications/congestionpricing/index.htm

Equity Impacts of Congestion Pricing: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/

publications/fhwahop08040/fhwahop08040.pdf

Todd Litman, London Congestion Pricing: Implications for Other Cities

Shobhakar Dhakal, April 2004, Appendix A: , Urban Transportation and

Environmental Management in Singapore
Key abbreviations in Singapore Article as they are not immediately
apparent--

ARF: Additional Registration Fee (essentially a tax you pay when you license
your car)
ALS: Area Licensing System (pay to enter an area of the city)
ERP: Electronic Road Pricing
MRT: Subway system...

Optional Reading:

Technologies to enable Congestion Pricing (Skim this article: has some good
nuggets): http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop08042/
fhwahop08042.pdf

Class 10-- (4/12) MPO PROCESS & FUNDING

NOTE: Neighborhood Transportation Survey must be complete for

grading today.

Speaker: Hayes Morrison, Transportation Improvement Program Manager,

Boston MPO

Technical Skills-- Understanding the Federal/ State/ MPO funding process

and funding categories-- getting the green for your projects

Readings

The Metropolitan Planning Organization, Present and Future, TRB

Converence Proceedings 39, KATHERINE F. TURNBULL, August 27–29, 2006:
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conf/CP39.pdf READ:
The Evolution of MPO's: Kevin Heanue Page 4-6
The State of the MPO: Jim McKenzie, 8-11

Boston MPO Brochure: Be Informed Be Involved:

http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/4_resources/1_reports/1_studies/
4_bicycle/be_informed.pdf

Boston MPO TIP Program Web Page: Review the links in the main body of
this page http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/3_programs/2_tip/
tip.html Pay special attention to this page:

http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/3_programs/2_tip/
FFY_2007_2010_TIP.pdf
Skim this document: UPWP http://www.bostonmpo.org/bostonmpo/
3_programs/3_upwp/Circulation_Draft_FFY_2010_UPWP.pdf

The Political Calculus of Congestion Pricing, 9/17/2007, UCLA/ Forthcoming

in Access: David King, Michael Manville, and Donald Shoup

Class 11 (4/19) PARA TRANSIT& DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS

Para transit, jitneys and gypsy cabs-- serving the disabled/ private
transportation and informal transportation

Speaker-- Reed Cochran, Exec Director SCM Transportation: meeting the

needs of elders today and tomorrow.

Readings

Boston Globe, Your Brain in Drive: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/

ideas/articles/2009/07/26/your_brain_in_drive/?s_campaign=8315

Sacramento ADA Transit Plan, Nelson Nygaard, June 2008: You need only
skim this document.

Read Chapter 1: Robert Cevero, Informal Transport in the Developing World:

http://books.google.com/books?id=_4z7AI6XuH8C&printsec=frontcover

Institute for Transportation & Development Policy: It's car vs Rickshaw...

http://www.itdp.org/index.php/news_events/news_detail/
car_vs_rickshaw_delhi/

Nicole Stelle Garnett, The Road from Welfare to Work: Skim up to page
198. Read pp's 198 -229

http://www.eukn.org/binaries/eukn/eukn/research/2007/12/
ssrn-67-bijlage.pdf

Class 12 (4/26) SOCIAL JUSTICE & TRANSPORTATION (Wig

ZAMORE)

Environmental Justice and Transportation:

• Public participation
• Negative impacts
• Poor service
Speaker: Wig Zamore, Community Organizer/ Urban Planner

Panel: Community members from East Boston, Chelsea, Roxbury and

Somerville

Readings/ Class preparation

To prepare for class: You need to come up with three examples of

environmental justice issues that you know about or have seen. In thinking
about this (or in your research) consider this basic definition of EJ in
transportation:

1. Are transportation needs and service levels disproportionately unmet

in environmental justice populations?

2. Are environmental justice populations participating sufficiently in

the transportation decisions that affect them?

3. Is the health of environmental justice populations unfairly burdened

by impacts from regional transportation systems?

4. Do higher income or more privileged populations benefit from

disproportionate financial subsidies to the regional transportation systems
that they use?

READINGS-- All on Blackboard

Executive Order 12898

FHWA ACTIONS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Marshall, Braeur and Frank on Healthy Neighborhoods, Walkability and Air

Pollution

Brugge 2007 EHJ Near highway pollutants in motor vehicle exhaust a review
of epidemiologic evidence of cardiac and pulmonary health effects

Lopez 2006 EHJ Obesity physical activity and the urban environment public
health needs

Federal Disapprovals of Boston MPO Certification Process

Boston Amended Regional Transportation Plan

Zamore Comments on Transportation Reform

T proponents say expansion is a matter of life or death

Is Logan Airport Making People Sick

Crowd to MBTA Dont give us no stinking buses

Skim the following:

Wig Zamore 01 23 08 Comment on ENF for Logan SWSA Redevelopment

Wig Zamore 05 09 07 Assembly Square MUD MEPA Waiver Comment

CLASS 13 (5/10) PRESENTATIONS

Student Presentations

Final paper due-- on research of significant transportation planning problem

or community based planning project

Readings

Read Presentation tips on Blackboard!