Two New Reports on #Transportation & #LandUse in #Stuttgart and #DC, #Cycling in #DC

UAP Professor Ralph Buehler recently co-authored the report "Transportation and Land-Use Planning in Germany and the U.S.: Lessons from the Stuttgart and Washington, DC Regions,” with Wolfgang Jung.  The report was published by the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies and is part of their project on The Transatlantic Climate and Energy Dialogue: Urban and Regional Transportation and Energy Problems and Solutions.

Read more and download the report at http://www.aicgs.org/publication/transportation-and-land-use-planning-in-germany-and-the-u-s-lessons-from-the-stuttgart-and-washington-dc-regions/?secureIdCustomer=1.

Buehler also co-authored the report, “Trends and Determinants of Cycling in the Washington D.C. Region,” with Andrea Hamre (a UAP graduate assistant), Dan Sonenklar, and Paul Goger.  The report was published by the Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center.

WPost: "Driving Behavior" Highlights Role of Commuter Benefits in Shaping Travel Choices

1.25.2013 | The Washington Post:  readexpress.com
Driving Behavior
 
This January 25th article by Vicky Hallett includes a link to “Role of Commuter Benefits in Shaping Decision to Walk, Cycle, or Ride Transit to Work in Washington, D.C., Region,” a study prepared by Ralph Buehler, assistant professor, Urban Affairs and Planning, and Ph.D student Andrea Hamre.

@UAPVirginiaTech's Tom Sanchez speaks on Transportation Equity panel

Professor Tom Sanchez, Ph.D.

On October 25th, Tom Sanchez, Ph.D., professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech, participated on a panel on federal policy for transportation equity.  The event was held at the Pew Charitable Trust in Washington, DC and was sponsored by PolicyLink and Transportation for America.

You can learn more about the program at this link.  Also available is the background paper prepared by Dr. Sanchez for the panel discussion.

The program included:

Keynote Address
Honorable James Oberstar
Former Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Introduction by James Corless, Transportation for America

Trends and Policy Ideas from the Field of Transportation Research
Brian Taylor, University of California Los Angeles
Samuel Staley, Florida State University
Thomas Sanchez, Virginia Tech
Robert Bullard, Texas Southern University
Anita Hairston, PolicyLink (moderator)

Perspectives on the Political Landscape and Opportunities for Advancing Economic and Social Equity in Federal Transportation Policy
Kerry O’Hare, Building America’s Future
Joshua Schank, Eno Center for Transportation
Amy Scarton, US Department of Transportation
Robert Puentes, Brookings Institution
James Corless, Transportation for America (moderator)

Transportation Equity at the Local Level: Challenges & Opportunities
Jacky Grimshaw, Center for Neighborhood Technology
Beverly Ward, Community Transportation Association of America
Carmen Rojas, Living Cities
Anita Hairston, PolicyLink (moderator)

Making Urban Transport Sustainable: Lessons from Europe and North America: Talk by @UAPVirginiaTech's Ralph Buehler

From Carleton University in Ottawa:

"Making Urban Transport Sustainable: Lessons from Europe and North America

Oct 18

The second event in the Environment Days series, the keynote was presented by Dr. Ralph Buehler from Virginia Tech, and contrasted transportation, land-use policies and transport systems in Western Europe and North America.  It also explore the influenced of socio-demographics, public health, and financial efficiencies on travel behaviours.

This event was supportesd by the German Embassy, and presented in cooperation with the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism.

This keynote was followed by a roundtable discussion. To listen to an interview with Ralph Buehler, click here.

Interviews conducted by Anca Gurzu."

2013 7th International Visualization in Transportation Symposium

From Kevin Stewart and the TRB Visualization in Transportation Committee:

2013 7th International Visualization in Transportation Symposium
October 23-25, 2013
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering
Irvine, California

"Conference Theme

The theme for the 2013 Symposium “Visualization for Big Data”.  The goal of the 2013 Symposium is to advance innovation in visualization for transportation applications through the exchange of information, to create a collaborative environment that promotes ideas for action that evolves our ability to address those needs, and to foster the integration of visualization into mainstream practice. 

Call for Papers

The website http://www.trbvis.org/ now has a link for submitting papers, and provides information on evaluation criteria and the submittal process.  We encourage interested individuals to submit session topics, presentation ideas, and paper abstracts to be considered for presentation at the 2013 symposium. The conference will be a forum for exchange and dissemination of information related to all applications and modes of visualization in the transportation industry, and the conference planning committee is seeking input on session and presentation topics from visualization experts, transportation professionals, and researchers in all modes and domains. 

Please note that the deadline for submission is January 7, 2013

Symposium Website

A web page has been added providing general information about the symposium.  To access the most up-to-date information on the 2013 Symposium, go to http://www.trbvis.org/visualization-symposium/

Virtual Conference Attendance

The Symposium planning committee understands that many of you have travel restrictions that may prevent you from attending the conference in Irvine.  Preparations are underway  to have both physical and virtual participants and presenters. We may even be able to register iPad buddies – i.e., on site participants who carry around an iPad to interact with virtual  participants who watch presentations online and converse via iPad.  Stay tuned for further developments.

Poster Sessions

In addition to traditional podium session and workshops, we will have the ability to provide electronic poster sessions during the symposium. Imagine a traditional poster session like TRB, where you stand in front of your paper poster and talk about your project. Now imagine doing the same thing in front of a large screen monitor connected to your laptop. You could include animations, simulations, or just run your software live. This provides a more intimate setting to explore specific ideas or techniques in an interactive hands-on discussion."

Slate's "Learning to Walk" Highlights Walking, Transportation Research from UAP's Ralph Buehler

Slate's "Learning to Walk" article by Tom Vanderbilt highlights the practice of walking and its relationship (and its paradoxes) with transportation planning.  It notes the research of UAP's Ralph Buehler, an Assistant Professor in Urban Affairs & Planning and a Faculty Fellow with the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech’s Alexandria Center.  Most of his research has an international comparative perspective, contrasting transport and land-use policies, transport systems, and travel behavior in Western Europe and North America, and this comparison is reflected in Vanberbilt's article.

Read the article here

Intelligent Transportation Society of Virginia Call for Papers

From ITSVA:

"ITSVA Announces its 18th Annual Conference

This year featuring a student paper contest!

The contest is open to students in any of Virginia’s colleges or universities. Papers should follow the Transportation Research Board guidelines for length (maximum 7,500 words; tables and figures count as 250 words each) and must focus on topics relating to Intelligent Transportation, including but not limited to congestion and incident management, traveler information, data collection and management, and technologies to support these activities.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three submissions (top prize $100!). In addition, authors of the winning papers will be invited to attend the opening session of the ITSVA Annual Conference on Thursday, April 19, 2012 and showcase their papers through a display in the Exhibit Hall. Winners also receive a one-year membership in ITSVA.

This is a great opportunity to network with professionals in the ITS community!

Submit your papers to Cathy McGhee, ITSVA Conference Planning Committee Chair,
at Cathy.McGhee@vdot.virginia.gov by March 23rd, 2012.
Questions about the contest can also be directed to Cathy.

Intelligent Transportation Society of Virginia
250 West Main Street, Suite 100
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 977-3716 • www.itsva.org "

Transportation and Housing Toolkit - Free Regional Training Sessions in March 2012

From the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission

"How Inclusive is Your Community?
It’s easy to overlook the needs of many in our community when those needs are different than our own. This workshop will provide tools for planners to use to assess their locality, highlight common barriers to inclusive communities, and present possible changes to ordinances and processes to serve all residents. The presentation will include an overview of the Transportation and Housing (THA) Toolkit, a step-by-step review of the new standardized assessment tool, results of case studies in the six localities in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District, and approaches to incorporate inclusive principles and considerations into the day-to-day operations of planning departments.

* This event is approved for 3.0 CM credits for AICP members.

Cost: Free. Registration is required to reserve lunch.
To register call (434) 979-7310 x210 or
email register@tjpdc.org"

Events:
March 9 –Wytheville
March 13 – Williamsburg
March 21 – Warrenton

All Events from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Click to download (Printable Invite )

New Publication

Fall 2011
Transportation, Accessibility and Equity

Feature Articles

• Public Transit’s Imperiled Future (153 KB)
  By Lisa Schweitzer
• Getting There: Putting Accessibility into Practice for Progressive Transportation Planning
  By Jonathan Levine and Joe Grengs
• What is Transportation Equity?
  By Tom Sanchez
• Race, Class and Public Transit in the Motor City
  By Joel M. Batterman
• Fruits, Veggies and Mass Cycling
  By Kevin J. Krizek
• Liberalism, neoliberalism and Urban Transportation
  By Aaron Golub
• Public Works, Public Networks: Community-Centric Telecommunications Planning (418 KB)
  By Greta Byrum and Benjamin Lennett
• Foreclosures and the Federal Response
  By Neil Mayer
• Christopher St. John and the Maine Center for Economic Policy
  By Pierre Clavel
• Cuba Protects Private Housing, Not Capitalist Real Estate
  By Jill Hamberg
• “This Square is our Home!”: The Organization of Urban Space in the Spanish 15-M Movement
  By Álvaro Sevilla-Buitrago

From: http://tomsanchez.wordpress.com/

Jan 10 Coalition For Smarter Growth Program on Sustainable Transportation

From the Coalition For Smarter Growth

"Happier, Healthier, Sexier, and Smarter: Transportation and the Secret of Life
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
National Capital Planning Commission
6:00pm doors open, 6:30 - 8:00pm program
RSVPs required

Sustainable transportation is composed of strategic and thoughtful investments that help a community achieve its larger economic vitality, social equity, ecological diversity, quality of life, and other goals. Transportation is inseparable from land use planning, economic development, and even human health and happiness.
Although many sectors are embracing the challenges of long term sustainability, transportation planning lags behind with many policies and standards still rooted in a bygone era. Please join in a discussion about the compelling need and tremendous opportunities to plan, implement, and communicate sustainable transportation strategies for the nation and future.

About the SpeakerJeff Tumlin is a nationally known transportation planner, owner and principal for Nelson/Nygaard Associates in San Francisco, CA, and author of the forthcoming book, "Sustainable Transportation Planning: Tools for Creating Vibrant, Healthy, and Resilient Communities."

We'd like to thank NCPC for hosting our event. This forum is co-sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and the Downtown DC BID"

Wed Aug 17: Sustainable Communities Grant Program Webinar

We're glad to share this announcement from PolicyLink:

Wednesday
August 17, 2:00-3:00 pm EDT

Sustainable Communities Grant Program: Making Equity in Housing, Transportation, and Jobs the Heart of Your Region's Application

"The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recently announced its second year of Sustainable Communities funding to allow regions to plan for strengthening their economies. The $65 million HUD-DOT-EPA Sustainable Communities Regional Planning grants and the $28 million HUD-DOT Challenge grants are an important and new opportunity to make this happen. Please see the Notice of Funding Availability. Pre-applications are due August 25th, with full applications due September 26th. A key success factor in the creation of sustainable regions is planning for greater economic and social inclusion of communities, workers, and places that have been left behind.  

Join PolicyLink, HUD, and leading regional planners to discuss best equity practices to drive planning and investments in housing, health, environment, transportation, and other infrastructure needs. And learn about the PolicyLink 2011 Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Guide to help build best practices for addressing equity into a winning application and planning process. The guide also highlights successful applicants from the 2010 grant rounds.

Speakers:

• Dwayne Marsh, Senior Advisor, HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities
• Jeff Taebel, Director, Community and Environmental Planning, Houston-Galveston Area Council
• Tracy Reich, Director, Community Programs, Impact Capital, Seattle Washington

Moderator:

• Kalima Rose, Director, PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity

We look forward to having you on the webinar." 

Evaluation of the Public Health Impacts of Traffic Congestion

A new study by Jonathan Levy, Jonathan Buonocore and Katherine von Stackelberg focuses on the public health impacts of traffic congestion:

"Traffic congestion is a significant issue in urban areas in the United States and around the world.  Previous analyses have estimated the economic costs of congestion, related to fuel and time wasted, but few have quantified the public health impacts or determined how these impacts compare in magnitude to the economic costs. Moreover, the relative magnitudes of economic and public health impacts of congestion would be expected to vary significantly across urban areas, as a function of road infrastructure, population density, and atmospheric conditions influencing pollutant formation, but this variability has not been explored....In this study, we evaluate the public health impacts of ambient exposures to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations associated with a business-as-usual scenario of predicted traffic congestion....Our analyses indicate that the public health impacts of congestion may be significant enough in magnitude, at least in some urban areas, to be considered in future evaluations of the benefits of policies to mitigate congestion."

Read the study at this link.

New Document on Six Basic Principles of Transportation Equity

Upstream Public Health, which is part of the Transportation Equity Network, has recently released a document that outlines the six basic principles of transportation health equity.  These principles "lay out a set of priorities for advocates of improved public health and equitable transit."  You can download the document at this link.

New Report on the Importance of Transportation Policies To Civil Rights

Where We Need to Go: A Civil Rights
Roadmap for Transportation Equity

This new report, published by the Leadership Conference Education Fund, highlights "the important opportunity for all segments of society to participate fully in the debates around our nation’s transportation policy to ensure no community is left behind."  The summary and the full report are at this link.

Slugging — The People’s Transit

In Washington, D.C., commuters have taken thousands of cars off highways via a homegrown rideshare system known as “slugging.” Can the government create more slugs — without stepping on any?

Workers who have come down from the surrounding high-rise offices begin to line up on a sidewalk in downtown Arlington, Va., across the Potomac from the nation’s capital, about 3:30 in the afternoon. They stand in a perfect queue, iPods and newspapers in hand, and they look, by all indications, like they’re waiting for the bus. ~ Full Article found here.

Virginia Tech MURP Students on Field Trip to Metro/WMATA Headquarters

On Thursday, 3 March 2011, a group of 15 MURP students participated in a field trip to the headquarters of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)—possibly better known as Metro. The group visited the Emergency Operations Center and listened to presentations by WMATA experts on rail and bus operations planning, planning and joint development, emergency preparedness, and fire life safety. The trip was part of a Sustainable Transportation course and was lead by Professors Ralph Buehler and Kris Wernstedt.