Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Evaluation Of Short Duration Unscheduled Absences Among Transit Operators: Trimet Case Study, James G. Strathman, Joseph Broach, Steve Callas

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report analyzes factors contributing to short duration (one to three days) unscheduled absences among operators at TriMet, the transit provider for the Portland, Oregon metropolitan region. The analysis draws on a wide array of operator-specific information recovered by transit ITS technologies in combination with information from the agency’s human resources, scheduling, incident, and customer relations databases. The likelihood of an absence is estimated in relation to personal characteristics, employment status, aspects of assigned work, service delivery and performance indicators, temporal factors, and customer feedback. The findings can be used directly to support extraboard planning practices. More generally, the findings …

Understanding And Measuring Bicycling Behavior: A Focus On Travel Time And Route Choice, Jennifer Dill, John Gliebe

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

With rates of obesity, heart disease, and related health problems increasing in the U.S. many policy makers are looking for ways to increase physical activity in everyday life. Using a bicycle instead of a motor vehicle for a portion of everyday travel could help address these problems. This research aims to fill a gap in the existing literature on the effect of different types of infrastructure, such as bicycle lanes or paths, on bicycling. The project used global positioning system (GPS) technology to record where a sample of 164 adults in the Portland, OR region rode their bicycles. Data was …

Needs, Costs, And Funding Alternatives For Transportation Services For Older Adults And People With Disabilities In Urban And Rural Oregon, Jennifer Dill, Margaret B. Neal, Richard Lycan, Ray Delahanty, Talia Jacobson, Kelly Smith, Ariana Tipper

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland State University's Institute on Aging and Center for Transportation Studies, along with the Population Research Center, were contracted by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), via the Association of Counties, to project the transportation needs and associated costs for elders and people with disabilities from now to 2030. The study also identified and assessed the feasibility of funding alternatives to address the needs identified.

Conducted by a multidisciplinary team of faculty and graduate students, the project was guided by a work group whose membership consisted of ODOT and Department of Human Services (DHS) employees and other stakeholders, and by …

Initiative For Bicycle And Pedestrian Innovation, Jennifer Dill, Lynn Weigand

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation aims to advance the field of bicycle and pedestrian transportation through four primary mechanisms: (1) developing and pursuing a collaborative research agenda that more directly informs practice and and involves students through dissertation research and fellowships; (2) translating relevant research into a format and language that is more useful to practitioners, and making that research available through technology transfer; (3) developing more holistic approaches to the education and training of planners and engineers; and (4) supporting community-based outreach and education, to promote awareness of bicycle and pedestrian issues statewide and nationally. This proposal …

Regional Travel Options 2005-06 Program Evaluation, Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Regional Travel Options contracted with the Portland State University Center for Urban Studies to evaluate all program efforts over the 18-month period July 1, 2005 to Dec. 31, 2006. Services provided were shown in relationship to the Regional Travel Options program 5-Year Strategic Plan. The level of participation, satisfaction and the use of alternative travel options were measured where possible. Finally, the extent to which programs supported RTO objectives and connections to other regional goals was assessed. Results included auto-trip reductions. Recommendations for improving data collection were made. Each RTO-partner program is detailed individually in the appendices.

Age-Related Shifts In Housing And Transportation Demand : A Multidisciplinary Study Conducted For Metro By Portland State University's College Of Urban And Public Affairs, Final Report, Margaret B. Neal, Nancy J. Chapman, Jennifer Dill, Irina V. Sharkova, Alan Kenneth Delatorre, Kathleen A. Sullivan, Tomoko Kanai, Sheila A. Martin

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding where middle-aged and older adults live, where they are moving, how they get around, and the factors influencing these decisions is essential for planning for the future. To gain an understanding of the impact of age-related shifts on housing and transportation demand, Portland State University's College of Urban and Public Affairs, via its Institute on Aging, was contracted to conduct a review of the literature and to analyze existing key local and national data sources. A multidisciplinary team of faculty and graduate students was assembled and performed the work in the summer of 2006. The literature reviewed and the …

Regional Travel Options 2004-05 Program Evaluation, Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Regional Travel Options contracted with the Portland State University Center for Urban Studies to evaluate all program efforts over the 2004-05 fiscal year. Services provided were shown in relationship to the Regional Travel Options program 5-year strategic plan. The level of participation, satisfaction and the use of alternative travel options were measured where possible. Finally, the extent to which programs supported RTO objectives and connections to other regional goals was assessed. Results included auto-trip reductions. Recommendations for improving data collection were made. Each RTO-partner program is detailed individually in the appendices.

Travel And Transit Use At Portland Area Transit-Oriented Developments (Tods), Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years there has been a growing interest in using land use planning to reduce reliance on the automobile long-term, through ideas such as smart growth, New Urbanism, pedestrian pockets, and transit-oriented development (TODs). Many growing regions throughout the United States, are turning to these concepts to address problems of traffic congestion and suburban sprawl. However, the effectiveness of such policies in reducing automobile travel and improving livability is largely unknown. Portland was one of the early adopters and is often pointed to as a model for other regions. The Region's 2040 Growth Concept, adopted by the Metro regional …

Impacts Of Trip Permit Program Changes On Vehicle Operations And Inspections, Jennifer Dill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

This research project has two inter-related parts: (1) an assessment of the equity of implications of the emissions inspection program in the State of Oregon and elsewhere; and (2) an assessment of the impacts of the new trip permit program on vehicle operations. The study provides a better understanding of the benefits and equity impacts of the inspection program and the recent change to the trip permit system. The findings will be of use to Oregon, as well as all public agencies that oversee vehicle inspection programs throughout the country. The research includes specific recommendations for addressing equity concerns and …

The Evolution Of Federal Transit Policy, Sy Adler

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

Examines how the US federal government came to subsidize a greater share of transit industry costs than most other national governments. Since World War II, downtown activists sought to boost their transit systems in the face of increasingly intense competition from suburban business centers; the transit systems of Los Angeles and San Francisco in particular were shaped by this competition. Downtown activists tried, with varying success, to influence the newly formed regional transit agencies and the Federal Department of Transportation, created in 1964. The federal government's role in urban transit has been characterized by a tension between economic rationalization and …