November Research and Reports Brief

The FHWA released a report that identifies and assesses possible approaches for evaluating transportation management plan strategies to determine effectiveness.

MAP-21 - Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century: Questions and Answers

The FHWA released a new web page that includes commonly asked questions and answers regarding the legislation Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). MAP-21 is the first long-term highway authorization enacted since 2005.

Volpe News: October 2012

Volpe, The National Transportation Systems Center, has released the latest edition of its newsletter designed to feature events and research produced by the center. Volpe News: Delayed Aircraft Study, Reducing Fatigue Among Railroaders, and More..

FEDERAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY

FY2013 Apportionments, Allocations, Program Information and Interim Guidance under MAP-21

The FTA formula program apportionments are provided in amounts at approximately one-half of the funding levels available in FY2012 pursuant to the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 (Pub. L. 112-175).

It also contains information on how FTA plans to administer its transit programs in fiscal year FY2013 and how funds appropriated and allocated prior to FY2013 will be treated.

For general information about this notice contact Jamie Pfister, Director, Office of Transit Programs, at (202) 366-2053.

Transit 2012, Volume 2 (129 page book)

TRB's Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2275 consists of 14 papers that examine light rail turf tracks, light rail crashes, streetcar dwell time, determinants of light rail mode choice, tram-train systems in Europe, urban rail in China, and rail transit travel time reliability and estimation of passenger route choice behavior.

This issue of the TRR also explores proactive recovery from rail disruptions, optimization of rail transit alignments, personal rapid transit as feeder-distributor to rail, sketch-level feasibility analysis of commuter rail service, lessons learned from former electrified commuter railroads, competences gap in European railways education, and commuter rail level boarding.

FEDERAL RAIL ADMINISTRATION

Completing a Grants Management Framework Can Enhance FRA's Administration of the HSIPR Program (27 page PDF)

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General has released a report that assesses the grants management framework that the Federal Railroad Administration uses to administer its High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program.

MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE

UTC Spot Light Bike Sharing Popularity Grows as System Matures: October 2012 (2 page PDF)

Public Bikesharing in North America: Early Operator and User Understanding

(156 page PDF)

Public bikesharing - the shared use of a bicycle fleet - is an innovative transportation strategy that has recently emerged in major North American cities. Information technology (IT)-based bikesharing systems typically position bicycles throughout an urban environment, among a network of docking stations, for immediate access. Trips can be one-way, round-trip, or both, depending on the operator. Bikesharing can serve as both a first-and-last mile (connector to other modes) and a many-mile solution. As of January 2012, 15 IT-based, public bikesharing systems were operating in the United States, with a total of 172,070 users and 5,238 bicycles. Four IT-based programs in Canada had a total of 44,352 users and 6,235 bicycles.

This study evaluates public bikesharing in North America, reviewing the advances in technology and major events during its rapid expansion. MTI conducted 14 interviews with industry experts, public officials, and governmental agencies in the United States and Canada during summer 2011/spring 2012 and interviewed all 19 IT-based bikesharing organizations in the United States and Canada in spring 2012. Several bikesharing insurance experts were also consulted in spring 2012. Notable developments during this period include the emergence of a close partnership between vendor and operator and technological advances, such as mobile bike-docking stations that can be moved to different locations and real-time bike/station tracking to facilitate system rebalancing and provide user information.

During fall 2011 and early 2012, we also completed a user survey (n=10,661) to obtain information on four early IT-based systems: BIXI in Montreal; BIXI in Toronto; Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C.; and Nice Ride Minnesota in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul). The survey found that the most common trip purpose for bikesharing is commuting to either work or school. Not surprisingly, respondents in all cities indicated that they increased bicycling as a result of bikesharing. Respondents in the denser cities generally stated that they walked and rode bus and rail less, while in the Twin Cities, respondents reported that they walked and rode rail more but rode the bus slightly less. These shifts may be a function of city size and density, as open-access bicycles can more quickly and easily serve riders on congested transportation networks. Respondents in all cities overwhelmingly indicated that they drive less as a result of bikesharing, indicating that it reduces vehicle miles/kilometers traveled and vehicle emissions.

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD

Assessing Highway Tolling and Pricing Options and Impacts:

Volume 1: Decision-Making Framework (125 page PDF)

NCHRP Report 722 provides state DOTs and other transportation agencies with a decision-making framework and analytical tools that describe likely impacts on revenue generation and system performance resulting from instituting or modifying user-based fees or tolling on segments of their highway system.

Volume 1: Decision-Making Framework includes information on a decision-making framework that may be applied to a variety of scenarios in order to understand the potential impacts of tolling and pricing on the performance of the transportation system, and on the potential to generate revenue to pay for system improvements.

Volume 2: Travel Demand Forecasting Tools (272 page PDF)

Volume 2 provides an in-depth examination of the various analytical tools for direct or adapted use that are available to help develop the forecasts of potential revenue, transportation demand, and congestion and system performance based on tolling or pricing changes.

Asset Management and Safety: A Performance Perspective (114 page PDF)

The Iowa State University Center for Transportation Research and Education has released a report that explores the effect that pavement marking retroreflectivity and condition has on safety by using statistical models to estimate the asset condition index and expected number of crashes.

Effective Experiment Design and Data Analysis in Transportation Research ( 89 page PDF)

TRB's Report 727 describes the factors that may be considered in designing experiments and presents 21 typical transportation examples illustrating the experiment design process, including selection of appropriate statistical tests.

The report is a companion to NCHRP CD-22, Scientific Approaches to Transportation Research, Volumes 1 and 2, which present detailed information on statistical methods.

Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems: Second Edition (319 page PDF)

NCHRP Report 600: Human Factors Guidelines for Road Systems: Second Edition provides data and insights of the extent to which road users' needs, capabilities, and limitations are influenced by the effects of age, visual demands, cognition, and influence of expectancies.

The report provides guidance for roadway location elements and traffic engineering elements. The report also provides tutorials on special design topics, an index, and a glossary of technical terms.

Methodologies to Estimate the Economic Impacts of Disruptions to the Goods Movement System (105 page PDF)

This report describes the impacts of bottlenecks and interruptions to the flow of goods through the nation's major freight corridors and intermodal connectors, the dynamics of that flow in response to disruptions, and the full economic impact on public and private entities beyond just the critical infrastructure and the carriers that depend on that flow.

Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update: Fall 2012 (16 page PDF)

The TRB Standing Committee on Intercity Passenger Rail has released the latest issue of its Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update. The online newsletter is published intermittently and is designed to disseminate information about current research and developments in intercity rail passenger systems.

Articles in this issue review the presentations and discussions that took place at committee and subcommittee meetings; workshops on rail security and on the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); a session on the role of private finance in intercity passenger rail, and more.

Measuring the Transportation System From a Supply Chain Perspective (36 page PDF)

Several recent TRB data activities concluded that critical supply chain data are not currently available to inform research, planning, and policy making that impact freight movements, the transportation system, and the U.S. economy.

The TRB standing Freight Data Committee held a workshop to initiate a dialogue about private sources and uses of supply chain data and to identify opportunities in which these data could be used to support public-sector decision

making.

Research on Fatigue in Transit Operations (68 page PDF)

TRB assembled a committee, appointed by the National Research Council, to organize and develop the conference program. Speakers highlighted experiences addressing fatigue in other transportation modes, health effects of fatigue, safety impacts of fatigue, and fatigue issues and initiatives in transit. Participants also discussed potential topics for further research and outreach activities. The conference summary report is based on the conference agenda and includes summaries of the presentations and the research needs discussion.

Transforming Transportation Through Connectivity:

ITS Strategic Research Plan, 2010 - 2014,

Progress Update 2012 (195 page PDF )

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation has released a report that updates its ITS Strategic Research Plan, which is an agenda for providing foundational systems, technologies, and applications for transportation connectivity.

TRANSPORTATION FINANCING

Alternative Approaches to Funding Highways (14 page PDF)

The Congressional Budget Office released their presentation which was initially given to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This presentation reviews options for funding transportation infrastructure by comparing fuel taxes with vehicle miles traveled taxes.

Financing, Contracting and Managing of Road System Investment (101 page PDF)

Produced by the World Road Association. The report provides information on the different combinations of public and private sector involvement in the provision of sustainable road systems.

The purpose of this report is to provide information on the current methods and approaches relating to:

The different combinations of public and private sector involvement in the provision of sustainable road systems and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of these methods;
The different approaches employed for funding and financing of sustainable road systems;
The various forms of procuring private sector involvement in the maintenance and operations of sustainable road systems and the perceived benefits and dis-benefits of novel methods against the more traditional forms of maintenance and operations.

Eleven case studies, presented in appendix, illustrate the various types of contractual arrangements.

Effects of Federal Tax Credits for the Purchase of Electric Vehicles (41 page PDF )

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office has released a report that examines federal tax credits offered to purchasers of plug-in hybrid vehicles and all-electric vehicles.

VARIOUS REPORTS

Are We There Yet? Creating Complete Communities for 21st Century America (96 page PDF)

Reconnecting America has released a report that explores how communities may become more livable and prosperous as well as indicators by which progress can be measured.

Asset Management and Safety: A Performance Perspective (114 page PDF)

The Iowa State University Center for Transportation Research and Education has released a report that explores the effect that pavement marking retroreflectivity and condition has on safety by using statistical models to estimate the asset condition index and expected number of crashes.

Building Pathways to Employment in America's Cities Through Integrated Workforce & Community Development (14 page PDF)

The National Skills Coalition released the report, which is based on efforts in five cities (Baltimore, Chicago, New Orleans, Seattle, and Twin Cities) who are working at the intersection of workforce and community development. The report details findings and recommendations for ways that federal policy is supporting and could better support efforts to integrate workforce development with community development, particularly in the areas of public housing and transportation development.

Demand for Public Transport in Germany and the USA: An Analysis of Rider Characteristics (27 page PDF)

This paper first provides a brief review of trends in public transport demand from 1980 to 2010 in 16 countries in Europe, North America, and Australia. The focus, however, is on a detailed analy- sis of public transport demand in Germany and the USA, using uniquely comparable national travel surveys from 2001/2002 and 2008/2009 for both countries.

Getting Started with Open Data: A Guide for Transportation Agencies (13 page PDF)

Getting Started with Open Data is a guide for transportation agencies that would like to release their schedule data and administrative records to the public, and need an introduction to the practice. This guide is intended to result in streamlined use of transportation services and promote a productive dialogue between agencies and their constituents. It is being released as a living document, intended for input from both transportation data owners and users, to result in the most complete open transportation data guide possible.

The guide is written by Sarah M. Kaufman, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Planning at the Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management - Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service New York University

Healthy Planning: An Evaluation of Comprehensive and Sustainability Plans Addressing Public Health (36 page PDF)

The American Planning Association has released a report that discusses a framework and tools for including public health goals and objectives in jurisdictions' comprehensive planning processes.

How to Upgrade and Maintain Our Nation's Wastewater and Drinking Water Infrastructure ( 31 page PDF )

The Center for American Progress released a report, detailing the current state of our water infrastructure problems, why projected funding levels are insufficient, and reforms to help address the systems' failures.

Locating Affordable Housing Near Transit: A Strategic Economic Decision (8 page PDF)

This policy brief compiles recent research to demonstrate that one of the most economically efficient strategies for providing public services is to ensure that housing near public transportation is affordable to people with a range of incomes.

TRL E-News: October 2012 (8 page PDF)

The UK's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has released the latest issue of its periodic electronic newsletter that highlights TRL's activities and achievements.

Transit on the Cutting Edge of Clean Technology (11 page PDF)

The American Public Transportation Association has released a white paper that reviews the progress that transit agencies have made in investing in innovative technologies and fuels, such as electricity, hybrid vehicles, electric storage, biofuels, natural gas, and hydrogen fuel cells.

Marta Elena Perales

MPO Statewide Coordinator

Illinois MPO Advisory Council
233 S Wacker Suite 800
Chicago IL 60606
marta@ilmpo.org
www.ilmpo.org