MIT Course Overview Massachusetts Institute of Technology Urban

MIT Course Overview Massachusetts Institute of Technology Urban Transportation Planning MIT Course 1. 252 j/11. 380 j Fall 2002 Mikel Murga, MIT Research Associate Sept 6, 2002

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT First, a confession… Massachusetts Institute of Technology I make a living selling ideas to design roads, to upgrade transit systems or to rehabilitate cities and towns Fri Dec 6 2

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT First, a confession… Massachusetts Institute of Technology I make a living selling ideas to design roads, to upgrade transit systems or to ehabilitate cities and towns The two schemes, outer or median lanes, were thoroughly compared to examine relative operational advantages and pitfalls Fri Dec 6 3

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT First, a confession… Massachusetts Institute of Technology I make a living selling ideas to design roads, to upgrade transit systems or to rehabilitate cities and towns Fri Dec 6 4

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT First, a confession Massachusetts Institute of Technology “It is wonderful when a calculation is made, how little the mind is actually employed in the discharge of any profession” - Dr. Samuel Johnson That is why I am here today with no answers but rather with just lots of questions Fri Dec 6 5

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Emerging Transportation Issues Massachusetts Institute of Technology n The automobile n Transit: Past … and Future n Transportation n … And Land Use n Technological Fixes n Transportation: A Complex System Fri Dec 6 6

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT The Automobile Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Convenience, comfort, flexibility… n Who is against the American way of life? n It drives the economy! n Don’t leave home without it! Fri Dec 6 7

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT The Automobile Massachusetts Institute of Technology n How much does it cost? n To the driver n To the rest of society n Fixed and operating costs n What is the required infrastructure? n What do we mean by externalities? Fri Dec 6 8

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT The Automobile Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Current urban development trends increase car ownership and use n Car operating costs are lower than ownership costs n Drivers do not pay full costs (despite lobby claims to the contrary) Fri Dec 6 9

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT The Automobile Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Some prevailing popular beliefs: car taxes exceed car induced costs ¬ car mobility is a right ¬ proper technology will solve the problem ¬ n which together with the lack of "quick fixes", compound the problem Fri Dec 6 10

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT The Automobile Massachusetts Institute of Technology n When a service is free, it tends towards over-consumption: Congestion n Latent demand n Induced Demand n n The Fri Dec 6 Car Free Movement in Europe 11

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT The Automobile Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Suburban sprawl: n n n Fri Dec 6 A dream made true by the car Have we locked ourselves into it? What does it imply? Stadt luft macht frei From city life to Edge Cities? 12

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transit Massachusetts Institute of Technology n We are all in favor! n But my case is special n Choice … and captive riders n Levels-of-Service (LOS) like the car? It’s about time! Fri Dec 6 13

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transit Massachusetts Institute of Technology Is it a panacea? A tram with say 230 riders is equivalent to 177 automobiles with an occupancy ratio of 1. 3. . . provided they are all choice riders Fri Dec 6 14

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transit Massachusetts Institute of Technology Same menu for all like the Ford T? Fri Dec 6 15

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transit Massachusetts Institute of Technology Every major transit project (as every road scheme) is announced as “the solution” n Sometimes hard to see the opportunities which open if the right process is engaged n Fri Dec 6 16

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transit Massachusetts Institute of Technology Opportunity for urban rehabilitation Fri Dec 6 17

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transit Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Part of a bigger whole n Service quality as a prerequisite but… n n n Fri Dec 6 Urban Density Parking policy Priority Information Pricing …………… 18

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transit Massachusetts Institute of Technology n How do we rate it a success? n n n The % of patrons: captive vs choice riders? Total transit trips per capita? Transit share of the overall mobility market? The growth of city traffic? Downtown parking supply vs number of jobs? The impact on the real estate and retail markets? Fri Dec 6 19

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transportation Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Basic for our daily life n How many trips per day? n What purpose? How often? How far? n Are we talking about motorized trips? n Should we talk about activities instead? Fri Dec 6 20

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transportation Massachusetts Institute of Technology n What should be the goal of urban transportation? n n n Faster and further away? Cheaper? Safer? More comfortable? Is mobility the target? What about accessibility? Fri Dec 6 21

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 Transport and Land Use MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Opening the new frontier… n Who gains with a new expressway? n n New access opportunities? Faster times for present users? New development opportunities? Induced demand to get back to square one? Fri Dec 6 22

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT A simplified interaction model Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fri Dec 6 23

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transport and Land Use Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Suburban sprawl and the car n Did we want to segregate society? n Downtown vs the Mall n Public vs private space, or n Public wealth vs private wealth n Transit and density n Infill development around stations Fri Dec 6 24

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fri Dec 6 25

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transport Planning Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Single decision makers? n Once and for all? n End-state or ongoing process? n Solutions or managing chaos? n Crisis as the motor for change? n Community involvement: n n From information to participation how to visualize change? n Feedback Fri Dec 6 mechanisms 26

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Technological Fixes Massachusetts Institute of Technology n New car technologies: Increased efficiency n Lower pollution levels n Safer operation (mainly for the driver) n n ITS or how to get more mileage from our present system Fri Dec 6 27

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Traffic and Traveler Information Services Massachusetts Institute of Technology People’s decisions based on perceptions! Web sites and cell phones give updates on traffic conditions. Fri Dec 6 28

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Typical ITS priorities Massachusetts Institute of Technology n n n n Common Transport Vision Common Strategic Approach Reduction of Road Congestion Improve Road Safety Decreased Negative Environmental Impacts Supply and Demand Systems Management New Model for Institutional Cooperation Fri Dec 6 29

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT I. T. S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology n. A unique cooperation opportunity for joint policy and action n Till now, here and elsewhere: consistent suboptimizing Fri Dec 6 30

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT ITS? How? Massachusetts Institute of Technology It serves 3 critical functions: Information n Communications n Integration n Fri Dec 6 31

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT The long road to ITS Deployment Massachusetts Institute of Technology n ITS tools easy to buy… but difficult to integrate n They require organizational changes and new networking schemes n Existing technological, political and jurisdictional barriers have to be addressed n ITS itself has to be integrated into conventional planning Fri Dec 6 32

Transportation: MIT A Complex System Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Action and reaction: Same dosage, different reaction n Learning and adapting n Space and time non-linearities n Latent demand n n Facts and perceptions: Elected officials believe that voters… n Voters believe that… Fri Dec 6 n 33

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Do we need a new mental model? Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Former Strasbourg Mayor Ms Catherine Trautmann insisted that transit was an excellent excuse to change our mental model regarding the car-city nexus Fri Dec 6 34

MIT Transportation: In a nutshell Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 Massachusetts Institute of Technology First, we’ll fix the access to the thruway, then we’ll fix the city… Fri Dec 6 35

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 New Trends MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology Old New Independent Modes Local Economies Independent Jurisdictions Users Build Intermodal Regional/Global Economies Coalitions/Seamlessness Customers Manage Fri Dec 6 36

Transportation: In a nutshell MIT Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 Massachusetts Institute of Technology n. Means to an end, not an end by itself n. Optimizing a sub-system? n. What is then our goal? The daily life of our citizens? n. Who are the transport actors? n. Is it the most tractable urban problem? n. Is it a governance model for other areas? n Fri Dec 6 37

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 This course: All lectures w/o numbers? ? ? MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology n You will be asked to: Count traffic volumes and pax flows n Compare cities transport “numbers” n Use a GIS to visualize travel patterns n Analyze a travel survey n Come up with improvement proposals n … and during IAP, use several models n n Big Fri Dec 6 numbers versus little numbers 38

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT This course: All lectures w/o numbers? ? ? Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fri Dec 6 39

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT This course: All lectures w/o numbers? ? ? Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fri Dec 6 40

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT This course: All lectures w/o numbers? ? ? Massachusetts Institute of Technology Fri Dec 6 41

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT This course: All lectures w/o numbers? ? ? Massachusetts Institute of Technology Big numbers versus littlenumbers Some Tuesday… and final two weeks of IAP Fri Dec 6 42

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Transportation: In closing… a story Massachusetts Institute of Technology Adapted from a presentation by Marc J. Roberts Harvard School of Public Health Fri Dec 6 43

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Vision… and Leadership Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Coach: n n n He/she knows the rules of the game People accept her/him as an expert Leadership is easy Fri Dec 6 44

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Vision… and Leadership Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Therapist: n n n He/she possesses certain expertise Still it requires a joint search for the solution As a leader, you delegate on the organization Fri Dec 6 45

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Vision… and Leadership Massachusetts Institute of Technology n Prophet: “I know what to do and I am convinced” n “Those who question me are heretics” n A leader who does not accept interpretations Fri Dec 6 n 46

Urban Transportation Planning – Fall 2002 MIT Vision… and Leadership Massachusetts Institute of Technology n A Poet: n n Different people see the world differently Most of our understanding is imperfect Many options to accomplish a vision Ambiguity and the embracing of contradictions Fri Dec 6 47