This new Manual is a guide for evaluating peoples' ability to access services and activities, and therefore the performance of transportation and land use configurations.
Transportation planning is shifting from evaluating mobility (physical movement) to accessibility (people's ability to reach desired services and activities), which expands the range of solutions that can be applied to transportation problems. For example, mobility-based planning assumes that the preferred solution to traffic congestion is to expand roadways so motorists can travel faster and farther. Accessibility-based planning considers roadway expansions, improvements to non-auto modes (such as bicycle improvements and grade-separated transit), development reforms to reduce the distances that people must travel, pricing reforms and commute trip reduction programs that encourage use of more space-efficient modes, plus mobility substitutes such as telework and delivery services. Access-based analysis is more complicated, but better reflects what want want overall: the ability to reach desired services and activities. It leads to more multimodal transportation systems and more compact and connected communities.
This new book, Transport Access Manual: A Guide for Measuring Connection between People and Places, provides practical information on how to measure these impacts. It is a guide for quantifying and evaluating access for anybody interested in truly understanding how to measure the performance of transport and land use configurations. It contains enough information to help transport and planning professionals achieve a more comprehensive look at their city or region than traditional transport analysis allows. It provides a point of entry for interested members of the public as well as practitioners by being organized in a logical and straightforward way. It is now available as a free PDF document, or as a hard-copy book.
Thanks to Professors David Levinson and David King for their great leadership on this project.
FULL STORY: Transport Access Manual: A Guide for Measuring Connection between People and Places
An International Comparison of Transportation Modes
Access (the ease of reaching desired destinations) is a key factor in transport, sustainability, and urban planning. This new study applies multimodal accessibility analysis to 4 modes in 117 cities in 6 countries, illustrated graphically.
New Orleans Makes Push for Accessibility Improvements Ahead of Super Bowl
Major sporting events like the Olympics and the Super Bowl can serve as catalysts for major changes in transportation infrastructure and accessibility.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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