Analysis indicates that compact development reduces the time urban residents spent in traffic and requires less spending on highways.
This new study by CEOs for Cities critiques methods used to measure traffic congestion costs and evaluate congestion reduction strategies. It criticizes the Travel Time Index (TTI) used in the commonly-cited Urban Mobility Report as an unreliable guide for understanding the nature and extent of urban transportation problems. The TTI uses flawed speed and fuel economy estimates which overstate traffic congestion costs, and it ignores the increased transportation costs associated with more dispersed land use patterns. As a result, the TTI favors policies that stimulate automobile dependency and sprawl.
The Urban Mobility Report's claims about growing congestion do not correlate with other measures of travel times. Urban Mobility Report's estimates of congestion delay are inconsistent with real-time traffic data, and travel times reported in travel surveys.
Driven Apart recommends that urban transportation system performance be evaluated based on Hours of Peak Period Travel, which recognizes the time and fuel cost savings that result from more compact and mixed land use which reduces travel distances. It recommends a new approach to measuring urban transport system performance that reflects these elements:
1. Emphasize accessibility - the proximity and convenience of destinations - not just mobility.
2. Include comprehensive measures of land uses, trip lengths and mode choices as well as travel speeds.
3. Incorporate new and better data on travel speeds and commuting patterns.
4. Adopt an open, multi-disciplinary process to select, validate and continuously improve measures.
5. Provide measures that can be used to guide policy and evaluate investments rather than simply raise alarm about traffic delays.
TTI's Urban Mobility Report Flawed, Says Critic
The Texas Transportation Institute just released its 2010 Urban Mobility Report, which is a standard reference in the road-building industry -- and is seriously flawed, says Joe Cortright.
A Better Understanding of Smart Growth Benefits
Smart Growth creates compact, multimodal communities where residents consume less land, drive less, and rely more on non-auto modes. Planners have important stories to tell about the benefits of Smart Growth.
Congestion Growing in Sunbelt Cities
Cities with rapidly growing populations and inadequate public transit systems are seeing more gridlock despite changes in commuting patterns and the rise of remote work.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Median Home Prices Top $1 Million in Over 200 California Towns
Towns once known for their affordability are seeing sharply rising home prices.
LA County Receives Reconnecting Communities Grants
Seven grant awards totaling $162 million will be used for planning, capital projects, and regional partnerships to reduce environmental harm and improve access in disadvantaged communities.
Seine Pollution Could Hinder Olympic Swim Events
Events like the triathlon could be impacted if tests continue to reveal high levels of dangerous bacteria in Paris’ famous river.
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
City of Cleburne
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
