Todd Litman
Todd Litman is the executive director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute.
Contributed 446 posts
Todd Litman is founder and executive director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, an independent research organization dedicated to developing innovative solutions to transport problems. His work helps to expand the range of impacts and options considered in transportation decision-making, improve evaluation methods, and make specialized technical concepts accessible to a larger audience. His research is used worldwide in transport planning and policy analysis.
Mr. Litman has worked on numerous studies that evaluate transportation costs, benefits and innovations. He authored the Online TDM Encyclopedia, a comprehensive Internet resource for identifying and evaluating mobility management strategies; Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis: Techniques, Estimates and Implications, a comprehensive study which provides cost and benefit information in an easy-to-apply format; and Parking Management Best Practices, the most comprehensive book available on management solutions to parking problems. Mr. Litman is a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops. His presentations range from technical and practical to humorous and inspirational. He is active in several professional organizations, including the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the Transportation Research Board (a section of U.S. National Academy of Sciences). He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Transportation Research A, a professional journal.
VMT Reductions: An Excellent Idea When Correctly Evaluated
<strong><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Calibri">OK Bob – I’ll Take Your Challenge</span></span></strong> <p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri">Last year, California, passed SB 375, which requires regional governments to develop smart growth-oriented land use and transportation plans aimed at reducing VMT.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Transit Oriented Development Benefits
<p> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) refers to communities with high quality public transit services, good walkability, and compact, mixed land use. This allows people to choose the best option for each trip: walking and cycling for local errands, convenient and comfortable public transit for travel along major urban corridors, and automobile travel to more dispersed destinations. People who live and work in such communities tend to own fewer vehicles, drive less, and rely more on alternative modes. </span> </p>
The Automobile Industry and National Economic Development
<p> <span><span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Calibri">Automobile industry subsidies are an inefficient way to support economic development. Even worse, policies intended to support automobile manufacturers and recover loans can be economically harmful.</span></span></span><span><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri"> </span></span> </p>
Travel Demands Are A-Changing: So Should Our Spending
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: Arial"><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Arial"><em>Politicians and planners be warned: you will now be judged according to your ability to improve walking, cycling and public transit services.</em></span> </span> </p>
Smart Growth and Housing Affordability – Round Three
<p style="margin: 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: small"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman">I would like to expand an ongoing debate between Reason Foundation policy expert Samuel Staley and me concerning land use policy impacts on affordability and economic stability to include two additional issues: <em>household economic resilience</em> and <em>wealth accumulation</em>. <span> </span></span></span> </p>