Todd Litman's blog

Economically Successful Cities Favor Space-Efficient Modes

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Submitted by Todd Litman on March 10, 2014 - 6:49am

Cities are, by definition, places where many people and activities locate close together. Their economic success and livability benefits from policies that favor space-efficient modes (walking, cycling, ridesharing and public transit).

Road Tolls Are Fair and Benefit the Poor

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Submitted by Todd Litman on February 26, 2014 - 4:36am

Many people assume incorrectly that road tolls and parking fees harm poor people. In fact, they are usually less regressive than other funding options, and benefit poor people overall, particularly if some revenues are invested in alternative modes.

Change Management: Do Planners Lead Or Follow?

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Submitted by Todd Litman on February 11, 2014 - 3:06pm

The world is changing, and so must we. Do we wait for external influences to force change, or can we lead our organizations to do better?

Location Optimization Tools: Toward More Comprehensive and Multi-Modal Indicators

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Submitted by Todd Litman on February 6, 2014 - 6:41am

New tools are becoming available to help people evaluate the quality of walking, cycling, public transit and automobile accessibility when making home location decisions. This information can help create more efficient and sustainable communities.

How Should We Measure Traffic Congestion?

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Submitted by Todd Litman on January 30, 2014 - 9:15am

Transportation system performance is often evaluated using congestion intensity indicators, which favor automobile-dependency and sprawl. Strategic planning requires more comprehensive and multi-modal indicators which measure congestion costs.

More Bicycle Route Debate, Or Valuing Multi-Modalism

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Submitted by Todd Litman on January 23, 2014 - 5:01am

The best solution to many transportation problems is to improve transport system diversity so travelers can choose the best option for each trip. This requires more comprehensive and multi-modal planning. Not everybody is ready.

Greetings from TRB!

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Submitted by Todd Litman on January 16, 2014 - 5:15am

Each January Washington DC hosts a huge gathering of the transportation planning tribe. What do we do? Read about it here.

Smarter Congestion Evaluation – An Example

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Submitted by Todd Litman on January 3, 2014 - 6:31am

A new study claims that public transit does not reduce traffic congestion. It is a good example of how not to evaluate this impact. When measured correctly, high quality transit is found to reduce congestion and increase transport system efficiency.

Smarter Congestion Solutions in 2014

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Submitted by Todd Litman on December 29, 2013 - 11:06pm

It is time to find better solutions to congestion problems. This requires more comprehensive evaluation in order to identify win-win solutions: the congestion reduction strategies that help achieve other planning objectives.

Positive Reports on New Transit System Performance

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Submitted by Todd Litman on December 18, 2013 - 8:03pm

Critics claim that public transit projects consistently exceed their budget projections and fail to meet ridership targets, based on old research. New analysis indicates that recent transit services generally perform better than predicted.

Report: 'Racialized Displacement' Followed Rezonings in New York City

Homebuilders Aren't Keeping Pace With Millennial Demand

'Gentle Density' to Save Neighborhoods

In Defense of Pilot Projects

How Can Cities Adapt to Rising Temperatures? Change the Weather

Thinking About Infrastructure and Housing, Part 2

The Top Urban Planning Books of the Decade

Don't Miss the Middle: The Critical Role of Moderate-Priced Housing to Affordability

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Todd Litman's blog

Economically Successful Cities Favor Space-Efficient Modes

Road Tolls Are Fair and Benefit the Poor

Change Management: Do Planners Lead Or Follow?

Location Optimization Tools: Toward More Comprehensive and Multi-Modal Indicators

How Should We Measure Traffic Congestion?

More Bicycle Route Debate, Or Valuing Multi-Modalism

Greetings from TRB!

Smarter Congestion Evaluation – An Example

Smarter Congestion Solutions in 2014

Positive Reports on New Transit System Performance

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