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Explore the Surface Transportation Policy Project's initiatives to address transportation challenges like congestion, sprawl, and safety in California. Learn about transit improvements, incentives for infill housing, and regional strategies for sustainable development.
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A New Direction for Transportation: Building Livable Communities Surface Transportation Policy Project May 14, 2002
STPP: WHO WE ARE • Surface Transportation Policy Project • Started in 1990 • federal transportation bills (ISTEA > TEA-21) • Local efforts in 8 target regions including CA • http://www.transact.org
Transportation Has Many Benefits, But also Inherent Problems: • Death & Injury From Accidents • Air Pollution & Dependence on Foreign Oil • Traffic Congestion • Suburban Sprawl & Higher Taxes for Infrastructure • Gov’t and Personal Costs & Expenses • Declining Mobility for Children & Seniors
Today We’ll Focus On: • The Transportation-Land Use Connection • Mass Transit • Affordability • Safety • ISTEA/TEA-21 reauthorization • What the Future Holds
THE CAUSES OF CONGESTION • Growth in driving has far outpaced population growth • VMT per capita has also increased • Only 13% of VMT growth due to population increases
SPRAWL MAKES CONGESTION WORSE • jobs-housing imbalance • scatter development & sprawl • lack of affordable housing • forces all trips into cars
CAN INFILL REDUCE TRAFFIC? (1) CA study of 27 neighborhoods (Holtzclaw) • doubling residential density • auto ownership, VMT reduced 16% (2) Bay Area neighborhoods study • doubling residential density • VMT reduced 20-30% (3) New Trends in Traffic Demand • Work commute shrinking as percentage • Errand trips increasing, mixed use key
RESULT: PROBLEM: NO INCENTIVES FOR INFILL • Fiscalization of Land Use • No ‘carrots’ or rewards for infill or housing • NIMBYs kill housing, help promote sprawl • The ‘California Commute’ notorious • ACE Train: biggest ridership increase for 2 yrs
SOLUTION: INCENTIVES FOR INFILL • Using transportation funds as incentives for: • infill housing near transit • downtown redevelopment • mixed use infill • Basics: • $2000 per bedroom • 2 yrs to break ground • Only cities can win grants
HOUSING INCENTIVE RATIONALE • less use of regional roads • reverse “fiscalization” • better jobs-housing balance
SAN MATEO COUNTY CASE STUDY • Redwood City: Franklin Street Project • 282 units, 480 bedrooms • Won $705,000 transportation grant • Transpo grant “held the deal together” • Walking distance to frequent transit
INCENTIVES: THE ROLE OF REGIONS • Transportation can’t work in a vacuum • Housing and transportation regional issues • Regions will never have land use authority • Regions will have purse strings • Regions should reward local gov’t with $
INCENTIVES: ROLE OF THE STATE • State must communicate what it wants • State must reward behavior it wants: • ITIP dollars, esp. if SB45 split changes • ITIP ranking priority • state STP dollars • TEA dollars (TEA-21) • Park Bond $$ • Housing $$
SB1262 (TORLAKSON) • 10 percent of transp capital dollars for regions • reward local jurisdictions for infill housing • important coalition supporting: • STPP • BIA (Building Industry Association) • CA Assoc of Realtors • Sierra Club • California Labor Federation • California Carpenters Assoc • Non Profit Affordable Housing Developers
PART II: The Role of Mass Transit in California • CA ridership on transit & rail up 5% in 2000 and 6% in 2001 • California and New York combine for half the transit ridership in the country • Transit must serve several markets at same time: choice riders & captive riders • Transit must provide basic service for those without cars: ie social equity issue
BRT CASE STUDY: LOS ANGELES MTA • Two corridors: 16 miles & 26 miles • $8.2M capital cost • ridership up 25% • travel time down 25% • ‘’intermediate” application -- signals
BRT CASE STUDY: AC TRANSIT • Most ambitious BRT project in Bay Area • Telegraph Ave/ International Blvd • Berkeley - Oakland - San Leandro • Separate lanes, preboarding, low floor buses, GIS technology
BRT CASE STUDY: AC TRANSIT • Capital Costs: $340M bus vs $890M light rail • Operating Costs: $26M existing; $46M bus vs $55M light rail • Ridership: 35% increase bus vs 43% increase LRT • Travel time: 100 mins vs. 65 mins vs. 64 mins
PART III: Redefining Transportation Safety • 25 percent of all traffic deaths are bicyclists and pedestrians • Children, Elderly and Disabled are most at risk and losing basic mobility • In California, pedestrian crashes second leading cause of death for 5-15 yrs old
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY BY THE NUMBERS • 20% of all traffic deaths • 700 deaths/yr; 14,000 injuries • 2nd leading cause of accidental death for kids 5-12 • 9% of all trips • Probably much higher • 1% of all transportation spending • state and federal transpo funds
The School Commute: A Traffic Problem and a Health Crisis • 25 percent of morning and afternoon rush hours are now parents driving kids to school • Roughly two-thirds of kids biked or walked to school in the 1960s; today less than 10 percent do • America is raising least active generation of kids ever; child obesity up 55% from 1963
SOLUTION: SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL • $25M/yr thru 2005 • Apply to Caltrans • Increase walking/biking • Decrease injuries/fatalities • Bike paths, crosswalks, traffic calming, signals • Must have public support
Very Challenging 39 feet Very Wide Very Fast
PART IV: AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION • Location, Location, Location • Transportation costs $7,000 per household • Living in walkable communities saves money: • within a third of a mile from transit • walking distance from shops, schools, • from $6,000 to $15,000 savings per year
Money That Could Be Going To Home Ownership, Which Builds Wealth …
SF BAY AREA AUTO COSTS • CHOICES SAVE MONEY • Annual household transportation savings as much as $6,000 • Up to 30,000 fewer miles driven each year
PART V: TEA-3 & BEYOND • Federal reauthorization of ‘TEA-21’ bill in 2003 • ISTEA in 1991 started changes in thinking • STPP’s “New Transportation Charter” Dec 2001 • http://www.antc.net
READING THE “TEA” LEAVES • Era of Shrinking Resources: both state & feds • Traditional interests: “more money, less rules” • STPP coalition: “be smarter about solutions” • more local control • more accountability • more choices • better planning, more performance measures • flexibility with targeted investments