Transportation Geography Final Exam, Transportation geography midterm, (Geography) Transport

Reduced productivity

Productivity refers to the rate at which goods and services are produced involves engaging in activities that bring about economic benefit When people spend more time commuting, this wastes time that could be used to do productive work Productivity goes down when transport system is inefficient This leads to an economic loss in our country as a whole

Transportation

the movement of goods or people from one location to another location

observation on transit trends over time

transit use has grown more than population or highway travel

4 historical eras of transportation

walking horse car Electric street car Recreation automobile Freeway

Telecommuting

work arrangement where employees work from home or at a location near their homes made possible due to technology benefit - do not have to travel out of homes, reducing number of drivers and public transport passengers, especially during peak hours

Minimally connected network

-"tree" -each node is connected to the network and is not isolated -emin

CAA 1990

--federal money can be withheld if region adopts plan but cannot show attainment by deadlines -must collect and analyse relvant dates such as the distribution and effects of the transportation investments in the region on different socio-economic groups -public participation process must ensure that the minority, disabled and low income population groups are engaged in the transportation decision making process in a meaningful way

N.E. Corridor (main-street of megalopolis)

-Boston to DC -Amtrak's only profitable line -NJ turnpike, dense traffic -I-95

ADA 1990

-Commercial; private settings must make reasonable accommodation

Piedmont Trunkline

-DC to Atlanta and New Orleans - I-95, I-85, I-20, I-59

Atlantic Coast Trunline

-DC via Jacksonville to Miami -I-95

ISTEA 1991

-Intermodal surface equity act -to develop a national intermodal transportation system economically efficient and environmentally sound , provides foundation of the nation to compete in the global economy and to move people out and goods in an energy - efficient manner

MPO

-Metropolitan planning organization -regional agencies responsible for transportation planning -divides the urban region into 100-2000 zones, generally composed of census blocks, groups, and census tracts -has to integrate travel model -has to maintain a long term plan- with a 20 year planning horizon

NEPA 1969

-National Environmental Policy Act -environmental movements modified planning ---detail environmental assessment of all funded projects

Congestion in the City

Can occur due to accidents, road works and peak hours therefore, cities tend to have traffic congestion -demand is greater than the road supply

Indicators of Transport Infrastructures

Capacity, Efficiency, Reliability, Comfort level and Safety

Capacity

Carry a larger number of people at once

Modes of Transport

Cater to needs of people

Integrated public transport system

Connects various modes of transport such that it functions as a whole Benefit - Convenient, Accessible and Efficient Challenge - Requires extensive planning and is epensive

indirect derived demand

Considers movements created by the requirements of others movements. -warhousing, energy

Nodes

-physical (Paddington Station, ports) -abstract (highway intersections as nodes) -any place capable of generating and or/attracting flow

Physical linkages

-planar (pipelines, railways) -nonplanar (shipping lanes)

Accessibility

-potential opportunity is there -how easy is it to get to a place

High speed rail (HSR)

-refers to passenger rail systems running at operational speeds between 200 and 300 km/h, and above -originated in Japan -cuts travel time in half

Reciprocity in location

-relationship within the transport system itself -nodes, links, routes, and flows --> organizing space

Federal Highway Act of 1963

-required all urban areas to have a continuing, comprehensive and cooperative transport planning process (3c process) in order to receive federal funding for why and transit -

HSR drawbacks

-requires massive government subsidies -difficult to achieve profitability -high fares, not affordable for the majority of the population who use mass transit services)

Spatial interaction model (SIM)

-seeks to explain spatial flows -flow is a function of the attributes of the origin, attributes of the destination, and the distance between the two

Degree of a node

-simplest measure to see the importance of a node -the number of its attached links -does not include indirect connections

urban transport policy

-some level of government postion on a particular transport issue -legislation -rules of regulation

Circuit

-start point = end point

Network as a graph

-study of connections between nodes and links -simplify reality into a set of nodes and linkages -nodes = vertices (a terminal point or an intersection point of a graph -linkages = edges (a connection or link between two nodes)

Abstract linkages

-telecommunications flows -flows of crude oil

CAA 1977

-to show attainment of the vehicle emissions reductions specified in SIP ----have to use EPA emission modeling software to to the modeling ----a region could lose federal money if did not adopt transport planning ----state and MPOs to prepare air quality plans indication how they will meet or maintain the standard

Network structure

-topology (arrangement of nodes and links in a network) -connectivity (measures the effort needed to reach all nodes from other nodes, aka minimum number of links) -accessibility -shortest path

TDM

-transportation demand management -"black hole theory" to balanced planning

tea - 21 1998

-transportation equity act . 21st century -broadened ISTEA, legislation continued to support planning and funding for istea. provided transportation for everybody.

TIP

-transportation improvement plans -immediate concern -low cost solutions that can be implemented quickly to improve existing transportation system and deal with specific problems that arise -5 year plans

Trunklines

-type of linkage -primary linkage (corridors, main streets, etc.)

VMT

-vehicle miles traveled -increase because of shifts from walking to transit , Average vehicle occupancy fell for trips

Access

-yes or no can you get to a place

Causes of traffic congestion in cities

-Separation of work and residential areas -Movement from one part of the city to another to provide or obtain goods and services -Inadequate Transport infrastructure and poor provision of trasnport services -Poor weather condition, accidents and road construction -bottlenecks -traffic accidents -work zones -poor signal timing -special events

Cycle

-a closed path

Loop

-a link with one endpoint

Spatial interaction

-a realized movement in terms of transport demand and supply relationship expressed over a geographical space -economic activities are generating (supply) and attracting (demand) flow -a movement occurs between an origin and a destination

Path

-a sequence of edges but no repeated edges and vertices

HSR benefits

-capacity and reliability -energy and environment -complementarity (between HSR and air transportation, a true balance between competition and complementarity)

space-time convergence

-challenge over the time how much space(distance) can e overcome with in a given amount of time -improvements in transport technology, cities converge over time.

Feeder lines

-direct service -line haul

Economic benefits of transportation

-direct transport supply (income from transport operations, access to wider markets) -direct transport demand (improved accessibility, time and cost savings) -indirect microeconomic (rent income, lower price of commodities) -indirect macroeconomic (formation of distribution networks, increased competitiveness)

Maximally connected network

-each node is connected to all other nodes -emax

history of urban transportation planning

-emerges tin the 1950s -formalized in the 1960s with the DOT --during the time of rapid urban growth and sub-urbanization --need for better prediction of future traffic patterns -----traveling behavior modeling with computer software

SIP 1970

-emission inventory for each region in the state and attain all federal air quality standards

Why is it still important to be close to each other?

-formal (explicit) vs. tacit knowledge (explicit can be written down, tacit cannot be codified) -instruction vs. personal knowledge through experience

The death of distance

-frances cairncross (the death of distance) -richard o'brien (the end of geography) -thomas friedman (is the world flat?) -all three of these authors believe space and place no longer matter (distance or proximity are not important in locational decisions) -cheaper and faster transport makes distance irrelevant -can locate anywhere (footloose) -dispersal of activites

Gateway vs. hub

-hub = a central location in a transport system with many inbound and outbound connections of the same mode -gateway = implies a shift from one mode to another (ex: maritime to land travel)

HSR: two means of development

-improvement of conventional rail (not considered true HSR networks, reach speeds of 200 km/hr, must share lines with existing services is its drawback) -exclusive HSR networks (have their own tracks) -initial infrastructure cost is high, but by use of maglev, it can pay off

trunklines

-linkages that are more important than others- -important corridors along with US transportation has developed

Transport Distance

-loading, unloading, transshipment -cost and time -ex: air travel

Transport corridors

-meant to boost economic development -accumulation of flows and infrastructures of various modes and their development is linked with economic, infrastructural, and technological processes

Alpha index

-measure of network connectivity considering cycles -the number of loops to the max possible number of loops in a planar network a= loops/2n-5

Gamma index

-measure the level of connectivity with actual/potential links -ratio of the number of actual links to the number of possible lins -can onlhy have a max of 1, if more, redudndat G= links/3(n-2)

Main Street NY to Chicago

-norhtern route via Hudson river, Erie canal, along lakes to Chicago, NY state thruway, OH/IN turnpikes -southern route via NY-Philly-Pittsburgh_Fort Wayne-Chicago (National Rd., PN RR, PN turnpikme

Black hole theory

1. supply vs demand -if congestion existed, because theer was not enough transportation facilities to go around(demand exceeded supply) -so build more lanes, roads, and more bus routes -add capacity - travel becomes easier, so more people use the new road -congestion occurs -more capacity added, cycle repeats itself

Inadequate Transport infrastructure and poor provision of trasnport services

Facilities are incapable of handing the amount of traffic it receives Insufficient lanes, roads and badly-connected transport network Roads may congested due to lack of alternative roads, especially during accidents, peak hours or floods

Transport Infrastructure

Facilities such as Roads, Railway tracks and Bus terminals

Efficiency

Frequent services to move people quickly

Complementarity

Locations exchange goods, people, and info. Some locations have a surplus, while others have a deficit. Equilibrium can only be reached by movements between the two locations.

Stress on physical and mental health

Long travelling times can cause fatigue Drivers may lose concentration or fall asleep, causing accidents and even deaths Prolonged exposure to Exhaust fumes from vehicles can affect health and may even link to several health problems (Asthma and lung diseases) Due to spending more time on the road, drivers may become prone to stress and frustration while stuck in traffic, increasing chances of getting into arguments or fights with other drivers

Strategies to Manage Traffic Congestion

Making public transport a choice made Managing road usage

Traffic Congestion

More vehicles than the road can handle

Mobility

Movement of People and Goods from one place to another at a reasonable time and acceptable cost

Scale

Movements generated by complementarity are occurring at different scales (local, regional, global)

direct derived demand

Movements that are directly the outcome of economic activities. -transportation for working-commuting; vacationing-taxi, air travel, bus; manufacturing-trucks, containership

Reliability

Moves people constantly, on time, and with few interruptions

Movement from one part of the city to another to provide or obtain goods and services

People may need to move about within the city to obtain goods and services There is a wider variety of goods and services provided in the city compared to rural areas People also travel to the city to provide goods and services

Impacts on People and Environment

Reduced productivity Stress on mental and physical health Air pollution Noise pollution

Managing road usage

Road Pricing Increased parking fees Enhanced traffic monitoring

Transport Networks

Routes + Set of Nodes

Transport Services

Services provided to move people and goods from one place to another

Separation of work and residential areas

Since residential areas are usually located far away from work areas, people have to commute some distance between home and workplace at a regular basis Many people prefer driving private vehicles because of the flexibility and convenience provided

Characteristics of Traffic Congestion

Slow travelling speeds (may be as slow as 10km/h) Vehicular queues Reduces mobility, time-consuming Noise pollution (due to honking)

Poor Provision of Transport Services

Small fleet of public buses or rail that is insufficient to carry commuters may result in overcrowding This may cause late buses that do not arrive frequently, and people may tend to avoid public transport and choose to drive instead, contributing traffic congestion

Density of Transport Networks

The greater the number of Routes and Nodes, the higher the density of Transport Networks

Characteristics of Urban Trasnport

Wider Variety of Transport Modes Higher Density of Transport Networks Higher-quality Transport Infrastructure

Transportation networks

spatial structure and organization of transport infrastructures and terminals

mobility

ability to move between different activity sites

Transportation nodes

access points to a distribution system transshipment points

freeway era

auto became a necessity 1956 highway act metro turned inside out beginning of suburbs and edge cities

4 federal regulations associated with transportation

clean air act ISTEA tea-21 map-21

geographic variations of public transit

concentrated in north east concentrated in large metropolitan areas difference in terms of central cities - suburbs

role of public transit

congestion relief energy savings environment damages mobility disadvantage

key characteristics of public transportation

fixed route available to public multitude of modes

comments on travel patterns and trends

increase of transit vehicle accessibility , rail ridership shows long term growth

Beta index

measure of the level of connectivity - ratio of the number of links to the number of nodes B= link/nodes

accessibility

number of opportunities \ activity sites available within a certain distance or travel time.

PMT

persons mile of travel

steps of traveling demand modeling

pre analysis technical analysis post analysis

urban transport planning

preparation and implementation of actions designed to address specific problems -must adhere to the transport policy

Transportation rate

price of transportation services paid by users (unit cost per transportation use)