Search

Congestion costs in the United States were estimated at nearly $87 billion, or $1,348 per driver, while for the United Kingdom, congestion cost drivers £7.9 billion, an average of £1,317 per driver (INRIX, [6]). Transport is one of the major contributors of global GHG emissions, and in the US it is now the largest sector accounting for 29% of GHG emissions. Unfortunately, much city growth occurred under the hegemony of the automobile and highway system creating a low-density sprawling pattern of urban development and extreme automobile dependence that has caused and exacerbated many urban transportation problems. [Extracted from the article]

One of the goals of constructing and operating an extensive rail transit system in the Denver metro region since 1994 has been growth and development of land use along the rail transit system. This paper analyzes the trend of land use growth and development around the rail transit system mostly from 2000 to 2010. Primarily land parcel data collected from the assessor's office of several counties in the metro region have been used to determine change in the amount of different types of land use namely commercial, mixed, industrial, multi-family residential and single-family residential near and far from the rail transit system. Change has been analyzed in terms of total square footage of the building areas as well as land use density. Statistical significance tests (Wilcoxon/Kruskal–Wallis test) have been conducted to understand if the amount of change taking place near the rail transit system is greater than away from the system. The growth of commercial land use was significantly higher near the rail transit system. More growth in multi-family residential land use has also occurred near the rail transit system, but was not significantly greater than areas away from the system. Single-family residential land use has noticeably increased in places away from the rail transit system. The other types of land use have not shown any consistent pattern in their growth either near or away from the system. Overall, a noticeable amount of land use change, especially commercial land use, has taken place around the rail transit system from 2000 to 2010. However, this change in land use cannot necessarily be attributed to the construction and operation of the rail transit system. Other factors may have influenced the growth of land use around the rail transit system more than the presence of the rail transit system itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After 50 years of experience with high-speed rail (HSR) development in Asia and Europe, there are important lessons that can be derived to inform future efforts to introduce HSR. This paper identifies and explores three strategic models of HSR development: (1) exclusive corridors (e.g., Japan), (2) hybrid networks—both national (e.g., France and Germany) and international (e.g., European Union), and (3) comprehensive national networks (e.g., China and Spain). Evaluations of these models yield outcomes that range from generally positive assessments of the corridor and national hybrid models to more concerns and uncertainties about the international hybrid and comprehensive national network models. When applying these lessons to the United States, contextual differences can make direct applications problematic. At the same time, though, certain elements of these three models that have been proven to be successful elsewhere may be adaptable to the U.S. and other newcomers to HSR development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of the city-region concept has focused attention on the nature of territorial politics underpinning city-regionalism. This paper investigates the relationship between territorial politics, city-regionalism and the collective provision of mass transport infrastructure in the USA. It deploys a case study of the Denver region, examining the state and governance structures driving forward FasTracks, a long-term project to expand the Denver Regional Transportation District’s light and commuter rail system. FasTracks represents a programme to retrofit the Denver city-region for integrated mass transit but its funding has fostered tensions around new regionalist governance arrangements. The paper uses the findings of the case study to reflect upon the balance of bottom–up versus top–down geopolitical forces shaping the landscape of city-regionalism in the USA. It emphasises the variety of ways in which struggles around infrastructure provision shape the emergence of new city-regionalist structures inside the competition state. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: As large cities seek to expand their transit systems to accommodate increasing travel demand, provide alternatives to growing road traffic congestion, and improve accessibility, more research attention has been focused on the land use effects of transit, most notably in the form of transit-oriented development (TOD). Many cities in the USA are starting or expanding rail transit systems with objectives that include more focused economic development near transit stations and along transit corridors. Denver, Colorado is one of the cities that is aggressively expanding its rail transit system and encouraging high-density, mixed-use development in the station areas. This study analyzes TOD data from the Denver Regional Transportation District and the Denver Regional Council of Governments for 0.5-mile areas around current and proposed rail transit stations. Early evidence indicates that the scope of transit-oriented development in Denver is considerable, resulting in nearly 18,000 residential dwelling units, 5.3 million square feet of retail space, 5.4 million square feet of office space, and 6.2 million square feet of medical space within one-half mile of existing or planned transit stations from 1997 to 2010. As one of the critical elements of the regional land use and transportation plan, the rail transit system and the emphasis on transit-oriented development is contributing to an increase in the average density of the Denver urbanized area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Among the reasons the light rail system in Denver has been built is to reduce traffic congestion. A temporal and spatial analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) data from 1992 to 2008 on the highways in Denver has been conducted to determine if that objective has been fulfilled after the initial light rail service began in 1994. Temporal analysis provides an insight into the changes in the level of highway traffic before and after the opening of three segments (Central, Southwest, and Southeast Corridors) of the light rail system. This part of the analysis also compares the traffic levels of highways affected by light rail with those not affected by light rail. Spatial analysis examines whether the changes have taken place uniformly throughout all the highways, or whether they have been concentrated on particular highways. Results indicate that light rail has reduced level of traffic along some of the adjacent highways for a short period of time. Overall, the three light rail corridors in operation have succeeded in lowering the rate of increase in the level of traffic on highways within the rail transit influence zone as compared to highways outside the influence zone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The US airline industry was deregulated in 1978 and has undergone significant changes in industry structure, profitability, employment, passenger volume, and patterns of service and fares, among other characteristics. This paper sets out to make three contributions to the literature as related to the story of airline deregulation. First, discussion of economic theory will provide the context for an updated overview of the positive, negative, and really negative results of US airline deregulation, summarized in the form of “the good”, “the bad”, and “the ugly”. Second, this paper provides a periodization of the 30-year history of US airline deregulation that is important in understanding the cycles of change as reflected in the industry’s financial performance and other relevant data. Third, this paper contributes to the renewed debate about the efficacy of deregulation and liberalization policies, particularly at a time when the global financial crisis has cast a harsh spotlight on the (un)desirability of these policies. Some of the good results during the 30 years of airline deregulation, from the industry and consumer perspective, include higher passenger volumes, more service to the most popular destinations, and lower fares on average. Bad results include financial and employment instability, diminution in the quality of airline service overall, and fewer flights and higher fares to smaller places. The recent 2000–2005 period has been particularly ugly, as the airline industry has lost over $30 billion, and several high-profile carriers, such as United, Delta, Northwest, and US Airways, were forced into bankruptcy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Against a context of international crisis in the air transport industry, this paper examines the implications of the ways in which strategies developed by key air transport stakeholders, as well as the contemporary dynamics of the globalized, liberalized market place, impact directly on sustainability issues. More specifically, the paper has two objectives. First, it discusses the policy ramifications of the interrelationships between the concepts of globalization, liberalization, and sustainability within the air transport industry. Second, the paper explores the import of these interrelationships as they interconnect with stakeholder strategies in the differing geopolitical contexts of the US and EU. Particular attention is given to airline network and frequency strategies. The paper concludes that while the financial sustainability of the airline industry is the overwhelming concern today, if this is essentially the short-term crisis that the airline industry claims it to be, the longer-term predictions of air transport growth will again bring environmental sustainability issues to the fore. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Current problems in the US airline industry such as increasing industry consolidation, fortress hub dominance, predatory behavior, and high fare “pockets of pain” have their roots in the flaws of the theories that supported airline deregulation in 1978. Contrary to pre-deregulation expectations, the industry is characterized by large economies of scale, large barriers to entry, and a lack of contestability in airline markets. These inexorable economic forces are producing increased levels of monopoly and oligopoly control over city-pair markets resulting in a larger share of travelers paying higher fares. Additional mergers and acquisitions will exacerbate the problem. As these trends continue, the US Congress and the US Departments of Transportation and Justice will be under increasing pressure to take serious corrective actions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on a study which assessed the success of metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) in selected cities in the U.S. of meeting regional transportation needs. Formalization of transportation planning and empowerment of the MPO; Evaluation of the MPO process; Interpretations of results; Characteristics of successful MPO.

Focuses on the relationship between air transportation and growth in the United States urban system. Background on the study; Transportation, urbanization, and economic development; Research design.

Focuses on the geographic aspects of deregulation in the United States (U.S.) domestic airline industry since 1978. Information on core-periphery in the airline industry; Indepth look at deregulation in the U.S.; Development of strong domestic hubs in air-transport systems.

Since the 1980s, significant investments have been made in urban rail transit across the United States, particularly using light rail technology. Most of these light rail systems have been built in Sunbelt cities which no longer had legacy rail systems. As a result, they were constructed using a building blocks approach, being funded corridor by corridor. Most research, however, on urban rail performance has taken place at the system-wide level, leaving a significant gap at the level of the transit corridor. This research examined nineteen urban rail corridors in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Portland. A performance score was constructed for each corridor based upon ridership per mile, ridership growth, capital costs, and the cost of ongoing operations. These scores were then compared with the geographic profile of each corridor studied. Corridors in each city ranked high and low, with no city emerging as a clear frontrunner. More centrally-located corridors in each city registered the highest performance scores, while longer corridors in more peripheral locations had lower performance scores. Headways, population density, job density, walkability, and percentage renter occupied housing units were found to have a statistically significant relationship with high corridor performance, largely in line with previous studies, though median income, bus connections, and park and ride spaces were not found to increase performance in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transit development is one planning strategy that seeks to partially overcome limitations of low-density single use car oriented development styles. While many studies focus on how residential proximity to transit influences the travel behaviors of individuals, the effect of workplace proximity to transit is less understood. This paper asks, does working near a light rail transit station influence the travel behaviors of workers differently than workers living near a station? We begin by examining workers’ commute mode based on their residential and workplace proximity to transit station areas. Next, we analyze the ways in which personal travel behaviors differ between those who drive to work and those who do not. The data came from a 2009 travel behavior survey in the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area, which contains 8000 households, 16,000 individuals, and nearly 80,000 trips. We measure sustainable travel behaviors as reduced mileage, reduced number of trips, and increased use of non-car transportation. The results of this study indicate that living near a transit station area by itself does not increase the likelihood of using non-car modes for work commutes. But if the destination (work) is near a transit station area, persons are less likely to drive a car to work. People who both live and work in a transit station area are less likely to use a car and more likely to take non-car modes for both work and non-work (personal) trips. Especially for persons who work near a transit station area, the measures of personal trips and distances show a higher level of mobility for non-car commuters than car commuters – that is, more trips and more distant trips. The use of non-car modes for personal trips is most likely to occur by non-car commuters, regardless of their transit station area relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon a case study of regional transit in Denver, Colorado, this article describes and accounts for the emergence of the global infrastructure public-private partnership (GIP3) as a novel extra-territorial mechanism for financing and delivering transportation infrastructure projects across large metropolitan regions in the United States (US). Unlike traditional locally-funded public-private partnerships, a GIP3 involves a global (i.e. extra-territorial) consortium of private sector construction firms and investors which enters into a long-term contract with a regional public agency to finance, operate, maintain and deliver strategic investments in transportation infrastructure. In 2004, Denver region voters approved a sales tax increase to fund the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD)'s US$4.7 billion FasTracks programme, a 122-mile extension of light and commuter rail along six corridors. Faced with a shortfall in regional funding, the Denver RTD subsequently entered into a contract with a GIP3 consortium to finance and deliver the Eagle P3 project, a major component of the FasTracks system to Denver International Airport. The article argues that future research on GIP3 contractual agreements needs to consider the local control of infrastructure assets and the integrity of supporting regional collaborative governance arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]