How To Encourage More Efficient Transportation in Brazilian Cities Todd Litman Victoria Transport Policy Institute Presented Seminar on Discouraging The Use Of Cars São Paulo, Brazil 3 September 2013
Creating Cities For People or Cars? Automobiles make wonderful servants but terrible masters. Design your community for people, and then accommodate motor vehicles. Don t design communities for automobile traffic and then try to accommodate people.
Solution: Move People Efficiently An efficient urban transport system encourages people to use the most efficient mode for each trip: Walking and cycling for local travel. Public transit for travel on busy corridors. Driving only when necessary. 3
Sustainable Transport Hierarchy 1. Walking 2. Cycling 3. Public Transit 4. Service & Freight 5. Taxi 6. HOV 7. Private Automobile
Innovative Transport Planning Smart growth/new Urbanism Context oriented planning Complete streets Streetscaping Road diets Traffic calming Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Transit-Oriented development Parking management 5
Manage Street Space Public streets are the City s most valuable asset. They are currently devoted primarily to automobile. To become more efficient the City must prioritize use of road space.
Complete Streets A Complete Street is designed for all activities, abilities, and travel modes. Complete Streets provide safe and comfortable access for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists, and a livable environment for visitors, customers, employees and residents in the area. Pedestrians Cyclists Transit passengers Motorists Customers and residents 7
Complete Streets Design Features Sidewalks Cross walks Bike lanes Traffic speed reductions (traffic calming) Bus lanes Bus stops Traffic lanes Center turn lanes On-street parking Landscaping and street furniture
Mode Shifting How do we convince people who drive luxury cars to shift mode?
Attracting Discretionary Riders Quality service (convenient, fast, comfortable) Affordable Support and incentives (commute trip reduction programs, parking cash out, etc.) Integrated (good connections, walking and cycling access to stops and stations, transitoriented development) Convenient information Integrated with special events Positive Image 10
Transit Priority Transit passengers requires far less road space than automobile travel. A bus lane that carries 20 buses or more during peak hours carries more people than a general traffic lane. It is therefore more efficient and fair to give buses priority in traffic.
The BRT Standard The BRT Standard, developed by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, is a scoring system that defines world-class bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. It allows transit planners to evaluate BRT system performance and set targets for improvement. 12
Transit Station Level-Of-Service Clean Comfort (seating, temperature, quiet) Convenience (real-time user information, easy fare payment) Accessible (walkability, bike parking, nearby housing, employment, nearby shops) Services (refreshments, periodicals, etc.) Security
Transit and Cycling Networks Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes and bicycle boulevards (streets closed to through car traffic but not bicycles and pedestrians) are located within about one kilometer of each location, or about every tenth street. This requires taking space away from automobiles, but this loss of traffic and parking capacity is more than offset if just 10% of automobile trips shift to walking, cycling and public transit.
User Information Provide information when and were users need it: Walking and cycling wayfinding. Transit route, schedule, fare and real-time arrival. Travel times for various modes (e.g., transit vs. driving). Special problems (warnings of delays). On-board wifi services. Parking availability and price. Discounts and incentives.
Walking and Cycling Improvements More investment in sidewalks, crosswalks, paths and bike lanes. More traffic calming and speed controls. Create bicycle boulevards (streets that are closed to through automobile traffic but not to walking and cycling). Universal design (accommodate people with disabilities and other special needs). Bicycle parking and changing facilities. Encouragement, education and enforcement programs. Hire wheelchair users a pedestrian facility inspectors (to test sidewalks and paths for quality).
Transport Demand Management (TDM) Various strategies that result in more efficient transportation: Improving resource-efficient modes. Transport pricing reforms Incentives and encouragement to use efficient modes. Smart growth development policies. TDM strategies tend to have synergistic impacts and so are best implemented as an integrated program.
Pricing Reforms Eliminate fuel subsidies. Predictable, regular fuel tax increases. Efficient parking pricing. Parking cash out and unbundling. Pay-as-you-drive insurance and registration fees. Investigate congestion pricing. Improve enforcement of vehicle registration, fuel tax and parking fees collection.
Smart Growth Compact (higher density) Mixed use Diverse housing types Connected roads Multi-modal Good walking and cycling conditions Good public transit services Efficient parking management Emphasis on the public realm (public places where people interact) 19
Appropriate Housing Options Create diverse housing options (various unit sizes, price ranges, styles, etc.) to serve diverse needs (families with children, people with disabilities and low incomes, etc.). Provide an appropriate amount of affordable housing. Provide appropriate services, including schools. Reduced parking requirements and unbundle parking in TODs. Reduces property taxes and utility fees for compact development in recognition of the lower costs of providing public services compared with automobile-dependent sprawl.
Parking Management Reduce or eliminate parking requirements. Regulate and price on-street parking to favor higher value uses. As much as possible, charge users directly for parking, rather than indirectly through taxes and rents. Share parking spaces rather than having assigned spaces. Parking Cash Out (Employees who current receive free parking are able to choose a cash benefit or transit subsidy instead.) Better enforcement.
Why Parking Management? More efficient management is increasingly used to address parking problems, particularly in growing communities and downtowns areas. Improves motorist convenience. Creates more attractive streetscapes. Housing affordability. Downtown redevelopment. More walkable communities. Economic development. Reduced pavement. Encourages walking, cycling and public transit use.
Redesigning City Centers The Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul (South Korea) before (top) and after (bottom) the project. Claiming back urban space from road vehicles can dramatically improve the liveability of cities. Photos by Seoul Development Institute
Vehicle Restrictions Many cities are now restricting the number and types of vehicles that may enter central areas to reduce traffic and pollution problems. Rome and Milan Traffic Restricted Zones
Comprehensive Multi-Modal Planning Evaluation and planning based on accessibility instead of mobility. Consider all modes Consider all impacts and objectives Least-cost funding (invest in the most cost effective solution, considering all impacts and objectives) 25
Current Evaluation Favors Automobiles Current planning tends to evaluate transportation system performance based largely on automobile travel conditions such as traffic speed, vehicle operating costs and crash rates. Alternative modes and smart growth are only valued to the degree that they improve driving conditions. This exaggerates roadway expansion benefits and undervalues walking, cycling and public transit improvements.
Benefits Categories Improved Transport Options Increased Use of Alt. Modes Reduced Automobile Travel More Compact Development Improved user convenience and comfort Improved travel options, particularly for non-drivers Improved local property values User cost savings User enjoyment Economic development benefits from increased access to education and employment Increased public fitness and health Reduced traffic and parking congestion Road and parking cost savings Consumer cost savings Reduced crash risk to others Air and noise pollution reductions Energy conservation Economic development benefits More livable communities Reduced land consumption, heritage and openspace preservation, and public service cost savings Improved accessibility, particularly for nondrivers Reduced vehicle ownership 27
Conventional Transport Indicators Roadway Level-of-Service (LOS) Average traffic speeds. Per capita congestion delay. Parking occupancy rates. Traffic fatalities per billion vehicle-miles. Traffic fatalities per 100,000 population. 28
Multi-Modal Level-Of-Service (LOS) Mode Walking Cycling Ridesharing Public transit Automobile Telework Delivery services Level of Service Factors Sidewalk/path quality, street crossing conditions, land use conditions, safety and security Bike paths and lanes, street riding conditions, bike parking Ridematching services, chances of finding matches, HOV priority Service coverage, frequency, speed (relative to driving), vehicle and waiting area comfort, user information, price, safety and security Speed, congestion delay, roadway conditions, parking convenience, safety Employer acceptance/support of telecommuting, Internet access Coverage, speed, convenience, affordability
Walkscore Walkscore and its variants indicate local accessibility: the number of services and activities located within walking distances of a location. This information can be presented in various ways, such as a rating for a particular location, and heat maps. This information can help households and businesses choose more accessible, multimodal locations. Property values tend to increase with improved walkability. 30
Multi-Modal LOS (Jacksonville) Cycling LOS Pedestrian LOS 31
Multi-Modal Prioritization Cycling Improvements Pedestrian Improvements 32
Institutional Reforms Comprehensive, multi-modal transport planning. Integrate transport and land use planning. Sustainable transport hierarchy. Set performance targets Interagency coordination. Improve user information. Improve enforcement. Identify best practices and appropriate innovations from other countries, including Northern Europe, Brazil, Korea and India.
New Planning Resources 34
Potential For Change Some people would prefer to drive less and use alternatives more. Focus on them. What would help these people change their travel behavior? 9/4/2014
Change Management Be a change agent Think outside the box Turn problems into opportunities. Create the future you want to live in Build partnerships Think strategically We CAN do that!
Performance Indicators Performance indicators are like the score in a game. They define what must be accomplished to succeed. Old Roadway level-of-service (LOS) Traffic speeds and delay Accidents and emissions measured per mile Cost to government of facilities and services New Quality of access options (ability to reach desired services and activities) by user type Total costs to users, businesses and users (for vehicles, fuel, insurance, parking, roads, transit services, etc.) Affordability (costs to lower-income people) Quality of mobility for non-drivers Accidents and emissions measured per capita Average daily minutes engaged in active transport Land use impacts User satisfaction
Communicate the Benefits Tell stories Paint pictures Engage residents Brag about your successes! Let citizens know how the plan helps them.
Evaluating Public Transportation Benefits and Costs Evaluating Active Transport Benefits and Costs Parking Pricing Implementation Guidelines Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis Parking Management Best Practices Evaluating Complete Streets Online TDM Encyclopedia and more... www.vtpi.org