Asha Weinstein Agrawal, of San Jose State University, presented Is That Hoverboard Whizzing By Supposed to be on the Sidewalk? Regulating All Types of Personal Transportation Devices to Balance Transportation and Safety Concerns at the ITS Transportation Seminar April 26, 2019 at 4 p.m. in 290 Hearst Memorial Mining Building.
Abstract
Research objective: Explore the regulatory environment around “Personal Transportation Devices” (PTDs), documenting the current state of affairs, and recommending safe, practical regulations.
What are PTDs?
PTDs encompass a wide range of small devices that provide low-speed, flexible mobility for individual travelers. PTDs can be motorized or non-motorized, new technology or old.
Research questions:
1. What regulations are there on PTDs, if any, that either directly regulate or otherwise limit PTD use?
2. How can regulations be designed to maximize the value of PTDs for travel while protecting public safety?
Study methods:
1. Review existing literature on PTDs
2. Inventory PTDs and their capabilities
3. Review state, municipal, and university campus regulations that could affect PTDs
4. Interview experts
5. Develop model regulations for PTDs
Presenter
Asha Weinstein Agrawal is Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at San José State University, as well as Director of MTI’s National Transportation Finance Center and MTI’s Education Director. Her research explores effective planning and policy tools to encourage environmentally-friendly travel and improve accessibility for people struggling with poverty or other disadvantages. She has explored these issues through many transportation topics, including transportation finance policy and travel behavior research. Recent publications include “Slimming the Streets: Best Practices for Designing Road Diet Evaluations“ (ITE Journal, 2018), “Would Americans Pay More in Taxes for Better Transportation? Answers from Seven Years of National Survey Data” (Transportation, 2018), and “Comparing Data Quality and Cost from Three Modes of On-Board Transit Surveys” (Transport Policy, 2017). Dr. Agrawal earned a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.