Policy

Road Usage Charging (RUC)

Forscher, Teddy
Bayen, Alexandre, PhD
Shaheen, Susan, PhD
2018

Pricing transportation infrastructure, either to achieve a desired outcome or to raise revenue, is a concept dating back to early-and mid-20thcentury economics and transportation scholarship. Different approaches to pricing (e.g., area-wide pricing, vehicle miles traveled, express lanes, etc.) have been adopted in parts of Europe and Asia; some strategies cover all road users, some only passenger vehicles, and others only commercial and goods movement vehicles. Pricing, as a revenue source, has recently gained momentum in the U.S., driven by federal legislation (MAP-21; FAST Act) and state...

Pooling Passengers and Services

Forscher, Teddy
Shaheen, Susan, PhD
2018

In the past ten years, passenger and goods movement transportation systems have evolved rapidly. Shared mobility providers are filling gaps in service and creating new markets for delivery; vehicle fleets continue to electrify; and pooled services are increasing vehicle occupancy. The uptake of innovative pooled services, as well as automation, promise to continue the trend of transformative change. As the private sector continues to advance, there is a great need for institutional flexibility in managing and coordinating all users of transportation infrastructure, particularly on the...

Shared Mobility Policies for California

Shaheen, Susan, PhD
Cohen, Adam
2018

In recent years, economic, environmental, and social forces have quickly given rise to the “sharing economy,” a collective of entrepreneurs and consumers leveraging technology to share resources, save money, and generate capital. Shared mobility—the shared use of a vehicle, bicycle, or other low-speed travel mode—is an innovative transportation strategy that enables users to have short-term access to a transportation mode on an as-needed basis. Business-to-consumer services, such as Zipcar and car2go, and peer-to-peer carsharing and shared ride services, such as Getaround, Turo, Lyft, and...

Equity and Shared Mobility

Shaheen, Susan, PhD
Cohen, Adam
2018

Ensuring equal access for protected classes impacted by shared mobility services is critical. In California, this can include provisions mandating access for individuals with disabilities, as well as prohibitions in discrimination against other protected classes. Many of these laws not only prohibit discrimination against the end user but also shared mobility employees. In addition to prohibiting discrimination, it is imperative to ensure shared mobility is accessible to all. Equitable treatment of shared mobility providers (e.g., data, insurance, licensing) is also a key consideration.

Urban Development on Railway-Served Land: Lessons and Opportunities for the Developing World

Cervero, Robert
2020

Under the right conditions -- serious traffic congestion, a permissive regulatory environment, and frequent and reliable transit services -- rail transit investments can powerfully shape cities and regions. Rail transit’s city‐shaping powers are due to market forces and policy interventions. By enhancing accessibility (the ability of those living, working, or shopping rail near stops to quickly reach desired destinations) rail services increase the value and desirability of properties in and around stations. Market pressures by themselves rarely produce transit oriented development. To...

Unintended Impacts of Increased Truck Loads on Pavement Supply-Chain Emissions

Sathaye, Nakul
Horvath, Arpad
Madanat, Samer
2009

In recent years, the reduction of freight truck trips has been a common policy goal. To this end, policies aimed at influencing load consolidation, load factors and increasing maximum truck weight limits have been suggested and implemented, resulting in higher gross vehicle weights. The purpose of such policies has generally been to mitigate congestion and environmental impacts. However, trucks cause most of the damage incurred by pavements. The supply chain associated with pavement maintenance and construction releases significant air emissions, raising the question of whether increased...

Unintended environmental impacts of nighttime freight logistics activities

Sathaye, Nakul
Harley, Robert
Madanat, Samer
2009

In recent years, the reduction of freight vehicle trips during peak hours has been a common policy goal. To this end, policies have been implemented to shift logistics operations to nighttime hours. The purpose of such policies has generally been to mitigate congestion and environmental impacts. However, the atmospheric boundary layer is generally more stable during the night than the day. Consequently, shifting logistics operations to the night may increase 24‐hour average concentrations of diesel exhaust pollutants in many locations. This paper presents realistic scenarios for two...

On the Design of Public Infrastructure Systems with Elastic Demand

Daganzo, Carlos F.
2012

This paper considers the optimization of public infrastructure systems, recognizing that these systems serve multiple user classes. Under the guidance of a policy-making body, the analyst chooses both the system design, including its layout and control, and the prices to be charged for the service. The goal of the optimization is to maximize society's welfare recognizing that the system's performance will in general depend on the system's demand, and vice versa. The optimization problem is first formulated in its full complexity. Under defined circumstances, the problem decomposes into...

The Environmental Impacts of Electric Bikes in Chinese Cities

Cherry, Christopher
Weinert, Jonathan
Ma, Chaktan
2007

Electric bikes have captured a large share of trips in many Chinese cities. They provide high levels of mobility and use little energy, two things that Chinese cities need to optimize. However, these benefits come at a cost, particularly emissions from primarily coal power plants and increased lead waste from battery use. Chinese policy makers are struggling with developing appropriate policy that maximizes modal options and mobility and minimizes environmental impacts. Electric bikes use very little electricity and, as a result, emit low levels of pollution per vehicle (passenger)...

Accessible Cities and Regions: A Framework for Sustainable Transport and Urbanism in the 21st Century

Cervero, Robert
2005

This paper examines both the principle and analytical possibilities of accessibility as a platform for advancing sustainable transport and urbanism in coming years and decades. Experiences with accessibility planning are first reviewed, followed by a discussion of various measurement and analytical contexts. The paper then uses various policy contexts and case settings to probe the use of accessibility for addressing contemporary urban and regional transportation and land-use themes, including: inter-modal comparisons of job accessibility and their implications for social equity and...