Travel Behavior

Effectiveness of Adaptive Traffic Control for Arterial Signal Management

Gomes, Gabriel
Skabardonis, Alexander
2009

A number of adaptive control algorithms have been developed in the US and overseas. However, the practical implementation of adaptive control is limited especially in California. There is a need to develop adaptive control algorithms, evaluate their performance through a field test, and develop a deployment plan for possible Statewide application. The objectives of the study are identify and select the most promising of existing adaptive control algorithms, develop improved algorithm(s) as appropriate, conduct field tests on real-world arterials, and develop recommendations for deployment...

Transit Integrated Collision Warning System Volume I: System Development

Chang, Joanne
Dicky, Susan
Duncil, Bart
Johnston, Scott
Kretz, Paul
Lian, Thang
Lu, Xiaoyun
Marco, David
Nelson, David
Shladover, Steven
Zhang, Wei-Bin
Zhang, Yongquan
Duggins, Dave
Gowdy, Jay
Hebert, Martial
Kozar, John
MacLachlan, Rob
Metz, Christoph
Steinfeld, Aaron
Suppe, Arne J
Burton, Frank
DeBone, Dan
Snyder, Rick
2007

Based on the foundation of the frontal and side collision warning systems, the Frontal Collision Warning System (FCWS) and Side Collision Warning System (SCWS) teams joined efforts to improve the collision warning algorithms. The objective of the ICWS Program is to study how frontal and side collision warning system might interface with each other, and to develop prototype ICWS systems on two buses, one at Samtrans and the other at PAT. The prototype ICWS buses have been in revenue operation in the Bay Area and Pittsburgh to collect field operational data and driver responses. The results...

Assessing the Environmental, Economic and Social Benefits of Well-Located Workforce Housing

Rohe, W
Cowan, S
Rodriguez, D
1012

The jobs-housing imbalance in many metropolitan areas contributes to long work commutes and the related problems of air pollution, traffic congestion, and loss of both discretionary income and time that could be spent in more productive and meaningful ways. This is a particular problem for low- and moderate-income workers who may have to travel long distances from their places of work to find affordable housing. This article presents a methodology for assessing the potential environmental, economic, and social benefits of constructing new affordable housing close to major employment...

Walk Score® and Transit Score® and Walking in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Hirsch, JA
Moore, KA
Evenson, KR
Rodriguez, DA
Roux, AV Diez
2013
Walk Score® and Transit Score® are open-source measures of the neighborhood built environment to support walking (“walkability”) and access to transportation. To investigate associations of Street Smart Walk Score and Transit Score with self-reported transport and leisure walking using data from a large multicity and diverse population-based sample of adults. Data from a sample of 4552 residents of Baltimore MD, Chicago IL, Forsyth County NC, Los Angeles CA, New York NY, and St. Paul MN from the Multi-Ethnic Study of...

Discrete Land Uses and Transportation Walking in Two US cities: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Hirsch, JA
Roux, AV Diez
Rodriguez, DA
Brines, SJ
Moore, K
2013

This study examines associations of disaggregate land uses with self-reported walking for transportation among participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) in Forsyth County, NC and New York, NY. Network distance to each use (in miles), intensity (number of uses per 1/2-mile network buffer) of each use and diversity (number of different uses per 1/2-mile network buffer) of uses were calculated using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Associations with odds of meeting recommended physical activity levels (150min/week) were examined after controlling...

Change in Walking and Body Mass Index Following Residential Relocation: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Hirsch, JA
Roux, AV Diez
Moore, KA
Evenson, KR
Rodriguez, DA
2014

We investigated whether moving to neighborhoods with closer proximity of destinations and greater street connectivity was associated with more walking, a greater probability of meeting the “Every Body Walk!” campaign goals (≥ 150 minutes/week of walking), and reductions in body mass index (BMI). We linked longitudinal data from 701 participants, who moved between 2 waves of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (2004–2012), to a neighborhood walkability measure (Street Smart Walk Score) for each residential location. We used fixed-effects models to estimate if changes in walkability...

Can Housing and Accessibility Information Influence Residential Location Choice and Travel Behavior? An Experimental Study

Rodriguez, DA
Rogers, J
2014

Although information has been used as a strategy to influence short-term travel behavior, there is a paucity of research on whether information can result in long-term behavioral changes. To examine the impact of providing information on location choices and travel behaviors we used an experimental design with a sample of incoming students at two area universities. Information was administered to individuals in the experimental group before they selected a residential location in the area. With a survey, we collected information on residential locations and travel behaviors from all...

Changes in the Built Environment and Changes in the Amount of Walking Over Time: Longitudinal Results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Hirsch, JA
Moore, KA
Clarke, PJ
Rodriguez, DA
Evenson, KR
Brines, SJ
Zagorski, MA
Roux, AV Diez
2014

Lack of longitudinal research hinders causal inference on the association between the built environment and walking. In the present study, we used data from 6,027 adults in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who were 45–84 years of age at baseline to investigate the association of neighborhood built environment with trends in the amount of walking between 2000 and 2012. Walking for transportation and walking for leisure were assessed at baseline and at 3 follow-up visits (median follow-up = 9.15 years). Time-varying built environment measures (measures of population density,...

Joint Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit and Urban Form on Vehicle Ownership: New Evidence From a Quasi-Longitudinal Analysis in Bogotá, Colombia

Combs, T
Rodriguez, D
2014

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has become popular as a means to provide non-automobile-based mobility and alleviate the impacts of rising traffic congestion in cities around the world. However, there is little empirical evidence supporting BRT’s potential to meet these objectives. This research improves our knowledge of BRT’s potential as an alternative to vehicle ownership at the household level and provides new evidence of the role of urban form in supporting transit investment. We use a difference-in-differences research design to examine the change in vehicle ownership from before to...

The Influence of Residential Dissonance on Physical Activity and Walking: Evidence from the Montgomery County, MD, and Twin Cities, MN, Areas

Cho, GH
Rodriguez, D
2014

This study investigates to what extent a mismatch between residential preferences and actual residential locations is associated with residents’ physical activity and walking. The residents of Montgomery County, MD, and Twin Cities, MN, were classified into four residential subgroups, and their walking and physical activity outcomes were compared. The results showed that, for transport activity and walking outcomes, participants living in a urban location and preferring a urban environment were more likely to be active than those who lived in a suburban location and preferred a...