Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities

Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities An introduction to the WMU-based University Transportation Center C. Scott Smith, PhD AICP Assistant Professor Western Michigan University Department of Geography c.scott.smith@wmich.edu

Talking points I. TRCLC composition and structure II. TRCLC theme and mission III. TRCLC activities Research Community outreach Technology transfer Workforce development IV. Getting involved with the TRCLC

Key members (at WMU) Director: Dr. Jun-Seok Oh, CCE Associate Director: Dr. Valerian Kwigizile, CCE Dr. Osama Abudayyeh, CCE Dr. Scott Smith, Geography Dr. Richard Long, Blind & Low Vision Studies Dr. Ron Van Houten, Psychology Ms. Kay Mortellaro, Administration

TRCLC consortium TRCLC Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Jun-Seok Oh University of Texas / Arlington, TX / Steve Mattingly Utah State University / Logan, UT / Anthony Chen Wayne State University / Detroit, MI / Peter Savolainen Tennessee State University / Nashville, TN / Deo Chimba

TRCLC theme State of Good Repair Economic Competitivene ss Livable Communitie s Safety Environmental Sustainability Transit Technological Advances Walking Bicyclin g people with low vision; lower-income communities; children; commuters

TRCLC mission The Center s primary goal is to improve affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation options for conventionally underserved communities with special attention paid to non-motorized travel, pedestrian and bicycle safety, job accessibility and 'smart' transport technologies.

Areas of specialization USU Multimodal Network Human Health Disability Services WMU Multimodal Network Mobility for Blind Non-Motorized Crash Safety Performance Mobile Application Bike-Sharing Disability Services Community Mapping WSU Bus Rapid Transit Safe Route School Pedestrian LOS TSU Bus Rapid Transit Environment Impact Bike LOS TSU Non-Motorized Crash Performance for Non- Motorized

TRCLC activities Community outreach Research Workforce development Technology transfer

Research projects (round 1) 1. Explorations into the Equity Dimensions of US Bicycle Sharing Systems (C. Scott Smith, WMU) 2. Developing Performances Measures to Capture the Effects of Transportation Facilities On Multiple Public Health Outcomes (Colleen Casey, UTA) 3. Developing Performances Measures to Capture the Effects of Transportation Facilities On Multiple Public Health Outcomes: A Case in Michigan (Jun Oh, WMU) 4. Conditions that Influence Drivers' Yielding Behavior at Uncontrolled Crossings and Intersections with Traffic Signal Controls (Robert Emerson, WMU) 5. Development of Decision Support Tools to Assess Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety: Development of Safety Performance Functions (Valerian Kwigizile, WMU) 6. Development of Decision Support Tools to Assess Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety: Field Evaluation of Driver Behavior and Traffic Operations (Timothy Gates, WSU) 7. Development of Decision Support Tools to Assess Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety: Focus on Population, Demographic and Socio-economic Spectra (Deo Chimba, TSU) 8. Big Data Analytics to Aid Developing Livable Communities (Li Yang, WMU) 9. Alternatives for Providing a Safe Passage for Non-Motorized Traffic across an Existing Highway Bridge (Upul Attanayake, WMU) 10. Innovative Park-and-Ride Management for Livable Communities (Song, USU). Travel in Adverse Winter Weather conditions by Blind Pedestrians (Kim, WMU) 12. Capacity Analysis of Pedestrian Facilities Involving Individuals with Disabilities (Keith Christensen, USU) In total, the TRCLC awarded $888,5 in funding.

US Bicycle Sharing Systems, 2010 2010 (4) 20 (9) 2012 (5) 2013 (10) 2014 (21) 20 (4) OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA, Sources: Esri, USGS, NOAA

Rogers Park (22.6%; 17.9%) West Ridge (.8%; 20%) Lincoln Square (9.9%; 13.1%) Albany Park (18.5%; 35.6%) Irving Park (%; 22.1%) Avondale (14.5%; 22.6%) Logan Square (16.9%; %) Humboldt Park (33.4%; 34.6%) East Garfield Park (40.6%; 24.7%) North Lawndale (39.6%; 28.2%) South Lawndale (29.5%; 54.8%) Brighton Park (22.6%; 44.4%) North Center (7.4%; 4.5%) Gage Park (22.3%; 53.2%) Chicago Lawn (25.2%; 31.9%) West Town (.3%; 13%) Edgewater (18%; 8.9%) Uptown (22.3%; 12%) Lake View (10.7%; 2.8%) Near West Side (20.3%; 10.5%) West Englewood (33.5%; 27.8%) Lincoln Park (.8%; 4%) Near North Side (13.7%; 2.8%) Near South Side Lower West Side (.8%; 8.6%) (26.6%; 41.9%) Armour Square (36%; 34.1%) Bridgeport Douglas McKinley Park (17.8%; 24.5%) (28.2%; 14.2%) (18.2%; 32.2%) Oakland Fuller Park (40%;.9%) (57.7%; 34.9%) Grand Boulevard New City (29.3%; 18.2%) (29.1%; 41%) Englewood (44.4%; 27.6%) Loop (12.2%; 3.3%) Kenwood (21.7%; 10.8%) Washington Park Hyde Park (41.3%; 26.3%) (.3%; 5.3%) Woodlawn (30.3%; 18.1%) South Shore (30.7%;.1%) Hardship Index by Community Area Chicago, IL Community Area (% Below Poverty; % No HS Diploma) Hardship Quintiles Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA

23 23 23 31 27 23 23 23 23 31 23 27 27 39 OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA Hardship Quintiles Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest Divvy station (# docks) Demographic Analysis of Chicago s Divvy BSS, 2013

Single R1-6 R1-6 Gateway Configuration Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon Figure 1. Typical Innovative Pedestrian Safety Treatments in Michigan

TRCLC partners Public agencies City of Portage, MI City of Kalamazoo, MI Oshtemo Township, MI Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority (KCTA), MI Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS), MI Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) City of Dallas, TX Texas DOT Tennessee DOT Michigan DOT Interest groups ITE of Michigan ITS of Michigan ASCE of Michigan Michigan Association of Planning League of Michigan Bicyclists Building Blocks Private industry Nokia Americas Scenaria, A Member of the AVL Group URS Corporation

Source: Reed, 2013

What is the history of GTFS? A call for Open- Source Public Transit Mapping (Faludi, 2005) Google Transit Feed System (GTFS) First iteration 9/25/2006 Chris Harrelson (software engineer, Google) 26 revisions since Bibiana McHugh (IT Manager, TriMET) Notable revisions GTFS Real-Time (8/20) Wheelchair access (10/2012) Bikes allowed (2/2014)

Bertolaccini, Kelly, and Nicholas Lownes. Effects of Scale and Boundary Selection in Assessing Equity of Transit Supply Distribution. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2350, no. -1 (December 1, 2013)

Wong, James. Leveraging the General Transit Feed Specification for Efficient Transit Analysis. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2338, no. -1 (December 1, 2013):.

GTFS implications for livable communities (and TRCLC)? Enhances usability of transit system by existing transit riders (trip planning) Makes visible transit as viable option for potential riders (makes transit systems less confusing; approachable) Cascading positive effects of increased transit use (public health; environmental health; urban design) Allows for regular performance-based assessments of existing, modified and planned transit systems (transparency; equity; collaborative governance)

Urbanized transit

With (black)/without GTFS

(Wong, 2013)

www.openstreetmap.org

CUTR Webcast Recording: Enhancing Livability in Your Community Recent Developments in Cost-Effective Multimodal Trip Planners «CUTR Center for Urban Transportation Research University of South Florida. 20. http://www.cutr.usf.edu/20/07/cutr-webcast-enhancinglivability-in-your-community-recent-developments-in-cost-effective-multimodal-trip-planners/ by Sean Barbeau and Edward Hillsman Center for Urban Transportation Research.

http://ride.trimet.org

wmich.edu/transportationcenter

Thanks! Questions? C. Scott Smith, PhD AICP Assistant Professor Western Michigan University Department of Geography c.scott.smith@wmich.edu