Toronto Papers
Quantifying the Benefits of Nonmotorized Transportation For Achieving Mobility Management Objectives
Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute
Summary: This paper investigates the ability of nonmotorized travel (walking, cycling, and their variants) to help achieve transportation planning objectives such as congestion reduction, road and parking facility cost savings, consumer cost savings, and various environmental and social benefits. It discusses methods for evaluating the benefits of improved walking and cycling conditions, increased nonmotorized travel, and shifts from motorized to nonmotorized modes. It finds that nonmotorized transportation tends to leverage proportionately larger reductions in vehicle travel. It describes various strategies for encouraging walking and cycling. This analysis indicates that nonmotorized travel provides significant benefits, and that these benefits can increase with cost effective incentives. Conventional transportation evaluation practices tend to overlook many of these benefits, and so undervalue nonmotorized transportation improvements and incentives. This paper updates and expands on the article, “Quantifying Bicycling Benefits for Achieving TDM Objectives,” published in Transportation Research Record, No. 1441 (“Nonmotorized Transportation Around the World”), 1994, pp. 134-140. ... More
Redesigning Montréal for Pedestrians: Recent Safe and Liveable Projects
Sylvie Tremblay, BA Arch., MA Urban Design, Harvard University
Summary: To address growing concerns to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the adverse health effects of sedentary lifestyles, the City of Montreal has undertaken a series of initiatives to bring public and active modes of transportation to the forefront of the city’s vision for urban planning. In this paper, Ms. Sylvie Tremblay, an urban designer at the City of Montréal, presents some of the city’s methods, approaches, challenges and goals through four main themes. First, she provides an overview of the new administrative context in the City of Montréal. Second, the role of the city’s Master Plan and other major strategic documents in walking safety conditions in Montréal is examined. Third, she provides an overview of the orientations of the Transportation Plan and the Pedestrian Charter. Finally, she provides concrete examples of recent projects designed for pedestrians to illustrate how Montréal is applying this new vision. The paper aims to inspire reflection on the tools available to municipalities to encourage citizens to rediscover the daily pleasures of walking as an enjoyable and practical mode of travel. ... More
Safe and enjoyable routes to school
Fariba Dariyani, Stockholm
Summary: To reverse the the increase in car runs to and from school and the decrease in physical activity among the children concerned. To establish a positive attitude at an early age towards sustainable means of travel. Through a series of physical measures around the school and promotion programs including a Walking Bus. The project resulted in more children and adults walking/biking and action plans for more schools. The tools used are also being distributed in countries outside Sweden. ... More
Safety Review of Pedestrian Facilities, City of North Vancouver, Canada
Dragana Mitic, P.Eng., Assistant City Engineer, Transportation, City of North Vancouver, et al.
Summary: The City of North Vancouver is well-developed, urban municipality, located in the Metro Vancouver area, British Columbia. Sustainability is an important part of the City's Official Community Plan (OCP) vision; and walking, cycling and transit modes have the highest priority in the OCP. To promote and support walking as the mode of choice, the City has provided considerable infrastructure, especially in the City’s Central and Lower Lonsdale areas. Lower Lonsdale is a vibrant, waterfront area, currently undergoing significant re-development. It includes various commercial, retail, recreational and residential uses, with the significant pedestrian activity. This area has well-developed pedestrian facilities, sidewalks, crosswalks, benches and landscaping. The City retained Opus Hamilton to conduct a review of pedestrian facilities in this are to identify further improvements that could be made to reduce pedestrian risk related to falls or motor vehicle collisions and to encourage walking. The study included a vulnerable road user field survey, review of the vehicular and pedestrian volumes, review of pedestrian-related collisions, identification of safety concerns and recommendations for improvements. The recommendations focused on short-term, low-cost, easy-to-implement improvements, such as signs, pavement markings, and brush trimming. Longer-term and/or higher-cost improvements were identified where appropriate. The study identified 32 types of safety concerns at more then 120 locations in the study area, with a total cost estimated up to $1.1 million. To quantify identified safety concerns and prioritize improvements, the study included development of a priority scoring method that consists of an issue-related score (function of vulnerable road user group and severity) and location-specific score (function of traffic volume, pedestrian volume and pedestrian related collisions). Two simple scoring tables with relative weight factors were developed. Using the Priority Scoring method, 29 improvements were recommended as top priorities for a total cost of $80,000. ... More
School Travel Plans in Bromley, London, UK
Louise French, School Travel Plan Manager
Summary: Bromley is the largest borough in London geographically We have the highest levels of car ownership nationally A very affluent borough with over a third of population owning their homes outright School Travel Plans are a package of measures put together by schools to reduce congestion on the school run and raise awareness of sustainable transport. School Travel Plans are not anti-car but they look at the alternatives available to parents, pupils and staff such as walking, cycling, car sharing and public transport. We have developed and implemented a range of measures to tackle congestion and other issues identified by schools, with great success. As Travel Plans are fully inclusive these measures recognise and overcome the diversity in our borough. Here are some examples of projects we have implemented in schools; WOW (Walk on Wednesday) WOW Extra Curriculum and policy guidance Park and stride Pedometer Challenge Car Share Incentive scheme Congestion busting banner Competition Walking Bus Inter-school Walking Competition The World at your Feet Bling Your Thing Travel Plans have extensive links with external agencies and polices; however we are always striving to further integrate our Travel Plan programme across society. Most recently, our Travel Plan programme is going global through ‘The World at your feet’ project. We have a very thorough monitoring programme in place to measure both qualitative and quantitative data to ensure Travel Plans are successful. These techniques range from: • Termly hands up surveys • Monthly monitoring of the Wow and Car Share scheme • Yearly progress reports • Curriculum links • Full school community consultation every three years Through this monitoring programme we have seen a 15% decrease in car use. This figure is growing term on term. We have also exceeded Central Government targets for the number of schools with a Travel Plan in place. Through the delivery and proven success, our program is sustainable financially through successful bid proposals. Our success is largely down to the proactive-ness of our schools. However being able to demonstrate how a Travel Plan can help lessen the burden of politics and policy has been a major factor in our success. This has been achieved by showing schools that a Travel Plan is a tool to be able to deliver key policies School Travel Plans in Bromley are having a positive impact and we have some fantastic examples of best practice. This presentation will show how to engage schools and how different projects are successfully developed and implemented. We will also focus on monitoring and evaluation techniques, funding and building policy and partner links. Children are our next generation and integrating sustainable living through our Travel Plan programme is crucial to our planets future. ... More
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