Projects
Principal Investigator:
Brian D. TaylorFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research ProgramProgram Area(s):
Traffic, Transportation & HealthOver 3,500 people have died on California’s streets and highways each year since 2016, despite commitments at the state, regional, and local levels to reduce this toll. A growing number of safety experts have pointed to high speed limits as a serious obstacle to increased traffic safety. The basic rule for setting motor vehicle speed limits in California, and across the U.S. is the “85th Percentile Rule.” This rule is deeply ingrained, both practically and legally in transportation engineering practice, but is now being scrutinized by those committed to improving traffic safety. This research synthesis will review the history and evolution of the 85th percentile rule in traffic engineering practice, and critically analyze and summarize research to date on its effects.
Principal Investigator:
Yidan Chen, Esther HuangFunding Source:
Program Area(s):
Public TransitThis capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Principal Investigator:
Mark HansenFunding Source:
Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Parking, Public TransitThis capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Principal Investigator:
Ma'ayan DemboFunding Source:
Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Access to Opportunities, Public Transit, Transportation & HealthThis capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Principal Investigator:
Madeline RuvoloFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research Program & Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Access to Opportunities, New MobilityThis capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Principal Investigator:
Mikhail ChesterFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research ProgramProgram Area(s):
Resilient TransportationWildfires and post-fire debris flows have had severe impacts on California’s transportation system recently, and climate forecasts show that these hazards are likely to become more of a concern in the future. Yet our understanding of the vulnerability of transportation systems to wildfires is in its nascent stages, with focus largely on evacuation logistics and characterizing where risks of fire are increasing and which infrastructure are co-located. Wildfire risk is much more complex as post-fire precipitation events create conditions where roadway stormwater management is failed often leaving remote communities disconnected. There is an opportunity to improve our understanding of the vulnerability of transportation systems and associated adaptation strategies to ensure that services continue to be delivered in the face of growing hazards. This problem is not specific to California as wildfires across the Southwest are becoming more problematic.
Principal Investigator:
Samuel SperoniFunding Source:
Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Access to Opportunities, Transportation & CommunitiesThis capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Principal Investigator:
Jeremy S. MarksFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research Program & Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Transportation FinanceThis capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Principal Investigator:
Annaleigh Yahata EkmanFunding Source:
Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Access to OpportunitiesThis capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Principal Investigator:
Zully JuarezFunding Source:
Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Access to Opportunities, Transportation & CommunitiesThis capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Principal Investigator:
Esteban DoyleFunding Source:
Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Access to Opportunities, Transportation & CommunitiesThis research project examines the impact of transportation on educational access, and how improving transportation can help to increase the socioeconomic and racial/ethnic diversity of private secondary schools in Los Angeles. The Geffen Academy is a private middle and high school located in Westwood, on the Westside of Los Angeles. I use student data from the Geffen Academy to assess the demographic profile of enrolled students, and compare the spatial distribution of students to existing transportation infrastructure. I conduct a travel survey of students to understand travel behavior to school. Finally, I research peer schools to gain insights on how other schools approach transportation as it relates to student body diversity. I find that a majority of enrolled students live within a few miles of the Geffen Academy, an area that is predominately white and higher-income. To increase access to the Geffen Academy, the school should focus on developing a carpool program to reduce the travel costs for families who live further away from the school’s campus.
Principal Investigator:
Karina SchneiderFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research Program & Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Access to Opportunities, New Mobility, Transportation & CommunitiesAs the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) embarks on a one-year dockless mobility pilot program, both LADOT staff and the residents they serve have raised concerns over equity and access. Dockless mobility refers to dockless or free-floating bicycles, electric bicycles, and electric scooters available for short-term rental that have begun to proliferate in cities across the country. LADOT staff have permitted eight companies with an accumulated 36,000 vehicles. Because the distribution of scooters across Los Angeles neighborhoods is far from even, LADOT staff are currently using CalEnviroScreen 3.0 to identify disadvantaged communities where regulations incentivize operators to deploy their scooters. However, CalEnviroScreen 3.0 is a metric developed to identify communities likely affected by environmental injustices and as such prioritizes environmental exposure factors over those that may affect transportation access.
Principal Investigator:
Adam RussellFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research ProgramProgram Area(s):
Public Transit, Transportation & Communities, Transportation FinanceIn considering how transit riders must walk or bike near highways to reach transit stations, highway infrastructure becomes a significant barrier to transit access and an impediment to a safe and comfortable transit trip experience. As such, areas surrounding highways can be priority pathways for first/last mile improvements, which is in turn complicated by the California Department of Transportation’s management of highway right-of-way. In planning first/last mile infrastructure improvements, Metro’s First/Last Mile Planning program must coordinate with Caltrans to understand traffic and freight factors in a station area and implement any first/last mile interventions. This study examined three case study station areas for common first/last mile barriers at highways and interviewed staff to understand inter-agency coordination experiences. It finds that policies, such as criteria that dictate when to include Caltrans in planning processes, that seek to yield predictability in both inter-agency communication and first/last mile improvement design can aid in overall coordination at highway-adjacent sites.
Principal Investigator:
Monique HoFunding Source:
Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
New Mobility, Transportation & CommunitiesTo prepare for the arrival of autonomous vehicles, the Los Angeles Department of City Planning is exploring land use strategies to optimize the potential safety and the environmental and access benefits of this new technology. In this study, I draw on academic literature, analysis of city General and Comprehensive Plans, and phone interviews with planners to analyze the potential impact of autonomous vehicles on local land use.
Principal Investigator:
Dustin KhuuFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research Program & Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Access to Opportunities, Transportation & CommunitiesThe Jordan Downs housing development is a public housing complex in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. In accordance with the Jordan Downs Relocation Plan undertaken by the City of Los Angeles Housing Authority, the housing complex is currently being re-designed and relocated to an adjacent property. This relocation presents a rare opportunity for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) to address transportation equity concerns in the design of surrounding roads and sidewalks. The purpose of this project was to answer the following two research questions: 1) What built environment factors influence perceptions of mode choice for residents of Jordan Downs and the surrounding Watts community?; and 2) How can LADOT best implement transportation investments to best address these perceptions?
Principal Investigator:
Anthony FonsecaFunding Source:
Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
ParkingThe advent of autonomous vehicles (AV) has spurred much discussion as to the implication of AV technology on parking demand in the urban environment. I conducted this research with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning as my client to discover what barriers and opportunities there are for the development of adaptable parking as well as what policies the City could employ to encourage development of adaptable parking structures should parking demand decrease in the future. Through my research I found that developers’ business models and timelines have a heavy weight in considerations made for implementing strategies to ensure parking structure adaptability. Another key finding is that low vacancy, high costs of development, and supply constrained markets are more favorable for building adaptable parking structures. Finally, my research finds that prioritizing the form of the parking structure in development standards and shifting emphasis from parking minimums towards the spatial efficiency of the parking layout can help promote adaptability.
Principal Investigator:
Katelyn StanglFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research Program & Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
ParkingParking minimums have been criticized for requiring developers to build more parking than they would without regulation; however, to date, few studies have explored why there might be variation in how much parking is built or why developers might willingly build parking above the minimums. To answer these questions, I assembled a sample of residential and mixed-use developments approved for construction in Los Angeles between 2013 and 2018 and analyzed if any development or neighborhood characteristics predicted parking above the minimum. I also interviewed 11 developers and real-estate professionals about parking minimums.
Principal Investigator:
Martin WachsFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research Program & Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Transportation FinanceLocal Option Sales Taxes (LOSTs) are a popular form of local transportation finance in California. Researchers partially attribute the success of LOSTs to the inclusion of expenditure plans that outline specific projects and services to be delivered using measure revenue over the 20 or more years the measure will be in place. Expenditure plans are commitments on the part of sponsoring transportation agencies, but issues of accountability might compromise these commitments and we are not aware of any prior research into the tension between commitments to projects and commitments to accountability that are both included in LOSTs.This research will examine how well expenditure plans presented in measures reflect actual project delivery over the life of the sales tax.
Principal Investigator:
Anastasia Loukaitou-SiderisFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research Program & Pacific Southwest Region 9 University Transportation CenterProgram Area(s):
Public Transit, Transportation & HealthTransit use is on the decline in many American cities. Research has shown that concerns about transit safety may influence travel behavior and transit use, and that women are particularly fearful about victimization while travelling. Studies have also shown that women are also very concerned about one type of crime — sexual harassment — which often goes unreported, and thus remains largely invisible to transit operators.The research team will survey college students in 16 cities in six continents to examine their patterns of mobility and transit, with an emphasis on their feelings of safety on public transit and other transportation modes, experiences of sexual harassment, and other types of crime and victimization on public transport and other transportation modes. The results of the survey will establish the extent to which fear regarding their safety affects college students’ transit ridership, and the research team will examine how survey responses may vary because of the students’ sociodemographic characteristics.
Principal Investigator:
Evelyn BlumenbergFunding Source:
Statewide Transportation Research ProgramProgram Area(s):
Access to Opportunities, Public TransitRidership at many transit agencies in California is declining. One issue raised in Falling Transit Ridership, but only lightly explored, is the changing spatial location of low-wage work and workers in California, and the implications of these changes for commuting and transit use. Transit commuting is highest in dense urban neighborhoods where residents live reasonably close to employment opportunities. However, low-income households and low-wage employment has suburbanized over time (Kneebone 2009; Kneebone, 2017) making it increasingly difficult for workers to commute by transit. Drawing on data from the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program the project will quantify changes in the spatial location of employment and workers from 2002 to 2015 in the five major California metropolitan areas. In particular, the analysis will include (a) the extent to which jobs and workers have decentralized over time by wage group (low, medium, high) (b) the changing location of workers and employment relative to transit-friendly neighborhoods and transit supply. The second part of the analysis examines whether rising rents in some regions of the state are pushing workers to live further from their workplaces over time.