Date: July 1, 2021
Author(s): Fariba Siddiq, Brian D. Taylor
Abstract
In the United States, local governments typically evaluate the transportation impacts of new development based on the expected effects of the development on nearby traffic flows. These flows are most often measured in terms of “level-of-service,” or LOS. If a traffic impact analysis (TIA) finds that the LOS on streets and intersections near the proposed development will degrade below a certain threshold, the project developer may be required to undertake mitigation efforts. LOS mitigation frequently ignores travel via modes other than motor vehicles. This emphasis on nearby traffic effects and motor vehicle mobility can discourage development in already built-up areas and, in doing so, ignore both the project’s regional effects on travel and traffic and the economic, social, and environmental benefits that arise from agglomerations of activities. There is a push for an accessibility-focused approach to assess the transportation effects of new developments. For this research, we (1) developed a conceptual framework for accessibility analysis (Figure 1), (2) used this framework to assess the promise and pitfalls of 54 measures and tools developed to evaluate access, and (3) conducted interviews with five practitioners around the U.S. to learn about early efforts to incorporate access measurement into planning practice
About the Project
For decades evaluation of the benefits and costs of new- or re- development in urban areas has centered on the effects of development on nearby traffic flows. Historically, and in […]