Urban Transportation Council TAC Spring Technical Meetings 6 April 2008

1. Best Practices for Technical Delivery of Transportation Planning Studies:Project Overview and FindingsDavid Kriger, iTRANS Consulting Inc. • Urban Transportation Council • TAC Spring Technical Meetings • 6 April 2008

2. Outline of Presentation • Introduction • Study process • Findings (profile) • Best Practices • Development of Guidelines • Next steps

3. Acknowledgements • TAC – TP&R SC • Katarina Cvetkovic (Project Manager) - TAC • Project Steering Committee (PSC): • David Durant (Chair) – Region of Waterloo, ON • Jaime Boan – City of Surrey, BC • James Der – AIT • Tom Eichenbaum / Kerry Davren – City of Burlington, ON • Wayne Gienow / Miranda Carlberg – Sask MHI • Murray McLeod / Brian Lakeman – Region of Peel, ON • Carol Hébert / Paul-André Roy – Ville de Gatineau, QC • Pierre Tremblay - MTQ • Dr. J. Allen Stewart (advisor) – Royal Military College • Study financial sponsors: • PSC + Infrastructure Canada’s Knowledge-building, Outreach and Awareness program

4. Introduction

5. Introduction • Object is to provide a ‘best practices’ guide for technical aspects of transportation planning: • Identify planning needs (current + emerging) • Identify analytical methods (tools / models) • Evaluate tools (model software) • Identify supporting data • Prepare database (‘pull-out’ guide)

6. Small / Medium Communities • Focus on transportation planning needs for small- and medium-sized communities: • Stand-alone municipalities • Municipalities within larger regions • Population 10,000 - 250,000 • Many different organizations have responsibility • Findings are also applicable to planning for larger communities

7. Technical Aspects • Best practices: • Applied innovation • Practices proven successful • Models: • Forecast traffic, ridership, freight flows, … • Can be ‘one-line’ analysis • Data: used to calibrate and validate models, or as input to model forecasts • Outputs used as basis for needs identification, revenues, GHG, …

8. Long-range Transportation Plan • Identifies needs for multi-modal transportation infrastructure or services • Horizon can be 10+ years • Identifies priorities and costs • 11 types identified: • Some types mandated; others as needed • Names, context vary by Province / Territory • Emerging needs also considered: • Sustainable transportation • New funding programs (e.g., transit)

9. Types of LRTPs • Transportation master plans or strategies • Sub-area or neighbourhood transportation plans • Corridor planning studies • Transportation capital programmes / budgets • Development Charge studies • Transit service or operational plans • Policy or research / background studies (e.g. funding) • Travel demand management studies • Air quality / congestion management studies • Freight plans / strategies • Environmental assessment / functional plans

10. Study Process

11. Study Process • Several components to study: • Literature review • Online survey of practitioners • Review of current / emerging issues and best practices • Contact with TRB ADA30 (US) • Model software evaluation • Development of pull-out Best Practices Guide

12. Online Survey • E/F survey sent to 400+ agencies • Total of 53 complete responses (+6 partial responses): • 7 Provincial / Territorial MoTs • 8 regional municipalities • 4 municipalities > 250,000 population • 10 municipalities 100,000 – 250,000 pop • 9 municipalities 50,000 – 100,000 pop • 12 municipalities < 50,000 pop • 3 transit operators • Represents 10 provinces and territories

13. Findings (profile)

14. Pervasive Lack of Resources

15. Most – but not all – use Model/Analysis • 65% used travel demand models: • Use oriented towards larger organizations • Some smaller communities had access to models of others • 18% used trend analysis • Computer-based tools available • Data may be a constraint to use • Organization type, size influence: • Who owns forecasting model • Who uses model regularly

16. Transportation Analytical Methods • Challenges include: • Lack of funding • Lack of expertise • Lack of resources • Communities need: • Regular traffic count programs • Modelling at more detail at local level • New software or upgrades • Training

17. Transportation Data • Basics are covered (road inventory, counts, population) but coverage of anything beyond varies • Challenges and opportunities: • Ability to integrate GPS, GIS and other technology • Privacy / confidentiality issues • Managing data volume and usefulness • Increased efficiency in data sharing and purchasing

18. Interface with Other Applications • Applications of planning data: • Use data as often / in as many ways as possible • Partnerships and financing • Addition of transportation planning data to performance measurement toolbox • Use in land use planning; economic analyses (e.g., development charge studies); energy, sustainability and environmental analyses • Transportation planning partnerships: • Academic and research organizations • Regional and provincial bodies • Other municipalities – both locally and nationally • Outside agencies (e.g., health) and consultants

19. Preparedness for the Future • Emerging / growing issues (sustainability, environment, increased interest in transit…) • Key challenges / factors for success: • Staff resources • Good data • Data sharing and cooperation • Appropriate tools and data • Funding • Political and community support • Overall transportation planning strategy with regular updates and regular, complete data collection

20. Best Practices

21. 1. Modelling Approach • Ensure analytical capability matches needs: • Ability to model peak hours and (as required) transit are important • Implies use of four-step modelling approach • Could use 24-hour model and simple factors (peak, transit), but complex problems or changing situation require appropriate analytical capability for response • Activity-based modelling and other new developments have potential, but we’re not there yet • Trend analysis can be used in slow-growing, stable communities

22. 1. Modelling Approach • External, through and bypass demand important for smaller communities: • Models focus on ‘urban’ travel – need add-on • Simulate as function of economic growth, percentage of through trips from counts • Truck models also can be important (add-on) • GIS are widely used  available platform: • Many data are stored on GIS • Models are still standalone tools and most are not well integrated

23. 2. Data Collection • US National Household Travel Survey, Journey to Work and Commodity Flow Surveys provide national coverage for passenger and goods • Stated preference surveys quantify how travellers / shippers would behave in a new situation (tolls, RT; but also TDM) • Complement OD (revealed preference) surveys, for which a basic need still exists • Use of electronic technologies is growing and offers significant opportunities at low unit cost: • GPS, roadside detectors, … • GoogleEarth, etc.

24. 3. Transferability of Data and Rates • Focus on ‘basic’ data; budgetary constraints are common to US communities as well • Research addresses methods to share data: • Develop statistically-reliable methods for importing rates from other communities • Use NHTS to estimate travel behaviour by household for small- / medium-sized communities • Could Census Place of Residence / Place of Work by Mode serve as a base for Canada? (with some additions)

25. 4. Simplified Approach (1) • TMIP and TTI (1999) developed a series of guides for small- / medium-sized communities: • Addressed financial planning, land use planning, freight planning, forecasting (determined by funding requirements) • Maximized use of existing resources (data, local experts, borrowed information, …) • Provided options – e.g., with model or without model • Explained terms for multiple audiences • Can draw from this and other US guides, but legal / funding contexts are not always applicable or do not exist in Canada

26. 5. Simplified Approach (2) • NCHRP Guidebook for Freight Policy, Planning and Programming in Small- and Medium-Sized Metropolitan Areas (2007) • Regional freight profile (infrastructure, generators, demand) • Freight needs and deficiencies (congestion, accident locations, geometric constraints, …) • Long range plan for freight (integrate into overall long range transportation plan) • General model: focus on specifics; be practical • Can be quantitative or qualitative • Designed to optimize existing resources; can collect more data

27. 6. Evaluation • Indicators / evaluation measures should: • Provide clear direction or purpose • Be based on a simple set of metrics • Provide routine, readable reports • Need to consider: • Accessibility / mobility • Economic development • Environmental and resource conservation / sustainability principles • Safety

28. 6. Performance Indicators and Evaluation Measures • Accessibility/Mobility • Bicycle Facilities, HOV lanes, Average Travel Time, Average Trip Length, Overall mode split, Total Travel Time, Delay per VKT, Lost time due to congestion • Reliability • LOS (Intersection, movement), v/c ratio, Travel Speed • Economic Development • Economic cost of accidents, User Cost Distance • Safety • Number of accidents per year, Number of accidents per capita, Number of accidents per VKT, Average response time for emergency services • Social and Environmental Sustainability • Sidewalk coverage, Overall mode split, Fuel usage, GHG or Air Contaminant Emissions, Traffic noise exposure, Relative growth in traffic volumes

29. Guidelines

30. Best Practices Guide • Intended to be guide for small- and medium-sized municipalities • Three steps: • Organize 11 study types: cannot categorize models and data unless the different types of plans are organized • Identify triggers  identifies LRTP type • Given an application (LRTP type), what tools, methods and data are needed?

31. Transportation Planning Studies

32. Transportation Planning Studies • Can follow “top down” or “bottom up” approach • May be motivated by specific problem or challenge – “Triggers” • Sample Trigger:

33. Guidelines for the Selection of Analytical Tools • Guidelines to select tools type based on: • Size of population • Transportation plan types • Approach to analytical tool • Urban context (stand-alone or as part of larger region) • Approach

34. Guidelines for Addressing Data Needs for Analysis • Data sources and type of data required identified based on: • Size of population • Urban context • Transportation plan types • Approach

35. Next Steps

36. Next Steps • Finalize report, guidelines • Report will be published on TAC website • TAC presentations: Fall 2008 • Opportunities for: • TAC fall 2008 workshop • Cross-Canada training / dissemination

37. For more information: • David Durant, Region of Waterloo (Steering Committee chair) – ddavid@region.waterloo.on.ca • David Kriger, iTRANS (consultant) - dkriger@itransconsulting.com Thank you!