Organizational Unit:

School of City and Regional Planning

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https://hdl.handle.net/1853/70772

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Organizational Unit

College of Design

Includes Organization(s)

Organizational Unit

Eco Urban Lab

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https://finding-aids.library.gatech.edu/agents/corporate_entities/1122

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Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 58

Analyzing the difference between bike share trips made on regular and electric bicycles

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-09-11) Borsch, Adam

In 2017, JUMP Bicycle Company introduced dockless electric bicycles in several cities in the United States. Two of these cities were Austin, TX, and Atlanta, GA, both of which already had bikeshare companies operating with traditional non-electric bicycle fleets. This makeup of two unique sources of data for non-electric and electric bikeshare in these two cities presents a unique opportunity to study the difference between trips made on a pedal-assist bicycle and a standard bicycle that are a part of an urban bikeshare network. To conduct this work, the researchers collected three months of data in each of the cities and analyzed the data by comparing trip counts, mapping the origins and destinations and the routes of the trips, and finally analyzing the distance and other characteristics of the trips. The results of the study found an increase in the number of bikeshare trips taken in both cities, however, many of these new electric bicycle trips come at the expense of existing bikeshare trips. The geographic area covered by the trips increase greatly when electric bicycles trips are compared to regular bike trips in both cities, however, the average trip lengths stayed constant. Results suggest the introduction of electric bikeshares is a promising prospect to increase mobility and will need to be incorporated into transportation plans for cities moving forward.
Economic and social sustainability of sidewalk infrastructure

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-08-27) Patel, Deep

The presence of sidewalks and quality of sidewalk infrastructure are important indicators of perceived pedestrian safety and the walkability of neighborhoods. However, a wide gap exists between the accessibility and quality of infrastructure provided for pedestrians compared to the infrastructure provided for motorized vehicles. While there may be numerous reasons for poor quality of pedestrian infrastructure across cities and neighborhoods, one of the main reasons is the lack of sustained operation and maintenance programs among these local government agencies. This study outlines an approach to quantify sidewalk infrastructure costs over an 80-year life cycle period. Equivalent annual costs for three different scenarios are allocated in part directly to property owners, with the remaining costs in each scenario recovered over time through an equivalent increase in property tax millage rates. The four sidewalk management scenarios are then examined in more detail to assess how implementation may differentially impact Atlanta’s 244 neighborhoods and their residents across income and ethnicity groups. The two somewhat surprising findings of the study are: 1) even though sidewalk infrastructure may have a lifespan of more than 40-years, the costs of owning and operating this infrastructure over an 80-year period with replacement are high; and 2) low income neighborhoods are negatively impacted when portions of sidewalk infrastructure management costs are allocated directly to property owners, rather than handling sustainable management through traditional property tax assessment methods.
Estimating managed lanes door-to-door travel timesavings using shortest path algorithms

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-08-27) Chang, Chia-Huai

Implementing managed lanes, such as high-occupancy toll lanes, within existing urban highway corridors has become increasingly common in cities that want to provide a reliable transportation option but lack sufficient right-of-way to construct new corridors. This study develops a framework that utilizes a shortest path algorithm to compare before and after commute routes and estimate the change in door-to-door travel time offered by managed lane facilities. Using this modeling approach, a case study is explored for the Northwest Corridor (NWC) managed lane facility located in the Atlanta, Georgia, region. The shortest path routines predict that the facility provides a 21.0% - 27.1% decrease in door-to-door travel time for the NWC managed lane users, and a 5.8% – 12.0% travel time decrease for non-NWC general-purpose lane users, for corridor travelers departing home between 6:30 and 8:30 A.M. (traversing the corridor between 6:30 A.M. and 10:00 A.M.). This framework can be easily customized and applied to any other commute route/time change assessment for major managed lane projects.
Estimating demand for an electric vertical landing and takeoff (eVTOL) air taxi service using discrete choice modeling

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-07-30) Boddupalli, Sreekar-Shashank

Urban Air Mobility (UAM), often referred to in the press as “flying cars,” is slated to be the next big thing in transportation. As congestion continues to increase on our roads and transit systems are in dire need of maintenance, commuters are looking out for other alternatives that can save time, and be cost-efficient, safe, and comfortable. With numerous companies vying to launch their service in the early part of the next decade, it is essential to analyze the effectiveness of UAM solutions and model how UAM could compete against the other, more established modes of transportation. A travel demand modeling study, on the basis of the utility maximization theory, has been conducted based on a stated preference survey of 2,500 commuters living and working in the Atlanta, Boston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Francisco, and Los Angeles areas. The study provides estimates of market share for the new air taxi service assuming current market conditions (i.e., no autonomous ground vehicles).
It takes green to go green: An Atlanta-based evaluation of employer-provided commuting incentives as a method to overcome work site car-dependency

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-07-30) Greenwald, Jeremy Adams

Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is the concept of applying travel options and incentives to mitigate the effects of congestion through human travel behavior change. While traditionally applied in a municipal context, TDM has recently penetrated the corporate landscape, where employers utilize financial incentives and work place perks to achieve a commuter mode shift in their employee population that often results in financial benefits and increased employee well-being and productivity. A limitation in current employer-based TDM and within existing relevant literature is the arbitrary nature in which transportation alternatives and incentives are applied. This thesis, and the incorporated Atlanta, GA employer case study, aims to further define the influence of travel-related behaviors within employee populations and the targeted methods of incentivization that could be applied to overcome alternative mode barriers. This research specifically evaluates the viability of carpooling and transit as alternative modes within the corporate commuting landscape, distinguishing between carpool driver and carpool passenger. A mixed-method survey approach is utilized to inform a multinomial logistic regression analysis that produces utility measures for socio-demographic and TDM-related variables. This work offers value to the field of corporate TDM by providing a contemporary reference point for TDM practitioners that can help them effectively target incentives to achieve their workplace commuting-related objectives.
Federal transit funding implications of urbanization: A nationwide assessment

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-08-24) Douglass, Sara Caroline

Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of the US population residing in urban areas increased by over 12% (US Census Bureau 2011). Using variables to predict urbanization (proximity and economic variables, among others) and population projections, we expect the results of the 2020 decennial census to demonstrate the same trend. This thesis research will examine how the growth of Urbanized Areas in the United States will impact funding for rural transit through the FTA § 5311 formula funding program after the 2020 Census. Transit agencies in the US receive federal funding based on their urban classification, as defined by the US decennial census. Larger geographic areas, for these purposes, can either be classified as non-urbanized or urbanized, depending on the population density of the comprised census tracts. Within the urbanized category, there are small urban and large urban areas. Due to the geographic expansion of metropolitan areas, many cities and counties that were classified as non-urbanized in the 2010 Census could become enveloped into “large urban” areas (this occurs through outward growth). Rural transit agencies that shift to large urban would lose their ability to use federal funding for operating expenses (FTA 2015). This is because 50% of federal transit funding for rural systems can be used to cover operating expenses, while no portion of federal funding urban systems can be applied to operations (FTA 2015). The loss of operations funding could be challenging for rural transit systems, especially for those that do not receive any local funding support. A model has already been produced to identify the areas in Georgia that will likely shift from rural to large urban after the 2020 Census (Nord, 2018 & Douthat, Garrow, Nord, 2018). This research will attempt to extend this model to conduct a national-level assessment for the same issue. The applications of this research are to 1) prepare state Departments of Transportation for shifts in federal rural transit funding; and 2) drive policy change to promote regulatory reform that more fully considers the “trending urban” issue when considering federal funding for transit operating expenses.
Assessing the potential of autonomous transit shuttles as a first-and-last mile public transportation solution

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-07-27) Walls, Daniel Beckett

Automated vehicle (AV) technology has the potential to improve safety and vehicle energy efficiency, increase mobility, lower travel costs, and increase roadway capacity. Much of this potential, however, relies on how the vehicles are deployed and the resulting shifts in travel behaviors. If the travel cost and mobility improvements are realized, the success of AVs could come at the expense of public transit ridership. Facing this modal competition, there may be an opportunity for transit agencies to integrate AVs into their existing systems as a first-and-last mile solution for riders; merging the efficiencies of passenger rail and mass transit with the door-to-door convenience of personal vehicles. This research assesses such a scenario to model whether there would be travel time, cost savings, and other impacts to riders. Specifically, this research assesses the potential for on-demand, fully electric AV shuttles to serve as a first-and-last mile solution within 2.0-miles of all MARTA rail stations. A multi-modal routing platform was used to simulate trips and compare travel times between the proposed AV shuttle-transit service and the existing modal options of driving a conventional vehicle, walking to and from MARTA’s current bus and rail network, and using park-and-ride lots to access MARTA. The routing platform used for this research also includes an energy module and a cost module, allowing the modal options to be compared on energy consumption per trip, and cost to the traveler. Demographic information tied to the trip data was retained, offering a high-level picture of potential populations served. Nearly 7,000 trips were processed through the routing platform. On average, travel times for the simulated AV shuttle service were not competitive with conventional driving (when parking time is excluded), but they were competitive with park-and-ride, and showed significant travel time improvements over MARTA’s existing service. Driving also came in with the lowest average trip cost, excluding parking and sunk vehicle costs. In terms of energy consumption, the proposed AV shuttle service showed significantly lower energy use than the other modes. The AV shuttle service would offer other benefits as well, including expanding MARTA’s effective service area, travel time savings for transit captive riders, and improved transit service for minority populations.
An assessment of pedestrian infrastructure quality and the effect on travel time and mobility for users with physical limitations

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-05-11) Dyess, Chelsea

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the potential effect that pedestrian infrastructure ADA compliance issues may have on persons with disabilities or physical limitations. Pedestrian infrastructure was inventoried and compliance issues were assessed in Midtown, Atlanta using the Sidewalk Sentry and Sidewalk Scout applications. Pedestrian infrastructure inspection data for the Midtown network were compared to ADA design standards and sidewalk sections were assigned an overall compliance value. Using the ADA compliance issues, travel-time impedance values were assigned to each sidewalk and ramp element that comprise the pedestrian infrastructure in Midtown. Five sets of travel time impedance values were assigned to the infrastructure, where travel time impedance values were assigned using historical rankings of the most problematic sidewalk barriers according to disabled persons. Using Network Analyst in ArcGIS, the shortest paths were calculated between 500 random origins and destinations before and after assigning issues a travel time impedance value. The results of the analysis indicate that while current pedestrian infrastructure may meet the needs of able-bodied users, the infrastructure limits the mobility of persons with disabilities. The findings show that pedestrian infrastructure that is in disrepair increases the average travel time and length of travel for persons with disabilities. Noncompliant pedestrian infrastructure also prohibits disabled persons from making approximately one fourth of the trips that an able-bodied person can make in Midtown, Atlanta.
Linking MPBN and system of system thinking: To improve outcomes in urban environments using Chinese worker villages as a test case

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-04-30) Tobey, Michael Boynton

Urban environments are composed of a multitude of systems that actively engage with each other to maintain, grow, and define the physical forms of the city. These individual aspects can be divided up into a series of system trees that form distinct entities, but together they corm a complete matrix of systems that influence and affect the urban context. These systems fall under two significant categorizations of flows either those mostly affecting the physical world and those that are more confined to the virtual or non-physical world. Often the boundary between these two systems, or elements within them, are not neatly contained to themselves as they intermingle and create uncertain and stochastic edgeless systems. This paper is to focus on the coupling of the Material – Product – Building – Neighborhood system, and the system-of-systems thinking for logistical systems for a single material pathway.
A statewide assesment of areas trending urban in Georgia and the implications for transit funding

(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2018-01-22) Nord, Anna Herren

There are two main sources of funding for public transit that depend on Decennial Census populations. Rural (urban) transit funding is for areas with populations less than (more than) 50,000. Urban funding is further classified into small urban and large urban areas depending on whether the population is less than or greater than 200,000. Only rural and small urban areas can use their transit funding for operating assistance. Given funding is tied to Decennial Census populations, it is important to understand how transit funding may be impacted by changes in population from 2010 to 2020. The purpose of this research is to estimate the impacts of urbanization on rural public transit funding for Georgia. This study predicts which areas in Georgia will be reclassified from rural to urban in the 2020 Census using 2020 population projections from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service and the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) and data from the US Census Bureau. Three urbanization scenarios are modeled at the Census block level using a multinomial logit regression. The results suggest that the model correctly predicts 93.5 percent of the cases and most influential variables are population density and an indicator variable equal to one if the block is within the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The mapped results indicate that outward urban growth might lead to multiple urban clusters and urbanized areas merging, especially around the Atlanta Urbanized Area. Urbanization trends in Georgia could cause at least seven counties to transition from rural transit funding to large urban transit funding. This is important, as rural areas that merge into the Atlanta area will lose operating assistance for public transit after 2020. In addition, results suggest at least thirteen counties will be eligible for a mix of rural and small urban funding.