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ItemSustainable Funding Mechanisms for Recreational Trails(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2022-05-03) Bray, Vincent MicahRecreational trails are a crucial component of public infrastructure in communities across the United States, having significant social, environmental, and economic impacts in urban, suburban, and rural settings. In addition to benefits derived from recreation, trails also play an important role for commuters seeking alternative modes to motorized vehicles. Furthermore, recreational trails have provided communities with outdoor space to foster resiliency in the face of lockdowns and quarantines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite growing national importance, deficits in funding for operations and maintenance (O&M) have led to deferred maintenance backlogs that reduce the value added by recreational trails while worsening negative environmental impacts. This work proposes a value capture (VC) approach to funding trail O&M that dedicates state sales tax revenue generated from retail trade and food and accommodation services supported by recreational trails to trust funds that can be distributed to state and local trail managing entities. State-level estimates are generated using economic data from the Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis to estimate sales tax revenue from activities and industries supported by trails. VC estimates are further analyzed to assess the scale and stability of this funding approach before identifying methods for implementation of this approach. Findings of this study include: 1) total estimated state sales tax revenue of $10.64 billion in 2020 USD suggests that VC could greatly expand O&M funding for trails at the state level; 2) not all states may see growth in economic activity supported by recreational trails as demographic shifts occur between states; and 3) successful implementation of VC would likely require legislative protections to prevent reduction of appropriations or diversion of funds to other state accounts.
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ItemAnalyzing the difference between bike share trips made on regular and electric bicycles(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019-09-11) Borsch, AdamIn 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.
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ItemAdvancing strategic focuses through performance-based evaluation – the growth of state dot approaches(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2017-08-01) Sperling, Elliot AsherAs a result of the enactment of the 2012 national surface transportation legislation, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), performance-based approaches have substantially grown in importance and use. States are examining their existing processes to ensure increases in transportation system performance over time. Certain states have developed internal processes that demonstrate use of a performance-based approach that effectively integrates both planning and programming decisions to meet agency-based objectives and national performance targets, and aligns with agency strategic goal areas. Through this research a national survey was developed and implemented to identify state transportation agency practices, which use multi-objective decision analysis (MODA) approaches to evaluate and prioritize strategic investments across asset categories. Agencies that are more advanced in project evaluation are able to quantify project values before they are funded to ensure that they are in alignment with an agency’s overall goals and, at the same time, demonstrate worthwhile investments to the taxpayers in an environment of fiscal constraint. Recent shifts towards more data-driven approaches in project evaluation are providing far more objectivity and certainty to project sponsors, and have led to more collaborative transportation processes for planning and programming. By linking state-based and national performance goals to evaluation methods, states will be better positioned to improve performance over time for their multi-modal transportation systems and better meet public expectations with the limited amount of resources and funding that are available. With growing uncertainties over future travel demands, the introduction of new technologies, and the phasing out of old technologies, strategic approaches will grow in importance.
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ItemParking policies for resurging cities: An Atlanta case study(Geomrgia Institute of Technology, 2016-08-01) Pringle, Jeshua D.Parking policies lie at the intersection of land use and transportation. Although often overlooked by traditional planning and engineering methods, parking can serve as an amplifier for an area’s success or failure. The impact of parking can be revealed through a critical look at the history of parking and its role in decentralizing the urban core. The incorporation of parking into zoning regulations, and a commitment to shaping cities to accommodate the automobile, has contributed to the sprawling development patterns seen across the United States. Parking, and the policies that govern parking, are a reflection of a city’s priorities. Cities that provide ample free parking incentivize travel by automobile; yet, dense urban cores are capable of efficiently supporting travel by alternative modes. On the other hand, cities that manage parking through regulations, technology, and pricing can achieve a better balance in commute mode choice. As cities across the U.S. experience a resurgence of their urban core, the policies that govern parking should be re-evaluated to reflect those cities’ future priorities. This thesis evaluates policies that shape the way parking is managed in cities and assesses the potential impact of these policies in the central business district of Atlanta, GA.
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ItemInnovations in multi-modal, schematic transit mapping: an exploratory survey(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013-04-09) Carragher, Margaret FinchCities like New York and Chicago have comprehensive heavy rail networks that provide not only high frequency service, but also reach popular destinations and employment centers. Although many other cities strive for similar transit infrastructure, acquiring the financial backing and/or right-of-way to develop these transit systems can take years. To develop transit systems in a more timely and cost-effective manner, cities are using alternative transportation modes such as light rail, streetcars, bus rapid transit (BRT), and frequent local buses. As cities become more multi-modal, their system maps become more confusing. Historically, systems have provided separate transit maps for each transit mode they provide. However, integration of these new modes requires integration of system maps. Experts in the field of transit mapping have been calling for frequent transit maps, which highlight routes that provide frequent service or reach important destinations, regardless of mode. Some cities have implemented these multi-modal maps successfully, but to date, there is no documented guidance to assist agencies in creating these maps. Using Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) in Atlanta as a case study, the research team created multiple maps that include three transit modes throughout the city and tested them through surveys on transit riders and non-riders. Each map adds BRT and local bus routes that meet specific frequency and/or location criteria to the existing rail map. This project examines reactions of transit riders and non-riders to these new multi-modal, schematic maps. Through surveys targeting individuals with different transit ridership habits, this project explores the potential to affect ridership on these alternative modes and enhance system understanding beyond the rail map. The results of these surveys demonstrate the need to simplify system maps, the public desire for frequency mapping, and the potential to increase ridership on alternative modes. These results build on previous work that schematic maps affect rider spatial understanding of the system and route or mode decisions. Including more modes on the map in an efficient and visually pleasing way, results of this project found that both riders and non-riders would take transit more and better understand how all of the modes interact together to form a comprehensive transit network.