Transportation Planning

[Cassy Thompson]

   Different cities across the nation have different vibes and styles of transportation. As we studied TOD's and Portland, we see an emphasis on walkability, bike use, and decrease in automobile use as they focus on density and proximity in the city. Analyzing Dallas, I immediately think about the traffic, overcrowded highways, and the lack of walking and use of public transportation in the city. Therefore, bigger cities have different approaches to transportation and their planning process for their city in this topic. This article suggest ten, simple rules of urban transportation planning that they believe to make it successful within a city, and there are a few that I personally believe should apply to every city and area and is in relation to the discussion of TOD and Portland.

   Rule #1 in the article expresses the need to acknowledge and accommodate the real needs of the people and the area and place a focus on them. A lot of times there is such a great emphasis on taxes, development and growth, and revenue, the people that all of these areas affect are forgotten in this process. Rather than first thinking about the details, there is a need to "prepare your plans and programs in cooperation with the public concerned." Transportation development specifically does have an impact on efficiency within a city, but it primarily effects the individuals and is a "social, psychological, economical, ecological, architectural and engineering job."

  Rule #3 in the article is especially relevant to the idea behind TOD and discusses that there must be a balance between transportation and land use. The TOD concept focuses mainly on density and proximity and mixed use versus single use land and buildings. This article states that "high density with mixed land use is effective from a transportation point of view." Therefore, with transportation the use of mixed land will aid in decreasing longer distances and travel and provide better transportation.

   Rule #9 states that "the ground level of streets has to be primarily designed for pedestrians and cyclists, including wide sidewalks, bike lanes, and crossways over the driving lanes." If a city wants to follow the TOD idea and implement a more community friendly environment with increase in walking, biking, etc., then they need to make that available directly for the people in the ways that is most effective.

   Overall, this article is extremely relevant to the TOD concept and study of transportation and approaches cities take to accomplish it.

The Ten Simple Rules of Urban Transportation Planning