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• 1. [Article] Overlooked Destinations: Suburban Nodes, Centers, and Trips to Strips

  This study looks at travel to typical suburban commercial strips by residents living within one-third of a mile of the strip by focusing on six sites – four in the Portland, OR., metro area and two in ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Overlooked Destinations: Suburban Nodes, Centers, and Trips to Strips Author: Larco, Nico, Parker, Robert Year: 2013 This study looks at travel to typical suburban commercial strips by residents living within one-third of a mile of the strip by focusing on six sites – four in the Portland, OR., metro area and two in the Atlanta, GA., metro area. The study mapped pedsheds around the commercial strips in these sites and found significant increases in network extents when formal and informal pedestrian paths were added to street centerline data. Informal networks such as goat paths through vacant land and cuts in fences were widespread and suggest a pent-up demand for route directness. Travel surveys of residents found significant amounts of walking and biking in these areas – just over one-third of all trips to the commercial strip – with travel distance and walking along or across arterials affecting mode choice. This suggests network extent and connectivity to be a critical factor in increasing walking and biking in these suburban areas. Resident motivations behind mode choice included convenience (which mode is easiest); cost (active travel is less expensive than auto travel); and culture (a pattern of driving or active travel, regardless of ease or cost). There was little variation across sites, suggesting that this level of active travel and the motivations behind it are fairly consistent, with a few variations, across income and geography. Title: Overlooked Destinations: Suburban Nodes, Centers, and Trips to Strips Author: Larco, Nico, Parker, Robert Year: 2013 This study looks at travel to typical suburban commercial strips by residents living within one-third of a mile of the strip by focusing on six sites – four in the Portland, OR., metro area and two in the Atlanta, GA., metro area. The study mapped pedsheds around the commercial strips in these sites and found significant increases in network extents when formal and informal pedestrian paths were added to street centerline data. Informal networks such as goat paths through vacant land and cuts in fences were widespread and suggest a pent-up demand for route directness. Travel surveys of residents found significant amounts of walking and biking in these areas – just over one-third of all trips to the commercial strip – with travel distance and walking along or across arterials affecting mode choice. This suggests network extent and connectivity to be a critical factor in increasing walking and biking in these suburban areas. Resident motivations behind mode choice included convenience (which mode is easiest); cost (active travel is less expensive than auto travel); and culture (a pattern of driving or active travel, regardless of ease or cost). There was little variation across sites, suggesting that this level of active travel and the motivations behind it are fairly consistent, with a few variations, across income and geography. Close

• 2. [Article] Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Community Needs Assessment

  Dependence on fossil fuels, climate change, and degraded air quality are forcing the auto industry and consumers to seek alternative solutions to the current transportation system. Significant technical ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Community Needs Assessment Author: Parker, Robert, Brode, Juli, Rowell, John Year: 2012 Dependence on fossil fuels, climate change, and degraded air quality are forcing the auto industry and consumers to seek alternative solutions to the current transportation system. Significant technical breakthroughs are allowing automakers to develop electric vehicles (EVs) that transcend some of the key barriers that limited them historically. Plug in electric vehicles entered the Oregon marketplace in early 2011. A range of reports suggest the demand for EVs will grow rapidly once affordable highway speed vehicles become available. ODOT identified the lack of a reliable network of electric vehicle service equipment (e.g., charging stations) that increases the range of these vehicles as the biggest barrier to widespread adoption of EV technology. The demand for charging stations is expected to grow quickly as ODOT forecasts that EVs may account up to 20% of the new vehicles sold on Oregon within a decade. This project included the following elements: (1) a literature review on EV technology and development strategies; (2) a local demand assessment; (3) assessment of power load implications for local utilities based on local demand and different charging station scenarios; (4) charging station siting implications, including required infrastructure; (5) potential locations for charging infrastructure in Eugene-Springfield metro area; (6) development of materials and outreach strategies to raise public awareness of EVs; and (7) product designs for EV charging stations. This project directly supports OTREC’s objectives for educational proposals. CPW’s transportation focused service learning class in collaboration with Design Bridge (1) increased the transportation element of an existing class, and (2) provided opportunities for students to integrate transportation into architectural design, thereby promoting learning across disciplines in the transportation field. Title: Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Community Needs Assessment Author: Parker, Robert, Brode, Juli, Rowell, John Year: 2012 Dependence on fossil fuels, climate change, and degraded air quality are forcing the auto industry and consumers to seek alternative solutions to the current transportation system. Significant technical breakthroughs are allowing automakers to develop electric vehicles (EVs) that transcend some of the key barriers that limited them historically. Plug in electric vehicles entered the Oregon marketplace in early 2011. A range of reports suggest the demand for EVs will grow rapidly once affordable highway speed vehicles become available. ODOT identified the lack of a reliable network of electric vehicle service equipment (e.g., charging stations) that increases the range of these vehicles as the biggest barrier to widespread adoption of EV technology. The demand for charging stations is expected to grow quickly as ODOT forecasts that EVs may account up to 20% of the new vehicles sold on Oregon within a decade. This project included the following elements: (1) a literature review on EV technology and development strategies; (2) a local demand assessment; (3) assessment of power load implications for local utilities based on local demand and different charging station scenarios; (4) charging station siting implications, including required infrastructure; (5) potential locations for charging infrastructure in Eugene-Springfield metro area; (6) development of materials and outreach strategies to raise public awareness of EVs; and (7) product designs for EV charging stations. This project directly supports OTREC’s objectives for educational proposals. CPW’s transportation focused service learning class in collaboration with Design Bridge (1) increased the transportation element of an existing class, and (2) provided opportunities for students to integrate transportation into architectural design, thereby promoting learning across disciplines in the transportation field. Close