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• 21. [Article] Matthew Knight Arena Monitoring Report: Phase II

  27 pages

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Matthew Knight Arena Monitoring Report: Phase II Author: University of Oregon. Dept. of Planning, Public Policy and Management. Community Planning Workshop, Phillips, Madeline, Steiner, Bethany Year: 2016, 2012 27 pages Title: Matthew Knight Arena Monitoring Report: Phase II Author: University of Oregon. Dept. of Planning, Public Policy and Management. Community Planning Workshop, Phillips, Madeline, Steiner, Bethany Year: 2016, 2012 27 pages Close

• 22. [Article] The Boulevard Study: From Arterial to Asset -- Examining the Role of the Multi-Way Boulevard in Coordinated Transportation and Land Use Planning

  Cities that were once considered the most-desired places to live or for businesses to locate are now seeking ways to unclog their increasingly congested roadways and regain their quality of life. U.S. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Boulevard Study: From Arterial to Asset -- Examining the Role of the Multi-Way Boulevard in Coordinated Transportation and Land Use Planning Author: Gillem, Mark L. Year: 2010 Cities that were once considered the most-desired places to live or for businesses to locate are now seeking ways to unclog their increasingly congested roadways and regain their quality of life. U.S. Department of Transportation Strategic Plan Background Cities across the U.S. that are struggling with congestion resort to remedies that are increasingly difficult to implement. Adding capacity is a more challenging proposition given limited land availability, greater environmental constraints, and fiscal barriers. Replacing individual trips with transit has seen limited success and can typically only be justified at greater levels of density than many communities currently support. Multiway boulevards offer one possible but little studied alternative to congested arterials in metropolitan areas. These streets, which are common in Europe, have several lanes of faster moving through traffic in the middle separated by medians from parking and access lanes on the sides. With local traffic traveling in the slow moving access lanes, these streets support a wider array of land uses than typical arterials. Ground level retail uses can take advantage of on-street parking in the access lanes. Residential uses are attracted to the park-like quality of the landscaped boulevards. This study will investigate the transportation and land use potential of replacing the ubiquitous arterial with multiway boulevards. Objective. This is an applied research project that will examine the opportunities and constraints to converting an auto-oriented five-and six-lane arterial into a multiway boulevard with transit as a way of reducing congestion, improving pedestrian and automobile safety, and supporting more unified land uses. Hence, the study is well aligned with OTREC's theme of integrating land use and transportation planning as well as U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) strategic objectives focused on improving safety, enhancing mobility, and minimizing transportation related environmental impacts. Method and Scope The project will use a case study approach and will focus on the Franklin Corridor in the Eugene-Springfield area. Through a series of public workshops, planning studios, and student research efforts, University of Oregon graduate and undergraduate students in architecture, landscape architecture, and planning, along with local professionals, and members of the general public will work together to analyze existing conditions, develop planning objectives, prepare conceptual diagrams for development of the corridor, examine alternative right-of-way sections, and calculate potential future development capacities in terms of densities and open space. The work effort will be focused on developing a conceptual analysis of existing and proposed conditions rather than on detailed traffic modeling and design. The study area will include Franklin Boulevard from the eastern edge of Glenwood to Eugene's Ferry Street Bridge. The corridor is under intense development pressure. On the west end, Eugene's new Federal Courthouse will be the anchor for a 50-acre redeveloped industrial district. In the middle are proposals for the 80-acre Walnut Station Mixed Use Area. On the east end are redevelopment concepts for a 43-acre portion of Glenwood. In this project, we will look beyond these individual projects and study the potential for the corridor as a whole. Title: The Boulevard Study: From Arterial to Asset -- Examining the Role of the Multi-Way Boulevard in Coordinated Transportation and Land Use Planning Author: Gillem, Mark L. Year: 2010 Cities that were once considered the most-desired places to live or for businesses to locate are now seeking ways to unclog their increasingly congested roadways and regain their quality of life. U.S. Department of Transportation Strategic Plan Background Cities across the U.S. that are struggling with congestion resort to remedies that are increasingly difficult to implement. Adding capacity is a more challenging proposition given limited land availability, greater environmental constraints, and fiscal barriers. Replacing individual trips with transit has seen limited success and can typically only be justified at greater levels of density than many communities currently support. Multiway boulevards offer one possible but little studied alternative to congested arterials in metropolitan areas. These streets, which are common in Europe, have several lanes of faster moving through traffic in the middle separated by medians from parking and access lanes on the sides. With local traffic traveling in the slow moving access lanes, these streets support a wider array of land uses than typical arterials. Ground level retail uses can take advantage of on-street parking in the access lanes. Residential uses are attracted to the park-like quality of the landscaped boulevards. This study will investigate the transportation and land use potential of replacing the ubiquitous arterial with multiway boulevards. Objective. This is an applied research project that will examine the opportunities and constraints to converting an auto-oriented five-and six-lane arterial into a multiway boulevard with transit as a way of reducing congestion, improving pedestrian and automobile safety, and supporting more unified land uses. Hence, the study is well aligned with OTREC's theme of integrating land use and transportation planning as well as U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) strategic objectives focused on improving safety, enhancing mobility, and minimizing transportation related environmental impacts. Method and Scope The project will use a case study approach and will focus on the Franklin Corridor in the Eugene-Springfield area. Through a series of public workshops, planning studios, and student research efforts, University of Oregon graduate and undergraduate students in architecture, landscape architecture, and planning, along with local professionals, and members of the general public will work together to analyze existing conditions, develop planning objectives, prepare conceptual diagrams for development of the corridor, examine alternative right-of-way sections, and calculate potential future development capacities in terms of densities and open space. The work effort will be focused on developing a conceptual analysis of existing and proposed conditions rather than on detailed traffic modeling and design. The study area will include Franklin Boulevard from the eastern edge of Glenwood to Eugene's Ferry Street Bridge. The corridor is under intense development pressure. On the west end, Eugene's new Federal Courthouse will be the anchor for a 50-acre redeveloped industrial district. In the middle are proposals for the 80-acre Walnut Station Mixed Use Area. On the east end are redevelopment concepts for a 43-acre portion of Glenwood. In this project, we will look beyond these individual projects and study the potential for the corridor as a whole. Close

• 23. [Article] Bridge Damage Models for Seismic Risk Assessment of Oregon Highway Network

  The highway transportation network of the United States relies on the health and integrity of major infrastructure elements such as bridges. Frequently traveled parts of Oregon are within the seismically ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Bridge Damage Models for Seismic Risk Assessment of Oregon Highway Network Author: Dusicka, Peter, Roberts, Jeffery Year: 2011 The highway transportation network of the United States relies on the health and integrity of major infrastructure elements such as bridges. Frequently traveled parts of Oregon are within the seismically active Pacific Northwest and many of the bridges were designed and built to lateral demands that were assumed to be less than the current expectation, a deficiency caused by our growing awareness of seismic hazard and our enhanced understanding of the non-linear response of bridges. This vulnerability to damage from earthquakes can result in not only immediate damage, but also in potentially lingering economic impact caused by the disruption to traffic and freight mobility. Using analytical methods, fragility curves were constructed assuming lognormal capacity and demand distributions. Probability of failure was determined for the four damage state conditions of slight, moderate, extensive, and complete levels of damage. These statistical values were compared to the median and dispersion values proposed by other researchers, in addition to those calculated using guidelines from the HAZUS Technical Manual. Older multiple-span Oregon bridges were found to be significantly more fragile than the HAZUS models. As a result of this modeling and analysis effort, the relative fragility of the modeled typical 3-span and 5-span bridges was determined and quantified. Possible causes of the relatively high fragilities were also considered. Title: Bridge Damage Models for Seismic Risk Assessment of Oregon Highway Network Author: Dusicka, Peter, Roberts, Jeffery Year: 2011 The highway transportation network of the United States relies on the health and integrity of major infrastructure elements such as bridges. Frequently traveled parts of Oregon are within the seismically active Pacific Northwest and many of the bridges were designed and built to lateral demands that were assumed to be less than the current expectation, a deficiency caused by our growing awareness of seismic hazard and our enhanced understanding of the non-linear response of bridges. This vulnerability to damage from earthquakes can result in not only immediate damage, but also in potentially lingering economic impact caused by the disruption to traffic and freight mobility. Using analytical methods, fragility curves were constructed assuming lognormal capacity and demand distributions. Probability of failure was determined for the four damage state conditions of slight, moderate, extensive, and complete levels of damage. These statistical values were compared to the median and dispersion values proposed by other researchers, in addition to those calculated using guidelines from the HAZUS Technical Manual. Older multiple-span Oregon bridges were found to be significantly more fragile than the HAZUS models. As a result of this modeling and analysis effort, the relative fragility of the modeled typical 3-span and 5-span bridges was determined and quantified. Possible causes of the relatively high fragilities were also considered. Close

• 24. [Article] A Capping Case Study: Integrating Freight Rail into a Community Setting

  This investigation seeks to explore specific design solutions that could potentially enhance the capabilities of heavy rail facilities while increasing their safety and reducing their environmental and ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Capping Case Study: Integrating Freight Rail into a Community Setting Author: Schnabel, Jeff, Brasseur, Tristan Year: 2011 This investigation seeks to explore specific design solutions that could potentially enhance the capabilities of heavy rail facilities while increasing their safety and reducing their environmental and community impacts. Using Portland's Brooklyn Rail Yard as the study site, this case study explored the potential of structural platforms (caps) built above the existing rail yards to provide development space for expanding rail capacity and rail related activities. The potential for capping to reduce /eliminate conflicts between rail and non-rail uses will also be investigated. Finally, the various designs were presented for caps at the rail yard. Capping projects (the development of air rights above an existing use) have been successfully employed over other forms of transportation. Duluth Minnesota, Barcelona Spain, and Seattle Washington have each employed capping strategies to mitigate the impact of freeways on the urban fabric. This study will explore the potential of caps to address the specific conditions of a privately held freight rail facility. Key stakeholders will be identified including Union Pacific Railroad, TriMet, Portland Development Commission, Brooklyn Neighborhood Association, Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association and Reed Neighborhood Association. The stakeholders will be interviewed to identify the needs and impacts of freight rail on this particular site. Consultants with expertise on the mitigation of the identified impacts will be interviewed and their input documented. Precedents for potential solutions will be identified and documented. Sites in the Brooklyn Rail Yard will be selected as areas for additional study based upon their potential to illustrate the impact of the proposed solutions. Once the sites are selected a master plan will be generated that reflects input from the stakeholders, consultants, and precedent investigations. The master plan will be presented to stakeholders and consultants for their response to the proposed solutions. Title: A Capping Case Study: Integrating Freight Rail into a Community Setting Author: Schnabel, Jeff, Brasseur, Tristan Year: 2011 This investigation seeks to explore specific design solutions that could potentially enhance the capabilities of heavy rail facilities while increasing their safety and reducing their environmental and community impacts. Using Portland's Brooklyn Rail Yard as the study site, this case study explored the potential of structural platforms (caps) built above the existing rail yards to provide development space for expanding rail capacity and rail related activities. The potential for capping to reduce /eliminate conflicts between rail and non-rail uses will also be investigated. Finally, the various designs were presented for caps at the rail yard. Capping projects (the development of air rights above an existing use) have been successfully employed over other forms of transportation. Duluth Minnesota, Barcelona Spain, and Seattle Washington have each employed capping strategies to mitigate the impact of freeways on the urban fabric. This study will explore the potential of caps to address the specific conditions of a privately held freight rail facility. Key stakeholders will be identified including Union Pacific Railroad, TriMet, Portland Development Commission, Brooklyn Neighborhood Association, Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association and Reed Neighborhood Association. The stakeholders will be interviewed to identify the needs and impacts of freight rail on this particular site. Consultants with expertise on the mitigation of the identified impacts will be interviewed and their input documented. Precedents for potential solutions will be identified and documented. Sites in the Brooklyn Rail Yard will be selected as areas for additional study based upon their potential to illustrate the impact of the proposed solutions. Once the sites are selected a master plan will be generated that reflects input from the stakeholders, consultants, and precedent investigations. The master plan will be presented to stakeholders and consultants for their response to the proposed solutions. Close

• 25. [Article] Disseminating the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) Education Model

  The University of Oregon has developed a catalytic learning model that simultaneously meets the needs of both the next generation’s transportation workforce and cities looking for innovative and catalytic ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Disseminating the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) Education Model Author: Larco, Nico, Schlossberg, Marc Year: 2016 The University of Oregon has developed a catalytic learning model that simultaneously meets the needs of both the next generation’s transportation workforce and cities looking for innovative and catalytic ways to advance a new era of transportation goals. Named the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP), the model links local community priorities (as expressed through local plans and city council goals) with courses from a range of disciplines at a nearby university. The UO program engages 500+ multidisciplinary students annually in providing 60,000+ hours of work to city-identified projects using the existing administrative systems of both universities and local communities. This NITC technology transfer project assisted in the national dissemination of the SCYP model through a specific set of strategies and resources. These tools included turning training content into webinars and videos to communicate content virtually, disseminating training content through targeted on-site events, hosting a national training conference, and creating a searchable catalog platform of transportation projects from all the programs now running a version of SCYP at their universities. This project has catalyzed the creation of three new programs specifically (University of South Florida, University of Colorado Denver, and Western Washington University) and has provide helpful tools that have significantly increased the capacity of universities to access high-quality SCYP training material for their own future program development. Title: Disseminating the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) Education Model Author: Larco, Nico, Schlossberg, Marc Year: 2016 The University of Oregon has developed a catalytic learning model that simultaneously meets the needs of both the next generation’s transportation workforce and cities looking for innovative and catalytic ways to advance a new era of transportation goals. Named the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP), the model links local community priorities (as expressed through local plans and city council goals) with courses from a range of disciplines at a nearby university. The UO program engages 500+ multidisciplinary students annually in providing 60,000+ hours of work to city-identified projects using the existing administrative systems of both universities and local communities. This NITC technology transfer project assisted in the national dissemination of the SCYP model through a specific set of strategies and resources. These tools included turning training content into webinars and videos to communicate content virtually, disseminating training content through targeted on-site events, hosting a national training conference, and creating a searchable catalog platform of transportation projects from all the programs now running a version of SCYP at their universities. This project has catalyzed the creation of three new programs specifically (University of South Florida, University of Colorado Denver, and Western Washington University) and has provide helpful tools that have significantly increased the capacity of universities to access high-quality SCYP training material for their own future program development. Close

• 26. [Article] A Level-of-Service Model for Protected Bike Lanes

  Several methods exist for quantifying the quality of service provided by a roadway from a bicyclist’s perspective; however, many of these models do not consider physically protected bike lanes and, of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A Level-of-Service Model for Protected Bike Lanes Author: Foster, Nick, Monsere, Christopher, Dill, Jennifer, Clifton, Kelly Year: 2015 Several methods exist for quantifying the quality of service provided by a roadway from a bicyclist’s perspective; however, many of these models do not consider physically protected bike lanes and, of those that do, none is based on empirical data from the US. This is problematic as engineers, planners, and elected officials are increasingly looking to objective performance measures to help guide transportation project design and funding prioritization decisions. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a cumulative logistic model to predict user comfort on protected bike lanes developed from data collected during in-person video surveys. The surveys were conducted in Portland, OR with video footage gathered in Chicago, IL, Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA. The model is for road segments only and not signalized intersections. It complements the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 level-of- service methods by providing an analysis procedure for a facility type that is not currently included in the manual. The model indicates that the type of buffer, direction of travel (one-way vs. two-way), adjacent motor vehicle speed limit, and average daily motor vehicle volumes are all significant predictors of bicyclist comfort in protected bike lanes. The model predicts a mean value of ‘A’ or ‘B’ on an A (most comfortable) – F (least comfortable) scale for all protected bike lane clips used in the survey. Consistent with previous research findings, survey respondents report that protected bike lanes are generally more comfortable than other types of on-street infrastructure. Title: A Level-of-Service Model for Protected Bike Lanes Author: Foster, Nick, Monsere, Christopher, Dill, Jennifer, Clifton, Kelly Year: 2015 Several methods exist for quantifying the quality of service provided by a roadway from a bicyclist’s perspective; however, many of these models do not consider physically protected bike lanes and, of those that do, none is based on empirical data from the US. This is problematic as engineers, planners, and elected officials are increasingly looking to objective performance measures to help guide transportation project design and funding prioritization decisions. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a cumulative logistic model to predict user comfort on protected bike lanes developed from data collected during in-person video surveys. The surveys were conducted in Portland, OR with video footage gathered in Chicago, IL, Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA. The model is for road segments only and not signalized intersections. It complements the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 level-of- service methods by providing an analysis procedure for a facility type that is not currently included in the manual. The model indicates that the type of buffer, direction of travel (one-way vs. two-way), adjacent motor vehicle speed limit, and average daily motor vehicle volumes are all significant predictors of bicyclist comfort in protected bike lanes. The model predicts a mean value of ‘A’ or ‘B’ on an A (most comfortable) – F (least comfortable) scale for all protected bike lane clips used in the survey. Consistent with previous research findings, survey respondents report that protected bike lanes are generally more comfortable than other types of on-street infrastructure. Close

• 27. [Article] Improving the Representation of the Pedestrian Environment in Travel Demand Models, Phase I

  There is growing support for improvements to the quality of the walking environment, including more investments to promote pedestrian travel. Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are improving regional ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Improving the Representation of the Pedestrian Environment in Travel Demand Models, Phase I Author: Clifton, Kelly J., Singleton, Patrick Allen, Muhs, Christopher Devlin, Schneider, Robert J., Lagerwey, Peter Year: 2013 There is growing support for improvements to the quality of the walking environment, including more investments to promote pedestrian travel. Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are improving regional travel demand forecasting models to better represent walking and bicycling and to expand the evaluative capacity of models to address policy-relevant issues like air quality, public health, and the smart allocation of infrastructure and other resources. This report describes an innovative, spatially disaggregate method to integrate walking activity into trip-based travel models. Using data for the Portland, OR, metropolitan area, the method applies trip generation at a new micro-scale spatial unit: a 264-foot-by-264-foot (80-meters-by-80-meters) pedestrian analysis zone (PAZ). Next, a binary logit walk mode split model — using a new pedestrian environment measure — estimates the number of walk trips generated. Non-walk trips are then aggregated up to larger transportation analysis zones (TAZs) for destination choice, mode choice, and traffic assignment. Finally, there are opportunities for choosing destinations and for routing of the PAZ pedestrian trips. This method improves travel models’ sensitivity to policy-and investment-related walking influences, and it could operate as a standalone tool for rapid scenario analysis. Care must be taken when applying this method with respect to scalability, forecasting, and operational challenges. Title: Improving the Representation of the Pedestrian Environment in Travel Demand Models, Phase I Author: Clifton, Kelly J., Singleton, Patrick Allen, Muhs, Christopher Devlin, Schneider, Robert J., Lagerwey, Peter Year: 2013 There is growing support for improvements to the quality of the walking environment, including more investments to promote pedestrian travel. Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are improving regional travel demand forecasting models to better represent walking and bicycling and to expand the evaluative capacity of models to address policy-relevant issues like air quality, public health, and the smart allocation of infrastructure and other resources. This report describes an innovative, spatially disaggregate method to integrate walking activity into trip-based travel models. Using data for the Portland, OR, metropolitan area, the method applies trip generation at a new micro-scale spatial unit: a 264-foot-by-264-foot (80-meters-by-80-meters) pedestrian analysis zone (PAZ). Next, a binary logit walk mode split model — using a new pedestrian environment measure — estimates the number of walk trips generated. Non-walk trips are then aggregated up to larger transportation analysis zones (TAZs) for destination choice, mode choice, and traffic assignment. Finally, there are opportunities for choosing destinations and for routing of the PAZ pedestrian trips. This method improves travel models’ sensitivity to policy-and investment-related walking influences, and it could operate as a standalone tool for rapid scenario analysis. Care must be taken when applying this method with respect to scalability, forecasting, and operational challenges. Close

• 28. [Article] The Impact of EMME-2 on Urban Transportation Planning: A Portland Case Study

  The impact of interactive graphics and an improved multimodal transportation planning software package on the urban t ransportation planning process and organization responsible for the planning is assessed. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Impact of EMME-2 on Urban Transportation Planning: A Portland Case Study Author: Dueker, Kenneth, Rao, Rishinath L., Cotugno, Andy, Lawton, Keith, Walker, Richard Year: 1985 The impact of interactive graphics and an improved multimodal transportation planning software package on the urban t ransportation planning process and organization responsible for the planning is assessed. The focus is on the results of applying the new technology, which allows the planning organization to increase capacity to conceptualize and evaluate alternative courses of action. This emphases on the results of planning raises the likelihood of changes in the way transportation decision making occurs. An advanced interactive graphics system for urban transportation planning process was adopted by the Metropolitan Service District (METRO) of Portland, Oregon, a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). In September 1983, METRO's Transportation Planning Department acquired a state-of-the-a rt software program called EMME/2 (a bilingual acronym for Multimodal Equlibrium) which runs on a super microcomputer. EMME/2 is an interactive graphic method for highway and transit planning. This program aids transportation planning by graphically plotting, in a map format, detailed inforrmation a bout travel flows. It provides graphic display quickly to aid in the interpretation of heretofore voluminous amounts of difficult to assimilate data. The new system is saving time and cost, but more importantly it is improving analysis by allowing more opportunity to interact with the results of analysis . It is also changing the character of work. The quicker turnaround time for analysis has created a demand for short-range studies, i.e . more traffic management applications. Finally, interorganizational impacts are occurring. Other agencies in the region are becoming active users of the system. Title: The Impact of EMME-2 on Urban Transportation Planning: A Portland Case Study Author: Dueker, Kenneth, Rao, Rishinath L., Cotugno, Andy, Lawton, Keith, Walker, Richard Year: 1985 The impact of interactive graphics and an improved multimodal transportation planning software package on the urban t ransportation planning process and organization responsible for the planning is assessed. The focus is on the results of applying the new technology, which allows the planning organization to increase capacity to conceptualize and evaluate alternative courses of action. This emphases on the results of planning raises the likelihood of changes in the way transportation decision making occurs. An advanced interactive graphics system for urban transportation planning process was adopted by the Metropolitan Service District (METRO) of Portland, Oregon, a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). In September 1983, METRO's Transportation Planning Department acquired a state-of-the-a rt software program called EMME/2 (a bilingual acronym for Multimodal Equlibrium) which runs on a super microcomputer. EMME/2 is an interactive graphic method for highway and transit planning. This program aids transportation planning by graphically plotting, in a map format, detailed inforrmation a bout travel flows. It provides graphic display quickly to aid in the interpretation of heretofore voluminous amounts of difficult to assimilate data. The new system is saving time and cost, but more importantly it is improving analysis by allowing more opportunity to interact with the results of analysis . It is also changing the character of work. The quicker turnaround time for analysis has created a demand for short-range studies, i.e . more traffic management applications. Finally, interorganizational impacts are occurring. Other agencies in the region are becoming active users of the system. Close

• 29. [Article] The Contribution of Manager and Organizational Characteristics to Transit Agency Performance: A National Study of United States Transit Providers

  The primary objective of the report is to relate attitudinal and demographic characteristics of transit management personnel and agency institutional characteristics to agency performance. The purpose ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Contribution of Manager and Organizational Characteristics to Transit Agency Performance: A National Study of United States Transit Providers Author: White, Charles, Edner, Sheldon Year: 1989 The primary objective of the report is to relate attitudinal and demographic characteristics of transit management personnel and agency institutional characteristics to agency performance. The purpose of this analysis is to determine the relative contributions of manager and institutional characteristics as explanatory factors in transit agency performance. The study is based upon the responses of 1033 managers from 134 agencies representing the full range of agency size, institutional, and locational characteristics. Across six basic performance measures (coat efficiency, labor efficiency, service effectiveness, maintenance efficiency (measured in two different ways) and vehicle efficiency) used here, manager characteristics and attitudes do not appear to be consisteruly associated with performance outcomes. That is, while the analysis established that these are important factors, these relationships point in differina directions. Thus, efforts to increase manaaer capability may also add to the forces differentiati.na orpnizational capacity without contributing to overall industry performance. In sum, the twbulence experienced by the transit industry may not have lead it toward greater refinemenl of performance abilities but rather introduced even greater tension and centrifugal forces. The result may be an even further reduced ability to specify the keys to successful transit service delivery. It is also clear that the changing nature of the industry in terms of its role and function in wban settings may be reflected in our findings. Increasingly, efforts toward the development of new, specialized services have been paralleled by the development of new organizational provider types. In some instances this has brought new management opportunities, demands and attitudes into the industry. The elderly and handicapped have generated an increasing involvement of health service providers in transportation. The expectations of service performance have concurrently undergone re-examination. All transit agencies have focused on more than fixed route, scheduled service the keys to improved performance have changed with the service mix. Title: The Contribution of Manager and Organizational Characteristics to Transit Agency Performance: A National Study of United States Transit Providers Author: White, Charles, Edner, Sheldon Year: 1989 The primary objective of the report is to relate attitudinal and demographic characteristics of transit management personnel and agency institutional characteristics to agency performance. The purpose of this analysis is to determine the relative contributions of manager and institutional characteristics as explanatory factors in transit agency performance. The study is based upon the responses of 1033 managers from 134 agencies representing the full range of agency size, institutional, and locational characteristics. Across six basic performance measures (coat efficiency, labor efficiency, service effectiveness, maintenance efficiency (measured in two different ways) and vehicle efficiency) used here, manager characteristics and attitudes do not appear to be consisteruly associated with performance outcomes. That is, while the analysis established that these are important factors, these relationships point in differina directions. Thus, efforts to increase manaaer capability may also add to the forces differentiati.na orpnizational capacity without contributing to overall industry performance. In sum, the twbulence experienced by the transit industry may not have lead it toward greater refinemenl of performance abilities but rather introduced even greater tension and centrifugal forces. The result may be an even further reduced ability to specify the keys to successful transit service delivery. It is also clear that the changing nature of the industry in terms of its role and function in wban settings may be reflected in our findings. Increasingly, efforts toward the development of new, specialized services have been paralleled by the development of new organizational provider types. In some instances this has brought new management opportunities, demands and attitudes into the industry. The elderly and handicapped have generated an increasing involvement of health service providers in transportation. The expectations of service performance have concurrently undergone re-examination. All transit agencies have focused on more than fixed route, scheduled service the keys to improved performance have changed with the service mix. Close

• 30. [Article] Understanding Social Media Program Usage in Public Transit Agencies

  Social media has been gaining prominence in public transit agencies in their communication strategies and daily management. This study aims to better understand recent trends in social media usage in public ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Understanding Social Media Program Usage in Public Transit Agencies Author: Liu, Jenny H., Shi, Wei, Elrahman, O. A., Ban, Xuegang, Reilly, Jack M. Year: 2016 Social media has been gaining prominence in public transit agencies in their communication strategies and daily management. This study aims to better understand recent trends in social media usage in public transit agencies, to examine which agencies use what kind of social media programs for what purposes, and how they measure their programs. A survey was conducted of the top transit agencies in the nation, and results are examined through descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis and regression modeling. We found that while most agencies still lack clearly-defined goals and performance metrics to guide their social media development, many are increasing their social media capacity with more structural components. Public transit service usage and the level of transit service provision are the most significant determinants of agencies’ social media programming and resource investments. In contrast, the measurement of social media usage and outcomes is more significantly related to city attributes and demographic characteristics. We anticipate an increase in the usage of social media to convey transit related stories and livability benefits, such as environmental sensitivity or safety improvements, as these programs expand. Public transit agencies’ commitment to measuring social media outcomes underscores the future research need to develop best practices for measuring the impacts and performance of social media communications and investments. Title: Understanding Social Media Program Usage in Public Transit Agencies Author: Liu, Jenny H., Shi, Wei, Elrahman, O. A., Ban, Xuegang, Reilly, Jack M. Year: 2016 Social media has been gaining prominence in public transit agencies in their communication strategies and daily management. This study aims to better understand recent trends in social media usage in public transit agencies, to examine which agencies use what kind of social media programs for what purposes, and how they measure their programs. A survey was conducted of the top transit agencies in the nation, and results are examined through descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis and regression modeling. We found that while most agencies still lack clearly-defined goals and performance metrics to guide their social media development, many are increasing their social media capacity with more structural components. Public transit service usage and the level of transit service provision are the most significant determinants of agencies’ social media programming and resource investments. In contrast, the measurement of social media usage and outcomes is more significantly related to city attributes and demographic characteristics. We anticipate an increase in the usage of social media to convey transit related stories and livability benefits, such as environmental sensitivity or safety improvements, as these programs expand. Public transit agencies’ commitment to measuring social media outcomes underscores the future research need to develop best practices for measuring the impacts and performance of social media communications and investments. Close