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• 11. [Article] Differential Health and Social Needs of Older Adults Waitlisted for Public Housing or Housing Choice Vouchers

  Affordable housing is an important form of income security for low-income older persons. This article describes characteristics of older persons waitlisted for either public housing or a housing choice ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Differential Health and Social Needs of Older Adults Waitlisted for Public Housing or Housing Choice Vouchers Author: Carder, Paula C., Luhr, Gretchen, Kohon, Jacklyn Nicole Year: 2016 Affordable housing is an important form of income security for low-income older persons. This article describes characteristics of older persons waitlisted for either public housing or a housing choice voucher (HCV) (previously Section 8) in Portland, Oregon. 358 persons (32% response rate) completed a mailed survey with questions about demographics, health and housing status, food insecurity, and preference for housing with services. Findings indicate that many waitlisted older persons experienced homelessness or housing instability, poor health, high hospital use, and food insecurity. Public housing applicants were significantly more likely to report lower incomes, homelessness, and food insecurity than HCV applicants. We conclude with policy implications for housing and health agencies that serve low-income older persons. Title: Differential Health and Social Needs of Older Adults Waitlisted for Public Housing or Housing Choice Vouchers Author: Carder, Paula C., Luhr, Gretchen, Kohon, Jacklyn Nicole Year: 2016 Affordable housing is an important form of income security for low-income older persons. This article describes characteristics of older persons waitlisted for either public housing or a housing choice voucher (HCV) (previously Section 8) in Portland, Oregon. 358 persons (32% response rate) completed a mailed survey with questions about demographics, health and housing status, food insecurity, and preference for housing with services. Findings indicate that many waitlisted older persons experienced homelessness or housing instability, poor health, high hospital use, and food insecurity. Public housing applicants were significantly more likely to report lower incomes, homelessness, and food insecurity than HCV applicants. We conclude with policy implications for housing and health agencies that serve low-income older persons. Close

• 12. [Article] Challenges, Experiences, and Future Directions of Senior Centers Serving the Portland Metropolitan Area

  A growing body of research emphasizes the development of an understanding of the relationship between older adults and their physical and social environments (Wahl & Weisman, 2003). Researchers, planners, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Challenges, Experiences, and Future Directions of Senior Centers Serving the Portland Metropolitan Area Author: Cannon, Melissa Lynn Year: 2015 A growing body of research emphasizes the development of an understanding of the relationship between older adults and their physical and social environments (Wahl & Weisman, 2003). Researchers, planners, policymakers, and community residents have been increasingly interested in shaping urban environments as places that foster active aging and independence among older adults. Senior centers have served a critical role in their communities as focal points for older adults, as individuals or in groups, to participate in services and activities that support their independence and encourage their involvement in and with the community (NCOA, 1979). The aging of the population and influx of baby boomers into the older demographic, along with declines in participation rates and funding, are challenging senior center staff to be innovative and adaptive in order to demonstrate senior centers’ relevance to future older adults while maintaining the programming and services for their current participants. This research is a multiple-case study of five unique senior centers located throughout the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon. Different types and models of senior centers are represented by the selected cases, as they operate under different governance structures and vary in aspects such as administration, funding, participant characteristics, community partnerships, transportation options, physical environments, and range of services and programs offered. This study aims to better understand challenges, strengths, and future directions for different types of senior centers serving a metropolitan area. Data collection at each site included interviews with staff as well as focus groups with senior center participants. Interviews with key informants enriched the findings and provided outside perspectives of senior center experiences. Data analysis revealed challenges and strengths that were common across and unique to the different senior centers in this study. This research contributes to the literature in urban studies, community development, and gerontology by exploring potential opportunities for urban senior centers to adapt and continue to serve older adults. Recommendations were developed for how senior centers might capitalize on these opportunities and for how their communities might provide mechanisms of support to facilitate the continuation and contributions of senior centers in metropolitan areas. Title: Challenges, Experiences, and Future Directions of Senior Centers Serving the Portland Metropolitan Area Author: Cannon, Melissa Lynn Year: 2015 A growing body of research emphasizes the development of an understanding of the relationship between older adults and their physical and social environments (Wahl & Weisman, 2003). Researchers, planners, policymakers, and community residents have been increasingly interested in shaping urban environments as places that foster active aging and independence among older adults. Senior centers have served a critical role in their communities as focal points for older adults, as individuals or in groups, to participate in services and activities that support their independence and encourage their involvement in and with the community (NCOA, 1979). The aging of the population and influx of baby boomers into the older demographic, along with declines in participation rates and funding, are challenging senior center staff to be innovative and adaptive in order to demonstrate senior centers’ relevance to future older adults while maintaining the programming and services for their current participants. This research is a multiple-case study of five unique senior centers located throughout the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon. Different types and models of senior centers are represented by the selected cases, as they operate under different governance structures and vary in aspects such as administration, funding, participant characteristics, community partnerships, transportation options, physical environments, and range of services and programs offered. This study aims to better understand challenges, strengths, and future directions for different types of senior centers serving a metropolitan area. Data collection at each site included interviews with staff as well as focus groups with senior center participants. Interviews with key informants enriched the findings and provided outside perspectives of senior center experiences. Data analysis revealed challenges and strengths that were common across and unique to the different senior centers in this study. This research contributes to the literature in urban studies, community development, and gerontology by exploring potential opportunities for urban senior centers to adapt and continue to serve older adults. Recommendations were developed for how senior centers might capitalize on these opportunities and for how their communities might provide mechanisms of support to facilitate the continuation and contributions of senior centers in metropolitan areas. Close

• 13. [Article] Investigations In Transportation

  The Investigations in Transportation program is an elementary school partnership and curriculum development project that will engage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Investigations In Transportation Author: Becker, William G., Biskupic Knight, Carol Year: 2015 The Investigations in Transportation program is an elementary school partnership and curriculum development project that will engage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals in school-based activities and projects that will bring real-world applications to elementary classrooms for grades 3-5. The Portland Metro STEM Partnership (PMSP) is providing leadership and facilitation to a team of educators from Portland State University, Beaverton School District and Hillsboro School District who will work with volunteers from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to design, develop, implement and assess the impact of an in-class unit entitled "Investigations in Transportation". This report presents a study of a transportation education partnership and curriculum development project that harnessed the professional expertise, experience and enthusiasm of transportation-sector STEM workers by creating a mechanism and set of protocols by which they engaged with elementary school teachers to develop and implement an instructional unit. This STEM-connected instructional unit and lessons allowed students to explore and investigate issues central to transportation. The unit incorporated and enhanced the content and practice standards outlined by the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, and relied heavily on the instructional and curriculum expertise and experience of classroom teachers to develop an age- and interest-appropriate unit of study. This collaboration resulted in the development of an Investigations in Transportation instructional unit that provided students with rich, engaging learning opportunities set in the context of real-world problems around a school parking lot dilemma focused on safety, sustainability and health concerns. The education project team utilized a coherent and cohesive curriculum development process for unit creation and evaluated the development, implementation and reflection of the unit through teacher and student surveys/assessments of attitudes, identity and conceptual understanding. The report describes the process successes, challenges and replication opportunities. Title: Investigations In Transportation Author: Becker, William G., Biskupic Knight, Carol Year: 2015 The Investigations in Transportation program is an elementary school partnership and curriculum development project that will engage science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals in school-based activities and projects that will bring real-world applications to elementary classrooms for grades 3-5. The Portland Metro STEM Partnership (PMSP) is providing leadership and facilitation to a team of educators from Portland State University, Beaverton School District and Hillsboro School District who will work with volunteers from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to design, develop, implement and assess the impact of an in-class unit entitled "Investigations in Transportation". This report presents a study of a transportation education partnership and curriculum development project that harnessed the professional expertise, experience and enthusiasm of transportation-sector STEM workers by creating a mechanism and set of protocols by which they engaged with elementary school teachers to develop and implement an instructional unit. This STEM-connected instructional unit and lessons allowed students to explore and investigate issues central to transportation. The unit incorporated and enhanced the content and practice standards outlined by the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, and relied heavily on the instructional and curriculum expertise and experience of classroom teachers to develop an age- and interest-appropriate unit of study. This collaboration resulted in the development of an Investigations in Transportation instructional unit that provided students with rich, engaging learning opportunities set in the context of real-world problems around a school parking lot dilemma focused on safety, sustainability and health concerns. The education project team utilized a coherent and cohesive curriculum development process for unit creation and evaluated the development, implementation and reflection of the unit through teacher and student surveys/assessments of attitudes, identity and conceptual understanding. The report describes the process successes, challenges and replication opportunities. Close

• 14. [Article] Making South Downtown Portland

  Principals that guided the project: (1) Create connection between existing activity centers. Education: Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Portland State University ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Making South Downtown Portland Author: Queiroz, Artur, Gilden, Beth, Martins, Flávia, Six, Hannah, Todoroff, John, Davis, Linn, Schafaschek, Maria, Silveira, Nely, Batista, Sayonara, Sanccao, Taissa Year: 2015 Principals that guided the project: (1) Create connection between existing activity centers. Education: Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Portland State University Parks: Halpern Sequence, Park Blocks, and Waterfront Transit centers: Orange Line, Yellow Line, Streetcar and Bus Connection (2) Add to multi-use nature of area to provide a 24 hr neighborhood environment. Additional residential Development - catering to late night and residence not just office crowd. (3) Improve pedestrian experience: Increase safety by making traffic changes, add wayfinding and dampen freeway noise. (4) Design for a diversity of ages (5) Activate existing/underutilized "dead" or "lost" spaces. Create a "reason for being" for underutilized or underdeveloped land (6) Add and preserve natural features for both beauty and function: tie green elements in the city into park blocks and waterfront park to create cohesion between places; use natural features to deal with stormwater, traffic nuisances (speed/noise); preserve views of Mt. Hood and River; and provide a gathering place. (7) Create new centers of activity at key points where transit or uses intersect (8) Follow/preserve current social and cultural uses in the areas: farmers markets and food trucks (9) Add design features that reflect social uses, and cultural history: public art (10) Accentuate neighboring assets: PSU university life and historic Halprin Sequence This project was conducted under the supervision of Donald J. Stastny and Edward Starkie. Title: Making South Downtown Portland Author: Queiroz, Artur, Gilden, Beth, Martins, Flávia, Six, Hannah, Todoroff, John, Davis, Linn, Schafaschek, Maria, Silveira, Nely, Batista, Sayonara, Sanccao, Taissa Year: 2015 Principals that guided the project: (1) Create connection between existing activity centers. Education: Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Portland State University Parks: Halpern Sequence, Park Blocks, and Waterfront Transit centers: Orange Line, Yellow Line, Streetcar and Bus Connection (2) Add to multi-use nature of area to provide a 24 hr neighborhood environment. Additional residential Development - catering to late night and residence not just office crowd. (3) Improve pedestrian experience: Increase safety by making traffic changes, add wayfinding and dampen freeway noise. (4) Design for a diversity of ages (5) Activate existing/underutilized "dead" or "lost" spaces. Create a "reason for being" for underutilized or underdeveloped land (6) Add and preserve natural features for both beauty and function: tie green elements in the city into park blocks and waterfront park to create cohesion between places; use natural features to deal with stormwater, traffic nuisances (speed/noise); preserve views of Mt. Hood and River; and provide a gathering place. (7) Create new centers of activity at key points where transit or uses intersect (8) Follow/preserve current social and cultural uses in the areas: farmers markets and food trucks (9) Add design features that reflect social uses, and cultural history: public art (10) Accentuate neighboring assets: PSU university life and historic Halprin Sequence This project was conducted under the supervision of Donald J. Stastny and Edward Starkie. Close

• 15. [Article] Sustainable Solutions: Let Knowledge Serve the City

  Portland, Oregon. Sustainability might not seem glamourous, but Portland is making a name for itself as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Whether you’ve heard about the farmers’ markets, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Sustainable Solutions: Let Knowledge Serve the City Author: Wortham-Galvin, Brooke D., Allen, Jennifer H., Sherman, Jacob Year: 2016 Portland, Oregon. Sustainability might not seem glamourous, but Portland is making a name for itself as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Whether you’ve heard about the farmers’ markets, the cycle-friendly streets or the ongoing efforts to balance livability and equity, Portland is leading the way in urban sustainability: this book helps us understand how it achieves this. A critical component of Portland’s success is collaboration between different communities and institutions; the Sustainable Solutions series examines higher education’s role in these partnerships. In exploring how best to “let knowledge serve the city”, Portland State University translates its founding motto from mere words to applied research and action. This first volume examines different approaches to collaborative work that PSU has taken, both within the university and with community partners: how have barriers been overcome between different areas of study, between academia and the public, and why is bridging these divides so important? It also introduces the themes of the engaged university, social justice, climate change and sustainable economic development, which shape PSU’s work. Let Knowledge Serve the City is ideal for anyone seeking best practice in connecting students and universities with the needs of local communities. From public interest design and student leadership, to food justice and age-friendly development, authors combine academically rigorous theories of sustainability and community-university partnerships with lessons learned on how to realize ideals of sustainable development. Title: Sustainable Solutions: Let Knowledge Serve the City Author: Wortham-Galvin, Brooke D., Allen, Jennifer H., Sherman, Jacob Year: 2016 Portland, Oregon. Sustainability might not seem glamourous, but Portland is making a name for itself as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Whether you’ve heard about the farmers’ markets, the cycle-friendly streets or the ongoing efforts to balance livability and equity, Portland is leading the way in urban sustainability: this book helps us understand how it achieves this. A critical component of Portland’s success is collaboration between different communities and institutions; the Sustainable Solutions series examines higher education’s role in these partnerships. In exploring how best to “let knowledge serve the city”, Portland State University translates its founding motto from mere words to applied research and action. This first volume examines different approaches to collaborative work that PSU has taken, both within the university and with community partners: how have barriers been overcome between different areas of study, between academia and the public, and why is bridging these divides so important? It also introduces the themes of the engaged university, social justice, climate change and sustainable economic development, which shape PSU’s work. Let Knowledge Serve the City is ideal for anyone seeking best practice in connecting students and universities with the needs of local communities. From public interest design and student leadership, to food justice and age-friendly development, authors combine academically rigorous theories of sustainability and community-university partnerships with lessons learned on how to realize ideals of sustainable development. Close

• 16. [Article] The Importance of Housing, Accessibility, and Transport Characteristic Ratings on Stated Neighborhood Preference

  Travel demand models commonly lack the ability to understand how changing residential preferences influence future housing, land use, and transportation policies. As communities struggle to address social ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Importance of Housing, Accessibility, and Transport Characteristic Ratings on Stated Neighborhood Preference Author: Currans, Kristina Marie Year: 2016 Travel demand models commonly lack the ability to understand how changing residential preferences influence future housing, land use, and transportation policies. As communities struggle to address social challenges related to increased economic uncertainty, transportation and land use planning have become increasingly centered on assumptions concerning the market for residential environments and travel choices. In response, an added importance has been placed on the development of toolkits capable of providing robust and flexible models to aid in understanding how differing assumptions contribute to a set of planning scenarios and how future residential location decisions may be made. In this study, we aim to examine the ability for current land use and transportation models to adequately account for the mechanism that drive households to prefer different neighborhoods based on typical transportation modeling methods. In particular, we conduct an original stated preference survey to identify the characteristics and preferences of individuals and households that influence unconstrained residential neighborhood preferences. Our objectives are to (a) determine the key drivers of residential neighborhood preferences, (b) test the contribution of sociodemographic and economic household characteristics commonly used in regional modeling tools to allocate households regionally across neighborhoods (e.g. household size, income, age, tenure), and (c) identify the preference profiles that can improve the sensitivity of our regional and statewide transportation-land use models to residential neighborhood preferences. The presentation for this seminar was done jointly with Steven Gehrke. It can be accessed at http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/18234. Title: The Importance of Housing, Accessibility, and Transport Characteristic Ratings on Stated Neighborhood Preference Author: Currans, Kristina Marie Year: 2016 Travel demand models commonly lack the ability to understand how changing residential preferences influence future housing, land use, and transportation policies. As communities struggle to address social challenges related to increased economic uncertainty, transportation and land use planning have become increasingly centered on assumptions concerning the market for residential environments and travel choices. In response, an added importance has been placed on the development of toolkits capable of providing robust and flexible models to aid in understanding how differing assumptions contribute to a set of planning scenarios and how future residential location decisions may be made. In this study, we aim to examine the ability for current land use and transportation models to adequately account for the mechanism that drive households to prefer different neighborhoods based on typical transportation modeling methods. In particular, we conduct an original stated preference survey to identify the characteristics and preferences of individuals and households that influence unconstrained residential neighborhood preferences. Our objectives are to (a) determine the key drivers of residential neighborhood preferences, (b) test the contribution of sociodemographic and economic household characteristics commonly used in regional modeling tools to allocate households regionally across neighborhoods (e.g. household size, income, age, tenure), and (c) identify the preference profiles that can improve the sensitivity of our regional and statewide transportation-land use models to residential neighborhood preferences. The presentation for this seminar was done jointly with Steven Gehrke. It can be accessed at http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/18234. Close

• 17. [Article] Durability Assessment of Recycled Concrete Aggregates for Use in New Concrete Phase II

  This Phase II investigation into the durability of new concrete incorporating recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) focused on several goals: 1) Provide corroboration of results obtained in Phase I for a ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Durability Assessment of Recycled Concrete Aggregates for Use in New Concrete Phase II Author: Ideker, Jason H., Adams, Matthew P., Tanner, Jennifer, Jones, Angela Year: 2014 This Phase II investigation into the durability of new concrete incorporating recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) focused on several goals: 1) Provide corroboration of results obtained in Phase I for a multi-laboratory study related to assessing alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) of RCA in accelerated laboratory tests; 2) Investigate the efficacy of mitigation methods to control ASR in concrete containing potentially reactive RCA; 3) Establish long-term data through placement of concrete blocks containing RCA in an outdoor exposure site in Laramie, WY; and 4) Survey state DOTs and other transportation agencies about their perceptions and usage of RCA ASR in concrete within their agency and how that may be improved through the use of a database tracking tool. From Phase II the following main conclusions were drawn: 1) The coefficient of variation limits in ASTM C 1260-07 do not apply to concrete mortar bars incorporating RCA. It is recommended that further testing, using different RCA and more laboratories (at least six), should be completed before a new standard for RCA and/or incorporation of RCA into the current ASTM C 1260 test may be allowed. 2) Generally, as the replacement level of RCA was reduced, the amount of SCM needed to control deleterious ASR also decreased for the RCA sources investigated in this study. 3) Ternary blends containing metakaolin resulted in the most significant decrease in expansions compared to the mixtures with no SCMs. The results of the transportation agency survey showed the following: 1) A vast majority of agencies believed that sustainability was important to their agency and that it was addressed in a clear and meaningful way. 2) A majority, 54%, of agencies believed they had specific guidance for the use of RCA in new concrete; however, only 15% believed that there was strong information from the federal level about the use of RCA in new construction. 3) Of all respondents, 77% indicated their agency was concerned about alkali-silica reaction in concrete in general for their agency. 4) The biggest barriers to using RCA were noted as concerns about quality, a lack of standards and specifications, and unclear guidance on the testing of RCA. 5) The biggest concerns specific to a source of RCA when considering it for use in new construction were increased shrinkage concerns, ASR and residual chlorides. 6) The most sought-after information about a potential RCA source when considering it for use were the existing condition of the RCA when it was taken out of service, the reason it was taken out of service, whether repairs were performed to the structural element taken out of service, and the age of the RCA. Phase I can be found here: http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/16737 Title: Durability Assessment of Recycled Concrete Aggregates for Use in New Concrete Phase II Author: Ideker, Jason H., Adams, Matthew P., Tanner, Jennifer, Jones, Angela Year: 2014 This Phase II investigation into the durability of new concrete incorporating recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) focused on several goals: 1) Provide corroboration of results obtained in Phase I for a multi-laboratory study related to assessing alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) of RCA in accelerated laboratory tests; 2) Investigate the efficacy of mitigation methods to control ASR in concrete containing potentially reactive RCA; 3) Establish long-term data through placement of concrete blocks containing RCA in an outdoor exposure site in Laramie, WY; and 4) Survey state DOTs and other transportation agencies about their perceptions and usage of RCA ASR in concrete within their agency and how that may be improved through the use of a database tracking tool. From Phase II the following main conclusions were drawn: 1) The coefficient of variation limits in ASTM C 1260-07 do not apply to concrete mortar bars incorporating RCA. It is recommended that further testing, using different RCA and more laboratories (at least six), should be completed before a new standard for RCA and/or incorporation of RCA into the current ASTM C 1260 test may be allowed. 2) Generally, as the replacement level of RCA was reduced, the amount of SCM needed to control deleterious ASR also decreased for the RCA sources investigated in this study. 3) Ternary blends containing metakaolin resulted in the most significant decrease in expansions compared to the mixtures with no SCMs. The results of the transportation agency survey showed the following: 1) A vast majority of agencies believed that sustainability was important to their agency and that it was addressed in a clear and meaningful way. 2) A majority, 54%, of agencies believed they had specific guidance for the use of RCA in new concrete; however, only 15% believed that there was strong information from the federal level about the use of RCA in new construction. 3) Of all respondents, 77% indicated their agency was concerned about alkali-silica reaction in concrete in general for their agency. 4) The biggest barriers to using RCA were noted as concerns about quality, a lack of standards and specifications, and unclear guidance on the testing of RCA. 5) The biggest concerns specific to a source of RCA when considering it for use in new construction were increased shrinkage concerns, ASR and residual chlorides. 6) The most sought-after information about a potential RCA source when considering it for use were the existing condition of the RCA when it was taken out of service, the reason it was taken out of service, whether repairs were performed to the structural element taken out of service, and the age of the RCA. Phase I can be found here: http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/16737 Close

• 18. [Article] Assessing Transit Fare Equity in Utah Using a Geographic Information System

  The goal of this study is to develop and apply a new method for assessing social equity impacts of distance-based public transit fares. Shifting to a distance-based fare structure can disproportionately ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Assessing Transit Fare Equity in Utah Using a Geographic Information System Author: Farber, Steven, Batholomew, Keith, Li, Xiao, Paez, Antonio, Nurul Habib, Khandker M. Year: 2014 The goal of this study is to develop and apply a new method for assessing social equity impacts of distance-based public transit fares. Shifting to a distance-based fare structure can disproportionately favor or penalize different subgroups of a population based on variations in settlement patterns, travel needs, and most importantly, transit use. According to federal law, such disparities must be evaluated by the transit agency, but the area-based techniques identified by the Federal Transit Authority for assessing discrimination fail to account for disparities in distances travelled by transit users. This means that transit agencies currently lack guidelines for assessing the social equity impacts of replacing flat fare with distance-based fare structures. Our solution is to incorporate a joint ordinal-continuous model of trip generation and distance travelled into a GIS Decision Support System. The system enables a transit planner to visualize and compare estimated distances travelled and transit-cost maps for different population profiles and fare structures. We apply the method to a case study in the Wasatch Front, Utah, where the Utah Transit Authority is exploring a switch to a distance-based fare structure. The analysis reveals that overall distance-based fares benefit low-income, elderly, and non-white populations. However, the effect is geographically uneven, and may be negative for members of these groups living on the urban fringe. The research discusses a potential conflict between policies designed to promote equity and those intended to increase discretionary ridership. For example, increasing fares for longdistance discretionary riders travelling from suburban light-rail stations to the central business district may have a negative impact on ridership, despite being economically more efficient through cost-recapturing. At the same time, reducing fares for short-distance trips that are currently too expensive compared to private automobile travel may attract new riders. A full cost-benefit analysis sensitive to heterogeneous price elasticity is recommended for future research. It is also noted that the research findings are dependent on the current spatial distributions of population segments and travel patterns. The equity benefits of distance-based fares are primarily derived from residential clustering of low-income and minority groups in more compact urban areas near the center of the city. Demographic trends, such as inner-city gentrification and suburban aging-in-place, may impose increased travel demands on low income and elderly riders, nullifying future equity gains made by a transition to distance-based fares. Title: Assessing Transit Fare Equity in Utah Using a Geographic Information System Author: Farber, Steven, Batholomew, Keith, Li, Xiao, Paez, Antonio, Nurul Habib, Khandker M. Year: 2014 The goal of this study is to develop and apply a new method for assessing social equity impacts of distance-based public transit fares. Shifting to a distance-based fare structure can disproportionately favor or penalize different subgroups of a population based on variations in settlement patterns, travel needs, and most importantly, transit use. According to federal law, such disparities must be evaluated by the transit agency, but the area-based techniques identified by the Federal Transit Authority for assessing discrimination fail to account for disparities in distances travelled by transit users. This means that transit agencies currently lack guidelines for assessing the social equity impacts of replacing flat fare with distance-based fare structures. Our solution is to incorporate a joint ordinal-continuous model of trip generation and distance travelled into a GIS Decision Support System. The system enables a transit planner to visualize and compare estimated distances travelled and transit-cost maps for different population profiles and fare structures. We apply the method to a case study in the Wasatch Front, Utah, where the Utah Transit Authority is exploring a switch to a distance-based fare structure. The analysis reveals that overall distance-based fares benefit low-income, elderly, and non-white populations. However, the effect is geographically uneven, and may be negative for members of these groups living on the urban fringe. The research discusses a potential conflict between policies designed to promote equity and those intended to increase discretionary ridership. For example, increasing fares for longdistance discretionary riders travelling from suburban light-rail stations to the central business district may have a negative impact on ridership, despite being economically more efficient through cost-recapturing. At the same time, reducing fares for short-distance trips that are currently too expensive compared to private automobile travel may attract new riders. A full cost-benefit analysis sensitive to heterogeneous price elasticity is recommended for future research. It is also noted that the research findings are dependent on the current spatial distributions of population segments and travel patterns. The equity benefits of distance-based fares are primarily derived from residential clustering of low-income and minority groups in more compact urban areas near the center of the city. Demographic trends, such as inner-city gentrification and suburban aging-in-place, may impose increased travel demands on low income and elderly riders, nullifying future equity gains made by a transition to distance-based fares. Close

• 19. [Article] Do TODs Make a Difference?

  In this report, we present research that measures the outcomes of TOD areas in relation to their metropolitan area controls with respect to (1) jobs by sector; (2) housing choice for household types based ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Do TODs Make a Difference? Author: Nelson, Arthur C., Miller, Matt, Eskic, Dejan, Kim, Keuntae, Ewing, Reid, Liu, Jenny H., Berggren, Matt, Mumuni, Zakari Year: 2015 In this report, we present research that measures the outcomes of TOD areas in relation to their metropolitan area controls with respect to (1) jobs by sector; (2) housing choice for household types based on key demographic characteristics; (3) housing affordability based on transportation costs; and (4) job-worker balance as a measure of accessibility. Prior literature has not systematically evaluated TOD outcomes in these respects with respect to light rail transit (LRT), commuter rail transit (CRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and streetcar transit (SCT) systems. Our analysis helps close some of these gaps. We apply our analysis to 23 fixed-guideway transit systems operating in 17 metropolitan areas in the South and West that have one or more of those systems. We find: (1) Most TOD areas gained jobs in the office, knowledge, education, health care and entertainment sectors, adding more than $100 billion in wages capitalized over time; (2) In assessing economic resilience associated with LRT systems, jobs continued to shift away from TOD areas before the Great Recession, the pace slowed during the recession but reversed during recovery, leading us to speculate that LRT TOD areas may have transformed metropolitan economies served by LRT systems; (3) Rents for offices, retail stores and apartments were higher when closer to SCT systems, had mixed results with respect LRT systems, but were mostly lower with respect to CRT systems (our BRT sample was too small to evaluate); (4) SCT systems performed best in terms of increasing their TOD-area shares of metropolitan population, households and householders by age, housing units, and renters with BRT systems performing less well while LRT and CRT systems experienced a much smaller shift in the share of growth; (5) Household transportation costs as a share of budgets increase with respect to distance from LRT transit stations to seven miles, suggesting the proximity to LRT stations reduces total household transportation costs; (6) Emerging trends that may favor higher-wage jobs locating in TOD areas over time than lower- or middle-wage jobs, perhaps because TOD areas attract more investment which requires more productive, higher-paid labor to justify the investment; and (7) The share of workers who commute 10 minutes or less to work increases nearly one-half of 1 percent for each half-mile their resident block group is to an LRT transit station, capping at a gain of 1.3 percent, which is not a trivial gain. Our report summarizes case studies of 23 transit systems and three journal articles based on our research. Title: Do TODs Make a Difference? Author: Nelson, Arthur C., Miller, Matt, Eskic, Dejan, Kim, Keuntae, Ewing, Reid, Liu, Jenny H., Berggren, Matt, Mumuni, Zakari Year: 2015 In this report, we present research that measures the outcomes of TOD areas in relation to their metropolitan area controls with respect to (1) jobs by sector; (2) housing choice for household types based on key demographic characteristics; (3) housing affordability based on transportation costs; and (4) job-worker balance as a measure of accessibility. Prior literature has not systematically evaluated TOD outcomes in these respects with respect to light rail transit (LRT), commuter rail transit (CRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), and streetcar transit (SCT) systems. Our analysis helps close some of these gaps. We apply our analysis to 23 fixed-guideway transit systems operating in 17 metropolitan areas in the South and West that have one or more of those systems. We find: (1) Most TOD areas gained jobs in the office, knowledge, education, health care and entertainment sectors, adding more than $100 billion in wages capitalized over time; (2) In assessing economic resilience associated with LRT systems, jobs continued to shift away from TOD areas before the Great Recession, the pace slowed during the recession but reversed during recovery, leading us to speculate that LRT TOD areas may have transformed metropolitan economies served by LRT systems; (3) Rents for offices, retail stores and apartments were higher when closer to SCT systems, had mixed results with respect LRT systems, but were mostly lower with respect to CRT systems (our BRT sample was too small to evaluate); (4) SCT systems performed best in terms of increasing their TOD-area shares of metropolitan population, households and householders by age, housing units, and renters with BRT systems performing less well while LRT and CRT systems experienced a much smaller shift in the share of growth; (5) Household transportation costs as a share of budgets increase with respect to distance from LRT transit stations to seven miles, suggesting the proximity to LRT stations reduces total household transportation costs; (6) Emerging trends that may favor higher-wage jobs locating in TOD areas over time than lower- or middle-wage jobs, perhaps because TOD areas attract more investment which requires more productive, higher-paid labor to justify the investment; and (7) The share of workers who commute 10 minutes or less to work increases nearly one-half of 1 percent for each half-mile their resident block group is to an LRT transit station, capping at a gain of 1.3 percent, which is not a trivial gain. Our report summarizes case studies of 23 transit systems and three journal articles based on our research. Close