The proposed project has two primary objectives. First, the study would build the foundation for coordinated transportation and land use planning on Aquidneck Island using TransCAD. Specifically, the team will select three development proposals on the island to test the application of the TransCAD model and its effectiveness in addressing the impacts of new development on the transportation network. Also, the team would provide the communities with realistic examples of how and why the transportation model can improve the patterns of development and growth along the island’s travel corridors. Second, the project will expand the capabilities of the University of Rhode Island in the areas of transportation planning and modeling using TransCAD. The findings of this project will be useful to promote the continued support for regional transportation planning on Aquidneck Island and throughout the state. Also, the proposed project will foster a partnership between the AIPC, the URI Department of Community Planning and Landscape Architecture, and the URI Transportation Center to promote transportation planning and modeling at the University after this project is completed.
Intermodal
Planning for land use and transportation must go hand in hand and be part of the same planning process. The success of each in mitigating traffic congestion and reducing air pollution is dependent on the other. Transportation issues must be addressed when land use decisions and development plans are formulated. It is important to establish goals and objectives for long-term transportation that are supported by an appropriate land use plan. The proposed project focuses on the application of a TransCAD model for Aquidneck Island in order to investigate the impact of alternative development patterns on the transportation network. Also, the project would provide the communities in Aquidneck Island with realistic examples of how and why the transportation model can improve the patterns of development and growth along the island’s travel corridors by promoting coordinated regional land use and transportation planning. Lastly, the project will expand the capacities of the University of Rhode Island in the areas of transportation planning and modeling using TransCAD.
The team will conduct the following tasks to accomplish its two primary objectives. Graduate student involvement is incorporated into every task and is expected in order to complete this project. All tasks rely heavily on the students’ knowledge of GIS systems, research experience, and presentation skills. The tasks are also designed to enhance the capabilities of the Department of Community Planning and Landscape Architecture with the TransCAD, to promote the AIPC’s transportation modeling project, and to build the foundation for a continuing partnership between the University, Rhode Island municipalities and Rhode Island state agencies.
Task One: TransCAD Training
The TransCAD training will be conducted in two phases. First, beginning in July 2002, the Co-PIs and the municipal planners and engineers of the three communities in Aquidneck Island will participate in the TransCAD training sessions. The Louis Berger Group (LBG), the consultant that is developing the Aquidneck Island TransCAD model, will conduct this training session one day a week for five weeks. This training will cover transportation modeling theory and the application of the TransCAD. Second, beginning in September 2002, the Graduate student(s) will participate in the training sessions to cover TransCAD basics and advanced functions of the program.
Task Two: Review Current Literature
The Co-PIs will collect and review the current literature on the use of TransCAD to link transportation and land use planning at local and regional levels. This task will be conducted with the help of LBG, the Caliper Corporation, and the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) in the State of Massachusetts. The team would identify projects that used TransCAD to analyze impacts of proposed developments on the transportation network.
Task Three: Identify Case Studies
The team will interview municipal planners and the Newport County Chamber of Commerce to identify the major upcoming development projects for the island. The team will then review these projects and assess their land use complexity and the number of people that are impacted by them. Based on this assessment, the team will choose three development projects that have the most impact on the community and represent the best cases to test with the TransCAD model. A checklist will be developed that will address the desired information the team would like to gain from testing the case studies using TransCAD.
Task Four: Present Research Plan at First Seminar
The team will prepare an abstract and biography on the project results to date.
Task Five: Inventory and Data Input
The team will inventory existing transportation facilities and services at the site of each case study. The type of information that will be collected will include but is not limited to traffic counts, survey data, applicable zoning and subdivision regulations, public facilities available at each site, sensitive environmental resources in the area, and detailed information about each proposed development project.
Task Six: Prepare Annual Progress Report
The team will provide status report on objectives and accomplishments during the calendar year 2002.
Task Seven: Analysis and Findings
The team will analyze the data using the TransCAD model and the local regulatory framework in which each case study must conform to (i.e. zoning and subdivision regulations). TransCAD fully integrates GIS and planning tools for trip generation, trip distribution, mode split modeling, and traffic assignment. The findings of this analysis will document the impact of the proposed case studies on the transportation network in Aquidneck Island.
Task Eight: Case Study Presentations
The findings of the case studies will be documented and presented to each municipality’s town/city council and planning board both visually and in text. These presentations will highlight the use of TransCAD as a tool for making land use decisions and as a means for measuring the transportation impact of the new development. The team will promote the continued use of TransCAD locally and will recommend additional opportunities for its use.
Task Nine: Web Site Links
The AIPC will post the results of this project on its web site. This will be linked to the web sites of the URI Transportation Center and the URI Department of Community Planning and Landscape Architecture.
Task Ten: Prepare Semi Annual Progress Report
The team will draft progress report to provide status on objectives and accomplishments for the six-month period 1/03-6/03.
Task Eleven: Presentation at Final Seminar
The team will present findings and accomplishments for the entire year.
Task Twelve: Final Report Preparation
The team will prepare the final report for the project that will include the findings of each task. The final report will recommend next steps for the Aquidneck Island transportation modeling project, including suggestions for the refinement of the model, municipal support needed in order to continue the project, and links that can be made with the URI Department of Community Planning and Landscape Architecture and the URI Transportation Center in the future.
Task Thirteen: Submit Final Report
The team will submit comprehensive technical report describing research findings and analyzing results for complete work.
June-Aug 2002….Participate in TransCAD training course, review current literature on topic of best practices for TransCAD use, Identify three case studies on Aquidneck Island.
Sept-Dec 2002….Hire two Graduate students, Present research plan to URITC, Inventory existing transportation facilities and development conditions for each case and input necessary data into TransCAD model, submit Annual Report to URITC.
Jan-March 2003…Analyze and document results of case studies and how findings could advance current literature as well as recommend fine-tuning needs for the model, present case study results to each Municipal Council and Planning Board.
April-May 2003….Continue to present findings to Municipal Councils and Planning Boards, prepare and submit Semi Annual Progress Report, present findings at URITC final seminar, draft Final Report, submit Final Report.
$107,258.00
Two graduate students (paid and tuition covered)in the Department of Community Planning and Landscape Architecture will be hired to assist with this project.
- RISPP and RIDOT use TransCAD for transportation modeling at the state level. By funding the creation of an Aquidneck Island transportation model, RISPP and RIDOT have established a partnership with Aquidneck Island for the exchange of data, the promotion of regional planning and the testing of transportation modeling projects on a statewide basis. The data collected and the results of the case studies will be transferred to these state agencies in order to better understand the use and access local communities have to the TransCAD programs, to promote the state’s travel corridor’s planning concepts and to identify municipal projects that can utilize this new planning tool.
- The Foundation for Newport (FFN) has submitted a proposal to the URI Transportation Center to explore an integrated pricing strategy for parking in and around Newport. As an element of this research the FFN will investigate travel behavior of visitors in Newport focusing on their use of alternative modes of transportation. This data will be extremely useful to the Aquidneck Island transportation model because it will enhance the model’s ability to predict mode split for trips by visitors. The existing model does not have detailed data on tourist travel and the mode splits involved in this travel. By incorporating this information into the model, Aquidneck Island will have a more accurate account of how visitors are traveling on the island.
- The three municipalities will be submitting proposals for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), due February 22, 2002. The importance of an accurate transportation model for transportation planning projects has been demonstrated in many places around the country. The AIPC would like to learn through this research the most efficient ways TransCAD has been used for measuring the impacts of alternative growth patterns and land use on the transportation network. This project will identify how the transportation model can support and promote future TIP proposals from the three communities as well as demonstrate the importance of island-wide coordination of transportation projects.
- Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth are currently updating and adopting their local Comprehensive Plans. The information obtained from this project can be incorporated into the goals and policies of these local comprehensive plans. With the ability to measure and understand the impacts alternative land use patterns have on transportation planning, the municipalities will identify regulations and ordinances that could improve the pattern and the rate at which development occurs on the island. This project will also build a foundation for continuing support of municipal GIS capabilities.
The technology transfer will have several components. First, we plan to present the findings of the proposed project at the TRB and/or national conferences in our field. In addition, we plan to write one journal article on the topic. Second, we plan to share the key findings of the proposed project with the three municipalities in Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island Department of Transportation and Statewide Planning Program.
This project will use TransCAD to examine the impact of alternative growth and development patterns on the transportation network in Aquidneck Island. As such, it will build capacity at both URI, Aquidneck Island, and within the state to address the critical issue of coordinated land use and transportation planning in Rhode Island. In addition, the project will allow the testing and the refinement of the TransCAD model that has been developed for Aquidneck Island. Important lessons learned from this experience can be applied to the transportation model used at the state level by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and Statewide Planning Program. Outreach activities will make these results available to a wide audience.
Transportation planning, transportation modeling, land use planning, Geographic Information Systems, intermodalism, multimodal, TransCAD