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TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

GEOG462

Dr. Patrick Buckley

AH 222/AH 10 650-4773

Office hours 11:00 MWF or gladly by appointment

By the end of the class the student will have:

1. Basic Understanding of the theory and practice of Transportation Planning and Modeling.

2. Exposure to the debate on alternatives to our current Transportation Planning and Land Use Paradigm.

3. Introduction to the growing array of computer based Transportation Planning tools especially those linked to GIS.

4. Have created a powerpoint presentation on an aspect of Transportation Planning based on a approved topic of his/her choice.

Other short articles available through class

The course will begin with an overview of transportation planning as part of the planning process and its relationship to land use in general. Readings from Taaffe et al, Bruton, and Moore et al, Bruton and other sources will be used to provide this background. This will be followed with a review of some of the standard transportation modeling techniques used in planning and maintaining transportation systems throughout the country. Second, this will lead to practical experience on current Transportation GIS Planning tools utilizing Lang. Third, we will explore the literature of alternate transportation planning turning to Motavalli and further delving into Moore et al.

Concurrent with this activity students will each select a transportation planning topic of great interest to themselves. Develop a powerpoint presentation on this area, make it available to the class, and then lead a discussion during a class period.

By the end of the quarter the student will have had a broad exposure to a number of important concepts and tools used in transportation planning and be prepared to enter more advanced transportation planning classes, such as those offered at the UW in their interdisciplinary transportation planning masters degree program.

Final grades will be based on a combination of exams (mid-term and comprehensive final); assignments based on modeling principles developed from the Bruton and Lang textbooks; and individual powerpoint presentation and class lead discussion. Points for each of these parts are listed below and will total to 100. In order to complete this course successfully, students must submit work under each area listed below:

Mid term30

Final35

Assignments15

Presentation20

Letter grades will be based on a tabulation of the above and may follow the distribution below:

A         >=90pts

B         >=78

C         >=66

D         >=54

Below is failure

Two kinds of assignments will be made during the quarter, (1) applied mathematical or mapping application of modelling techniques and (2) computer applications using GIS. The mathematical modelling and applications will enable students to learn the underlying techniques used in transportation modelling, a crucial input in the planning process. Second using some simple GIS software examples students will learn to apply the above methods in "real" world contexts. For the assignments, students may work together, but each must submit their own independent final version (no hitting the print command twice). Further, if students consult among one another to a substantial extent in completing an assignment, then the student must indicate the names of all such consultants on their title page. As usual a due date will be specified for each assignment.

Unfortunately a student can anticipate a considerable and escalating loss of points for each day an assignment is late. All late assignments must be placed either in the professor's mailbox or under his office door with the word LATE written boldly across the front along with the date and time that they were dropped-off. If special circumstances arise causing an assignment to be late, the student should notify the professor immediately or leave a message by phone (number at top of sheet).

Grading of assignments will follow either Plan A or Plan B. Plan A involves assigning points for every step in an assignment, grading each step, and then totaling them all together. Plan B involves focusing on only a few key areas of an assignment and thoroughly grading these while giving a broad grade for the rest of the work. Under either circumstance high quality professional work will be necessary, and the logic used in obtaining a solution will be far more important than the final answer. A rule to follow is, concentrate on your logic and on clearly and completely explaining it.

A Powerpoint presentation on an area in which you would like to lead a class seminar. This should include a fully documented and annotated presentation that would take in the range of 20 minutes to present and an additional 20 minutes for class discussion and questions. By the end of the second week all students should submit a typed suggested topic for their report along with the titles of at least three articles that they have identified around which the presentation will be developed. The final Powerpoint presentations will begin in about the ninth week and continue through the end of the quarter. Presentation times will be randomly assigned.

All students should have active e-mail accounts, through which electronic mail can be periodically sent during the quarter.

Three field trips are being arranged during the quarter.  Some comp-time will be provided to make up for the additional time taken on these excursions.  The field trips are:

1. Bellingham -- visit to WTA headquarters for a discussion with Rick Gordon about current issues facing local mass transit efforts. Also, a visit to city hall to see how the soon to be replaced T-Model is being currently used for accessing roadway impacts of new commercial developments.

2.  Olympia -- The Department of Transportation has been developing GIS to help in in its modeling over the past several years, in fact one of our former students helped set-up the original GIS software and one of last years graduates has just begun working there.  In addition if we have time we will stop in Seattle and visit Metro or Sound Transit.

3.  Vancouver and False Creek -- On a Saturday we will take a leisurely trip to Vancouver to experience a city which although still dominated by the automobile, has certainly done a much better job of building dense residential developments.  We will park (ride bikes?) to the edge of the city and take public transit in.  Spend some time exploring the heart of the city, especially the new more pedestrian friendly development near False Creek.

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INITIAL SCHEDULE

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WEEK 1:

 WED: INTRO

FRI: REVIEW LEVY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING CHAPTER (textbook available through instructor)

WEEK 2:

MON: M. J. BRUTON "INTRODUCTION" chap 1(On Reserve in Wilson Library)

STOPHER & MEYBERG "SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND ..." (in Map Library on Reserve)

WED: REVIEW OF OLD SURVEYS

FRI: MOORE & THORSNES chap 1 & 2 (On Reserve in Wilson Library)

Remainder of Schedule will be posted shortly.