Coastal communities—partners or puppets in outer continental shelf development

This article reviews the history of esthetics and its role in the development of outdoor recreation policy. Current research is also reviewed, demonstrating the broad scope and complexity of esthetics as a focus for research. Finally, in the absence of sufficient research for formulating coastal recreation planning and management decisions, the ethics of coastal recreation “development”; is considered.     

The dredging dilemma: Economic development and environmental protection in Oakland Harbor

Abstract

Seaport expansion often generates tensions between the national interest in efficient transport and local interests in water quality and habitat preservation. The governing American permitting system, however, establishes an extraordinarily cumbersome, legalistic, and costly method for balancing environmental and economic considerations. A case study of the Port of Oakland illustrates the tendency. For four years, plans to find an environmentally acceptable site for dredged material have been stymied by a sequence of inconclusive regulatory and judicial proceedings. Meanwhile, large container ships can enter and leave Oakland harbor only at high tide, and not fully loaded. Despite the absence of any authoritative determination concerning environmental risks, the port was compelled to accede to progressively more expensive disposal methods. Such “adversarial legalism”; is not unique to the Oakland harbor case, but recurs in other policy spheres. It stems from a governmental structure that fragments decision‐making power among many agencies, that constrains regulatory discretion with legal demands for scientific certainty, and that by allowing agency decisions to be challenged readily in court, encourages legalistic defensiveness and extortion rather than compromise. The article concludes with a discussion of the conditions under which regional planning bodies might overcome these centrifugal tendencies.     

The impact of weather conditions on bikeshare trips in Washington,DC

Bicycle usage can be affected by colder weather, precipitation, and excessive heat. The research presented here analyzes the effect of weather on the use of the Washington, DC, bikeshare system, exploiting a dataset of all trips made on the system. Hourly weather data, including temperature, rainfall, snow, wind, fog, and humidity levels are linked to hourly usage data. Statistical models linking both number of users and duration of use are estimated. Further, we evaluate trips from bikeshare stations within one quarter mile of Metro (subway) stations at times when Metro is operating. This allows us to determine whether Metro serves as a back-up option when weather conditions are unfavorable for bicycling. Results show that cold temperatures, rain, and high humidity levels reduce both the likelihood of using bikeshare and the duration of trips. Trips taken from bikeshare stations proximate to Metro stations are affected more by rain than trips not proximate to Metro stations and less likely when it is dark. This information is useful for understanding bicycling behavior and also for those planning bikeshare systems in other cities.     

Traditional neighborhoods and commuting in the San Francisco Bay area

Neo-traditional designs, proponents argue, reduce dependency on the automobile and provide attractive environments for walking, bicycling, and transit riding. This paper explores the extent to which this proposition holds for seven traditional neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area that evolved around early streetcar services. Matched-pair comparisons of modal shares and trip generation rates for work trips are made between these neighborhoods and newer auto-oriented suburbs, controlling for the effects of income and, to a lesser extent, existing bus service levels. Pedestrian/bicycle modal shares and trip rates tended to be considerably higher, in some cases five time as high, in transit-oriented than in the paired auto-oriented neighborhood. Transit neighborhoods also averaged around 70 more daily transit work trips per 1,000 households than auto-oriented neighborhoods, though trip rates varied considerably among neighborhood pairs. Higher residential densities were also found to have a proportionately greater impact on transit commuting in transit-oriented than in auto-oriented neighborhoods. The paper concludes that in order to yield significant transportation benefits, neo-traditional development must be coordinated with larger regional planning efforts and public policy initiatives to reduce automobile dependency.     

Geographical variation in traffic-related mortality and morbidity among pedestrians in Quebec, 1983-1988

In this study we analyze the dmographic and geographical distribution of pedestrian accidents (n=28,452) in the Quebec Municipalités régionales de comté (MRC) reported between January 1, 1983 and December 31, 1988. In order to be able to make comparisons between MRCs, we have created in Comparative Mortality Index and a Comparative Morbidity Index. We use a logistic regression model to single out explanatory factors. The main tendencies which are apparent in the demographic analysis are an overrepresentation of young persons and elderly persons in the accident statistics, and that men are more at risk than women. Men 15 years and under and men 65 years and over are more at risk of being involved in a fatal pedestrian accident. The geographic analysis show that among men, the average mortality rate is one and a half times greater in rural MRCs than in urban MRCs; among women, rural mortality is two and a half times greater than urban mortality. In the case of non-severe injuries we note an over-representation of urban MRCs. Young persons 15 years or less who live in an urban, populated zone are those most at risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident. Identifying high risk groups or areas is a prerequisite step for injury prevention and control.     

On the kinematics and quantum dynamics of traffic flow

The hydrodynamic model of traffic flow is presented and interpreted. Traffic dimensions are defined for the dynamic entities of flow and the behaviour of congestive and dispersive flow is discussed dependent on the value of the local traffic transfer number, R. The wave equation is one example of dispersive flow, where quantum numbers define the condition of free flow at the endpoints of the link. The Schrödinger equation is defined and applied to the study of the cyclic work journey and the problem of traffic lights as an harmonic oscillator.     

Views on transit tax financing in the U.S.

Transportation - Although much has been written about the economics of transit tax financing, public views and opinions toward alternative tax sources have received comparatively short shrift. This...     

Managing transportation during highway reconstruction: A recommended process

Major highway reconstruction can cause significant disruptions to existing travel patterns and economic activity. Reducing these impacts on travelers, shippers, businesses and residents requires that innovative and effective transportation management actions be developed and implemented. This paper reports the major findings and recommendations of a research study on managing transportation during highway, reconstruction. The primary objectives of the study were

Bridge and tunnel toll elasticities in New York

In 1992, the authors carried out a statistical analysis of Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) crossings in New York City, to determine the impact of toll increases on traffic volumes and revenue. Using twelve years of monthly time-series data, we developed a set of multiple regression models that estimated traffic volumes on each TBTA bridge and tunnel as a function of the toll level and other explanatory variables. In most cases, the estimated toll elasticities were negative and much less than 1.0 in absolute value; the median toll elasticity for automobiles was found to be –0.10. Our finding that automobile travel demand is highly inelastic with respect to toll rates is consistent with most previous travel demand studies.