Newest Resources (November 2011)

Evaluating Public Transit As An Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Strategy
This paper, originally presented at "Aligning Environmental and Transportation Policies To Mitigate Climate Change," investigates the role public transit improvements can play in conserving energy and reducing emissions. It describes an expanded range of impacts and benefits to consider in this type of evaluation.

Changing Vehicle Travel Price Sensitivities: The Rebounding Rebound Effect
This report summarizes recent findings concerning transportation price sensitivities. Some studies suggest that fuel and vehicle travel elasticities declined significantly between 1960 and 2000, but recent research suggests that price sensitivities have returned to more normal levels, indicating that the rebound effect is rebounding. This suggests that pricing reforms can provide greater impacts and benefits than many current evaluation models indicate.

Smart Congestion Relief: Comprehensive Analysis Of Traffic Congestion Costs and Congestion Reduction Benefits
This report critically evaluates the methods used to measure traffic congestion impacts. Current methods tend to exaggerate congestion costs and roadway expansion benefits. This study develops a more comprehensive evaluation framework which is applied to various congestion reduction strategies. The results indicate that highway expansion often provides less overall benefit than alternative congestion reduction policies. Comprehensive evaluation can identify more efficient and equitable congestion solutions.

Affordable-Accessible Housing Photo Essay
This photo essay illustrates various types of affordable-accessible housing (affordable housing suitable for compact development). It highlights specific design features that can make such housing more acceptable to neighbors. It is an appendix to the report, Affordable-Accessible Housing In A Dynamic City: Why and How To Support Development of More Affordable Housing In Accessible Locations".

Critique of the National Association of Home Builders� Research On Land Use Emission Reduction Impacts
This report critiques National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) research concerning how various land use factors affect travel activity and pollution emissions, and therefore the impacts and benefits of smart growth policies. The NAHB contends that smart growth is an ineffective emission reduction strategy, but these conclusions are based on an inaccurate summation of its own research.