Transportation Impact Analysis Gets a Failing Grade When It Comes to Climate Change and Smart Growth [US]

Source: Ronald Milam (Fehr and Peers)
Transportation impact analysis performed to comply with environmental impact laws (i.e., the California Environmental Quality Act or the National Environmental Policy Act) often focuses on how automobile drivers view the world because of general traffic engineering practices and how traffic operations are measured using level of service (LOS). With many communities more concerned about climate change, creating livable communities, and alternative transport, the traditional traffic engineering approach to traffic operations analysis is not effective. Instead of relying on vehicle LOS as the primary performance measure in transportation impact studies, agencies need to consider the tradeoffs between LOS and other important community values and other modes. This paper will present a new paradigm for transportation planning and impact analysis that reflects the inherent tradeoffs associated with vehicle travel, urban development form, and the treatment of other modes.

Source: Docuticker