GEOG 80 Transport Geography Professor: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue Hofstra University, Department of...

GEOG 80 Transport GeographyProfessor: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue

Hofstra University, Department of Global Studies & Geography

Topic 6 – Urban Transportation

A. Transportation and Urban FormB. Urban Land Use and TransportationC. Urban MobilityD. Urban Transport Problems

© Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue

C – URBAN MOBILITY

1. Urban Movements 2. Urban Transit


Types of Urban Movements

Movement Type Pattern Dominant Time Destination

Pendular Structured Morning and afternoon

Localized (employment)

Professional Varied Workdays Localized

Personal Structured Evening Varied with some foci

Touristic Seasonal Day Highly localized

Distribution Structured Nighttime Localized


Suitability of Travel Modes

Mode Limitations Most Appropriate Uses

WalkingRequires physical ability.Limited distance and carrying capacity.Difficult or unsafe in some areas.

Short trips by physically able people.

Bicycle Requires bicycle and physical ability.Limited distance and carrying capacity.

Short to medium length trips by physically able people on suitable routes.

Taxi Relatively high cost per mile. Infrequent trips, short and medium distance trips.

Fixed Route Transit Destinations and times limited. Short to medium distance trips along busy corridors.

Paratransit High cost and limited service. Travel for disabled people.

Auto driver Requires driving ability and automobile.High fixed costs.

Travel by people who can drive and afford an automobile.

RidesharingRequires cooperative automobile driver.Consumes driver’s time if a special trip (chauffeuring).

Trips that the driver would take anyway (ridesharing). Occasional special trips (chauffeuring).

Car sharing (Vehicle Rentals) Requires convenient and affordable vehicle rentals services.

Occasional use by drivers who do not own an automobile.

Motorcycle Requires riding ability and motorcycle.Average fixed costs.

Travel by people who can ride and afford a motorcycle.

Telecommute Requires equipment and skill. Alternative to some types of trips.


Main Purposes of Urban Trips

20%

15%

5%

3%5%

50%

3%

Work

Shopping

School

Business (Work)

Business (Personnal)

Home

Other


Typical Urban Day Trips by Modes, Origins and Destinations

Home Work

School(drop off child)

Restaurant

Shopping mall

8:00 AMCarpool

8:15 AMDrive alone

12:30 PMWalk

1:30 PMWalk5:30 PM

Drive alone

7:00 PMDrive alone

8:30 PMDrive alone

Passengers

Freight

7:00 AMGarbagepickup

1:30 AMDelivery

2:30 AMReturn

10:30 PMDelivery

10:45 PMReturn

10:00 AMParcel

Drop off10:05 AM

ParcelPickup


Urban Travel by Purpose and by Time of the Day in a North American Metropolis

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 230

5

10

15

20

25

Shopping

Social / Recreation

Work

Total trips

Perc

enta

ge


Home-to-Work Trips Modes, United States, 1985-2005

1985 1989 1993 1997 2000 20050%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Works at homeOther meansWalks onlyBicycle or motorcycleMass transitCarpoolDrives self


Modal Split for Global Cities, 1995

Chinese Cities American Cities Australian Cities West European Cities

High Income Asian Cities

Low Income Asian Cities

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Private Motor Vehicle

Transit

Walking / Cycling


Mode Share for Commuting, New York, 1980-2000

1980 1990 20000%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Other non walk

Taxi

Bus

Subway

Automobile


2. Urban Transit

■ Context• Dominantly an urban transportation mode.• The great majority of transit trips are taking place in large cities.• Conditions fundamental to the efficiency of transit systems:

• High density and high mobility demands over short distances.• Shared public service:

• Benefits from economies of agglomeration related to high densities.• Economies of scale related to high mobility demands.

■ Transit systems• Many types of services established to answer mobility needs.• Variety of transit systems around the world.


Private Vehicle and Public Transport Market Share, 1990/91

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Public Transport Market Share

Priv

ate

Vehi

cle

Mar

ket S

hare

Asian Cities

European Cities

American Cities


Public Transport Market Share in the United States, 1900-2005

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 20000

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Estimated Public Transport Passenger Miles

Public Transport Market Share

Bill

ions


2. Urban Transit Systems

Subway system Heavy rail system, often underground in central areas, with fixed routes, services and stations. Uniform frequency of services (peak hours increase). Fares are commonly access driven and constant.

Bus system Scheduled fixed routes and stops serviced by motorized multiple passengers vehicles (45 - 80 passengers). Services are often synchronized with other heavy systems (feeders). Express services (notably during peak hours).

Transit rail system

Fixed rail (tram rail system and commuter rail system). Frequency of services strongly linked with peak hours. Traffic tends to be imbalanced. Fares proportional to distance or service zones.

Shuttle system Privately (dominantly) owned using small buses or vans. Expanding mobility along a corridor during peak hour. Linking a specific activity center (shopping mall, university campus, industrial zone, hotel, etc.). Servicing the elderly or people with disabilities.

Paratransit system

Flexible and privately owned demand-response system. Door-to-door service, less loading and unloading time, less stops and more maneuverability in traffic.

Taxi system Privately owned vehicles offering an individual demand-response system. Fares commonly a function of a metered distance/time. When competition is not permitted, fares are set up by regulations. Servicing an area where a taxi company has the right (permit) to pickup customers. Rights are issued by a municipality.


Components of an Urban Transit System

X

XX

X

XX

X X

X

X X X

X

X

X

XX

X

XX

X

X

X

Metro station

TransferX

Transit rail station Bus stop

Express stop

Shuttle stop Paratransit Taxi serviceboundary


Estimated Ridership of the World’s Largest Public Transit Systems, 1998

Tokyo-Yokohama

Mexico City

Moscow

Shanghai

Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto

Hong Kong

Seoul

Mumbai

Beijing

Buenos Aires

Sao Paulo

London

Paris

Manila

New York

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000

Estimated Annual Journeys (billions)


Trips by Public Transport in the United States, 1970-2005

1970

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

10,000

Bus Heavy Rail Light Rail

Mill

ions


D – URBAN TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

1. Geographical Challenges Facing Urban Transportation2. Automobile Dependency3. Congestion


1. Geographical Challenges Facing Urban Transportation

■ Context• Most important transport problems often related to urban areas.• Urban productivity:

• Dependent on the efficiency of its transport system.• Move labor, consumers and freight between several origins and

destinations.• Growing complexity of cities:

• Accompanied by a wide array of urban transportation problems.• Some problems are ancient like congestion (Rome).• Others are new like environmental impacts:

• Notably CO2 emissions linked with the diffusion of the internal combustion engine.


1. Geographical Challenges Facing Urban Transportation

Traffic congestion and parking difficulties

Supply of infrastructures has not kept up with the growth of mobility. Vehicles spend the majority of the time parked; motorization has expanded the demand for parking space.

Public transport inadequacy

Over or under-usage of public transport systems. Inability of public transit systems to be financially sustainable.

Difficulties for pedestrians

Intense traffic, where the mobility of pedestrians and vehicles are impaired. Lack of consideration for pedestrians in the physical design of facilities.

Environmental impacts and energy consumption

Pollution (e.g. noise) generated by circulation has impediments. Dependency on petroleum.

Accidents and safety

Growing traffic linked with a growing number of accidents and fatalities. Accidents account for a significant share of recurring delays.

Land consumption Significant territorial imprint. Between 30 and 60% of a metropolitan area may be devoted to transportation.

Freight distribution Globalization resulted in growing quantities of freight moving in cities. Shares infrastructures with the circulation of passengers. City logistics.


2. Automobile Dependency

■ Causes• Advantages of automobile use:

• Performance, comfort, status, speed, and convenience.• Illustrates why car ownership continues to grow worldwide.

• Factors of growth:• Sustained economic growth (increase in revenue and quality of life).• Complex individual urban movement patterns.• Peripheral urban growth.

■ Factors of dependency• Under pricing and consumer choices:

• Most road infrastructures are subsidized (considered a public service).• Drivers do not bear the full cost of car usage.• Car ownership is a symbol of status• Single home ownership.


2. Automobile Dependency

• Planning and investment practices:• Aims towards improving road and parking facilities in an ongoing attempt

to avoid congestion.• Transportation alternatives tend to be disregarded.• In many cases, zoning regulations impose minimum standards of road and

parking services and de facto impose a regulated car dependency.


3. Congestion

■ Congestion• Occurs when transport demand exceeds transport supply:

• At a specific point in time.• In a specific section of the transport system.

• Each vehicle impairs the mobility of others.• Types:

• Recurring congestion (specific times of the day and on specific segments of the transport system).

• Random events (accidents and weather conditions).


Recurring Congestion

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Traffic

Capacity

Unused Capacity

Congestion


Major Sources of Recurring and Non-Recurring Congestion

40%

25%

10%

15%

5%5%

Congestion in the United States (hours by Cause)

Recurring CongestionTraffic IncidentsWork ZonesWeatherPoor Signal TimingOther


Roadway Congestion Index, Selected Cities, United States, 1982-2007

0.600000000000001

0.800000000000001

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

19821990199420002007


Average Hourly Traffic on George Washington Bridge, 2002

12AM

1AM

2AM

3AM

4AM

5AM

6AM

7AM

8AM

9AM

10AM

11AM

12PM

1PM

2PM

3PM

4PM

5PM

6PM

7PM

8PM

9PM

10PM

11PM

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000 Eastbound

Westbound

Total


The Vicious Circle of Congestion

CongestionCongestionPublic

pressures to increase capacity

Public pressures to

increase capacityNew

capacityNew

capacityMovement

s are easier

Movements are easier

Urban sprawl is favored

Urban sprawl is favored

The average length of

movements

increases

The average length of

movements

increases

The number of

movements increases

The number of

movements increases


3. Congestion: Some Mitigation Measures

Ramp metering Controlling access to a congested highway by letting automobiles in one at a time instead of in groups.

Traffic signal synchronization

Tuning the traffic signals to the time and direction of traffic flows.

Incident management

Making sure that vehicles involved in accidents or mechanical failures are removed as quickly as possible from the road.

Carpooling Individual providing ridership to people having a similar origin, destination and commuting time. Two or more vehicle trips combined into one. Vehicle pools.

HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes

Vehicles with 2 or more passengers (buses, vans, carpool, etc.) have exclusive access to a less congested lane.

Public transit Offering alternatives to driving.

GEOG 80 Transport Geography Professor: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue Hofstra University, Department of...

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