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Citizens near the path of least resistance: Travel behavior of Century Freeway corridor residents
78
Recent doctoral dissertations
of travel behavior on networks with Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). Variations in drivers’ access to ATIS. as well as in their acceptance of the information, effectively divide them into different classes. The MUE problem is shown to have mathematical programming formulations which guarantee both existence and uniqueness of MUE under mild conditions. An efficient solution method for the MUE problem is derived from the standard method of successive average. Numerical analysis of the MUE model for selected network structures and mixtures of user classes shows that the presence of stochastic users is necessary for minimizing average user cost. This phenomenon is evident in networks where congestion is not extremely high. With respect to ATIS, the research suggests that there may be a “system optimal” proportion of equipped drivers which is significantly less than full saturation.
TRANSPORTATION/LAND INTERACTIONS
USE
Citizens near the path of least resistance: Travel behavior of Century Freeway corridor residents. Van Hengel, Drusilla Ruth, Ph.D. University of Culiforniu. Irvine, 1996. 226 pp. Co-chairs: Joseph DiMento; Wilfred Reeker. 226 pp. Order Number DA9612101 This work joins a body of literature that tests whether commuting data support a hypothesized mismatch between employment or shopping opportunities among isolated groups of urban residents, and the equitable distribution of mobility benefits following the opening of a major urban freeway. New highway impacts vary depending upon the condition of the surrounding area and proximity to the facility. Three grouping variables are introduced as possible means through which to categorize residents severely impacted by the construction of the Glenn M. Anderson (Century) Freeway/Transitway (Interstate 105). A behavioral measure segments residents based on the social and economic conditions in their census tracts. Two geographic grouping variables separate inner city residents from more suburban residents, and residents close to the right-of-way from those more than a mile from the construction. U.S. Census data illustrate the social and economic differences among these groups within the Century Freeway corridor area. At an aggregate level, mean travel time to work is longer for residents of distressed areas, central city areas and residents near the right of way. Residents in the study area are surveyed at two points in time. Baseline travel behavior analyses indicate that controlling for race, education, income, and mode choice, the work trip of South Central Los Angeles residents is longer than neighboring areas in the corridor. This trip is also longer for residents living within one mile of the freeway. Analysis of transportation behavior subsequent to the freeway opening reveals that the travel time savings for work and
nonwork trips are unequally distributed across the study area. Significantly, the freeway opening is not associated with a convergence of work trip travel times. Those least affected by highway construction demonstrate travel benefits that are not found among severely impactedrespondents.
The competitive city: The impact of transport and land policy on Japan’s economic growth and development. Hook, Walter Brian, Ph.D. Columbia University, 1996. 449 pp. Adviser: Elliott Sclar. Order Number DA%1 1155 This dissertation argues that urban structure can affect national competitiveness, and has played an important role in the competitiveness of Japan’s economy. It first demonstrates how questions of urban structure relate to economic growth theory. It then uses data from Japan and the U.S. to demonstrate how differences in urban structure and transport systems have affected investment levels and production costs in the two countries. It then demonstrates how the growth impacts of different policies affecting urban structure depend on the position of the country in the global economy. Japan’s urban history is then reviewed in order to identify the key historical reasons for differences with between Japanese and U.S. urban structure. Finally, it reviews the recent privatization of Japan National Railroad and the increasing emergence of ‘Third Sector’ companies. It argues that privatization has been used to raise funds to increase public investment in order to stimulate growth, and represents a new form of Keynesianism. It concludes by outlining the growth implications of different urban policy options for developing countries and the U.S.
Development decisions for real estate projects near Washington Metro stations. Huang. Herman Fu. Ph.D. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1995. 260 pp. Advisor: Edward J. Kaiser. Order Number Washington, D.C.3 urban rail transit system (“Metro”) has been an important influence on local real estate markets. Real estate developers have built projects at or near a number of Metro stations, including those in downtown Washington, Ballston and Bethesda. Interviews with local planners in the jurisdictions served by Metro and with selected developers yielded insights into factors that influenced development decisions for 29 projects near 15 Metro stations. Developers usually considered both Metro and zoning to be important in their decisions to go forward with specific projects. Metro was more likely to be important for office projects than for residential projects. The developers of projects in downtown Washington were concerned about locational prestige. Most developers regarded improved regional accessibility and the ease of access to a station as important station attributes, but did not think that there was prestige associated with being near
Recent doctoral dissertations
of travel behavior on networks with Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS). Variations in drivers’ access to ATIS. as well as in their acceptance of the information, effectively divide them into different classes. The MUE problem is shown to have mathematical programming formulations which guarantee both existence and uniqueness of MUE under mild conditions. An efficient solution method for the MUE problem is derived from the standard method of successive average. Numerical analysis of the MUE model for selected network structures and mixtures of user classes shows that the presence of stochastic users is necessary for minimizing average user cost. This phenomenon is evident in networks where congestion is not extremely high. With respect to ATIS, the research suggests that there may be a “system optimal” proportion of equipped drivers which is significantly less than full saturation.
TRANSPORTATION/LAND INTERACTIONS
USE
Citizens near the path of least resistance: Travel behavior of Century Freeway corridor residents. Van Hengel, Drusilla Ruth, Ph.D. University of Culiforniu. Irvine, 1996. 226 pp. Co-chairs: Joseph DiMento; Wilfred Reeker. 226 pp. Order Number DA9612101 This work joins a body of literature that tests whether commuting data support a hypothesized mismatch between employment or shopping opportunities among isolated groups of urban residents, and the equitable distribution of mobility benefits following the opening of a major urban freeway. New highway impacts vary depending upon the condition of the surrounding area and proximity to the facility. Three grouping variables are introduced as possible means through which to categorize residents severely impacted by the construction of the Glenn M. Anderson (Century) Freeway/Transitway (Interstate 105). A behavioral measure segments residents based on the social and economic conditions in their census tracts. Two geographic grouping variables separate inner city residents from more suburban residents, and residents close to the right-of-way from those more than a mile from the construction. U.S. Census data illustrate the social and economic differences among these groups within the Century Freeway corridor area. At an aggregate level, mean travel time to work is longer for residents of distressed areas, central city areas and residents near the right of way. Residents in the study area are surveyed at two points in time. Baseline travel behavior analyses indicate that controlling for race, education, income, and mode choice, the work trip of South Central Los Angeles residents is longer than neighboring areas in the corridor. This trip is also longer for residents living within one mile of the freeway. Analysis of transportation behavior subsequent to the freeway opening reveals that the travel time savings for work and
nonwork trips are unequally distributed across the study area. Significantly, the freeway opening is not associated with a convergence of work trip travel times. Those least affected by highway construction demonstrate travel benefits that are not found among severely impactedrespondents.
The competitive city: The impact of transport and land policy on Japan’s economic growth and development. Hook, Walter Brian, Ph.D. Columbia University, 1996. 449 pp. Adviser: Elliott Sclar. Order Number DA%1 1155 This dissertation argues that urban structure can affect national competitiveness, and has played an important role in the competitiveness of Japan’s economy. It first demonstrates how questions of urban structure relate to economic growth theory. It then uses data from Japan and the U.S. to demonstrate how differences in urban structure and transport systems have affected investment levels and production costs in the two countries. It then demonstrates how the growth impacts of different policies affecting urban structure depend on the position of the country in the global economy. Japan’s urban history is then reviewed in order to identify the key historical reasons for differences with between Japanese and U.S. urban structure. Finally, it reviews the recent privatization of Japan National Railroad and the increasing emergence of ‘Third Sector’ companies. It argues that privatization has been used to raise funds to increase public investment in order to stimulate growth, and represents a new form of Keynesianism. It concludes by outlining the growth implications of different urban policy options for developing countries and the U.S.
Development decisions for real estate projects near Washington Metro stations. Huang. Herman Fu. Ph.D. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1995. 260 pp. Advisor: Edward J. Kaiser. Order Number Washington, D.C.3 urban rail transit system (“Metro”) has been an important influence on local real estate markets. Real estate developers have built projects at or near a number of Metro stations, including those in downtown Washington, Ballston and Bethesda. Interviews with local planners in the jurisdictions served by Metro and with selected developers yielded insights into factors that influenced development decisions for 29 projects near 15 Metro stations. Developers usually considered both Metro and zoning to be important in their decisions to go forward with specific projects. Metro was more likely to be important for office projects than for residential projects. The developers of projects in downtown Washington were concerned about locational prestige. Most developers regarded improved regional accessibility and the ease of access to a station as important station attributes, but did not think that there was prestige associated with being near