The Urban Land Use and Transportation Center (ULTRANS) at the UC Davis Institute of. Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis)
ULTRANS Aligning Land Use and Tr ansportation Policy and Pr ac tice
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OVERVIEW The Urban Land Use and Transportation Center (ULTRANS) at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis) is playing a central role in tackling the linked challenges of urban sprawl, vehicle travel, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. ULTRANS is building the forecasting models and advancing the underlying behavioral research needed to design public policies that increase economic viability and improve quality of life. ULTRANS research and outreach enhance land use and transportation policies and decisions by enabling full consideration of environmental, economic, and social equity impacts.
Our mission is to create livable communities with enhanced mobility options by: • Developing and evaluating effective, politically acceptable rules and policies; • Constructing effective tools and models to support new policies and programs; • Educating the next generation of experts and leaders; and • Disseminating research findings and training users of the forecasting models, to assist implementation of policies, rules and models.
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WHAT’S NEW? Following on the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32), in 2008 California adopted the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (SB 375) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions connected with sprawl and vehicle use. Under SB 375, major California cities are required to reduce emissions associated with vehicle use by about 7% per capita in 2020 and 15% in 2035. Other states and the U.S. Congress are exploring similar laws and programs, and the U.S. Department of Transportation has embraced “livability” as a top priority. ULTRANS researchers are developing the knowledge, policy expertise and tools to support these initiatives, and partnering with government to help create more sustainable communities. ULTRANS is playing a central role in informing the GHG reduction target-setting process and strengthening the modeling capacity of local and state governments.
• ULTRANS leaders have been engaged with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), California Transportation Commission, and the SB 375 Regional Targets Advisory Committee (RTAC) to help with the development of policy language, modeling criteria, literature review, and general counsel. Professor Dan Sperling, founder and director, ITSDavis, served as CARB’s designated board liaison to RTAC. • ULTRANS has joined with its UC ITS partners at Berkeley and Irvine to provide support to CARB in Best Management Practices for SB 375 that are effective and scientifically defensible. • ULTRANS is helping to lay the groundwork for California communities undertaking Sustainable Community Strategies. Our team is also deeply engaged with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the regional Councils of Government (COGs).
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POLICY ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION ULTRANS is building an evidence-based set of research tools to support effective climate policy by giving policymakers better information about how cities and regions can tackle climate change efficiently and effectively. Policymakers throughout the nation are considering a wide range of land use and transportation policies, from parking pricing to infill development, with limited information on their effects on reducing vehicle travel and GHG emissions. ULTRANS researchers are producing and disseminating a series of policy briefs summarizing previous and ongoing research results, to make this important information more accessible and useful. ULTRANS researchers are working to more accurately quantify the relationships between land use characteristics and vehicle travel to help cities, counties, and regions develop targeted policies with scarce resources. The particulars of local and regional context play a large role in determining which actions will be most effective, so ULTRANS is creating a spreadsheet tool to allow local policymakers immediate access to the findings that are relevant to their particular community. ULTRANS researchers are conducting case studies of voluntary climate initiatives underway in eight California cities. Data has been collected from government officials and other stakeholders to identify the feasibility, cost, and effectiveness of various GHG reduction initiatives. The results of this work will give local governments context-rich information as they seek to implement effective strategies to reach carbon reduction targets and other policy goals. To better understand the impacts of policies on behavior, ULTRANS is using “before and after” studies to evaluate the effects of local policy implementation. For example, ULTRANS researchers completed a “before” survey of shopping patterns in Davis prior to the opening of the first “big box” store in the community, followed by an “after” survey to examine whether the new store has increased or decreased vehicle travel in the city. In the future, they will conduct ongoing before and after studies with the new zero-net-energy West Village project being built on the UC Davis campus, examining changes in travel for households that move to this compact, mixed-use, bicycling-oriented development. Our researchers are developing standardized evaluation protocols for use by local agencies to collect data before and after the implementation of policies, and will work with selected local communities as they carry out policy evaluations. Results from policy evaluations throughout the state will be compiled and disseminated to policymakers at the state, regional, and local levels.
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MODELING TOOLS Our team leads the world in producing comprehensive computerized forecasting models that take into account land use, transportation and economic activity. In California, ULTRANS researchers are developing statewide land use, transportation, and economic models in coordination with regional Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) efforts. Coupling state and regional models is an essential step in forecasting the impact of state policy on local communities and shedding light on regional investment options. ULTRANS is producing fine-grained models that integrate state and regional infrastructure investment strategies and can serve as a national exemplar of how collaboration and technology can support excellence in decision-making.
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California Statewide Integrated Model (CalSIM) is a comprehensive integrated modeling tool combining a host of relevant data sets throughout the state of California to assess and depict the interregional effects (including economic, land use, environmental, and other co-benefits) of various transportation investments and policy choices. This tool, sponsored primarily by Caltrans, can help identify expected growth levels and clarify the relationship between land use and transportation, and can test results against regional and local performance targets. The statewide CalSIM will correspond with regional models throughout California to project the aggregate impact of state policies and investments on regions and the interaction of regional policy choices with statewide efforts. This integrated model can be used to assess the potential effects of high-speed rail, Sustainable Community Strategies, high occupancy vehicle lanes on public freeways, and other options. Members of the CalSIM Peer Consulting Team provide input and feedback on the model. Team members represent MPOs throughout the state, as well as the California Energy Commission, CARB, Caltrans, and Oregon’s Department of Transportation.
California Statewide Travel Demand Model (CSTDM) is a sophisticated statewide transportation model built for Caltrans. This model accounts for interregional trips and can run as part of the CalSIM system. It is the first model that can forecast how all 12 million California households with their 33 million members take 150 million trips every weekday. It simulates how land use and transportation policies influence the time and cost of traveling by car, transit, bicycle, and foot. The model predicts reductions in vehicle travel—and thus in greenhouse gases—that can result from new investments, regulations and policies. It provides objective data needed to develop and evaluate policy, and can test how alternative transportation investments and policies would change travel in California.
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TRAVEL MODELS VS. INTEGRATED MODELS Why Does Integrated Modeling Matter? The typical 4-Step Travel Model is based on traffic analysis zones, which provide an average behavior for the people within them. The 4-Step Model was designed to assess mobility and forecast congestion, and it can do those things adequately. 4-Step Travel Models typically analyze: 1. Trip generation (what trips do people need or want to make?) 2. Trip distribution (where do they go for those activities?) 3. Mode choice (do they travel by driving, riding, taking transit, bicycling, or walking?) 4. Trip assignment (what route do they take, with feedback that considers other routes during congestion). Activity-Based Models assess behavioral decisions about where to go, how and when to travel, and the costs and benefits associated with different policy decisions. Travel Models include standard four-step travel demand models, and also new activity-based and tour-based travel models. Integrated Models include PECAS, MEPLAN, and UrbanSim.
TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS
Travel Models Alone
Integrated Models
Goods Movement, Market-Based Measures, and Transportation System Management Cumulative Impacts of Project EIRs (e.g., “induced demand”). Traffic Congestion
LAND USE ANALYSIS Smart Growth Benefits and Effects Land Use/Transportation Interactions , Land Uses in Relation to Transportation Networks, Jobs/Housing Balance, Policy Strategies, Housing Affordability, Transportation System Management, and Optimal Planning Practices
BENEFITS OF INTEGRATED MODELING Strategy Assessment, Scenario Planning, Economic Development, Environmental Justice, and Performance Measures
From 2006 study commissioned by Caltrans entitled: “Integrated Land Use/Economic/Transportation Model” Efforts.
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OUTREACH AND TRAINING Extending research findings beyond the university is central to the ULTRANS mission. We disseminate information to all levels of decision makers and practitioners, including all 18 California MPOs and key state agencies such as CARB, Caltrans, the California Energy Commission, and others. Our education and outreach service, which provided foundational support for the Blueprint and Inter-Regional Blueprint processes, has been a central part of the success of regional planning programs across California. For example, the San Joaquin Valley Council of COGs representing the eight MPOs of the San Joaquin Valley made a choice for 50% higher future residential density targets throughout the eight-county region when ULTRANS models clarified the implications of the policy choice for public investment, transportation, agricultural land impacts, and GHG emissions. ULTRANS provides technical assistance to local governments to support the development of Sustainable Community Strategies, a recent requirement of Regional Transportation Plans as identified by SB 375. Working closely with California’s Strategic Growth Council, ULTRANS has partnered with the Institute for Local Government to create the Sustainable Communities Learning Network to diffuse innovation in the field of sustainability to the local level. We have learned from our experience operating the statewide Blueprint Learning Network that local government needs significant support to realize the state’s sustainability goals. No MPOs (or their constituent cities) have all the knowledge, data and experience needed to analyze targets, use visualization tools and advanced integrated models, craft appropriate policy and practices, and monitor outcomes—but collectively they do possess most of this capacity. ULTRANS will replicate its role in the Blueprint process in providing opportunities for inter-governmental communication, helping MPOs talk to each other, learn from each other, and work together to achieve California’s ambitious goals.
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BACKGROUND Research at ULTRANS focuses on the relationships between land use, transportation infrastructure, government policy, and the choices that people make about where to live, eat and work each and every day. Our researchers study the key factors that impact transportation and land use, including residential location, transportation options, determinants of bike and walk trips, and the influence of development. ULTRANS researchers examine the interaction of federal and regional policies, including incentives for climate-friendly communities and strategies for promoting physical activity for healthier communities. We are training the next generation of leaders in research and policy development-providing graduate degree programs for students, integrated modeling curriculum for ongoing professional development, and technical assistance to practitioners involved with policy development and implementation. With expertise in engineering, economics, psychology, ecology, and other fields, ULTRANS researchers are trained in the broad range of disciplines needed to investigate the intricate relationships between land use, transport infrastructure, government policy, and the choices that people make. ULTRANS was created in 2008 to support the design and implementation of new land use and transportation policies through research, education, and outreach. It is part of the UC Davis transportation community organized by the Institute of Transportation Studies. ITS-Davis was established in 1991 and is now a multi-faceted, internationally recognized program with more than 60 affiliated faculty and researchers and over 125 graduate students. ITS-Davis is unique in its multidisciplinary approach to a range of transport topics in core areas of research and analysis, including environmental vehicle technologies and fuels; climate change, air quality, and other environmental impacts; and travel behavior, location choice, land use and economic modeling.
ULTRANS Contact Information Mike McCoy Director 530-754-9171
[email protected]
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Susan Handy Deputy Director 530-752-5878
[email protected]
ULTRANS Advisory Board
The ULTRANS Advisory Board is grounded in practice. Board members provide valuable insight on research directions, funding strategies and outreach.
ULTRANS Board of Advisors 2010-2011 Gregg Albright
James Goldstene
Jake Mackenzie
Planning Director, California High Speed Rail Authority Programs Parsons USA
Executive Officer California Air Resources Board
Vice Mayor City of Rohnert Park
Larry Greene
Mike McKeever, AICP
Autumn Bernstein Director Climate Plan
Executive Director Sac Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
Executive Director Sacramento Area Council of Governments
Marlon Boarnet
Steve Heminger
Pike Oliver
Professor, Department of Urban & Regional Planning UC Irvine
Executive Director Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Lecturer and Director of Outreach Cornell University Program in Real Estate
Dale Bonner
Hasan Ikhrata
Maren Outwater, PE
Former Secretary California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency
Executive Director Southern California Association of Governments
James D. Boyd
Randell Iwasaki
Director of Transportation, Natural Resources, Business and Technology Resource Systems Group, Inc.
Commissioner California Energy Commission
Executive Director Contra Costa Transportation Authority
Gary Gallegos Executive Director San Diego Association of Governments
James Ghielmetti
Chuck Kooshian Senior Policy Analyst, Transportation & Climate Change Center for Clean Air Policy
Bob Santos President and CEO, Heritage Fields Division Five Point Communities
Jerry Walters, PE Principal and Senior Vice President Fehr & Peers
Commissioner California Transportation Commission
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Institute of Transportation Studies University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis, California 95616 http://ultrans.its.ucdavis.edu
