conference paper

Facilitating Micromobility for first and Last Mile Connection with Public Transit through Environmental Design: A Case Study of California Bay Area Rapid Transit Stations

Abstract

Micromobility has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and air pollution, particularly when replacing private vehicle use in conjunction with public transit for first- and last-mile travel. The design of the built environment in and around public transit stations plays a key role in the integration of public transit and micro-mobility. This research presents a case study of rail stations in the California Bay Area, which are in the operation zone of seven shared micro-mobility operators. Nineteen stations and their surroundings were surveyed to inventory design features that could enable or constrain the use of micromobility for first- and last-mile access. Shared mobility service characteristics, crime records, and connections to underserved communities were also documented. Key design solutions were identified based on the findings, including protected bike lanes, increased shared bike and scooter fleet size and service area, and clear signage indicating parking corral and docking points.

blog

How Can Cities Ensure EV Charging Accessibility for Lower-Income Drivers?

blog

Pilot Programs Aim to Address Gaps in Transportation Access

Publication Date

July 12, 2022

Author(s)

Angela Sanguinetti, Eli Alston-Stepnitz, Mollie Cohen D'Agostino

policy brief

Public Transit’s Post-pandemic Fiscal Challenges

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have caused significant financial uncertainty and distress for most transit operators in California (and, indeed, nationwide). Emergency measures taken early on to protect drivers and passengers meant increased operating costs at the same time that ridership and revenues — especially from fares — plummeted.In the face of this crisis, the federal government provided transit agencies with unprecedented operating support through three pandemic stimulus bills, which proved essential in fi lling budgetary gaps, stabilizing finances, preventing layoffs, and maintaining service. Other transit subsidies such as local option sales taxes (LOSTs) bounced back robustly after an initial decline.Yet ridership has returned only slowly and unevenly on most systems. In 2023, as some agencies spend down the last of their federal relief funds, financial shortfalls loom at formerly high farebox recovery and commuter-focused systems. Meanwhile, protracted labor shortages of vehicle operators and mechanics are preventing many systems from providing desired levels of service.To explore these issues, the research team surveyed transit agencies in California and across the country, conducted interviews with agency management, and analyzed financial and ridership data.

published journal article

Large-scale Public Charging Demand Prediction with a Scenario- and Activity-Based Approach

Abstract

Transportation system electrification is expected to bring millions of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road within decades. Accurately predicting the charging demand is necessary to accommodate the surge in EV deployment. This paper presents a novel modeling framework to predict the public charging demand profile derived from people’s travel trajectories, with the consideration of the demand and supply stochasticity of transportation systems and the charging behavior heterogeneity of EV users. The vehicle charging decision-making process is explicitly modeled, and the charging need of each EV user is estimated associated with their travel trajectories. The methodology enables charging demand prediction with a high spatial-temporal resolution for transportation system electrification planning. A case study was conducted in Los Angeles County to predict the demand for public charging facilities in 2035 and perform corresponding spatial-temporal analysis of EV public charging under various scenarios of future electrification levels and network conditions.

research report

Examining US Transit Vehicle Passenger Loads during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Transit ridership plummeted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what constituted passenger crowding contracted dramatically as well. We examine trends in average passenger loads and their correlates in a national sample of U.S. transit operators during the first year of the pandemic and find that passenger loads in high-transit-ridership areas and on the largest systems fell the most early on. Passenger loads were actually somewhat more likely to increase in places where COVID-19 rates were higher during the first year of the pandemic, which suggests that pandemic transit riders had fewer options to travel by other means.

research report

Parking, Working from Home, and Travel Behavior

Abstract

Drawing on the California Household Travel Survey, the research demonstrates strong associations between choosing to drive and having free parking at work or home. The research team found that the median household vehicle in California spends 22 hours a day parked and that households with parking included in the rent or purchase price of their homes are more likely to drive and less likely to use transit. The team further found that employees with free parking at work are more likely to drive for their commutes. Regressions were estimated that analyzed the decision to work from home. Largely for data reasons, these regressions are less conclusive.