Developing standard pedestrian-equivalent factors: passenger car–equivalent approach for dealing with pedestrian diversity

Similar to vehicular traffic, pedestrians, despite having diverse capabilities and body sizes, can be classified as heterogeneous. The use of vehicular traffic resolves the diversity issue with a conversion of heterogeneous vehicle flow into an equivalent flow with the use of passenger car–equivalent (PCE) factors. Analysis of pedestrian flow has yet to incorporate pedestrian diversity analysis implicitly into the design of pedestrian facilities, although some form of adjustment has been suggested. This paper introduces the concept of PCE-type factors for mixed pedestrian traffic called standard pedestrian-equivalent (SPE) factors. Estimates of SPE factors are made relative to the average commuter. The equivalent total travel time approach for PCE estimation was adapted to consider the effects of the differences in physical and operational characteristics of pedestrians, particularly walking speed and body size. Microsimulation of pedestrians was employed to evaluate hypothetical pedestrian proportions so as to generate corresponding flow relationships. Walking speeds and body sizes were varied across different flow conditions, walkway widths, and proportions of other pedestrian types. The first part of this paper explores how the two pedestrian characteristics (walking speed and body size) influence estimated SPE factors. The second part is a case study in which field-collected data illustrate SPE factors calculated for older adults, obese pedestrians, and their combination. An application of SPE factors demonstrates the robustness of the methodology in bridging the gap between pedestrian compositions and planning practice

Guidebook for Measuring, Assessing, and Improving Performance of Demand-Response Transportation

This guidebook will be of interest to public transportation systems that provide demand-response transportation (DRT) services and to the communities they serve. The guidebook is a resource to assist DRT systems to measure, assess, and improve their performance. This guidebook focuses on DRT in urban areas

Employee Compensation Guidelines for Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas

This report will be of interest to local transit providers and their governing boards. While the Guidebook largely addresses compensation, it also assists transit providers to recruit, hire and retain qualified employees. The Guidebook is accompanied by an interactive computer tool (located on the Transportation Research Board website at http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9282) that provides an easy way to explore salary and benefit characteristics of transit systems in rural and small urban areas

Embracing Change in a Changing World -- Case Studies Applying New Paradigms for Rural and Small Urban Transit Service Delivery

This report summarizes the findings of Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Project B-22A, New Paradigms for Rural and Small Urban Transit Service Delivery. It will be of interest to individuals who provide public transportation in rural and small urban areas; local, regional, state, and federal planners and funders of these services; and the administrators of these programs at state departments of transportation. The findings, presented in the form of case studies, provide a valuable resource to professionals who may implement new concepts to improve public transportation in the community

Management Toolkit for Rural and Small Urban Transportation Systems

This toolkit identifies an array of management principles and techniques, for use by small urban and rural public transportation providers, to assist in managing their transportation services and resources effectively. The toolkit has two parts: a guidebook and a self-assessment tool. The guidebook introduces the idea of customer-driven transit service attributes and includes general management philosophies. Also included in the guidebook are exemplary practices and how to instructions for some topics. Additional sections describing rules of thumb or things to avoid are included for some management processes. Each chapter of the guidebook discusses a customer-service attribute and how it can be measured and tracked. Some of the customer-service attributes are reliability, safety/security, convenience/accessibility, comfort/cleanliness, and affordability. The guidebook also includes four chapters on the cross-cutting topics, including operations management, risk management, vehicle maintenance, and procurement. The self-assessment tool on disk, that accompanies this report, is designed to give the user a baseline or current picture of the status of the transit system

Effective Approaches to Meeting Rural Intercity Bus Transportation Needs

This report presents results of research conducted under Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Project B-21, Effective Approaches to Meeting Rural Intercity Bus Transportation Needs. The project identified strategies for initiating, preserving, and enhancing effective rural intercity bus transportation. To identify recent projects and to identify barriers or issues affecting implementation, the research effort included surveys of state rural transit program managers, state rail program managers, and intercity bus carriers. The report includes three parts. Part I contains a review of recent developments affecting the intercity bus industry, an overview of potential funding sources, and a review of barriers to implementation of rural intercity projects. Part II provides strategies for rural intercity service improvements, including methods of identifying intercity carriers and services, planning, program development, operating assistance, capital assistance, marketing assistance, and combining approaches. Each strategy is described, and implementation examples are presented. Part III presents 50 project descriptions based on additional survey interviews with project contacts. A compendium of all projects identified is included as Appendix B. Also included as appendixes are guidance for the Section 5311(f) program (Appendix A) and a bibliography (Appendix C). The research indicates that there are a variety of ways to implement successful rural intercity projects, depending on local goals, institutional constraints, and funding availability

Guidebook for Change and Innovation at Rural and Small Urban Transit Systems

This report will be of interest to individuals who provide public transportation in rural and small urban areas; local, regional, state, and federal planners and funders of these services; and the administrators of these programs at state departments of transportation. The research, presented in the form of a guidebook, provides a valuable resource to many people who may implement or adapt new concepts to improve public transportation in their community. Much of the information was derived from a careful review of innovative public transportation initiatives undertaken in rural and small urban communities throughout the United States. The guidebook is divided into two parts: Part I addresses the culture for change and innovation and Part II presents more than 40 initiatives and innovations implemented by an array of organizations, including public and nonprofit transit systems, regional planning agencies, state transit associations, and state departments of transportation

Local and Regional Funding Mechanisms for Public Transportation

This report and the Local and Regional Funding Database, which is posted on the Transportation Research Board (TRB) website at http://trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=9599, will be of interest to public transportation systems, local and regional governments, and others interested in funding for public transportation services. The Local and Regional Funding Database in intended to serve as an interactive repository of information gathered from transit systems about their local and regional funding mechanisms. This database can be updated in the future as additional information becomes available

Analyzing the Costs of Operating Small Transit Vehicles: User\u27s Guide STVe (Small Transit Vehicle economics)

This User\u27s Guide explains the accompanying Small Transit Vehicle economics (STVe) model - a tool designed for transit planners and others making decisions about the purchase of small transit vehicles for different services and operating environments. The computerized STVe model is based on the principles of engineering economics and allows the user to assess whether it makes economic sense to invest in a particular type of vehicle, based on user-defined inputs. The User\u27s Guide describes how to run the model and interpret its results. The STVe model and User\u27s Guide will be of interest to transit operators, planners, policy makers, and others concerned with the costs associated with implementing small transit vehicle service in the United States