Walking is arguably one of the more dangerous modes of travel in the United States. A study by the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership (STPP) estimated that in 2001, the fatality rate per 100 million miles traveled was 20.1 for pedestrians, compared to only 1.3 for personal cars/trucks, and 0.8 for public transit. The vulnerability of pedestrians in motor vehicle-related crashes is higher in large central cities where large numbers of people walk in relatively compact urban environments.

This proposed research will build on efforts to understand pedestrian behavior, safety, and activity in New Jersey. The Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center is currently in the process of implementing a pedestrian behavior survey that will collect data on various aspects of pedestrian travel in New Jersey, funded by New Jersey DOT. The overall objective of this research is to understand the demographic, locational, land use, and infrastructure elements that are associated with both increased walking behavior and perceptions of a safe pedestrian environment.

The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) operates seven bridges and two tunnels in New York City, all of which charge tolls. The TBTA is contemplating increasing tolls in early 1993. This study had two purposes related to the potential increase. The first purpose was to determine the impact of the toll increase on traffic volumes and revenue. The second purpose of the study was to determine the impact on revenue of creating a new toll class. Currently the TBTA has nine classes of vehicles that pay differing tolls.

Project Objective

The goal of this study is to develop a research plan that will enable the interested NYSDOT staff to get a full understanding of modeling tools. This kind of expertise can be obtained by understanding

General Discussion

Accurate transportation emissions inventories are a key component to transportation planning, air quality modeling, and relevant policy making. Regional level inventories are essential to the conformity process required by the Clean Air Act, and they can help inform planners of the regional effects of changes to the transportation infrastructure. Regional inventories alone provide an incomplete picture, however.

The nighttime driving environment, consisting of roadway illumination, signs, vehicle lighting and markers, delineation and signal lights, can be complex or even confusing for both pedestrians and drivers. The nighttime construction environment is even more complex and even chaotic because of the added presence of workers, bright lights, flashing signals and many potential hazards not usually found along the nighttime roadway environment.

Project Description

This study will suggest approaches to address the impacts of these events; simultaneously it will capture recent economic history to note advantages and disadvantages of specific locations and corridors with the State of New York, within regional states, and the new, Global (International) corridors. For New York to sustain its global economic advantages it must build on its strengths, and its unparalleled location advantages.

In the United States and Canada, park and ride (P&R) facilities have existed in one form or the other since mid-1920s. More recent public investment in P&R facilities is mainly a response to increasing global oil prices and an initiative by DOTs to provide alternative transportation services (facilitate the use of mass transit systems in particular). With the emergence of new technologies, innovative public-private partnerships and the need for ‘green transportation’, the role of P&R facilities is rapidly changing.