Community Organization Actions for Efficient Transportation
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TDM
Encyclopedia
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
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Updated
June 20, 2007
This chapter identifies TDM policies and programs suitable for implementation by community organizations such as neighborhood associations, environmental advocacy organizations and other stakeholder groups.
Community organizations (also called non-governmental organizations or NGOs, and advocacy groups) include a wide variety of organizations that represent the interests of residents or other stakeholders, and advocate for specific objectives such as environmental protection. They range from small, informal local groups to major international organizations with significant membership and funding.
TDM strategies can help achieve many community organization goals, including reduced traffic and parking congestion, improved mobility for non-drivers, improved public fitness and health, and reduced pollution emissions. Because TDM can provide multiple benefits it can provide an opportunity for building partnerships and coalitions among various interest groups. For example, organizations interested in neighborhood livability, global environmental issues, public health and improving employment opportunities for poor people all have reasons to support TDM programs.
Community groups can support TDM implementation in the following ways:
The following strategies are particularly suitable for implementation by community organizations. For more detailed information see the TDM Summary Table.
Car-free planning
strategies reduce automobile travel at particular times and places, and to
create pedestrian oriented streets.
Downtowns
and Commercial Centers
Creating vibrant
downtowns, business districts, urban villages and other accessible, mixed-use
activity centers tends to support many TDM strategies.
New Urbanism (also
called Neotraditional Design) includes various design and development
practices that create more accessible, walkable, multi-modal, and livable
communities. People who live and work in such communities tend to drive less
and rely more on alternative modes than in more automobile-dependent locations.
Various management
strategies can result in more efficient use of parking resources. These include
sharing, regulating and pricing of parking facilities, more accurate
requirements, use of off-site parking facilities, improved user information,
and incentives to use alternative modes.
Sharing parking
facilities among various users can increase efficiency and support various TDM
strategies.
Special programs can
help managed transportation efficiently during major events, construction
projects and emergencies.
Reducing traffic speeds tends to improve walking and cycling conditions,
increase safety, reduce air and noise pollution, encourage more compact
development, and reduce total automobile travel.
Street reclaiming
involves various strategies that increase community interaction on neighborhood
streets.
TDM can help achieve
sustainable transport planning objectives.
A
comprehensive plan for integrating bicycling infrastructure into the city's
street network, including on- and off-road facilities, and ancillary facilities
such as bicycle parking, signing and other amenities.
The
City of
The
City of
The
organization Walkable Communities has participated in dozens of community
planning charrettes, in which residents and experts work together to design and
organize roadway improvements, many of which include Traffic Calming.
Living
Streets turn public roads into quality environments that encourage walking,
cycling and social interaction. The
Living
Streets give priority to pedestrians and cyclists, and create safe places for
people to walk, cycle, play and meet friends. Cars and other motor vehicles are
not excluded but the street is designed to make drivers aware that they are
driving in an area where pedestrians and other users have priority.
As
part of the scheme, residents who have their streets developed as Living
Streets sign a Community Contract declaring that if their street becomes a
living street they will consciously reduce their speed in other residential
streets.
Every
time you dry your hair, make toast, or drive a car you are using energy made
from fossil fuels, and that creates air pollution. It's a grim picture, but
sources of pollution are also opportunities for change. The Center for
Neighborhood Technology designed AirHead.org to provide People with simple ways
to reduce their energy use and improve the quality of our air.
With
AirHead's emissions calculator you can learn how much air pollution you create
in the course of your everyday life, and compare your personal profile to other
people in the
AARP (2005), Livable Communities: An Evaluation Guide, AARP Public Policy Institute (http://assets.aarp.org).
AirHead Website (www.AirHead.org)
is an online tool to give people more information about the air pollution
impacts of their everyday decisions.
Stephen Burrington and Veronika Thiebach (1995), Take Back Your Streets; How to Protect Communities from Asphalt and Traffic, Conservation Law Foundation (www.clf.org). Guide provides justifications and information on implementing traffic calming.
CCAP (2005), Transportation Emissions Guidebook:
Land Use, Transit & Transportation Demand Management,
City Repair (2003), Placemaking Guidebook, City Repair Project (www.cityrepair.org).
Reid
Go Green Choices (www.gogreen.com)
is a
Living Streets Initiative (www.livingstreets.org.uk) is a campaign to create streets that give priority to walking, cycling and play.
MTE, Moving On the Economy Online Best Practices Database (http://w4.metrotor.on.ca/inter/mte/mte.nsf/$defaultview?OpenView&Count=5) is an ever-expanding searchable inventory of economic success stories in sustainable transportation.
Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org) provides information on “placemaking” and community redevelopment techniques.
PTI, Slow Down You’re Going Too Fast, Public Technology Incorporated (http://pti.nw.dc.us/task_forces/transportation/docs/trafcalm). Good introduction to traffic calming available on-line.
Seattle (1996), Making
Streets that Work, City of
Walkable Communities (www.walkable.org) helps create people-oriented environments.
This
Encyclopedia is produced by the Victoria Transport Policy Institute to help
improve understanding of Transportation Demand Management. It is an ongoing
project. Please send us your comments and suggestions for improvement.
www.vtpi.org info@vtpi.org
Phone
& Fax 250-360-1560
#203