Browsing by Author "Barnes, Gary"

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The Benefits Of Bicycling In Minnesota
(2004-12-01) Barnes, Gary
This report establishes basic facts about bicycling in Minnesota, and estimates the sizes of the various types of benefits that bicycling creates. There are three main parts to the report. The first uses surveys and data analysis to estimate the amount of bicycling that takes place in Minnesota, and to describe its characteristics. The second part is the development of a theoretical and accounting framework for categorizing and measuring benefits. The third part calculates estimates of the total general benefits of bicycling in Minnesota. Probably about half of adults bicycle at least once in a typical summer. The benefits that result from this riding are large relative to expenditures on bicycle facilities; by our conservative assumptions, total benefits in Minnesota are in excess of $300 million per year. The size of these benefits is particularly notable when one considers that they are derived from relatively limited bicycling by most of the population. We find that the benefits to cyclists themselves are much larger than the benefits to society that bicycling creates, and that recreational riding, due to its much larger volume, creates more total benefits than does utilitarian riding.
Developing a Simple System for Public Involvement Conflict Management
(2006-06-01) Erickson, Stephanie; Barnes, Gary
This report describes a project to develop a simple system for managing conflict in transportation project public involvement. This work was focused on finding simple methods for managing less challenging projects and was aimed toward those who may do public involvement only occasionally. The conflict management framework is derived from a distillation of expert opinion, based on discussions of specific projects by Minnesota transportation public involvement experts.

The framework is comprised of two components. The first is a simple organizational scheme for categorizing conflict to assist in determining the appropriate management strategy. The second part is the management strategies themselves. Key among these are principles for managing stakeholder relations so as to preclude the occurrence of conflict to the extent possible.
An Exploratory Survey of Potential Community Transportation Providers and Users
(2006-09-01) Barnes, Gary; Dolphin, Heather
This report describes a large survey that was administered with the objective of better understanding specialized transportation resources and how they are being used. The survey had two key characteristics. The first was to question both organizations that provide transportation, and those that do not provide it but are actively involved in purchasing or arranging it on behalf of their clients. The second was to be comprehensive; that is, to survey any organization that might be involved either in providing or arranging transportation. The most significant finding is that about 45% of the diverse organizations that were surveyed provide transportation in some form, and another 20% actively arrange transportation for their clients. This implies that there are more than 3,000 specialized transportation providers in Minnesota. The vast majority of these are social service agencies and housing providers. This confirms the common belief that the true size of the specialized transportation "system" is far larger than the formal network that is known to transportation funders and regulators. The report also contains numerous recommendations regarding how the findings of this survey can be used to develop more focused and definitive surveys of this type in the future.
The Financial Benefits of Early Acquisition of Transportation Right of Way
(2005-09-01) Barnes, Gary; Watters, Sarah
This report addresses the question of whether there are financial benefits to acquiring transportation right of way far in advance of when the improvement will be done. The first part of the analysis is very general, comparing rates of price increase for different types of properties to the opportunity costs of holding land, over a long historical period. The second part of the analysis focuses on Minnesota and examines property price increases by county over shorter, more recent, time periods. While it is almost certainly worthwhile to acquire land that is in danger of becoming developed, this analysis did not find much apparent financial value in early purchase of land that is already developed, or is not likely to become developed. While there could be localized exceptions, prices of these types of land do not in general rise fast enough to offset the opportunity cost of the money that is used to purchase them. However, there could be other, non-financial benefits associated with early purchase that could compensate for some of the costs involved.
Improving transportation services for disadvantaged populations
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2003-12) Barnes, Gary
This report is about understanding and improving the transportation services that are available to those people who, because of age, disability, poverty, or other reasons, cannot routinely use automobiles to transport themselves. Our concern in particular is with the set of specialized, small-vehicle transit services that lie in the range between large-vehicle, fixed-route transit, and rides arranged privately with friends and family. These services, commonly known as "community-based transportation," can range from a single vehicle, operated when needed by a nursing home or small human service agency, to large public and private fleets operating around the clock, and metro-wide.
Increasing the Value of Public Involvement in Transportation Project Planning
(2004-03-01) Barnes, Gary; Langworthy, Peter
The purpose of this project was to understand why public involvement in transportation project planning goes badly, and to determine how the process could be modified to reduce negative outcomes. The project examines these issues by studying public involvement efforts. The project examines how the potential for conflict can be anticipated. A local project had characteristics of having been well run with good intentions, of having been plagued by conflict, and of being documented in a neighborhood newspaper. It was the primary source of reasons why public involvement can turn out badly and was contrasted with three other projects that were more successful with their public involvement. A new model is proposed in this report. The model proposes that conflict can derive from any or all of five independent dimensions, each with its own level of intensity or intractability: - Size and distribution of local benefits or costs - Disagreement about the nature and importance of local impacts - Ability to accurately define and engage relevant stakeholders - Perceived legitimacy of the project - Degree of ideological issues There are two key conclusions. First, situations with serious conflict are different from the typical public involvement effort; they require different tools and tactics built around the specific nature of the conflict. The second major finding is that conflict is not a standard problem to answer with a single solution, but each conflict does not have to be approached individually. Detailed case studies of successful and unsuccessful transportation public involvement efforts are discussed. A model is proposed with five independent dimensions. Researchers conclude that situations with serious conflict require different tactics built around the specific nature of conflict, and that a general theory of conflict management is a reasonable long-term goal.
Land Use and Travel Choices in the Twin Cities, 1958-1990
(2001-07-01) Barnes, Gary; Davis, Gary
This report examines the effects of land development patterns on travel choices by residents of the Twin Cities area. A historical analysis studies changes in travel behavior between 1958 and 1990, focusing in particular on total daily time spent traveling. The conclusion is that daily time per traveler changed only very slightly over this time, despite very significant changes in land use. The second major analysis in the report looks at travel choices in 1990 in greater detail. Again, the conclusion was that land use per se did not play a significant role in travel choices when other factors were controlled for. Dense central areas generated much less mileage per person, but this was almost entirely because of lower speeds, not because central city residents spent much less time driving. Overall, there was less than a 20% difference in average time spent driving per day between central city and outer suburbs, and this difference arose entirely from commute times. Non-work travel time showed no systematic variation by location, in contrast to expectations. The one area in which land use played a significant role was that large dense job locations attracted very high shares for non-auto modes.
Minnesota Value Pricing Project
(2003-03-01) Munnich, Lee; Barnes, Gary
The State and Local Policy Program (SLPP) of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and the Metropolitan Council, has studied value pricing since 1994. These partners were awarded a grant by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in Fall 1999 to continue this work. This project included major components of both national outreach and continuing efforts to develop political support for value pricing in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. This report summarizes the major activities that took place as part of this project, and includes as appendices, the major documents that were produced. These include three papers that were presented at the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a major pilot project proposal, and some other documents that were used locally.
Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program Evaluation Study, Phase 1
(Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, 2007-06) Krizek, Kevin J.; Barnes, Gary; Wilson, Ryan; Johns, Robert; McGinnis, Laurie
The Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP), which is part of the 2005 federal transportation bill known as SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users), specifically included $100 million for pilot programs in four communities (Columbia, Missouri; Marin County, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Sheboygan County, Wisconsin) to increase levels of walking and cycling. The NTPP requires FHWA to evaluate the efficacy of these programs. This report describes the efforts to establish baseline before data on the amount of travel by bicycling and walking in the four pilot communities (and in a control site) that will be used for comparison purposes with after data in 2010. The objective of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP) is to demonstrate the extent to which bicycling and walking can carry a significant part of the transportation load and represent a major portion of the transportation solution within selected communities. To this end, the baseline survey centers around two primary goals: 1) To measure changes in motor vehicle, nonmotorized transportation, and public transportation use in communities participating in the program and assess how such changes decrease congestion and energy usage, increase the frequency of bicycling and walking, and promote better health and a cleaner environment. 2) To develop a profile of behavior and attitudes in the individual communities that can aid in planning for various walking and cycling infrastructure. This report describes the key features of walking and bicycling behavior as they relate to the stated program objectives. It also provides additional information on walking and bicycling behavior that can serve as further reference points for future comparison. Finally, it furnishes information about attitudes toward nonmotorized transportation-related issues in the program communities. The research team strategically constructed a survey to glean reliable information on the following attributes of walking and cycling: frequencies, distances, purposes, attitudes, barriers, and other related information.
The Per-mile Costs of Operating Automobiles and Trucks
(2003-06-01) Barnes, Gary; Langworthy, Peter
In The Per-mile Costs of Operating Automobiles and Trucks, Gary Barnes and Peter Langworthy provide a spreadsheet model for calculating the costs of operating cars and trucks, specifically for use in planning highway projects which change the conditions under which people drive. The specific costs addressed area fuel consumption, routine maintenance, tires, repairs, and some depreciation. Their approach to estimating costs is innovative in several ways. They have developed a way to determine the marginal costs of actually driving exclusive of the fixed costs of ownership. They also offer methods for adjusting the costs for different conditions and guidance on how to adjust costs in the future. The authors conclude that in a case of highway driving on smooth pavement at $1.50 per gallon for gasoline, personal vehicles average 17.1 cents per mile to operate and trucks average 43.4 cents per mile. City driving conditions increase these costs by 3.9 and 9.5 cents per gallon, respectively.
Population and Employment Density and Travel Behavior in Large U.S. Cities
(2001-09-01) Barnes, Gary
This research project sought to determine whether high-population density or some other aggregate land use characteristic can be used to create beneficial effects on travel behavior at the level of the entire urbanized area. The research also looked at gaining a better understanding of the reasons for variations in travel behavior across large U.S. cities. This research involved a comprehensive analysis, considering an unusually large number of factors. Researchers also developed a number of ways to describe aggregate "macro" land use in an urbanized area specifically for this study. The study found that land use, at the aggregate level studied in this project, is not a major leverage point in determining overall population travel choices. Much policy seems to be based on the belief that relatively small changes to land use will have a big impact on travel choices. The findings here imply just the opposite - that even very big, widespread differences in land use have very little impact on travel behavior, in good ways or in bad ways.
Reasons for Recent Large Increases in Commute Durations
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2007-01) Barnes, Gary
Commute durations in Minnesota increased by about two and a half minutes on average during the 1990s. Given earlier evidence suggesting that commute times remain fairly stable over time, this was a surprisingly large increase. The research described in this report was undertaken to try to identify reasons for this increase, and, specifically, for why it happened when and where it did. Growth in commute durations does not appear to have been significantly driven by land use or economic factors. Commutes grew slower in the Twin Cities and other urban counties than in the rest of the state, despite congestion and land use changes in these areas. And overall there was little correlation between economic factors and the rate commute growth, especially outside the Twin Cities area. Some of the increase seems to be due to a change in methodology in the 2000 census. Adjusting for this, the overall commute time increase in the 1990s (11%) was slightly larger than in the 1980s (7%) because in the 1980s travel speeds statewide increased slightly, offsetting longer distances to some degree. Because speeds statewide remained constant in the 1990s, all the increase in distance was reflected in longer travel times.
Tools for Predicting Usage and Benefits of Urban Bicycle Network Improvements
(2005-12-01) Barnes, Gary; Krizek, Kevin
This report presents the results of four separate studies regarding the behavior of bicyclists in and around the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The four reports are: - Effect of Trails on Cycling based on a 2000 Travel Behavior Inventory that analyzes behaviors based on the distance of a person's home from the nearest cycling facility. - Value of Bicycle Facilities to Commuters based on a survey asking respondents to choose among commutes of varying durations on bicycle facilities with different characteristics. - Effect of Facilities on Commute Mode Share analyzing the results of the construction of new commuter-oriented bicycling facilities. - Cycling Behavior Near Facilities which seeks to explain the relationship between cycling behaviors and trail access, as well as various demographic and lifestyle factors. In general, the reports support the thesis that people value bicycle facilities and are willing to devote additional time to use higher quality facilities. In particular, riders who use bicycles to commute to work seem to value improvements to striped bike lanes.
Transportation-Related Impacts of Different Regional Land-Use Scenarios
(2003-12-01) Barnes, Gary
This research addresses the question of how different regional land-use patterns would impact travel behavior and resulting transportation costs and benefits. This report defines six hypothetical future regional land-use scenarios for the Twin Cities region, representing combinations of different styles of residential and commercial development. The traffic patterns resulting from each of these scenarios are then used to describe the resulting congestion, air pollution, and accessibility to jobs. The results of the research indicate that the current conventional wisdom that compact development is better is at best an oversimplification. Certain types of compact development do appear to be better for certain goals, or for certain locations; however, at the same time they are often worse for other goals or other locations. Despite some difficult methodological problems, this seems like a question worth exploring further. While it appears that land use alone cannot solve transportation-related problems, it does seem that the rate at which these problems grow can be impacted at least moderately at a regional level, and sometimes very substantially at local levels.
Understanding Urban Travel Demand: Problems, Solutions, and the Role of Forecasting
(1999-08-01) Barnes, Gary; Davis, Gary
This report is a general examination and critique of transportation policy making, focusing on the role of traffic and land use forecasting. There are four major components: 1. Current, historical, and projected travel behavior in the Twin Cities. 2. The standard travel forecasting model, and some of its shortcomings. 3. The potential application of integrated land use and transportation models. 4. Specific transportation problems and proposed policies in the Twin Cities. The most important result is that the standard traffic forecasting model in its current form is not well suited for evaluating many of the policies of greatest current interest, in particular, those that seek to reduce the overall amount of travel through changes in land use or travel behavior. This model was developed to predict road capacity needs, taking the quantity of travel as more or less uninfluenced by policy. However, currently available improvements, including integrated transportation and land use models, often add little value because they are not based on a well-established theoretical and empirical understanding of travel behavior. The most urgent need in forecasting is not for more complex models, but for a better understanding of the real world processes that the models are attempting to capture.

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