Browsing by Author "Krizek, Kevin"

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Access to Destinations: How Close is Close Enough? Estimating Accurate Distance Decay Functions for Multiple Modes and Different Purposes
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008-05) Iacono, Michael; Krizek, Kevin; El-Geneidy, Ahmed M.
Existing urban and suburban development patterns and the subsequent automobile dependence are leading to increased traffic congestion and air pollution. In response to the growing ills caused by urban sprawl, there has been an increased interest in creating more “livable” communities in which destinations are brought closer to ones home or workplace (that is, achieving travel needs through land use planning). While several reports suggest best practices for integrated land use-planning, little research has focused on examining detailed relationships between actual travel behavior and mean distance to various services. For example, how far will pedestrians travel to access different types of destinations? How to know if the “one quarter mile assumption” that is often bantered about is reliable? How far will bicyclists travel to cycle on a bicycle only facility? How far do people drive for their common retail needs? To examine these questions, this research makes use of available travel survey data for the Twin Cities region. A primary outcome of this research is to examine different types of destinations and accurately and robustly estimate distance decay models for auto and non-auto travel modes, and also to comment on its applicability for: (a) different types of travel, and (b) development of accessibility measures that incorporate this information.
Access to Destinations: Parcel Level Land Use Data Acquisition and Analysis for Measuring Non-Auto Accessibility
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008-07) Horning, Jessica; El-Geneidy, Ahmed M.; Krizek, Kevin
This research aids in tackling one important part of accessibility metrics—measuring land use. It introduces complementary strategies to effectively measure a variety of different destination types at a highly detailed scale of resolution using secondary data. The research describes ways to overcome common data hurdles and demonstrates how existing data in one metropolitan area in the U.S. –the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul –can be exploited to aid in measuring accessibility at an extremely fine unit of analysis (i.e., the parcel). Establishment-level data containing attribute information on location, sales, employees, and industry classification was purchased from Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. The research process involved cleaning and tailoring the parcel dataset for the 7-county metro area and integrating various GIS datasets with other secondary data sources. These data were merged with parcel-level land use data from the Metropolitan Council. The establishment-level data were then recoded into destination categories using the 2 to 6-digit classifications of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The development of important components of this research is illustrated with a sample application. The report concludes by describing how such data could be used in calculating more robust measures of accessibility.
Access to Destinations: Refining Methods for Calculating Non-Auto Travel Times
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2007-06) Krizek, Kevin; El-Geneidy, Ahmed; Iacono, Michael; Horning, Jessica
The functioning of the system of land use and travel networks in a region can be encapsulated into measures of the ease of reaching destinations from various locations, often referred to as accessibility measures. Regardless of the form used to specify accessibility, all measures require as inputs travel times between the zones of a region. For most transportation planning purposes, these travel time calculations are limited to motorized modes (auto and public transit), since these modes carry the bulk of all urban travel. In this research study, attention is focused on developing methods for calculating travel times by non-auto modes, including walking, bicycling and public transit. Unique networks for each mode are developed, accounting for the presence of special facilities such as pedestrian or bicycle trails and on-street bike lanes. A statistical model is estimated to identify the influence of special bicycle facilities on travel speeds, using GPS data collected from bicyclists in a real-world setting. These methods are demonstrated with an application to a section of the Twin Cities metropolitan region encompassing parts of the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington. The output of the application of these methods are a set of maps depicting travel sheds from various locations within the study area. The data are displayed for three points in time: 1995, 2000 and 2005. Changes to these travel sheds over time are demonstrated with maps that show the difference in travel time between each set of origins and destinations for each pair of years. The research concludes with some suggestions about the uses of the travel time data, such as the calculation of multimodal, multipurpose measures of accessibility.
Better Understanding the Potential Market of Metro Transit's Ridership and Service
(University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2006-10) Krizek, Kevin; El-Geneidy, Ahmed
Ridership is a key element in the transit industry. Conventional travel analysis focuses on two types of transit users: captive and choice riders. Captive riders are typically those who lack an alternative to transit; they therefore use it as their primary mode of transportation to reach their destination. Choice riders are those who have realistic alternatives (e.g., driving) but choose to use transit for various trips. Service reliability and availability affects the ridership of both populations. However, substantial increases in ridership are usually assumed to be derived only from choice riders. Populations not using transit may be further considered as two distinct populations: auto captives and potential riders. Auto captives are mainly auto users who don’t have transit as a potential mode of transportation or would not even realistically consider using transit. Potential riders are currently not using transit for certain reasons and/or concerns, but may consider the idea of using transit based on certain criteria. This research analyzes results from two surveys conducted in the Twin Cities metropolitan region: one of existing riders and the other of non-riders. The aim is to understand the characteristics of both captive and choice riders, with an eye toward the factors that can increase ridership of the latter population. This research classifies riders and non-riders differently from previous research. In addition to the captivity of modes, the classification considers regularity of commuting. Accordingly, transit riders are classified as one of four categories: captive riders with regular commuting habits, captive riders with irregular commuting habits, choice riders with regular commuting habits, and choice riders with irregular commuting habits. Similarly, there are four types of non-riders: auto captives with regular commuting habits, auto captives with irregular commuting habits, potential riders with regular commuting habits, and potential riders with irregular commuting habits. Using the survey data to uncover such population, this research then comments on how using advanced forms of technology could increase the ridership from various populations.
Commuter Bicyclist Behavior and Facility Disruption
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, Research Services Section, 2007-05) Francis, Harvey; Krizek, Kevin
Cyclists confronted by disruptions to facilities (e.g., dedicated paths, designated lanes) experience disturbances that prompt them to select sub-optimal facilities to avoid disruptions. Cyclists who have ready access to such improved facilities often choose sub-optimal facilities. This project collected a variety of data to help gain a better understanding of commuter cyclist behavior using Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to record cyclist movements and behaviors. Using GPS units for data collection provides significant data for analysis; however, a substantial and unexpected amount of effort went into determining the best operational use of the GPS units and verifying data collection protocols. Among important findings, results show that as perceived safety decreases, riders appear to be more cautious and move more slowly; however in situations of substantial perceived danger, riders go faster to spend as short a time in unsafe conditions. Cyclists choose these dangerous situations over alternatives because of lessened travel times. The research has been successful in establishing insightful relationships between commuter cyclist behavior and facilities. The methodological results are significant for future work.
Introducing the World Society for Transport and Land Use Research
(Journal of Transport and Land Use, 2011) Krizek, Kevin; Clifton, Kelly
This article introduces vol. 4, no. 3 issue of Journal of Transport and Land Use.
Machine for Access
(Elsevier, 2005) Levinson, David M; Krizek, Kevin; Gillen, David
The Safety of Pedestrian and Bicycle Travel in Minnesota: Inventory, Analysis, and Prospectus
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, Research Services Section, 2007-01) Krizek, Kevin; Poindexter, Gavin; El-Geneidy, Ahmed; Sanderson, Edward
As attention in transportation circles, increasingly focuses on encouraging pedestrian and bicycle travel, it is important that planning initiatives be informed about the safety aspects of these modes. However, recent research suggests a limited understanding of the features that affect the pedestrian and bicycle travel, particularly when it comes to safety. The report examines the information that is collected regarding pedestrian and bicycle crashes in Minnesota in comparison to other states and looks a new ways in which this data can be used increase knowledge of pedestrian and bicycle crashes. To do this exercise exploits a database of crash report information for all pedestrian and bicycle crashes in the State of Minnesota from 1998-2002. Our analysis examines general trends of pedestrian and bicycle crashes. In addition, we demonstrate that pedestrian crashes tend to occur in different locations than bicycle crashes. The final part of the paper focuses on developing a method to identify where pedestrian and bicycle crashes are more likely to occur, Poisson regression to identify the relationships between crashes and neighborhood attributes.
A Schematic for Focusing on Youth in Investigations of Community Design and Physical Activity
(American Journal of Health Promotion, 2004) Krizek, Kevin; Birnbaum, Amanda; Levinson, David M
This paper provides a first step to address special considerations for youth in a relatively new area of physical activity research. After reviewing the urgent need for novel approaches to increasing physical activity, the growing interest in the effects of community design is discussed. Although most discussion on this topic has focused on adults, there are important differences between youth and adults that warrant a special focus on youth and need to be accounted for. This article presents a schematic that accounts for how and where youth spend their time, decomposing the day into time spent in travel and time spent at destinations, and identifying portions of those times that are spent engaged in physical activity. By focusing on both spatial and behavioral dimensions of youth time, the schematic may help organize and advance scientific inquiry into the relationships between community design and physical activity specifically for youth.
School Choice and Children's School Commuting
(University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 2009-01) Wilson, Elizabeth; Marshall, Julian; Krizek, Kevin; Wilson, Ryan
Some school districts allow parents to choose which school their child attends, a policy known as school choice. We study the impact of school choice on school transportation behavior. To do this, we examine the extent to which children’s commute mode and parental attitudes toward school selection and school travel differ by magnet versus neighborhood schools and by race. We conducted a survey of elementary-school parents to assess how children travel to school and identify underlying parental attitudes. Compared to national data, our sample of K-6 students had fewer children walking and traveling by personal vehicle, and more riding the school bus. Magnet (i.e. school choice) schools, which draw from broader geographic regions than neighborhood schools, have fewer students walking or biking to school and more students riding the bus rather than using a private automobile. Transportation attitudes and actions differ by school type and race. For example, compared to white parents, non- white parents are more concerned about availability and safety of school buses, and also are more likely to use school buses. This paper highlights the importance of school district policy on school transportation, mode choice, and the ability of students to walk or bike to school.
Teaching Integrated Land Use-Transportation Planning: Topics, Readings, and Strategies
(Sage, 2005) Krizek, Kevin; Levinson, David M
Planning pedagogy is increasingly focused on ways to teach interdisciplinary topics in an integrated and synergistic manner. The intersection of land use and transportation represent two topics that, in recent years, have risen front and center for the planning profession as a whole as well as for individual program specialization areas. This article focuses on the manner in which planning programs and in particular, specific courses, address land use and transportation planning. After describing the context in which such courses exist (e.g., program specializations, faculty size), the bulk of this analysis centers on analyzing syllabi from 15 courses in North American planning programs that squarely address integrated land use-transportation planning. The syllabi are analyzed in two respects. The first examines the list of topics covered within each course. The nature of primary, secondary, and peripheral topics (as assessed by the frequency in which they appear in the syllabi) are discussed. Second, the analysis uncovers the frequency in which specific readings are used in each course (articles, book chapters, books). Special attention is devoted to discussing the substance (e.g., what topics), origin (e.g., journal name), and/or the availability of key readings. The article closes by discussing the detailed nature of a sample land use-transportation course from the Urban and Regional Planning Program at the University of Minnesota in which there is a lecture and laboratory component.
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.
User Perspectives on Location Efficient Mortgages & Car Sharing
(2005-06-01) Krizek, Kevin
A burgeoning population seeking relatively affordable housing is placing high demands on outlying, auto-dependent residential markets. Simultaneously, public policies addressing housing, transportation, and land use aim to increase homeownership, decrease drive-alone travel, and harness outlying development. A relatively new mortgage lending procedure aims to address each of these public policy aims synergistically by allowing low- and moderate-income households the opportunity to purchase homes in transit-accessible neighborhoods that would otherwise be unobtainable because of cost. The goal of this research is to evaluate this initiative, as well as position it within the broader goals of smart growth, describe its application, and comment on its prospects. This report constitutes a primer of the current state of knowledge about these unique loan programs.
Using Archived ITS Data to Improve Transit Performance and Management
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2007-10) El-Geneidy, Ahmed; Horning, Jessica; Krizek, Kevin
The widespread implementation of automated vehicle location systems and automatic passenger counters in the transit industry has opened new venues in transit operations and system monitoring. Metro Transit, the primary transit agency in the Twin Cities, Minnesota region, has been testing various intelligent transportation systems (ITS) since 1999. In 2005, they fully implemented an AVL system and partially implemented an APC system. To date, however, there has been little effort to employ such data to evaluate different aspects of performance. This research capitalizes on the availability of such data to better assess performance issues of one particular route in the Metro Transit system. We employ the archived data from the location systems of buses running on an example cross-town route to conduct a microscopic analysis to understand reasons for performance and reliability issues. We generate a series of analytical models to predict run time, schedule adherence and reliability of the transit route at two scales: the time point segment and the route level. The methodology includes multiple approaches to display ITS data within a GIS environment to allow visual identification of problem areas along routes. The methodology also uses statistical models generated at the time point segment and bus route level of analysis to demonstrate ways of identifying reliability issues and what causes them. The analytical models show that while headways are being maintained, schedule revisions are needed to in order to improve run time. Finally, the analysis suggests that many scheduled stops along this route are underutilized and recommends consolidation them.

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Browsing by Author "Krizek, Kevin"