CRP 384/CE 391H
Urban Transportation Planning

Unique Number: 01240/13830
Instructor: Dr. Susan Handy
Time: MW 10:30 - Noon; NOTE TIME CHANGE!
Place: To be announced

Pick up the paper or watch the local news and you're likely to find a story about Austin's transportation problems, most notably the growth in traffic that has outpaced even the growth in population. Although most people in the region agree on the problem, few agree on the solution. Proposals include investing in a light rail system and building the SH130 bypass. But which of these options is likely to be most effective? Which can we afford? What happens if we do both? How will the decision affect the environment, the economy, the quality of life in the Austin region? Are there other alternatives that make more sense, environmentally, economically, socially? Can the congestion problem really be solved and should we even try? Who will make this decision and what will they base their decision on? These are the kinds of issues we'll explore in this introduction to transportation planning at the metropolitan level.

The course begins with an introduction to transportation theory and a short history of the development of urban transportation systems and policies, particularly the evolution of federal policy on urban transportation. The next section will review a number of standard transportation planning methods used by metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and examine their role in the transportation planning process. The remainder of the course covers key issues facing metropolitan regions and explores alternative policy directions, including pricing and other demand-management policies, innovative transit systems, land use and design policies, and new vehicular and telecommunications technologies. Throughout the course, we will consider the issues and alternatives facing Austin and explore the successes and failures of other metropolitan regions.

The assignments are designed so that the student will develop some breadth of knowledge in the field as well as depth of knowledge relating to a particular issue of interest to the student. Students will complete several homework and in-class assignments throughout the semester covering material from lectures and readings; these assignments focus on application of theory and critique of planning practices. In addition, each student will write a 20-page term paper on a specific urban transportation topic of his or her choosing that is due at the end of the semester and will give a brief presentation on his or her paper. Students are expected to purchase a course reader, complete all of the assigned readings, and participate in class discussions.