CRP 384/CE 391H
Urban Transportation Planning

Instructor: Dr. Susan Handy
Time: MW 3:30 - 5:00
Location: Sutton 2.102

Course Description

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.

In this course, students will simulate the development of a Regional Transportation Plan for the Austin region. Groups of students will work together on this project, starting with the development of a workplan for the semester and finishing with the completion of a plan. Through the course of the planning process, students will learn about federal legislation on transportation, agency responsibilities and relationships, transportation issues facing metropolitan areas, examples of solutions used in other areas and evidence on the effectiveness of alternative solutions, and the tools and techniques used by regional transportation planning agencies. Students will gain practice in the use of public involvement techniques and will use a transportation demand forecasting model to evaluate alternative plans and proposals for Austin. Class time will be split between work sessions and discussion-oriented lectures on key topics. Students will be graded on the quality of the final plan and their contribution to the planning process over the semester.