Transportation Policy
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The transportation policy collection includes a series of research reports, white papers, and proceedings of public policy forums that have focused on transportation policy and infrastructure issues, including mobility friendly design, interconnectivity, healthy/walkable communities, transit-oriented development, integration of transportation/transit planning and land-use planning, Northeast Corridor transportation policy and infrastructure issues—particularly freight movement, and transit studies—including paratransit, specialized transportation, and bus rapid transit. Visit the IPA website for more information.
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Item Analysis of Best Practice Section 5310 Programs and Competitive Funding Selection Frameworks(Institute for Public Administration, 2020-11) Scott, Marcia; James, KellyThis policy brief is part of a series that was developed as part of the Mobility in Motion outreach process to update the State of Delaware’s Coordinated Public-Transit—Human Services Transportation Plan. This policy brief explores the frameworks of federal Section 5310 (49 U.S.C. 5310) program recipients that elect the option to distribute funds competitively to Section 5310 subrecipients.Item Anticipating 2025 in Northeast Corridor Transportation: Aerial, Highway, Marine, and Rail Technologies and Linkages(2009-01-16T20:23:35Z) Warren, Robert; Anderson, William P.; Rodrigue, Jean-Paul; Wakeman, T. H., III; de Cerreño, Allison L. C.The dynamics and productivity of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) are recognized as key drivers of the United States’ economy as well as for the eastern part of the nation. Especially important, in this context, is the capacity of the NEC’s multimodal transportation system to efficiently move people and freight into, around, and out of the Corridor. This is especially important for its central portion linking Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. The papers that follow are written as part of a project undertaken by the University of Delaware’s Institute of Public Administration that focuses on the factors that will influence the likely attributes of the transportation infrastructure for moving people and freight into, around, and out of the NEC in 2025. Their goal is to provide one of the first steps in stimulating forward-oriented research, speculation, and planning and policy discourse that takes into account the likelihood that what will or should be the character and dimensions of the Corridor’s multimodal transportation structure two decades from now cannot be anticipated using straight-line, single modal projections.Item Atlas of Transit Resources in Delaware(Institute for Public Administration, 2001-09) Schlosser, Christian; Warren, Robert; Settles, Alexander; Moreland, LisaItem Autonomous Vehicles in Delaware: Analyzing the Impact and Readiness for the First State(2017-04) Barnes, Philip; Turkel, EliThe sci-fi reality of self-driving, networked, autonomous vehicles is nearly here. Ford claims it will sell these vehicles within five years, and most analysts expect modest sale numbers by the late 2020s and widespread adoption throughout the 2030s and 2040s. The consequences of the impending autonomous vehicle revolution for Delaware’s economy, its residents, and visitors are significant. Public and private stakeholders will need to adapt current practices and processes to accommodate the new advancement in transportation. State regulations that govern vehicles and drivers will need to evolve with the technology. Cybersecurity and privacy limits will be tested. The insurance industry will be required to develop new products and actuarial models. Claims of liability will be argued and settled in the courts. There will also be impacts, both positive and negative, to important transportation and urban planning areas, especially roadway safety, ownership, parking demand, vehicle miles traveled, roadway congestion and capacity, development patterns, infrastructure design, jobs and the economy, state and local budgets, fuel efficiency and carbon emissions, and transportation equity. The authors of this report attempted to preview the possible impact that autonomous vehicle deployment would have on each area. Major information gaps exist on autonomous vehicles, and there are complex interactions among areas that render such previews extremely challenging and uncertain. Despite these difficulties, the table summarizes the report’s findings. The findings are based on a long- term view and assume full, widespread penetration of autonomous vehicles across all Delaware roadways with a corresponding decline in manually-driven vehicles. A confidence measure was added to articulate the level of certainty/uncertainty for each area. Entries in the table should not be accepted as absolute truths, but rather as starting points for preliminary discussions on policy and administrative options to minimize negative impacts and amplify positive ones. In terms of readiness to accept autonomous vehicles, the state is well prepared technologically. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) possesses an extensive telecommunications network that can be leveraged for autonomous vehicle integration, and DelDOT is proactively upgrading its systems in anticipation of autonomous vehicle deployment. DelDOT plans to install a transportation-specific wireless network in Dover, test signal timing and traffic light priority in Smyrna, and develop software to partially automate decision-making at the state’s Transportation Management Center. These are positive steps that will make Delaware attractive for vehicle testing, operation, and deployment. From an administrative standpoint, the state could accelerate the evolution of its governance systems and institutions to align with the technological advance. If action is taken now, Delaware could position itself to be a leader in the autonomous vehicle area.Item Bicycle Justice or Just Bicycles? Analyzing Equity in Baltimore's Bike Share Program(Department of Transportation and Urban Infrastructure at Morgan State University, 2018-09) Barnes, Philip J.; Grasso, Susan; Chavis, Celeste; Bhutan, Istiak A.; Nickkar, AmirrezaBike share systems have become a common feature of the modern urban landscape and provide residents and visitors with an active transportation mode. Yet these systems have sustained equity-focused criticism for serving a narrow demographic band of residents and visitors, while others lack access and face barriers to usage. The City of Baltimore, Maryland, launched a bike share system in 2016. This study evaluates Baltimore’s new system from an equity-focused lens using two complementary approaches. The first approach, which is a GIS-based equity gap analysis, develops a population-density-normalized Bike Equity Index to quantitatively assess the spatial distribution of the city’s bicycle infrastructure supply and how it serves (or doesn’t serve) Baltimore’s transit-dependent and environmental justice communities. The second analytic orientation, which applies a user and barrier analysis, utilizes survey data to identify the low-equity groups and the variables that limit (or don’t limit) their demand for the city’s bike share program. When combined, the two perspectives—one top-down and the other bottom-up—present a more comprehensive picture and nuanced understanding of the current system’s equity performance. The research findings demonstrate that Baltimore Bike Share infrastructure is unevenly distributed across the city’s many communities and is undersupplied in areas with residents who are transit-dependent. Furthermore, the results support claims of a demographic mismatch between current bike share system users and the general population. The communities underrepresented among Baltimore Bike Share users are less educated, lower-income, non-whites, Hispanics, and females. The research indicates that females express concern over certain barriers to accessing and using Baltimore Bike Share, including how to use the system, personal safety, helmet use, harassment, and hygiene. No significant barriers were identified for the other underrepresented demographic groups. To enhance the equity of the system, the research team recommends that the City of Baltimore prioritize bike share system expansion into the neighborhoods east and west of the downtown corridor. A robust community outreach strategy that targets underrepresented populations is also recommended and should include initiatives such as a grassroots bike share ambassador program and organized community rides. The bike share docking stations can also be leveraged for their advertising potential and should contain marketing materials that speak directly to underrepresented communities.Item Building Inter-Metropolitan Rail Corridors(2006-09-21T18:04:01Z) Mitchell, Ivan; Moreland, Lisa; Warren, RobertBuilding rail capacity and efficiency in the United States is critical for both effectively meeting projected increasing transportation demands over the next several decades and reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. To achieve this, there is a need to expand rail infrastructure and shift a portion of the movement of people and freight from highway to rail. The policy forum acted as a venue to discuss progress that is being made, problems that need to be overcome, and which steps should be given priority to move corridor development forward and create wider public understanding, support, and use.Item Business Leadership for Better Employee Transportation Choices(Institute for Public Administration, 2002-04) Moreland, Lisa; Fortner, Michael; Weng, AnjaItem Complete Streets in Delaware: A Guide for Local Governments(2012-01-31) Scott, Marcia; Beck, Claire; Rabidou, BrandonThis resource, Complete Streets in Delaware: A Guide for Local Governments, is intended to help Delaware towns, cities, and counties achieve complete streets in order to provide more balance transportation systems and to create healthy, livable environments for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.Item Connected and Automated Vehicle Primer(Institute for Public Administration, 2018-05-10) Barnes, PhilipItem Coordinated Public Transit–Human-Services Transportation Plan for Delaware(Institute for Public Administration, 2020-07-07) Scott, Marcia; O'Hanlon, Julia; Timmreck, Alexa; Littmann, Danielle; Matera, MadisonThis Coordinated Public Transit–Human Services Transportation Plan, or “Coordinated Plan,” for the State of Delaware was developed through a participatory planning process and serves as a strategic framework for addressing the state’s existing and future mobility needs. It is aligned with and conforms to the current federal framework focused on the need to enhance mobility for all transportation-disadvantaged populations (e.g., older adults, persons with disabilities, veterans, low-income individuals, non-drivers, and no-car households). Specifically, the plan responds to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which was enacted in 2015 and provides increased emphasis on advancing mobility management practices and projects, including those related to the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program (herein referred to as the Section 5310 program).Item Creating Flood-Ready Communities: A Guide for Delaware Local Governments(2016-01) Grabelsky, Brandon; Scott, MarciaDelaware is extremely susceptible to the dangers of flooding. It is one of only three states whose entire population lives in coastline counties, according to a census report. Flooding may be caused by hurricanes, tropical storms/depressions, nor’easters, or other weather systems that produce heavy rain. Each year, Delaware must contend with approximately 10–35 storms that cause flooding to both coastal and inland communities. Flooding in coastal communities may be intensified by storm surge and storm tide, which produce large waves and an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm’s wind. Flooding of inland areas during or after a storm may be exacerbated by poor drainage, which is often the result of development that has changed the landscape, altered the ability for water to infiltrate into the soil, and/or is adjacent to high-flood-risk areas. An article published by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), “Sea Level Rise: Delaware’s Rising Tide,” describes possible impacts of sea-level rise in the First State. It explains that Delaware is vulnerable to coastal inundation, storm surge, saltwater intrusion, tidal-wetland losses, nuisance flooding from high tides, and inland flooding from extreme precipitation—all of which will be exacerbated by the looming threats of higher rates of sea-level rise. All Delaware communities must evaluate risks, prepare, and implement plans to address flooding caused by storms and extreme precipitation, seasonal high “king” tides, and climate change—including sea-level rise. Because Delaware is the lowest state in the nation in terms of average sea level, many think that only coastal communities or towns along bodies of water (rivers, ponds, lakes, inland bays, streams, and creeks) are impacted by flooding. This is not the case. In addition to climate change, flooding can be caused by issues associated with poor or insufficient management of stormwater, floodplains, and/or drainage— including an increase in impervious surfaces due to sprawling land-use patterns and development. Flooding also impacts properties near ditches. In Delaware there are 228 individual tax-ditch organizations, which manage 2,000 miles of channels that provide benefits/protection to more than 10,000 Delawareans. Therefore, flood vulnerability impacts each jurisdiction in Delaware and heightens the need to make communities flood-ready and resilient.Item Curbside Intercity Bus Industry: Research of Transportation Policy Opportunities and Challenges(2014-05-23) Scott, Marcia; Collins, Eileen; Wicks, Arthur IIIThis report from the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) at the University of Delaware (UD) serves to document the industry’s unprecedented growth and related transportation policy issues within the Northeast Corridor. With project support from the University of Delaware University Transportation Center (UD-UTC), the team conducted a literature review on the intercity bus industry, a field assessment of curbside operations, survey of passengers, and a June 13, 2012 Curbside Intercity Bus Transportation Policy Forum for industry stakeholders. A case study on a local Chinatown bus company was also conducted to spotlight the alarming industry issue of reincarnated carriers—companies that have been shut down by the federal government for violating laws and regulations, yet defy enforcement by continuing to operate under other names or companies.Item Delaware's Transportation Agenda in the Northeast Corridor(2009-11-20T21:05:47Z) Edwards, GeoffThe fractionated governance structure of the entire Northeast Corridor (Warren 2009) is also evidenced within the Baltimore-to-Philadelphia portion, which contains the entire extent of Delaware’s claim to the corridor. Though comprising only a small segment of the overall corridor and a miniscule portion of Delaware’s total transportation infrastructure, this 25-mile stretch is fundamental to the state’s relations with transportation and economic networks at several scales, from regional to global. This report employs recent literature and stakeholder input to provide future researchers with an appreciation for the major issues that will hinder or enable Delaware’s regional, national, and international transportation relationships over the next five to ten years.Item Delaware’s Automotive Future is Electric(Institute for Public Administration, 2021-04) Barnes, Philip; Hernandez-Limon, JorgeThis policy brief provides insights and recommendations for EV-ready counties, cities, and towns so local officials can begin laying the groundwork for the EV future.Item Economic Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles in Delaware(Institute for Public Administration, 2018-05-10) Barnes, Philip; Kelly, Christopher; Swan, BrettItem Enhanced Mobility from Connected and Automated Vehicles(Institute for Public Administration, 2018-10) Barnes, Philip J.; Swan, BrettHow CAVS can enhance independent mobility options for the elderly and people with disabilities.Item Enhancing Mobility to Improve Quality of Life for Delawareans(2010-12-22) Scott, Marcia; Calkins, Allison; Coons, RobertIn recent years, a new vision for transportation policy and planning has emerged that includes a focus on community livability, transportation accessibility, and transportation equity. Livable communities integrate transportation and land-use planning to achieve more sustainable growth, development, and accessibility of residents. The new vision for transportation policy and planning also stresses the need to invest in transportation accessibility—or multi-modal transportation systems that serve people of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, and incomes. Transportation and land-use planning need to be assimilated to manage growth, focus on infill development, preserve community character, and provide equitable and accessible transportation options. Delaware’s changing demographic landscape—particularly its growing senior population— elevates the need to develop transportation options that accommodate all users and abilities, increase connectivity among modal options, link transportation and land-use planning, and create communities that are more livable and accessible.Item Evaluating the State of Mobility Management and Specialized Transportation Coordination in Delaware(2017-06) O'Hanlon, Julia; Scott, Marcia; Miller, Evan; Stump, JessicaAs Delaware’s transportation disadvantaged population grows, demands for accessible transportation and alternative mobility options are also likely to increase. The primary objectives of this project were to assist the Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC), an operating division of the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), in assessing current specialized transportation mobility management and coordination initiatives in Delaware, identifying key stakeholders and providers who might participate in resolving unmet needs, duplication of services, and improving service efficiencies, and providing recommendations to DTC on mobility management best practices that might support a sustainable and customer-driven mobility landscape here in Delaware. The provision of mobility options is a critical component in addressing the needs of all Delaware residents and specifically the transportation-disadvantaged population.Item Feasibility of Bus Rapid Transit Within the Mid-Atlantic Region(2009-08-18T20:18:47Z) Scott, Marcia; DeCoursey, William J.; Franzen, ToddIs bus rapid transit (BRT) a viable transit option in Delaware? Findings of IPA research indicate that a regional BRT system is indeed worthy of further consideration. An assessment of domestic BRT systems and operations reveal substantial progress towards solidifying the position of BRT as a viable transit mode. The strength of the mode lies in its ability to develop incrementally, respond to regional mobility needs, adjust to budget constraints, and its potential to attract choice riders for a relatively low capital cost.Item Fiscal Impacts of Connected and Automated Vehicles in Delaware(Institute for Public Administration, 2018-10) Barnes, Philip J.; Swan, BrettHow Connected and Automated Vehicles will alter the state and municipal fiscal landscape.