Papers by Robert Paaswell
Transportation Research Record, 1977
Four techniques are presented for estimating demand for public transit or paratransit service amo... more Four techniques are presented for estimating demand for public transit or paratransit service among the transportation disadvantaged. These techniques are grouped in three basic categories: (a) graphic-analytic techniques, (b) mathematical formulation, and (c) regression techniques. The four techniques include estimating demand among the disadvantaged in New York City; determining the effects of barriers on demand in Massachusetts; using noncommitment response techniques to estimate demand if specific travel barriers are removed in Albany, New York; and using regression techniques to estimate demand in rural Pennsylvnaia. Each technique requires a description of the population to be served, an estimate of their current travel patterns, detailed descriptions of new transportation systems or system improvements, and some overall description of ths service area. /Author/
The structure and content of this report are based on the work plan provided by Public Planning a... more The structure and content of this report are based on the work plan provided by Public Planning and Policy Studies, Inc., a consultancy located in Tokyo, Japan. The scope of the project involved the following issues: an evaluation of existing highways and roads in the United States and the examination of travel behavior and freight movement trends; the identification of current and developing travel demand management techniques and Intelligent Transportation System technologies; the impact of industrial change on transportation needs; and a general assessment of various factors (social, economic, political) that will affect the shape and role of transportation in the United States.
Transportation Research Record, 1981
This paper presents the results of two panel discussions that focused on the education, training,... more This paper presents the results of two panel discussions that focused on the education, training, and research contribution of universities in helping state and regional transportation agencies identify and solve local problems. The panelists identified five areas in which universities can make important contributions-policy making, formal education and training, continuing education, special training programs, and technical assistance. However, universities are facing serious problems in financial support and enrollment that could potentially reduce the role that universities play in helping transportation agencies in the future. In terms of research, the panelists distinguished between long-term (basic) and short-term research, identified a strong need for diversity in problems on which universities can work, discussed the need for continuity of research funding, and outlined the characteristics of a university that make it unique for investigating transportation problems. It was concluded by both panels that a dialogue between the universities and the transportation agencies must be established to ensure better integration of university capabilities into transportation policymaking.
Transportation research circular, Mar 1, 1998
A summary of the conference discussions on intercity passenger service in the United States is pr... more A summary of the conference discussions on intercity passenger service in the United States is provided, a research agenda for intercity passenger rail is outlined, and concluding remarks are made. In the concluding remarks it is pointed out that there needs to be a vision of what passenger rail in the United States can and should be.
Taylor & Francis eBooks, Feb 16, 2010
Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, Mar 1, 1966
ASCE eBooks, 1992
Transportation needs have traditionally derived from land use decisions. Site impact traffic anal... more Transportation needs have traditionally derived from land use decisions. Site impact traffic analysis is a formalized process that attempts to quantify the need for transportation improvements on the roadway network in response to development. This proceedings, Site Impact Traffic Assessment: Problems and Solutions, synthesizes the current state of practice in the U.S. and abroad in assessing transportation needs and performance—the two key ingredients in the conduct of site traffic evaluation studies. This book contains over 40 technical papers presented at the Conference sponsored by the Urban Transportation Division of the American Society of Civil Engineers held in Chicago, Illinois, June 8-10, 1992. It covers such topics as: 1) Data base needs, 2) trip generation, 3) capacity analysis, 4) access control methods, 5) demand management strategies, and 6) computer modeling. Successful mitigation measures are demonstrated through a number of case studies. In addition, economic and social approaches are emphasized. Specifically, the issues of the effectiveness of transportation impact fees, and the significance of the communications process among developers, engineers, and the public at large in promoting desirable and sustainable growth in the affected community are addressed. The feasibility of implementing uniform guidelines for the conduct of site impact studies on a regional and national scale is also discussed.
TR News, May 1, 1990
At a special session held at the 1989 summer meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) E... more At a special session held at the 1989 summer meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee, a panel of national experts made presentations describing aspects of the air quality problem. The following issues were addressed: the nature of air quality and air pollution; the transportation component of the air quality problem; the nature of transportation solutions to the air quality problem; and the professional response and TRB's role. This article summarizes the various presentations. It concludes with the Executive Committee's recommendation to the Transportation Research Board.
Transport Research for Social and Economic Progress. Proceedings of the Second World Conference on Transport ResearchUnited Kingdom GovernmentOrganisation for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentEuropean Conference of Ministers of Transport, 1981
This paper identifies a number of issues that must be addressed to minimize the uncertainty in on... more This paper identifies a number of issues that must be addressed to minimize the uncertainty in one particular type of urban investment - creation of a new public system. The public transit system is the public investment portion of a joint development process. The intent of the process, i.e., the type of return anticipated from the combined public (transit) - private (associated land use) investment, is to increase the economic vitality of the downtown area of a declining northeastern industrial city. For a number of pressing reasons, reinvestment in public transit in the U.S. seems propitious at this time (1979). This investment is to be made when the reasons for transit decline still are valid and show little signs of abatement. The success of joint development projects is then dependent upon both maximizing the investment strategies in the area of focus, and development strategies. Both of these areas of concern are addressed in this paper. A case study of Buffalo, N. Y. is chosen because of current Light Rail Transit development (approximately $450 million, 215 million pounds) with reorganization of the transit system to focus on the Central Business District. This paper addresses issues related to joint development: (1) Can transit make a difference in downtown development? (2) What levels of investment must accompany such development? (3) What are the regional impacts of transit development, and can such developments help resolve intra-regional growth conflicts? The following and economic trends; (2) Retail and employment trends; (3) Private investment timetables associated with the public investment; (4) Detailed analysis of both population attitudes and decision maker attitudes towards transit related CBD development and regional conflicts.
Traffic quarterly, 1976
This article discusses how it has been contended for a long time that a positive relationship exi... more This article discusses how it has been contended for a long time that a positive relationship exists between the economic and social well-being of urban residents and the level of their spatial mobility. These arguments are commonly based on the observed low degree of car ownership prevailing among individuals and groups at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. Furthermore, employment is traditionally held to be the key to socioeconomic status, and it is commonly attested that the unemployed are also the least mobile and that mobility is a major barrier to finding a suitable job. The objective of this article is to evaluate whether poor access, or lack of access, to transport modes hinders the ability of individuals to reach urban activities and to utilize available opportunities, therefore affecting their well-being and causing them to be disadvantaged. This evaluation is made by examining the following: Given the socioeconomic and transportation characteristics of urban residents, including income, age, access to an automobile, and employment status; (1) What are the relations between a set of spatial activities and the mode and frequency of travel to those activities? (2) How do factors like time, cost, and type of transport modes affect activity choice and activity priority? And (3) How do attitudes toward attributes of travel relate to these locational activities?
Transportation Research Board Special Report, 1982
This paper discusses work carried out for the Urban Mass (LRRT). The system is the culmination of... more This paper discusses work carried out for the Urban Mass (LRRT). The system is the culmination of two decades of Transportation Administration (UMTA) on the economic corridor planning that saw appreciable changes in plinning impacts of the Buffalo Light Rail Rapid Transit System criteria and justification of system benefits.
Journal of transportation and statistics, Dec 1, 2001
In this paper we hypothesize that the local supply of labor (i.e., labor force participation) is ... more In this paper we hypothesize that the local supply of labor (i.e., labor force participation) is affected, among other things, by the level of accessibility to employment locations. Specifically, we conjecture that improved accessibility in a given area, resulting from transportation infrastructure investment, will enhance labor participation, given intervening factors such as socioeconomic and locational characteristics. We further conjecture that this effect will be more pronounced in low-income areas where costs of labor-market participation, including transportation costs, constitute a real barrier to market entry. Using a simultaneous equation model, this paper empirically explores the impact of accessibility changes on the supply of labor in specific job types in the South Bronx, New York, an economically distressed area. The major sources of data for this study are three U.S. Census Bureau data files from the 1990 Census Transportation Planning Package.
The Employee Commute Options Guidebook provides information on how to develop an effective Employ... more The Employee Commute Options Guidebook provides information on how to develop an effective Employee Commute Options (ECO) Program. A program that; increases your employee's alternatives to driving alone, decreases the number of vehicles driven to and parked at your company's worksite or sites, helps to reduce congestion and air polluiton in the area around your worksite.
This handbook is the second edition of Moving People: An Introduction to Public Transportation. I... more This handbook is the second edition of Moving People: An Introduction to Public Transportation. It provides the general public with a brief history of the origins, functions, and objectives of public transportation and explains how public transportation is planned, operated and financed. Why more people don't use public transportation is examined along with user and community benefits. The organizational changes and current role of public transportation are examined along with the issues of costs, sources of funding, private sector involvement, new service strategies and new transit technologies. Future challenges for public transportation, namely--demographic changes, suburban mobility, and job accessibility--are reviewed. Case studies illustrate how transit systems are meeting the emerging challenges. This handbook focuses on transportation services which provide mass transportation within urban areas--bus/electric bus, commuter rail, rapid rail/subway, light rail/streetcar and the newer forms of public transit, paratransit services.
The role that a new fixed rail transit facility plays in the 1980s is a question asked by many se... more The role that a new fixed rail transit facility plays in the 1980s is a question asked by many sectors. The public sector wants to be assured that its current co-objectives of capturing a share of the travel market and having a significant positive impact on land use are met. The private sector wants to be sure that all of the attributes associated with such development will come to function as it makes its investment decisions. The technical people (local and regional planners and operators) want to be assured that the public and private investment decisions are maximized. This study addresses the concerns of these groups and was designed with the following objectives: (1) to define the nature of the transit investment and to establish the private sector response; (2) to determine the interactive nature of policies (public sector and private sector) that may conflict with or reinforce the transit investment; (3) to define and use analytic techniques to measure the impact of the investment strategies; and (4) to apply the above to the case study of central business district (CBD) revitalization in Buffalo, New York.
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Papers by Robert Paaswell