Developing a Scalable Evaluation Framework and Dashboard for Implementing and Monitoring Equitable Transit-Oriented Communities

Implementation of a “transit-oriented communities” (TOC) approach that centers equitable outcomes for impacted communities is a complex, interdisciplinary process. Transit agencies must work closely with local, regional, and/or state agencies and departments to ensure that local and federal investments lead to anticipated outcomes. Significant changes to land use and zoning, housing policy, development regulations, property tax structures, and physical characteristics of the built environment (e.g., design guidelines) are often needed to coordinate supportive conditions for equitable TOCs. Adoption of new technologies such as Computer-Aided Dispatch/Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) systems, smart fare collection systems, AI-based video data, digitization of local land use data etc. have led to a massive expansion of the quantity of data available for planners and transit operators to evaluate existing conditions and benchmark performance over time. Many local agencies, however, lack sufficient internal capacity to collect, integrate, analyze, and regularly report on the many factors and variables that impact success. Moreover, disparate agencies may have different measures of success, based on their organizational mission and adopted goals. Decision support tools that streamline data integration, analysis, and reporting to meaningfully measure performance and evaluate next steps are needed. Incorporating data, methods, and findings from CETOC Year 1 research (e.g., CETOC-23-R-09, CETOC-23-R-03, CETOC-23-R-04, CETOC-23-R-05) as well as active collaboration with the City of New Orleans and New Orleans Regional Transit Agency as local partners, this project aims to transfer research results to real-world application by supporting the development of a TOC Evaluation Framework and preliminary performance dashboard that is scalable, replicable, and can be adapted to include a variety of data sources aligned with local policies and goals, including but not limited to transit service quality, climate resilience and adaptation, affordable housing, job and services access, and community priorities and perceptions. The primary output of this project is a preliminary public data dashboard that integrates previously siloed (or underdeveloped) datasets for practical use by relevant agencies. Underlying datasets will be published, where applicable, via the City’s Open Data platform. This project is the first formal collaboration of CETOC with New Orleans RTA and New Orleans City Planning Commission, along with partners in numerous other local departments/agencies working together through the New Orleans Transit Oriented Communities Interim Working Group. The collaboration with CETOC lends the working group technical and staff capacity, while leveraging stakeholder access, data, and internal analytics not otherwise available to the consortium. Secondary outputs are expected to include: 1) Final technical report summarizing project activities and methods 2) Instructional guide for replication, including preliminary analytical model for measuring expected outcomes resulting from TOC-supportive intervention 3) One or more journal articles submitted highlighting translation of CETOC research into local applications 4) One or more public presentations (in-person and/or virtual) highlighting project outputs, future applications, and implementation next steps.

• Record URL:
  https://www.uno.edu/cetoc
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Funding: $54,000 (USDOT) + $27,000 (matching funds) = $81,000 (total)

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $81000
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348337

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Equitable Transit-Oriented Communities (CETOC)

  University of New Orleans
  New Orleans, LA  United States 
• Project Managers:

  Kline, Robin

  Danton, Bob

• Performing Organizations:

  University of New Orleans

  Department of Planning and Urban Studies
  New Orleans, LA  United States  70148
• Principal Investigators:

  Tolford, Tara

• Start Date: 20241001
• Expected Completion Date: 20250930
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Land use planning; Public transit; Technology transfer; Transit oriented development; Transportation equity
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01928832
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Equitable Transit-Oriented Communities (CETOC)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348337
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 26 2024 2:47PM