Evaluating the Travel and Physical Activity Impacts of the Exposition (Expo) Light Rail Line; Leveraging Transit Investments for Community Livability and Regional Sustainability

This research will support analysis of data collected in California's first experimental-control, before-and-after evaluation of a major light rail transit (LRT) investment, the Exposition (Expo) line from downtown to the westside of Los Angeles. The region's ambitious LRT construction campaign will support Senate Bill SB375 goals for greater integration of transportation and land use planning, but little is known about whether and to what degree new LRT is associated with reduced private vehicle travel and increased transit usage. In Fall 2011, the data collected geographically detailed 7-day travel data for 285 households along the corridor using daily trip and vehicle odometer logs and supplemental global positioning system (GPS) based location tracking. The project will collect comparable "after" data for the same households in Fall 2012 after the Expo line service begins in Spring 2012. The current proposal will support data coding, processing, and analysis and will inform transit planning and community development by (1) assessing the impact of Expo service on nearby private vehicle travel, transit ridership, and physical activity, (2) identifying neighborhood factors which could enhance the potential positive effects of transit proximity on bus ridership and walking, and (3) demonstrating methods for evaluating the sustainability, travel, and community impacts of major transportation projects.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $27330
• Contract Numbers:

  7869

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Department of Transportation
  1200 New Jersey Avneue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Performing Organizations:

  University of California, Irvine

  Institute of Transportation Studies
  4000 Anteater Instruction and Research Building
  Irvine, CA  United States  92697
• Principal Investigators:

  Houston, Doug

• Start Date: 20120101
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 33499

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Land use planning; Light rail transit; Ridership; Sustainable development; Transportation planning; Travel surveys
• Geographic Terms: Los Angeles (California)
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01471034
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University of California Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 7869
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 31 2013 1:01AM