PLAN 4106/6106 Transportation Planning

Assignment 1: Transportation Issue Paper

General description
The primary purpose of this assignment is to develop research skills related to transportation
planning issues. You would need to identify published journal articles/professional planning
reports related to your chosen topic, and summarize your findings to explore the issue. Use
library search engines to locate a pool of relevant journal articles1. Dalhousie subscribes to
electronic and printed versions of most reputed journals. If you require any help in locating
papers in the Journals @ Dal libraries and/or E-resources, please contact our Sexton Design &
Technology Library: Allison.Fulford@dal.ca
List of reputed transportation journals:
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/TG_periodicals.html
Writing the Issue Paper
Students will be required to write a paper exploring one of the topics (listed below) through an
extensive literature review. Specifically, you would explore the impact of public transit within
a particular domain of interest. Public transit has a substantial positive impact on quality of Life
and social Well-being (Habib, 2013 in Encyclopedia of Quality of Life Research, Springer). You
would need to select a particular domain of your choice, and write a coherent synthesis of the
subject matter. Note that public transit (often called as transit) refers to the common career
type of passenger transport systems used for conveyance of people from one place to another,
especially within an urban or regional boundary. Generally, these are public transport systems
with fixed routes and schedules, available for use by all persons who pay the fare (e.g. bus, light
rail transit, and rapid transit/subway). In Halifax, MetroTransit buses and ferries are considered
as public transit services (i.e. transit).
Topics (select ONE topic only)
Impact of transit on air quality
Impact of transit on congestion reduction
Impact of transit on urban form
Impact of transit on physical activity
Impact of transit on human health
Impact of transit on walking
Impact of transit on bicycling
Impact of transit on auto-trip reduction
Impact of transit on sustainability
Impact of transit on social well-being
Impact of transit on energy demand
Impact of transit on local economy
Impact of transit on land value
Impact of transit on community liveability
Impact of transit on community cohesion
Impacts of transit on ..(other domain of interest)[Note: require Instructors approval, email me before January 15th]
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Google may help you as well. You may also inquire professors websites to get hold of their papers

Tasks
1. Identify journal articles/published professional reports on the topic
2. Read and summarize your findings to explore the issue2
Deliverables
1. Submit a printed report (maximum 3 pages). You are allowed to add extra pages for your
reference list only. You MUST identify your title, include a brief introduction, and a
conclusion at the end of the report.
2. Submit an electronic copy of the report, and electronic copies of at least 3 (three) journal
articles, which are most relevant to your chosen topic (upload to the Brightspace)
Evaluation criteria
You will be evaluated in terms of content (e.g., how you explore the issue based on literature),
writing (e.g. organization, grammar etc.), and selection of literature (e.g. appropriate articles
from the reputed academic journals/professional publications).
Writing Sample (that I am expecting in your report)
Example Topic: The role of urban form in shaping access to opportunities 3
There is a growing concern over the ability of individuals living in urban environments to effectively access the
goods, services, and other opportunities needed to sustain their well-being and participate fully in society (Kwan et
al., 2003). Many factors potentially affect the ability of individuals to reach their desired destinations and thus fulfill
basic life needs, including individuals personal characteristics and time constraints (Miller, 2007), the effectiveness
of the local transportation system and the availability of transport choices (Handy 1996; Murray 2001), and the
structure of the city itself (Levinson, 1998; Sultana, 2002). These factors interact with one another to determine a
given individuals level of access to opportunities, but at a basic level, it is the citys design or formhow its
activities are organized spatiallythat conditions personal accessibility and exclusion.
References
Handy, S. (1996) Methodologies for Exploring the Link Between Urban Form and Travel Behavior. Transportation
Research Part D, Vol. 2, pp. 51165.
Kwan, M.-P., A.T. Murray, M. OKelly, and M. Tiefelsdorf (2003) Recent Advances in Accessibility Research:
Representation, Methodology and Applications. Journal of Geographical Systems, Vol. 5, pp. 129138.
Levinson, D. (1998) Accessibility and the Journey to Work. Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 6, pp. 1121.
Miller, H.J. (2007) Social Exclusion in Space and Time. In K.W. Axhausen, ed. Moving
Through Nets: The Social and Physical Aspects of Travel. Oxford: Elsevier. pp.
353380.
Murray, A.T. (2001) Strategic Analysis of Public Transport Coverage. Socio-Economic
Planning Sciences, Vol. 35, pp. 175188.
Sultana, S. (2002) Jobs-housing Imbalance and Commuting Time in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area: Exploration of
Causes of Longer Commuting Time. Urban Geography, Vol. 23, pp. 728749.
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Note that I am not looking for your personal opinions, rather a synthesis of literature on the topic of your interest.
Scott, D.M. and M.W. Horner (2008) The Role of Urban Form in Shaping Access to Opportunities. Journal of
Transport and Land Use, Vol. 1, Issue 2, pp. 89119.
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