External link: http://www.ssti.us/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/NCHRP_W211-SmartGrowth_Small_Rural_Areas.pdf

Publication date: December 1, 2015

Capsule summary: This handbook aims to provide insights into small, rural communities’ and the relationship between development patterns, land use, and increased driving.

Author(s): Morton, Brian; Heugy, Joseph; Poros, John

Publisher(s): Transportation Research Board

Definition: Data analysis techniques for transportation planning
Digest Search Results Page: https://www.planningdigest.com/research-theme/data/
Corresponding TRID/TRT Terms
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Definition: A federally funded transportation policy-making organization, comprised of local government representatives and transportation authorities
Digest Search Results Page: https://www.planningdigest.com/org/mpo/
Corresponding TRID/TRT Terms
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Definition: Governmental agency focused on transportation
Digest Search Results Page: https://www.planningdigest.com/org/dot/
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Definition: A large urban area
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Definition: A written or printed work.
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Description: In many small and rural communities, new growth can increase the high levels of daily driving and negatively impact the individuals and environment at large. In this handbook, researchers focus on estimating the hypothetical change in daily driving after various development scenarios occur. The handbook also fills the gap in driving studies by centering its research on small communities and rural areas.

Objectives: The objective of the research is to study how changes in demographics and land use patterns impact travel behavior in small, rural areas. The research aimed to identify the conditions that had the largest impact on driving, travel patterns. This study investigated three small communities with varying population densities, and built computer models for tracking and predicting how the traffic behavior was responding to hypothetical land-use changes.

Findings: The development strategies that were studied in this research report found that the growth of daily driving per person varies among the different population densities. However, across all three communities daily driving does not increase when new jobs and households are located in an area with existing development and access to commercial developments. Also across the three communities, an increase in daily driving leads to worsened transportation efficiency and a decrease in daily driving reduces fuel consumption and air pollution.

Recommendations: This handbook provides transportation practitioners checklists for applying the research results to other small, rural communities that share similar characteristics with any of the three communities in the handbook. Use of the checklists and the Project Overview section’s guidance assist practitioners in understanding the characteristics and vocabulary of small community land use.

Research Theme: Innovative Data Analysis

Community Type: City, Rural, Small City

Transportation Mode:

Planning Scope:

Organization Type: City, DOT, MPO or RPO

Planning Subject: Analysis, Development, Evaluation and Assessment, Facility or Land Use, Forecasting, Land Use Planning, Plan Implementation, Planning Methods