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Planning for Active Transportation in the Western United States: an Alternative Future for Cache Valley, Utah

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Planning for Active Transportation in the Western United States: an Alternative Future for Cache Valley, Utah Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 8-2018 Planning for Active Transportation in the Western United States: An Alternative Future for Cache Valley, Utah Stephanie A. Tomlin Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Environmental Design Commons, and the Landscape Architecture Commons Recommended Citation Tomlin, Stephanie A., "Planning for Active Transportation in the Western United States: An Alternative Future for Cache Valley, Utah" (2018). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 7195. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7195 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PLANNING FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES: AN ALTERNATIVE FUTURE FOR CACHE VALLEY, UTAH by Stephanie A. Tomlin A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Bioregional Planning Approved: Bartlett Warren-Kretzschmar, Ph.D. Richard Toth, M.L.A. Major Professor Committee Member Jordy Guth, M.S. Mark R. McLellan, Ph.D. Committee Member Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2018 ii Copyright © Stephanie A. Tomlin, 2018 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Planning for Active Transportation in the Western United States: An Alternative Future for Cache Valley, Utah by Stephanie A. Tomlin, Master of Bioregional Planning Utah State University, 2018 Major Professor: Bartlett (Barty) Warren-Kretzschmar, Ph.D. Department: Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Until WWII, the cities of the U.S. developed around the three major modes of active transportation: cycling, walking, and public transportation. However, at the conclusion of WWII, the concept of mobility changed abruptly when the efficient and comfortable private automobile became readily available to the public. With the private automobile came a new and unprecedented type of growth and development within cities. We see evidence of this growth in today’s cities. The once dense and compact cities began to expand further away from city centers, and in no other location is that growth and expansion more apparent than in the iconic “sprawl” of the cities in the western U.S. The unique characteristics and quintessential landscapes of the western U.S. are being threatened by widening freeways and tailpipe pollution—consequences of prioritizing the private automobile in city design. Active transportation (walking, cycling, and utilizing public transit) provides an opportunity to reimagine transportation iv throughout the west. It offers affordable mobility options that promote physical activity, avoid air pollution, and densify cities, encouraging vibrant urban landscapes and natural open-space preservation. This thesis research developed a methodology for establishing a comprehensive active transportation network within cities of the western U.S. Through documenting active transportation best practices and analyzing case study cities, which have achieved high active transportation modal splits, this research developed grounded theory detailing the operationally significant perquisites for active transportation. The perquisites were prioritized based on their significance and vetted by planning professionals to insure accuracy and validity. The fitness of the documented prerequisites was then assessed by using them to develop an alternative future for active transportation in Cache Valley. The alternative future consisted of a GIS spatial representation of the prerequisites in Cache Valley to demonstrate the reproducibility of the research, coupled with detailed descriptions of each necessary element. (171 pages) v PUBLIC ABSTRACT Planning for Active Transportation in the Western United States: An Alternative Future for Cache Valley, Utah Stephanie A. Tomlin Mobility in the western U.S. is defined primarily by the private automobile. Since the conclusion of WWII, the private automobile has become readily available to the public, and as a result, has heavily influenced the design of our modern cities in the west. In recent years the connections between high motor vehicle use and rising obesity rates, crumbling road infrastructure, and deteriorating air quality have caused city officials to reexamine the transportation systems of the west. One solution advocates, city officials, and planning professionals have begun examining is active transportation (walking, cycling, and public transit). Research suggests that a robust active transportation network not only diversifies mobility options, it also encourages compact urban development, cleaner air, and a move active population. This thesis developed a methodology for examining and documenting the components of an active transportation network in the western U.S. This was done though a comprehensive literature review to glean important active transportation policies, infrastructure, and best practices. Then, two western U.S. case study cities with relatively high amounts of cycling, walking, and public transit use were selected and analyzed with site visits and planning professional interviews. The data gathered throughout this first phase of the research was then synthesized, and reoccurring themes vi about cycling, walking and public transit were identified. These themes were labeled as the prerequisites for active transportation in cities of the western U.S. and were documented and prioritized based on their potential impact. The themes were vetted by planning professionals in the two case study cities as well as in Cache Valley to insure accuracy and validity. A final version of the prerequisites was then documented. The final phase of this research applied the prerequisites to the transportation system in Cache Valley, UT in order to insure the list was valid and reproducible under a variety of conditions. The outcome of this phase was GIS map displaying an alternative future for active transportation in Cache Valley, UT. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to extend a huge “thank you” to my family, friends, Aggie Blue Bike colleagues, and committee members for helping me make this dream become a reality. My love for cycling was the impetuous for this work, but it grew into much more than just bikes. I have been analyzing these concepts formally and informally through my position at Aggie Blue Bikes, personal exploration, bike tours, and planning committees I was fortunate enough to be involved in long before I sat down to write this thesis. Although there are countless people who deserve thanks for contributing to this work in some way or another, I would like to thank the following individuals specifically for their support throughout this process: Barty Warren-Kretzschmar—for helping me transform my individual, and often sporadic, ideas into one cohesive vision, and for acting as a sounding board in moving that vision forward. I would also like to thank her for the countless opportunities she provided me throughout my time as a student. Dick Toth—for his wealth of knowledge, honest feedback, and help in laying the bioregional planning groundwork, from which this thesis developed. I would also like to thank him for instilling in me the importance of having a clear, transparent planning process. Jordy Guth—for being a mentor to me throughout my time at USU. I would also like to thank her for her sound professional planning perspectives, for inviting me to participate in real planning situations, and for believing in me. Sean Damitz—for being my supportive boss at Aggie Blue Bikes and being 100% viii onboard when I told him I was going to take on a master’s degree while working. My parents—for encouraging me on through this process and for telling me I should write my thesis instead of escaping to the desert or mountains. Sam Warrick—for his unwavering support, and ability to put everything into perspective for me. Nema dog—for her unconditional love and for being the reason I walked on so many of the sidewalks throughout Logan. Stephanie A. Tomlin ix CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... iii PUBLIC ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... xi LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... xii GLOSSARY OF TERMS .............................................................................................. xv CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 Project Background .......................................................................................... 1 Project Context ................................................................................................. 5 Goals and Objectives of this Research ............................................................. 12 Significance .....................................................................................................
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