MDT Rail Rehabilitation Needs Assessed

Volume 13, No. 2, 2002

IN THIS MDT rail rehabilitation needs assessed ISSUE In March 2000, Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) 104 million passenger miles of service were pro- 5 In search of contracted with CUTR to assist MDT in docu- vided in 2000 with an operating staff of 422. excellence at menting its rail re- transit Metromover is an habilitation needs agencies electrically-powered, and developing fully-automated 7 USF fall plans to address people mover sys- transportation them. The study, classes tem connecting with completed in two scheduled Metrorail at Govern- phases ending in ment Center and 8 Security January 2001 and Brickell Stations and considerations January 2002, re- with Metrobus at in viewed the cur- transportation various locations rent condition of planning throughout down- the Metrorail and town Miami. 12 CUTR Metromover sys- Metromover was welcomes tems, compared completed in two new research the systems with Miami’s Metromover is an 8.8-mile system providing phases, with the final faculty other heavy rail service to 21 stations, with 29 vehicles serving more phase completed in and people mover 13 US Census than 14,000 daily passengers. May 1994 at an origi- data for systems, and rec- Florida ommended a plan Continued on next page released of action to carry MDT forward into the next five years. The assessment included estimated 15 Access Management funding needs, a review of outsourcing prac- NCTR selected for Manual tices, recruitment issues, and manpower needs. available soon reauthorization System Overview 16 2002 Metrorail is a 21-mile heavy-rail system with CUTR’s National Center for Transit Re- scholarships 21 stations stretching from Dadeland South search (NCTR) was recently selected by the winners Station north to the current terminus at U.S. Department of Transportation’s Re- selected Okeechobee in Miami. With 136 rail cars, the search and Special Programs Administration system serves over 45,000 passengers daily. (RSPA) to receive continued funding under Metrorail was completed in its current con- a program to promote transportation educa- figuration in 1984 at an original cost of $1.03 tion and research. Awards were made to 10 billion. Operating expenses of just over $50 Continued on p.12 million were reported in 1999, and more than nal cost of $381.3 million. The 8.8-mile lacked the complex switching and loop rulings in Miami went far beyond rul- system provides service to 21 stations configurations employed at ings seen at peer properties, and the in the central downtown, Omni, and Metromover, and the two automated resulting requirement to select “quali- Brickell areas. With 29 mover vehicles guideway systems in operation in De- fiable” candidates eroded productivity. and three primary loop configurations, troit and Jacksonville lacked the The promotion of employees based al- Metromover served more most entirely on seniority than 14,000 passengers on caused unnatural career weekdays with operating ex- movement in the agency, con- penses of $15 million in FY tributing to high turnover and 2000, providing in excess of vacancy rates in “feeder” 4.4 million passenger miles of classifications while providing service in 2000 with an oper- little screening for aptitude for ating staff of 149. what was, in some cases, a total career change. Findings Miami’s Metrorail compared The practice of approving the most closely to Baltimore but use of outside vendors for had fewer personnel and 36 component repair work was more vehicles than Baltimore. significantly more rigorous It received slightly less of a that what was called for in percentage of Agency fund- the collective bargaining ing than its percentage of pas- agreement. The apparent senger miles. Its maintenance Miami’s Metrorail is a 21-mile heavy rail system providing lack of “blanket” approvals cost per vehicle was lower service to 21 stations, with 136 cars and 45,000 daily for types of work required than D.C.’s but higher than passengers. repeat visits to a “Contract- Atlanta and Baltimore on a ing-Out Committee” for items that were always sent out for re- total fleet basis, and the Atlanta and breadth and scope of the Miami pair. Procurement frustrations resulted D.C. rail systems were generally more Metromover. reliable. in less-than-ideal decisions regarding Organizational and management issues work accomplished in-house versus After reviewing other people mover that were examined included hiring, completed by a vendor. systems, the project team concluded selection, and training processes. The Manpower needs were affected by the that a system comparable to the project team found that the processes interrelationship of the selection/re- Metromover system did not exist within in place created hardships in Rail/ cruitment processes and the contract- the U.S. Airport people mover systems Mover Maintenance. Labor arbitration

CUTR was created by the Florida Legislature, the CUTRlines CUTR’S MISSION: Florida Board of Regents, and the University of South “To serve as a resource for policymakers, Florida to find cost-effective, state-of-the-art solu- Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 transportation professionals, tions to transportation problems. CUTR’s expertise the education system, and the public in policy analysis, planning, engineering, economics, CUTRlines is produced three times per year by the geography, safety, and communications offers inno- Center for Urban Transportation Research by providing high quality, objective vative solutions to public and private sector organi- (CUTR) at the University of South Florida’s transportation research.” zations nationwide. College of Engineering to inform the public and private sectors of its research and professional For more information, contact: Dr. Edward A. Mierzejewski, Director, CUTR activities. College of Engineering, University of South Florida Editor: Patricia Ball 4202 E. Fowler Ave., CUT100, Tampa, FL 33620-5375 Design by Wendy Castleberry (813) 974-3120, fax 974-5168 ©CUTR 2002 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.cutr.usf.edu

2 CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 ing issue. Rail maintenance workforce penditures was lower than the FY 1994 Since FY 1994, Metromover operating proficiency was eroding, and while level. The growth rate for Metrorail expenditures have more than kept contracting-out was necessary, it did operating expenditures averaged 1.1% pace with inflation and averaged 6.3% not build the “knowledge, skills & abili- while salary increases averaged 3.4%. of the agency’s total. With a capital ties” of the workforce. Frequent Metrorail capital averaged $15 million program of nearly $40 million, includ- changes in service demands and re- annually from FY 1994 to FY 2000. ing $15 million for the Phase 1 vehicle sponses to budget constraints made the Vehicle operations spending was de- midlife rehabilitation, MDT has made planning process difficult for staff. Two creasing in absolute terms, and vehicle a significant commitment to ensuring methods of calculating additional man- the long-term viability of Metromover. power needs based on rail car avail- If this program comes to fruition, the ability and revenue mileage were de- With a capital program system will be positioned well. veloped for Metrorail. With a revenue Recommendations vehicle requirement of 68 to 90 ve- of nearly $40 million, In the final report, the project team in- hicles, additional manpower needs including $15 million for dicated that a successful plan for the were estimated to range from 8 to 29 the Phase 1 vehicle rehabilitation of MDT’s heavy rail sys- additional personnel. Two methodolo- tem seemed contingent upon several gies for calculating Metromover man- midlife rehabilitation, organizational and management issues. power needs were also developed. Pri- MDT has made a Although additional financial resources mary factors included in the Service significant commitment would be required, in the project team’s Plan Analysis included system charac- to ensuring the long- opinion, additional resources would not teristics and labor hours by function, be maximized without some systemic while the Scenario Analysis focused on term viability of changes. What follows are selected specific factors such as the number of Metromover. recommendations from the 22-month loops, one-way miles, headways, peak effort and the positive actions that the vehicle requirements, and vehicle hours MDT has taken to address them since per year. Based on the current con- maintenance spending essentially was completion of each of the two phases figuration of vehicles and headways, flat. Metrorail capital investment in fa- of the study. additional Metromover manpower cilities was rising, while no significant needs ranged from 25 to 28 people. capital investment was made in rail ve- The current process of contracting hicles. Based on historic growth rates maintenance work to outside ven- Subsystem level conditions of both sys- for operating and capital projections, in dors needs to be revisited. MDT es- tems were rated on a scale of 1 (bad) the 6-year program, the constant dol- tablished dialogue with the Transit to 5 (excellent) using modified 1987 lar level of investment was expected Workers Union concerning procure- UMTA Rail Modernization criteria. to decline until the programmed start ment of work through contracts. Com- Metrorail system condition averages of the rail vehicle overhaul in FY 2006. ponent and equipment contracts were ranged from poor to fair with obsoles- Additional capital needs for Metrorail awarded to facilitate timely repairs, and cence and car body ratings lowering were estimated at $200 million, and ap- MDT established a new Metromover the scores. Metromover vehicles re- proximately $60 million of the $200 Component Shop based on a cost-ben- ceived an overall condition rating of million capital needs fell within the pro- efit analysis of contracted-out versus fair. Phase 1 wayside and structures gram period. Rail vehicle overhaul was in-house repair. rated fair overall, while Phase 2 struc- recommended for a FY 2003 construc- tures and wayside rated good. MDT should re-examine the present tion start (as opposed to 2006). In ad- method of establishing that a candidate MDT’s agency-wide expenditures dition to the midlife overhaul of the rail is “qualifiable” and should take an ac- grew at a rate of 3.8% from FY 1994 vehicles, significant investment in the tive role in providing an environment to FY 2000. On a constant dollar basis, Train Control and Traction Power sys- that rewards the professional develop- the level of MDT total FY 2000 ex- tems was recommended. ment of the workforce. MDT estab-

CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 3 lished a 13(c) Strategic Task Force and Additional recommendations include draft findings, and provide comments developed a plan to improve recruit- providing the additional staff within and guidance. Task force members also ment and training processes that in- Metromover, Track & Guideway, and were involved in meetings and inter- cluded the participation of TWU. Rail Maintenance Control identified in views, and members accompanied the the report as well as the operating funds project team on technical visits to three Mechanisms that encourage innovation necessary to fund the positions. other heavy rail properties that were and investment in the workplace should chosen for comparison. Interviews with be established. MDT brought together people at all levels of the organization cross-functional groups to assist in pro- provided a broad perspective and de- gram planning and evaluation. The efforts of CUTR and MDT management and tailed understanding of the challenges Structure within the organization that and inner workings of the Rail and provides consistency and continuity staff represent a true Mover Maintenance functions. The re- should be developed. MDT is taking partnership. . . . The result sult of this collaboration is a good ex- advantage of the large amounts of data of this collaboration is a ample of the real world results that can and information collected and has re- be achieved through a strong relation- formulated data analysis to identify good example of the real ship between an operating agency and trends. Action plans were developed world results that can be a university research center. to target goals and track performance achieved through a strong For further information,contact CUTR MDT should ensure that sufficient relationship between an Senior Research Associate Jan Davis, funding continues for the enhanced operating agency and a [email protected], (813) 974-6920. ! vehicle maintenance activities and at- university research center. tempt to provide Metrorail with a capital infusion required to perform the identified rehabilitation activities. The County Manager recommended in a resolution presented to Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners in June 2002 that the Board authorize the County Manager to commit Local Option Gas Tax funds, or other ap- propriate sources of funding, to fi- nance up to $205 million for the pur- pose of funding the mid-life rehabilitation of MDT Metrorail and Metromover vehicles. The FY 2002 to FY 2007 current capital program includes $119 million for the The efforts of CUTR and MDT man- Metrorail vehicle mid-life moderniza- agement and staff represent a true tion beginning with planning and engi- partnership. A Rehab Task Force com- neering funds in the current fiscal year. posed of MDT personnel and the The former capital program called for project team met on a regular basis to $30.6 million for the project beginning track the progress of the study, review in FY 2006.

4 CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 In search of excellence at transit agencies Common traits among creative agencies studied

CUTR recently completed a study that and can promote increased cre- explored why some transit agencies in ativity at other agencies as well. the U.S. seem to be more innovative Each of these agencies devel- than others. The intent of “Conditions oped innovative ways to gener- That Promote Creativity at Public Tran- ate new revenues or reduce sit Agencies” was to find if there were costs, and each of them dem- common traits among creative agen- onstrated a certain style or “at- cies that could be replicated in other titude” in how they did it. For Focusing on selling advertising space to local transit agencies in the United States. instance, SunLine Transit estab- businesses resulted in tripling revenues and Four transit agencies were selected as lished a “SunLine Services more support from local businesses who now being particularly creative based on re- Group” that provided public ser- had a stake in Washoe RTC’s success. sponses to questionnaires associated vices that no other public with a CUTR study completed in 1998 agency in the region was offer- entitled “Lessons Learned in Transit ing to the citizenry, such as street manner that was well-accepted by bus Efficiencies, Revenue Generation, and sweeping, graffiti removal, changing operators. Cost Reductions”: street lights, and watering plants at in- The final report of the study shows that " Centro (Central New York Regional tersections. They provided these ser- there were distinct practices that were Transportation Authority in Syra- vices with part-time bus operators who virtually always in place at each of the cuse, New York), were happy to have the extra work, agencies that provide evidence that which also helps SunLine retain them " Citifare (Washoe County Regional similar practices could result in creative as employees as they wait to become Transportation Commission, Reno, results in other transit agencies as well, full-time bus operators. Lynx was a Nevada), even in agencies where managers do leader in the area of illustrated buses, not consider themselves particularly " SunLine (Thousand Palms, Califor- developing a program that generates creative. nia) almost $3 million annually in revenue The four agencies in this study dem- " Lynx (Central Florida Regional and multiple opportunities for exposure onstrated a propensity for the follow- Transportation Authority in Orlando, in major venues. Centro became an ing 10 principles: Florida) authorized Ford warranty center and profited from performing the warranty By means of case studies and site vis- They operate with business repairs on its own vans as well as other principles and an its, the current study identified the en- public agency Ford vans. Citifare de- vironment, conditions, and practices at entrepreneurial spirit veloped a “cafeteria plan” approach for Employees are results oriented, not these four agencies. Results deter- runcutting in which drivers construct mined that, while special personalities process oriented. They operate in “re- their own work weeks from a list of tail” terms and recognize the opportu- usually influence the level of creativity available pieces of work and from a at each agency, there are also man- nities transit systems have to sell their list of any days off, saving approxi- services, knowledge, programs, or ac- agement philosophies, approaches, and mately $300,000 through the elimina- techniques that are clearly transferable cess to facilities, equipment, or passen- tion of premiums and break time in a gers. Employees are challenged, em- powered, and supported to take rea-

CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 5 sonable risks. They direct their ener- They have a passion for people with private sector experience gies to their passengers and commu- adding value to their with a different approach to problems nity, and avoid becoming self-centered, communities and opportunities. They want to hire internally-oriented bureaucracies. The Agency managers realize only a small people with good people skills (inter- external focus on customers, markets, percentage of people in their commu- personal and communication skills) to and opportunities requires thinking out- nities use their basic service, so they facilitate greater exchange of ideas side of the organizational “box.” Ac- need to find ways to make their agency among staff. They look for people they cording to former Assistant Marketing more relevant to think will be fun Manager Ernie Kelly of Lynx, “Being the majority of to work with customer focused means you have a people who do “Less than 10 percent who also have retail mindset. You are competing for not. SunLine’s of our residents use our leadership apti- customers and absolutely thrilled to tude and an abil- General Man- bus service. How can I have them!” ager Dick ity to exercise in- Cromwell said, make our agency dependent They enjoy experimenting “I’ve done the thought. Leaders at each agency believe in the relevant to the other math: less than inherent value of experimentation. 90 percent?” They believe 10 percent of our While nothing is off limits, they hold high Dick Cromwell in, and residents use our standards, but believe in having fun. General Manager, SunLine support, bus service. They worry more about missing oppor- training and How can I make tunities than failing in a reasonable risk. professional our agency rel- Employees find themselves in a learn- evant to the other 90 percent?” The development ing environment that makes it fun to The agencies truly believe their em- agency managers push their staff to come to work. ployees are their greatest asset and find things that their agency has, does, support training, visits to other proper- They have a broad self-image or could do that might somehow help ties, and networking with counterparts Staff members regard themselves as the broader community. They have a throughout the country. They realize mobility managers, not “employees of burning desire to be considered a re- that more interaction with other pro- the bus company.” They believe their gional asset, and not a tax burden. fessionals around the country will ex- self-image and their ability to They believe in pose their employees to more ideas and gain partners could suffer if bringing in cause them to think in broader terms. they are regarded as only “new blood” a social service agency They believe in, and practice, Managers at these cre- for the disenfranchised. teamwork ative transit agencies People are continually The agencies participate in retreats and tend to come from di- excited about what they brainstorming sessions and use cross- verse backgrounds, and could be. They want to functional teams frequently to address there is an unwritten change communities and a variety of agency issues, where ideas policy that having such diver- change peoples’ lives. As stated can be cross-fertilized to create new sity is healthy for the organization by Craig Williams of Centro, “We are approaches to problems. They use to foster new perspectives. Thomas in the ‘transformation’ business, not just group assessments of new candidates Taelour, Chief Financial Officer of the transportation business. We are try- for key positions, with representatives Citifare, summed it up saying, “I al- ing to transform lives and communi- from all key functional areas helping ready know how we do things. I want ties.” to select new employees. Everyone is to know how other people from other accountable for thinking in terms backgrounds approach issues.” There broader than his or her specific func- is a particular interest in bringing in

6 CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 tion. They also understand that orga- trust is established, you can experiment above all, require working with others nized labor is part of the necessary and try new things. and working on non-traditional matters. teamwork. While it is very helpful to have “natu- They realize the value of rally” creative people, creativity can be They have very positive, relationships cultivated by being entrepreneurial, in- can-do attitudes terdependent, customer and commu- Employees at these agencies have a nity-oriented, communicative, experi- strong sense of mission that is bolstered mental, and personalized. While the by meaningful organizational vision specific experiences of these four agen- statements that includes references to cies might not be able to be duplicated creativity, partnering, etc. Everyone has elsewhere, the techniques they employ a sense of ownership and responsibil- to foster creativity can help other agen- ity for the entire agency and its image, cies find their own special experiences. and, once someone becomes aware of a problem, they own it until it is solved. For further information, contact NCTR Director Joel Volinski, They have a firm belief Managers do not want their staff to be [email protected], (813) 974- in the importance a bureaucratic group of strangers to 9847. ! of communication other elements of the community and These agencies realize that is impos- insist that their staff be members of sible to motivate if you don’t commu- community organizations. This keeps nicate, and they take every opportu- them plugged into the community and nity to share information on agency sta- gives them opportunities to establish tus with all employees through news- new partnerships and programs. letters, formal and informal meetings, and “management by walking around.” In summary, these agencies tend to They bombard their Boards with infor- think more externally and avoid the trap mation with the understanding that of routine internal orientation. The communication helps build trust. When techniques that have been described,

Fall transportation classes scheduled

The USF College of Engineering will " EGX 84509 Traffic Systems Engi- " EGX 84492 Transportation be offering the following transporta- neering (Lu), Tuesday 5:00-7:50pm Data Collection & Analysis tion courses in Fall 2002 semester: " EGX 85747 Intelligent Transporta- (Pendyala), Friday 2:00-4:50pm " EGX 84508 Transportation Engi- tion Systems (Lu), Wednesday 5:00- " EGX 85748 Graduate Transporta- neering I (Pendyala), Monday 7:50pm tion Seminar (Pendyala), Monday 3:00-5:50pm " EGX 84489 Transportation 11:00-11:50am " EGX 84510 Transportation Plan- Project Evaluation Methods For further information, contact the ning & Economics (Chu), Mon- (Mierzejewski), Thursday 5:00- USF Department of Civil and Envi- day 5:00-7:50pm 7:50pm ronmental Engineering, (813) 974- 2275. !

CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 7 SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS IN

It is increasingly clear that security concerns will significantly influence how transportation facilities and services are planned, designed, implemented and operated. Transportation goals, planning processes, databases, analytical tools, and organizational structures are likely to change due to security concerns. Just as the transportation planning professional and the planning process have evolved to accommodate issues such as enhanced environmental concern, social equity, evolv- Transportation Resource Pressures ing technologies and multimodal considerations, so too, adapta- Resulting from Security Concerns tions will be required to address security considerations in the planning of transportation infrastructure " Diversion of resources to security and services. needs outside of transportation programs A secure transportation system is criti- " Diversion of funds to operating cal to overall national security. Groups security enforcement/policing/ or individuals motivated to terrorize or planning/training injure people or the economy may well " Diversion of funds to capital have transportation facilities as a tar- investments in security (barriers, get or a tool. Most assuredly, they fencing, inspection, etc.) would have a transportation element " Use of funds to support network in an overall plan of terrorism. Thus, redundancy/connectivity securing the transportation system is " Use of funds to support modal choice/ a critical consideration in overall se- redundancy curity planning. The transportation " Diversion of funds to design changes/ sector is intimately involved in the enhancements to increase security security of our society and will be a front-line area of focus in en- hancing security. The future of transportation will be very much influenced by security considerations. In simple terms, security risk might be expressed as a mathematical function. The security risk is a product of the probability of an incident attempt times the vulnerability of the target times the damage costs of a successful breach of security:

Security Risk = Probability of Incident Attempt x Vulnerability x Damage

In the post-September 11th era, the probability of an incident attempt is believed to be far greater than previously appreciated by the vast majority of the public. Additionally, the extraordinary human and monetary consequence of the September 11th incident increased by orders of magnitude the perceived size of the possible damages from an incident of terrorism. Subsequent expert and media scenarios of increasingly sophisticated and dangerous tools of terrorism have resulted in the perception of far higher security risks. Within days of the tragedy of the September 11th terrorist incidents, speculation began in the media among security and transportation experts and among the general public regarding the consequences of these incidents on America’s mobility. The speculation has run the gamut, from predicting the end of skyscraper construction and the subsequent decline in urban densities, to anticipating or advocating new infrastructure investments such as high-speed rail as alternatives to air travel. In the months since the incident, there has been a flurry of responses and a multitude of other activities are in

8 CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 T RANSPORTATION PLANNING

various phases of planning and implementation. Old reports are being dusted off, new reports are being written, task forces are being formed, and training initiatives are being provided. Early action steps are already being identified and implemented while other actions will require considerable more evaluation before prudent actions can be determined. Evaluation criteria for project programming are likely to change and costs for various transportation investments may change as Conceptual Model of Impacts of Security a result of different design Risks on Transportation Planning standards that enable enhanced security. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) investments may have security roles and incident response roles that may change how we design and specify these systems. Mode choice behaviors may change, influencing the overall demand for various travel options. The era of placing parking lots under elevated freeway sections may end, and the processes of issuing driver licenses and vehicle titles may change as security considerations influence the data collection and screening steps. It is useful to explore the implications of security threats on transportation planning by reflecting on a simplistic model. The figure above outlines such a model, where security concerns influence land use, travel behavior, public investment priorities, and transportation system performance. In each category, impacts can be long or short range. These changes may create a need to change transportation planning activities. Changes in our planning subsequently feed back to influence these four factors and thus, the level of security risk may be impacted as changes influence the probability of an incident attempt, the vulnerability, or the damage. Land Use Individuals have speculated on a variety of land use implications, ranging from an increase in employment dispersion and sprawl to a renewed focus on the importance of the city. While signature high rises may not be a growth market, there is How Can Security Impact little reason to anticipate meaningful land use changes in the short term. The fixed Transportation System nature of land use and capital-intensive supporting infrastructure dampens any Performance? rapid land use changes even if there were strong pressures to make changes. The complex set of factors that govern location choice will make it difficult to deter- " Cost to User mine the significance of security risks in location decisions and subsequent land " Accessibility use patterns. Discerning security considerations from factors such as the ongoing " Connectivity shift to service and information industries and the influence of improved communi- " Speed cations on location choice may favor dispersion of activities regardless of security " Reliability concerns. One would not currently anticipate security concerns inducing changes " Convenience in land use patterns that would influence transportation planning initiatives.

CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 9 Travel Behavior substituting alternative destinations to avoid certain routes, or One can speculate on how security risks may impact each trip paths. Other travelers may be more reluctant to use vari- of the traditional four elements of travel behavior that ous facilities that are perceived to be at risk or susceptible to transportation planners typically consider: trip generation, significant damage if attacked such as tunnels and bridges. trip distribution, mode choice, and trip assignment. Travel Travelers may seek to avoid crowded or high profile loca- behavior is complex behavior influenced by a host of fac- tions or events in fear that these could be targets for terror- tors. The cumulative experiences and perceptions of trav- ists. Only with a sustained significantly higher frequency of elers will influence travel behavior; thus, the perception incidents are travelers likely to meaningfully alter trip desti- of security risk as influenced by security incidents and nations as a result of the fear of terrorist incidents. perceptions of security levels for various travel options Mode Choice—Mode choice changes as a result of secu- will influence individuals’ travel decisions. rity concerns are possible due to fears that arise from terror- Trip Generation—After September 11th, trip making de- ist incidents or the prospects of them and as an indirect result clined as people chose to forgo certain trips. This behav- of changes in the performance of modes due to security- ior was particularly apparent for long distance business induced changes. To the extent that mass mode vehicles or and personal trips. There is speculation that a proportion station locations are perceived as attractive targets with of the general public will remain unwilling to fly. On the crowds of people, these modes may be avoided by some business side, there is likely to be some mode shift but travelers. It would appear that public modes offer the oppor- also some occasion for other forms of communication to tunity for terrorists to both remain anonymous and to impact substitute for travel. Certain travel demand may be post- groups of people; thus, one might expect individual vehicles poned in time while other travel may be a net loss. It is are less likely to be targets of terrorism. Currently, there is no premature to predict how security risks will impact trip empirical or anecdotal evidence to indicate the extent to which generation in the long-term. Indirectly, changes in travel mode choice behavior will be altered. costs and other factors as a result of security consider- Trip Assignment—Trip assignment refers to the actual de- ations could also impact trip generation levels. cisions on the trip route once the location and mode have Trip Distribution—Another possible significant change been determined. Security concerns may result in some resulting from September 11th may be altered trip desti- changes in trip assignment behavior. Individuals may choose nations. As people refocus their priorities, some may value to avoid routes/facilities that they feel are higher security time with family more highly and choose to minimize risks. Certain stations may be perceived as less secure due lengthy commutes to distant job sites. Conversely, others to crowds or other factors. Until the threat of specific trans- have argued that the push toward decentralized urban portation system security incidents becomes more prevalent, areas may result in greater sprawl, meaning longer com- it is unlikely that there will be a noticeable shift in trip assign- mute trips for many. There may be situations where a ment. high profile location and presumed attractive terrorist tar- Transportation System Performance—Perhaps the most get may be avoided by some travelers. This type of at- obvious area of impact to transportation emanating from se- tention may result in altered trip destinations with people curity concerns is the prospect that the performance of the transportation system will be altered as a result of the responses to security risks. These changes in transportation system performance will then impact travel behavior. The nature of the changes in performance covers the range of performance attributes. For example, near-term impacts of September 11th include the suspension of many airline services, long delays for airport security, security enhancements for rail travel, and

10 CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 minor changes in auto parking. Other changes, all intended to behavior and enhance security, may impact the transportation of various try to fully products. understand their underlying Investment Priorities—Speculation has centered on causes. Similarly, whether security risks will have an influence on public atti- planners should tudes toward transportation investments. Some have sug- closely monitor the gested that the economic value of transportation is being rec- performance of our ognized, and this will aid efforts to increase investment in transportation systems with transportation. Others anticipate a renewed interest in hav- regard to time and cost fac- ing transportation choices; specifically enhanced funding for tors as well as security, so rail modes. Still others worry that diversions of dollars to en- as to be able to make in- hance security will detract from capacity improvements. The formed extrapolations of Bush administration’s proposal for the 2003 budget suggests how these system and ser- at the aggregate level, overall national priorities for enhanced vices might be impacted by security may put pressure on available transportation resources security considerations. in the short term. Transportation investment priority changes could result from a number of considerations. It will be important to take steps to ensure that the Sep- Post September 11th, actions suggest a variety of possible tember 11th tragedy does not investment needs as a result of increased sensitivity to secu- slow our progress toward a rity risks. These needs range from near-term initiatives to true multimodal transportation conduct strategic planning and assessments to supporting en- system. Nor should these events hanced enforcement levels such as those found at airports, serve to further polarize modal prejudices or be used as to longer-term needs to alter the physical characteristics of an emotional springboard to advocate investments whose individual transportation investments and the system or net- merits should be scrutinized with clear thinking. As trans- work of investments. portation planners have struggled to find adequate re- Security’s Impact on Transportation Planning sources to fully fund capacity and safety goals, a major As immediate and near-term efforts focus on operational challenge of security concerns will be ensuring that the spending to reduce vulnerability, the most immediate plan- immediate emergency diversion of time and resources ning challenge will be determining how various investments does not hinder the long-term capabilities of transporta- contribute to security such that their contribution can be evalu- tion planners to respond to transportation needs. Public ated and tradeoff decisions made. Expert judgment and recognition of the cost of providing enhanced security multiagency collaboration will be required as agencies through- and public support for additional funding if transportation out the country work to develop experience in security in- resources are diverted to security investments may be vestment evaluation. Over the next several years, security required to ensure that the price of security is not a rapid considerations will result in changes in how transportation is decline in the condition and performance of our existing planned, designed, implemented and operated. Transporta- transportation system. tion goals, planning processes, databases, analytical tools, de- In the meantime, transportation operating agencies will cision-making considerations, and organizational structures be busy providing near-term responses to security con- will change due to security concerns. Transportation will be cerns. The transportation planning profession has a sig- on the front line in responding to security risks. The response nificant knowledge base and capability in various areas to security concerns will cross jurisdictional and functional such as incident response, hazardous materials transpor- lines and be among the most complex and important chal- tation, and disaster response and recovery that provide a lenges to transportation professionals. It will be important for strong springboard for providing enhanced security and transportation planners to monitor closely changes in travel

CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 11 incident response. Transportation planning has grown CUTR welcomes over the past several decades to encompass far more than providing cost-effective, safe transportation ca- new research faculty pacity. Transportation has embraced a broader goal set including social and environmental factors. Thus, Holly Carapella joins CUTR as a Research transportation planners are knowledgeable in integrat- Associate with the Transit Program, special- ing additional considerations into the goal set for plan- izing in transportation and land use planning ning transportation facilities and services. As experts and policy analysis. She previously worked in dealing with travel safety concerns, transportation as a Senior Transportation Planner for the professionals have an understanding of how complex North Jersey Transportation Planning Author- tradeoffs between short- and long-term and capital ity in Newark. Carapella holds a bachelor’s degree in Politi- and operating/enforcement decisions can be made. cal Science from Bradley University and a master’s degree The new challenge will be applying the lessons learned in Public Administration and Policy from New York Univer- in developing these capabilities to incorporating se- sity. curity considerations into the transportation planning Nilgun Kamp joins CUTR as a Research process. Associate with the Transit Program, special- For further information, contact CUTR Mobility izing in economic and financial analysis, long- Policy Research Program Director Steve Polzin, (813) range strategic plans, and transportation plan- 974-9849, [email protected]. ! ning. She previously worked as a manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Tampa. Kamp holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics, a master’s degree in Pacific International Affairs from the University of Cali- fornia, San Diego, and a master’s degree in Economics from USF. v

NCTR—continued from p.1 universities, a total of $20 million in grants over the next UTC grants are matched by recipients, increasing the value two years, for transportation research and education. of the federal investment. Past NCTR grants have been generously matched by the Florida DOT. Tom Barry, Sec- NCTR was created at CUTR following authorization in retary of the Florida DOT, expressed his pleasure at the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of NCTR’s selection. “The work being done at NCTR has 1991 and reauthorization in 1998 in TEA-21. Major projects helped strengthen the capabilities of our many transit sys- of the Center have included the development of the Na- tems, commuter assistance programs, and transportation tional Bus Rapid Transit Institute; the publication of an aca- management associations,” he stated, noting that ridership demic journal focusing on public transportation; research on Florida’s transit systems has recently increased at a on transit safety and security issues; and establishment of rate of twice that of population growth. the National TDM and Telework Clearinghouse. For further information, contact NCTR Director Joel William Millar, president of the American Public Transpor- Volinski, [email protected], (813) 974-9847. ! tation Association, has been a strong supporter of the center. “NCTR has already proven itself to be a valuable resource to the transit industry, “ said Millar. “Its availability to assist the industry could not be timelier.”

12 CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 US Census transportation data for Florida released

Transportation planners, transit operators, the media, and oth- “drove alone” rate was as high as 84 percent in Clay County ers have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of new Census to as low as 54 percent in Desoto County. “Carpool” was the 2000 data. Various data items have been arriving regularly as second highest choice of work trip commute, declining from the Census Bureau compiled and distributed information in a 14.28 to 12.93 percent. Public transportation use declined multi-year ritual following the data collection in April 2000. from 2.03 percent to 1.87 percent. In May 2002, the first Florida results providing information Even with declining shares, there are actually 75,200 addi- on commute behavior became available. The data, available tional carpoolers and 12,723 more transit riders as a function at http://www.Census.gov/Census2000/states/fl.html, in- of Florida’s employment growth. The highest share for pub- clude commute time information by place of residence, a lic transit was in Metro-Dade County with 5.2 percent transit broad-based profile of Florida demographics, information on use, ranging downwards to no transit use in some counties the choice of mode for commute travel, and information on (transit use includes taxis). Walking showed a sharp decline; household auto ownership. While many other data sources statewide, 37,000 fewer people walked to work in spite of also are available for planning, the comprehensive nature of the fact that there were more than 1.15 million additional Census data, its historical availability and consistency, and workers added to Florida’s workforce in the decade. The the fact that it saves local data collection costs makes it popular work-at-home group grew significantly, with 75,000 additional with planners. Detailed data on commuter flows between work-at-home individuals added in the decade. places will not be available until early 2003, but summary and In general terms, the slower modes—walk, carpool and tran- Census place level data on travel time and mode choice are sit—continued their historic declines in the share of commut- available now. ing trips, while the faster modes—drive alone and work at The statewide data for mode choice for the commute trip home—continued to increase. Given that the Census asked suggest continuation but, perhaps, moderation in past trends. how someone usually commutes to work, people who “Drove alone” remains the dominant commute mode at nearly telecommute one to two days per week and drive alone the 80 percent of the population. Across Florida counties, the other three days, for example, would probably have indicated that they usually drive alone. The Census does not reflect part-time or occasional use Census Commute Mode Choice of modes or people who may be working a compressed-work-week schedule. 2000 1990 Perhaps most surprising in the Census re- 12.93% 14.28% sults was the overall increase in the time 2.03% 1.87% spent commuting. The statewide mean com- 78.80% 77.95% 1.71% 2.53% mute time increased from 21.8 minutes in 1990 to 26.2 in 2000. This 4.4-minute in- 0.90% 1.68% crease surpasses historical nationwide in- 3.00% 2.30% creases on the order of one minute per decade. This suggests that this decade, and perhaps the Florida situation, is experiencing increases in travel distances or decreases in Drove Alone Public Transportation Other Means speed that are unprecedented. While addi- Carpooled Walked Worked at Home tional, more detailed analysis will be required to fully understand the trend, preliminary re-

CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 13 view suggests a combination in the same residence a little of increasing long distance County Mean Commute Times longer, are better educated, commutes from collar coun- more than two years older on ties to urban core areas com- 3,500,000 average, and have higher in- bined with slower (more con- 3,000,000 comes (per capita income of gested) travel in core urban 2,500,000 $21,557 versus $14,698 in areas. As the Florida mapping 2,000,000 1990). Almost three percent of commute times indicates, 1,500,000 more own their own home, and Workforce the largest commute increases 1,000,000 five percent more are a mem- appear to be in collar coun- ber of a minority group. 500,000 ties where significant shares 0 Later this fall, the 2001 Na- of the workforce commute to 18.4- 23- 26- 29- 32+ tional Household Travel Survey adjacent employment areas. 22.99 25.99 28.99 31.99 will be available. With these The Census 2000 Supplemen- Mean Commute Time in Minutes new data sources, planners will tary Survey tables, another be able to more fully under- source of commute travel in- stand trends observed on a lo- formation released in late cal level and more fully inves- 2001, shows that 65 percent of Florid- tigate other hypothesis regarding travel ians have a commute of 30 minutes or Even with declining behavior changes. CUTR looks forward less. However, they spend only 38 per- shares, there are to additional opportunities to use these cent of the total time spent commuting. actually 75,200 new databases to help address trans- In contrast, 13 percent of Floridians additional carpoolers portation issues and to provide new in- commute 45 minutes or more and ac- formation to share with the next gen- count for nearly one-third of all the time and 12,723 more transit eration of transportation professionals. spent by Floridians commuting to work. riders as a function of For further information, contact CUTR A quick review of the recently-released Florida’s employment Mobility Policy Research Program Di- data shows other items of potential in- growth. rector Steve Polzin, (813) 974-9849, terest to transportation planners. Vehicle [email protected]. ! availability has continued to improve, with vehicles available for nearly 92 percent of house- Florida Household Vehicle Availability holds. In 2000, there were 515,455 Florida households without vehicles available, up 41,444 since 1990 but a de- 50.0% 41.0% 41.4% clining share of all house- 40.0% 36.8% 38.2% 1990 holds. Household size, a his- 2000 toric factor in understanding 30.0% travel behavior changes, re- 20.0% 12.9%12.3% mained constant in the decade 9.2% 8.1% at 2.5 persons per household. 10.0% Labor force participation, also 0.0% a factor in travel, declined None 1 2 3 or more from 60.4 to 58.6 percent of Vehicles Available the population. Persons stayed

14 CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 Access management manual available soon

In the past few decades, a substantial manual also provides policy makers, de- ing access location, spacing, and design; amount of research has been conducted velopers, and other interested parties considerations in the application of me- on access management. These re- with a comprehensive reference on dians and continuous two-way left-turn search projects have provided insights access management. lanes; access permitting; and coordina- into the impacts of access management, tion, public involvement, and right-of- The manual begins with an overview identified best practices, and set forth way and legal considerations. of key concepts and principles of ac- recommended guidelines for access cess management and reviews research The Access Management Manual will management applications. The TRB findings on the effects of access man- be available from the Transportation National Conferences on Access Man- agement on safety, operations, the Research Board in late 2002. To re- agement and sessions at other state and economy, land use, and the environment. serve your copy of the manual, send national conferences have further ex- Also included are discussions on how your name and mailing address via e- panded the body of information on ac- to develop an access management pro- mail to Kim Fisher at cess management practices, policies, gram at the state, local, and regional [email protected]. For further informa- and experiences. levels; the relationship between road- tion, contact Kristine Williams, Access In cooperation with the Transportation way classification and access; how to Management Program Director, Research Board, the Federal Highway assign access management standards kwilliams @cutr.usf.edu, (813) 974- Administration, and the TRB Commit- to roadways through access categories; 9807. ! tee on Access Management, CUTR is the steps in developing a corridor ac- developing a manual that compiles this cess management plan; land develop- information into one source that sum- ment and access, with an emphasis on marizes the state of the art on access policy and regulatory issues; the latest management. The manual also presents procedures and guidelines for evaluat- access management compre- hensively, in a manner that in- tegrates planning and engi- Voorhees visits CUTR neering and transportation and land use considerations. Alan Voorhees, a pioneer in transportation planning and It addresses technical as- engineering, visited CUTR and pects of access management USF in July. Well-known for his as well as how access man- important contributions in the agement programs can be ef- prediction of traffic patterns as fectively developed and ad- a function of land use, the use of ministered. attitude surveys and State transportation agencies, mathematical models, and the development of major local governments, metropoli- transportation systems for some tan planning organizations, of America’s largest urban areas, and consultants will find help- Voorhees addressed USF faculty ful information on program and students on transportation development, implementation, and urban structure. and access design. The

CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002 15 2002 Scholarship winners selected

Kimberlee Gabourel and Srinivas Meka have been named recipients of the 2002 Georgia Brosch Memorial Transpor- tation Scholarship. The $500 scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, professional activities, and career goals. Ms. Gabourel will receive a master’s degree in Environmental Science & Policy and a Graduate Interdisciplinary Trans- portation Program Certificate in Summer 2002. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Scholarship winners Kimberlee Gabourel and Srinivas Meka USF and has been a Graduate Research Assistant at CUTR receive their awards from former CUTR Director Gary since 1998, participating in a variety of research projects in Brosch and current CUTR Director Ed Mierzejewski. which she analyzed data and wrote case studies comparing residents’ experiences with transportation disparities in their and has been a Graduate Research Assistant for Dr. Ram neighborhoods and collected and analyzed data from transit Pendyala since 2000, participating in the development of new systems throughout the state. Upon graduation, she plans to travel demand model systems that incorporate activity-based earn a Ph.D. and become “instrumental in building a healthy modeling concepts and analysis of data from household travel and eco-friendly environment” in the health and transporta- surveys and traffic surveys. Upon graduation, he plans to tion industries. work in the private sector and pursue a Ph.D. “to contribute Mr. Meka will receive a master’s degree in Civil Engineer- [his] share to the profession in making travel safe, efficient, ing in Summer 2002. He holds a degree in Civil andcomfortable.” ! Engineering from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India,

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Center for Urban Transportation Research PAID TAMPA, FL College of Engineering, University of South Florida Permit No. 257 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CUT100 Tampa, FL 33620-5375

16 CUTRlines, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002