CE 350 Introduction to Transportation Planning

1
CE 350Introduction to Transportation Planning

• Chapter 15
• Activity Centers

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Objective
The objective of this class is to understand the
various types of activity centers and the forms
of transportation that serve them best.
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Activity Centers--Definition

• Well-defined, focused concentrations of
  development with relatively high density and a
  mix of land uses--Bob Cevero p.561

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Examples of Activity Centers

• Traditional Down towns
• Institutional complexes -- government centers,
  medical centers, universities
• Airports and surrounding area
• Entertainment centers
• Major shopping Centers
• Major office parks
• Stadium complexes

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Features of Activity Centers

• More jobs than residences -- big reverse commute
  destination
• Major retail
• Mixed office, retail, and hotel
• Has a name
• Some level of master planning

• The area is a regional focal point
• Generates lots of traffic and access problems
• Surface parking evolves to structure parking
• Usually has transit potential

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Downtowns--CBDs

• Generally losing population since the 1950s
• Generally losing share of regional employment
  since the 1950s

• Strong public-private commitment necessary to
  buck economic trends
• We want our cities to have a core. Entertainment
  projects play a role Court Street in Des Moines

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Characteristics of CBDs

• Concentration of employment and work trips
• high development density
• mixed use
• Focus of highway and transit systems

• Typically best accessibility in the area
• Both public and private parking--expensive
• up to 25 of land area devoted to streets,
  sidewalks, and alleys
• Generally poor off-street loading facilities--
  leads to congestion

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Transportation to CBDs
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Houston--Commuting Modes
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CBD Planning PrinciplesSee pp 568-569

• Concentrate major access roads on the edge- Inner
  beltline common
• Core area best used for high intensity
  development- transit and pedestrian access
• Plan for transit to carry as many trips as
  possible-- reduces space needed for parking

• Provide transit priorities and amenities --
  shelters, priority lanes, employer support. Des
  Moines
• Pedestrian continuity-- bridges/tunnels
• Separate long and short term parking
• Curb and off street loading to minimize double
  parking

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Planning Principles - cont

• Free shuttles link offices to parking and to
  retail/lunch
• Design for pedestrians bikes
• Link access roads to parking

• Clear signing is critical

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Campuses

• Plan for access to campus and on-campus
  circulation
• ISU is a very traditional campus design -- dense
  buildings around open central lawn. U of I is
  mixed in with the city. Sprawling medical center
• The college campus is the most auto-free planning
  in America
• Emphasize pedestrian, bike, and transit
  facilities

• Park-ride lots (ISU Center) to restrict cars on
  campus
• Cy Ride is an excellent campus system
• Very restrictive parking rules are necessary
• Trips are short - Most students live on or near
  campus
• Single institutional ownership -- critical

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Medical Centers

• Similar to campuses
• Can be huge. Texas medical center has 50,000
  employees. Downtown Des Moines has 60,000.
• Parking design is critical -- people are old
  and/or sick

• Design for the disabled-- ADA
• Pedestrian bridges, moving sidewalks, and good
  signing are critical. Painted stripes on hall
  floors
• Must keep parking out of neighborhoods.
  Residential permits common in big cities

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Evolution of Suburban Centers

• 1920s Streetcar suburbs Shaker Heights,
  Pasedena, Bethesda
• 50s-60s First wave of shopping areas 2-6 miles
  out. Country Club Plaza, KC. Mid Wilshire, LA.
• Explosion 1970s. 10 miles out. Buckhead, Century
  City,Post Oak, Bellevue, Silicon Valley,
  Peachtree Center

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Suburban Activity Centers (SACs)Four
Developmental stages

• Shopping Center Phase 1950s-60s. E.g., Merle
  Hay
• Office Space followed shopping started in late
  60s. Still going on. Tysons Corner, Post Oak,
  Galleria,128 Corridor
• High density housing followed Condo Canyon
  phenomenon. Started in the 1970s.
• Edge Cities The movement was recognized by the
  planning profession. 1980s

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Featurespp 574-77

• Use cheap land on the urban edge
• Always near major freeway interchanges. Take
  advantage of prior transportation investments
• Superblock model, not grid pattern
• Internal circulation retrofit
• Significant office and hotel space

• Major retail
• More jobs than residents
• Perceived as destinations
• Parking evolved from surface to structure
• Gradually becoming denser
• Almost all now have major congestion problems

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Factoids

• Most SACs have over 5 million sq.ft. of office,
  at least one conference hotel, and a major
  regional shopping center. Over 70 SACs of this
  size identified in 1989
• Uptown Houston and Galleria in Dallas have about
  2/3 of the CBD office space.
• FREEWAYS make this form of development possible

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Trends pp 578-84

• Development infill
• Trying to create a downtown feel
• Transit creeping in
• Structure parking
• Pay parking for offices
• More residential developmenthigh and mid rise
• Work Trips average 11-12 miles
• Employees shop. 35 Lunch traffic jam

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Parking

• Design hour 1965 10th highest hour
• Design hour 1982 20th highest hour
• 4.0-5.0 Spaces /1000 sq. ft. of retail (a parking
  space requires about 300 sq. ft.)
• ½ of the spaces empty for 40 of operating hours
• 19 hours each YEAR, somebody would be
  inconvenienced Christmas

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Auto OccupancyPersons /car

• Midday at retail centers 1.15-1.44
• Midday at Regional Malls 1.20- 1.23
• PM Peak Hour at Regional Malls 1.26-1.45
• PM Peak Hour at 1.18-1.51
• Typical rush Hour Freeway about 1.1

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SAC Transportation Planning Issues

• Densities FAR guidelines (often a problem)
• Travel projections internal trips, car
  occupancy, ridesharing
• Regional Access
• Internal Circulation
• Freeway Spacing

• Access to Property Access Management
• Parking Parking Parking
• Expand transportation capacity pedestrians,
  transit circulators, internal street continuity,
  TDM, Add a lane, subway expansions

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Pot Pourri

• Build out
• Cumulative Effects
• Effect of Major Development
• Pedestrians 1000-2000 ft. walkable- provide
  linkages and amenities

• Arterial spacing ½ to ¼ mile. Dense spacing
• Transportation Demand Management
• Transit, ridesharing, flex hours, telecommute,
  TMA, employer paid passes

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Institutional Tools

• Zoning overlay special district
• Special assessment district
• Model joint access agreements
• Public/private agreements for multi-phase
  projects
• Design guidelinesSpecial Development review
• Associations

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Objective
The objective of this class is to understand the
various types of activity centers and the forms
of transportation that serve them best.
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