Traffic Modeling of Transit Oriented Development: Evaluation of Transit Friendly Strategies and Innovative Intersection Designs in West Valley City, UT

Street networks designed to support Transit Oriented Development (TOD) increase accessibility for non-motorized traffic. However, the implications of TOD supportive networks for still dominant vehicular traffic are rarely addressed. Due to this lack of research, decision making in favor of TOD supportive street networks is often a difficult process. The goal of this project is to quantify the traffic impacts of TOD using a study network in West Valley City, Utah. In the methodology, the test network is modified using not only designs typical for TODs, but also some network designs that enhance traffic operations. Proposed network designs represent the alternatives to traditional street widening approaches that should increase traffic efficiency while not discouraging non-motorized modes. This approach would increase the potential of the test network to become a TOD in the future, with two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines already in place. The results indicate that network designs that could be beneficial for TOD, such as enhanced street connectivity, innovative intersection designs, traffic calming measures and Transit Friendly Designs (TFD), do not necessarily decrease the efficiency of vehicular traffic for the most critical travel demand conditions. The major contributions of this study are the indications that TOD-supportive network designs are not necessarily associated with negative effects for vehicular traffic, even in conditions where mode shift does not occur and auto-mode travel demand remains the same. This is a significant finding that could be useful for metropolitan regions looking to retrofit the suburban neighborhoods into multimodal developments.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=772
• 
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/27998
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108

  University of Utah, Salt Lake City

  Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84112

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Zhou, Xuesong
  • Martin, Peter T
  • Zlatkovic, Milan
  • Tasic, Ivana
• Publication Date: 2013-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 161p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway design; Highway operations; Intersections; Public transit; Traffic calming; Traffic models; Transit oriented development; Travel demand
• Geographic Terms: West Valley City (Utah)
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01538204
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC 14-270
• Contract Numbers: Project # MPC-393
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 25 2014 8:59AM