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and Reports
The State of the
Commute: The State of the Commute
report is intended to provide readers with an
overview of the commuter environment in New/University North, including
current transportation conditions and options, employment figures, and
population characteristics. Color maps and graphic displays of
information make The
State of the Commute understandable and readable by
a non-technical audience. Full
text: The
State of the Commute: Transportation in University North (PDF, 5.8MB)
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Transportation Forum for
Employers: The intent of this paper is to offer insights and share lessons
learned during the planning and execution of a transportation forum for
employers in the northeast region of Tampa, Florida. Area employers were
invited to attend the event to learn about local, state, and regional
plans for roadway improvements and alternative methods of
transportation.
A diverse panel of speakers was developed to reach a
target audience with varied transportation interests and needs. Topics
ranged from road-widening projects that could impact local businesses to
cost savings derived from incorporating transit or vanpool subsidies
into an employee's benefit package. The forum was intended to increase
employer support and promotion of commute alternatives. This paper
presents an overview of the activities leading up to the Forum, as well
as suggested modifications for subsequent events. By incorporating the
strategies and lessons learned in Tampa, other transportation management
initiatives or organizations may experience increased employer
participation in the promotion of commute alternatives. Full text: Private
Sector Involvement in Raising Employer Awareness: Lessons Learned
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Bull-Runner Shuttle Survey: An Assessment of
Origins and Destinations: On behalf of the University of South Florida's Department of Parking
& Transportation Services (PTS), the University North Transportation
Initiative (now the New North Transportation Alliance) recently conducted an on-board survey of all riders of
the Bull Runner Shuttle. The Bull-Runner is a free on-campus transit
service available to all University students, staff, and faculty.
The purpose of conducting the survey was twofold. First, PTS sought to
confirm the precise locations on the Tampa campus where riders of the
Bull Runner Shuttle were most frequently boarding and exiting the buses.
The second purpose of conducting the survey was to determine riders'
ultimate destinations. Typically, this information has been more
difficult to ascertain, as passengers do not commonly report such
details to bus drivers, nor do drivers specifically track riders' final
destinations on their ridership charts. It is hoped, however, that the
resulting quantitative data from this survey can be used to evaluate the
accuracy of qualitative data being reported verbally by the bus drivers.
This will enable PTS to plan new service or to realign existing routes
to better capture traveler markets. For further detail on this
project, please email Chris
Hagelin.
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Analysis of Bicycle Crash Statistics and
Recommendations for the Reduction of On-Campus Bicycle Crashes:
The Tampa campus of the University of South Florida is located in a
climate that facilitates year-round bicycling. Thousands of students,
faculty and staff of the University live within a five-mile radius of
campus, yet the vast majority (nearly 98%) commute to the campus via the
automobile. In fact, single-occupant vehicle travel is the predominant
mode choice. As a result, there are frequent parking problems and heavy
traffic congestion in and around the University. The USF Master Plan
acknowledges this pattern and its impact, and therefore includes
policies and objectives to mitigate the use of the automobile as the
primary commute mode, as well as policies to encourage cycling. On
behalf of the University's Office of Facilities Planning, the University
North Transportation Initiative (now the
New North
Transportation Alliance) began a study to determine the
factors preventing commuters from cycling to Campus.
This paper highlights many of the reasons why USF commuters choose
not to bicycle commute.
Many of the primary roads around and on the university campus lack
signed and marked bike lanes or wide shoulders. Also, development
patterns in the university tend to be auto-centric in nature. Ten-lane
highways with high volumes and high-speed traffic are not designed to
accommodate bicycle traffic and can be a psychological deterrent to even
the most experienced cyclist. Existing perceptions of danger and
crash-risk are only exacerbated by national research findings that
Tampa, Florida has been deemed the most pedestrian unfriendly
metropolitan location in the United States (Mean Streets, 2000).
In order to capture more of the potential cyclist traveler market, it is
essential to improve bicycle facilities in and around the university,
and to educate both motorists and bicyclists to the laws and regulations
governing safe cycling. By analyzing the conditions and behaviors that
contribute to bicycle-car crashes on campus, UNTI (now the New North
Transportation Alliance) hopes to
facilitate the creation of a safer, more effective, and efficient
bicycle transportation system. For additional detail on this project,
please email Chris Hagelin.
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