Transportation planning
Special Projects
The Office of Community Planning has initiated, funded, and coordinated several studies and related efforts regarding housing, land use and transportation coordination, smart growth (including transit-oriented development and urban/suburban infill land uses), and the development of models and tools for assessing such strategies. A brief description of each of these, along with website links, are provided below.
Contact: Terry Parker |
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Trip-Generation Rates for Urban Infill Land Uses in California Phase 1: Data Collection Methodology and Pilot Application - Final Report (2008)
In preparing traffic impact analyses of proposed land use development projects, professionals often rely on the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ (ITE) published trip generation rates. However, ITE data typically reflects isolated suburban development that lacks transit service as well as adequate pedestrian and bicycle facilities. As a result, the use of ITE trip-generation rates to analyze proposed development projects located in existing urban infill areas potentially significantly over predicts vehicular traffic impacts and underestimates trips made by transit, walking, and bicycling. This report describes results of the first phase of an extensive research effort Caltrans has undertaken to produce more accurate multi-modal trip generation rates data for infill development in California. In this phase, a methodology for selecting and studying infill land uses was developed and described, and a set of 13 initial sites were studied using this methodology. (A second phase is currently underway to develop and describe additional trip generation rates data for up to ten urban infill land uses in California.)
Assessment of Local Models and Tools for Analyzing Smart-Growth Strategies–-Final Report (2007)
Cities and counties use travel models and other analytical tools to assess the benefits and impacts of local land use plans, transportation improvements, and proposals for development projects. This report assesses the ability of available models and tools to adequately analyze “smart-growth” land use and transportation strategies (such as infill, mixed land uses, transit-oriented development, etc.). It also suggests ways that models and tools could be improved or enhanced.
Assessment of Integrated Transportation/Land Use Models–Final Report (2006)
This study explored several new “Integrated” (land use/economic/transportation) models and assessed whether and how they can improve the ability to understand benefits and impacts of a variety of transportation, economic, and land use strategies. The results of this effort led to a Caltrans-funded feasibility study of the potential implementation of a statewide Integrated model for interregional analyses (that will be completed in 2009).
Transit-Oriented Development and Household Travel: A Study Of California Cities (2006)
Transit-oriented developments (TODs) are areas within a half-mile of rail stops or quarter-mile of bus transit hubs with fairly high development density, availability of shops and services, good pedestrian amenities, and direct access to the transit station. This report describes the results of an in-depth assessment of relationships between various types and locations of TODs (in the SF Bay Area and San Diego areas) and the amounts and modes of travel by residents and workers.
Additional information about Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is available at:
Caltrans Division of Mass Transportation’s TOD website
Statewide TOD Study: Factors for Success in California (2002)
California TOD Searchable Website (2002)
TOD “Best Practices” Compendium (2005)
Infill Housing in California (2005)
The Future of Infill Housing in California: Opportunities, Potential, Feasibility and Demand: Volume 2 – Final Report
This report provides an overview and assessment of California’s existing urban and suburban communities that accommodate infill housing.
California Infill Housing Locator Website
In addition to the above report, this effort also produced an interactive website–-the California Infill Housing Locator–-that can be used to identify and assess parcels that may have a potential for infill housing development or redevelopment.