abstract: Driving under the influence (DUI) is a problem in American society that has received considerable attention over recent decades from local police agencies, lobby groups, and the news media. While punitive policies, administrative sanctions and aggressive media campaigns to deter drinking and driving have been used in the past, less conventional methods to restructure or modify the urban environment to discourage drunk driving have been underused. Explanations with regard to DUIs are policy driven more often than they are guided by criminological theory. The current study uses the routine activities perspective as a backdrop for assessing whether a relatively new mode of transportation - an urban light rail system - in a large metropolitan city in the Southwestern U.S. can alter behaviors of individuals who are likely to drive under the influence of alcohol. The study is based on a survey of undergraduate students from a large university that has several stops on the light rail system connecting multiple campuses. This thesis examines whether the light rail system has a greater effect on students whose routines activities (relatively unsupervised college youth with greater access to cars and bars) are more conducive to driving under the influence of alcohol. An additional purpose of the current study is to determine whether proximity to the light rail system is associated with students driving under the influence of alcohol, while controlling for other criminological factors / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Criminology and Criminal Justice 2014

Re-tool: v.tr. re-tooled, re-tooling, re-tools 1. To fit out (a factory, for example) with a new set of machinery and tools for making a different product. 2. To revise and reorganize, especially for the purpose of updating or improving. The American ideals inherent in the suburbs are the promise of space, affordability, convenience, and traditional family life; conversely the public realms of the suburban typology become disconnected from each other as well as the larger city. The Generic City condition in which the periphery is no longer captivated by the center from which it was created is pervasive in the American landscape. Public space within the city has been consumed by their auto-centric infrastructural requirements, creating a loss of activity and identity. "Lowly, unpurposeful and random as they may appear, sidewalk contacts are the small change from which a cities wealth of public life may grow." Connecting people and places to one another and the metropolis that feeds them is essential for a properly functioning society. One example of an American city afflicted by auto-centrism and pedestrian marginalization is Tampa. The solution to Tampa's disconnection is a transit oriented development model in which there are localized areas of higher density that become nodes along a public transit route, thereby connecting areas of low density. By creating transportation nodes, places will become better connected in time and space. Establishing a more social form of transit in the Tampa Bay region will provide the opportunity for the creation of a secular cathedral of transportation. The Infrastructures we erect, just as the monasteries in the Middle Ages, must seek to enliven the communal and artistic traditions that make civilization and culture meaningful. The network of light rail connecting disjointed areas in Hillsborough will be linked to a high speed rail connecting major metropolitan areas across the state. This central downtown node will be manifested as a multi-modal station which incorporates multiple functions into an existing single use environment to densify the urban core of Tampa, create denser housing, and reconnect people to places. The main area of focus is the rail station and its overlap of program to create density and intensity so that connections with places and culture will be reinforced. The station will become a major public space of amenity and gathering point for the community.

The last couple of decades have seen a renewed interest among urban transportation planners in light rail transit (LRT) systems in large cities across the United States (US) as a possible means of addressing negative transportation externalities such as congestion and greenhouse gas emissions while encouraging the use of public transit [1]. LRT infrastructure investments have also gained traction as a means of revitalizing decayed urban centres because transportation infrastructure developments are highly correlated with economic growth in surrounding areas [2]. <div>The primary objective of this dissertation is to examine the externalities associated with LRTs during its the construction and operations phases. In particular, three areas of concern are addressed: (1) The effect that proximity to LRT stations </div><div>have on nearby single family residences (SFRs) throughout the LRT life-cycle; (2) the effect that directional heterogeneity between LRT stations, the central business district (CBD), and the SFR; and (3) the longer term effects on nearby populations due to LRT operations. To answer the first two research objectives, quasi-experimental spatial econometric models are used; to address the last objective, a-spatial fixed effects panel models are developed. The analyses primarily relies on SFR sales data from 2001-2019, publicly available geographical information systems data, as well as demographic data from eight 5-year American Communities Surveys (ACS). Charlotte, NC, a medium-sized US city, is chosen as the site of analysis, both due to the relative novelty factor of its LRT in the region and data availability.</div><div>The results show that SFR values are positively associated with proximity to LRT stations in the announcement and construction phases but negatively associated with proximity to stations once the LRT is operational. Additionally, potential homeowners with prior experience with LRT do not behave any differently than potential homeowners with no prior experience with LRT in terms of willingness to pay to live a certain distance from LRT stations. Further, directional heterogeneity is shown to be a statistically significant source factor in deciding the extent to which house-buyers are willing to pay to be near LRT stations. Lastly, distance from LRT stations are found to have no statistically significant effect on changes in the racial composition of nearby areas but have significant positive effects on educational attainment and average median incomes of residents living in nearby areas over time. </div><div>The contributions of this research are twofold. First, in addition to highlighting the need to use spatial econometric methods when analyzing the effect that LRTs have on surrounding real estate markets, this research provides a framework by which directional heterogeneity can be incorporated into these analyses. Second, this research adds to the existing pool of knowledge on land use externalities of LRT through incorporating the life-cycle of LRT from announcement to operations. Furthermore, this research examines the effects that LRT have on surrounding populations in transit adjacent areas to provide a look at the broader effects of LRT over time. </div><div>A major challenge in the analyses conducted in this dissertation is its reliance on SFR sales data. Urban areas near LRT may contain additional land uses. In order to fully determine LRT’s effects on its surrounding area, one should examine the proximity effects on all land use types. Furthermore, LRT stations and rail lines are assumed exogenous, which may not be the case as public hearings and town halls during the planning phase may influence stations’ locations. Future research should seek to understand how the circumstances surrounding the planning process could indirectly affect the socio-demographic characteristics in transit adjacent areas over time. Finally, additional research is needed to better understand the extent to which LRT affects urban intra- and inter-migration. Knowing the population repulsion and attraction of LRT can help planners design facilities to better serve the public.</div>

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This thesis conducts research on the light rail transit (LRT)-line Tvärbanan in Stockholm regarding punctuality of dwell time (DT), focusing on the influence passengers have on the mean and the variance of DT. The eight major stops during rush-hours are analyzed through a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis. DT is proved to be affected by many factors in a complex setting, with vast differences between stops and between train types, proving that the infrastructure, the platform design, and the train design is important factors. The overall core problem is the non-uniformity of passengers, which is caused mainly by (1) the platform layout, especially the locations of entrances/exits, (2) placement of the train doors in relation to platform obstacles, (3) connections to other means of public transportation, and (4) the overall placement of the entrances/exits at other stops in the same direction. Stop-specific measures and suggestions of overall improvements are proposed in order to reduce the mean and the variation of DT. / Detta examensarbete undersöker hur uppehållstid påverkas av passagerare på light rail-linjen Tvärbanan i Stockholm, vilket har haft en historia av höga och oförutsägbara uppehållstider. De åtta största hållplatserna under rusningstid är analyserade genom en kombination av kvalitativa och kvantitativa studier. Uppehållstiden beror på många faktorer i en complex miljö, där stora skillnader finns mellan de olika hållplatserna och de olika tågtyperna, vilket är ett bevis att infrastrukturen, plattformsdesignen och tågdesignen är viktiga faktorer. Grundproblemet är att passagerare är ojämnt fördelade på plattformarna, vilket är orsakat av (1) plattformsdesignen, speciellt vart ingångar/utgångar är placerade, (2) vart tågdörrarna stannar i relation till objekt på plattformen, (3) förbindelser till annan kollektivtrafik och (4) hur ingångar/utgångar är placerade över hela linjen i samma riktning. Övergripande och hållplatsspecifika åtgärder för att minimera uppehållstiden presenteras i rapporten.

Mass transit investments continue to be utilized in many cities as means of dealing with various transportation issues. In Dallas Texas, light rail transit was developed with the hopes of encouraging compact and orderly growth. This research uses the DART system as a case study in examining transportation/land use relationships in Dallas. As such, this thesis reviews past research that examined transit systems impacts on urban areas, analyzes historical changes in land use pattern development around the existing twenty stations of the DART light rail starter system, and summarizes the progression of land use trends in the transit corridor as they relate to DART impacts. Results of this study suggest that DART's light rail system has been an effective tool used in achieving the transportation and land use goals for the region. Finally, recommendations are presented with respect to what can be expected for future light rail development in Dallas.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le champ de l’aménagement urbain orienté vers le transport collectif (TC). Elle focalise sur deux contextes culturels différents, celui de la République tchèque et celui de la France, au sein desquels, néanmoins, les enjeux de promouvoir les TC sont partagés aujourd’hui, dans le cadre de la recherche d’un développement urbain durable. A l’échelle de quartier urbain, le travail s’intéresse, à part la densité et la mixité urbaine, plus particulièrement à des caractéristiques de l’accessibilité piétonne aux stations. A cette fin, des démarches originales d’appréciation qualitative et quantitative sont proposées. Les points forts et les points faibles marqués dans chacun des contextes ainsi que les potentiels de transférabilité réciproque de bonnes pratiques sont enfin considérés / My work explores transit-oriented development within two different cultures, France and the Czech Republic, which nevertheless have significant factors in common with regard to the goal of promoting the modal share of mass transit from a sustainable urban development perspective. Besides the basic urban variables, such as density and functional mix, our work attempts to explore characteristics of pedestrian accessibility, all these at the neighbourhood scale around the stations. For the appreciation, original qualitative and quantitative approach to the appreciation are proposed. The strengths and weaknesses on each side and the potential for reciprocal transfer of best-practices are finally considered

Light Rail Transit (LRT) has been getting more attention in U.S. cities due to its socio-economic benefits, such as reducing pollution and congestion, as well as promoting regional economic development. However, huge capital costs remain an obstacle to the construction of a new light rail system. For this reason, cities in the planning phases of LRT want to use value capture tools to finance transit construction and operation. In theory, any improvement in a transportation structure that increases accessibility and reduces transportation cost can be capitalized into property values in an area. In turn, governments levy taxes on a portion of the additional value of adjacent properties. This study, however, aims to empirically examine whether value capture is possible in the recession when property and land values continue to decrease. The study uses the case of the DART Green Line, which started to run in 2009 just after a financial crisis in the U.S. The 5745 residential parcels are analyzed with using a hedonic price model in order to detect the Green Line’s influence on residential values before and after the recession. To enhance the proficiency of the regression, this study includes several structure and neighborhood characteristics. The statistical results found the Green Line’s benefits on residential values both in the pre-Green Line period (before the recession) and the post-Green Line period (during the recession). It is noteworthy there are still positive influences of transit accessibility on residential values even in the unstable housing market, although the magnitude of the variable has diminished compared to the pre-Green Line period. / text

Light rail transit (LRT) systems are tools to help reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, promote high-density development and more affordable housing, and curtail urban sprawl in metropolitan cities throughout the United States. The impact of transit system services on property values has been studied from various perspectives using many statistical approaches. There are two general categories of effects that proximity to a light rail system can have on the value of residential properties: accessibility benefits (experienced in close proximity to the LRT stations) might increase property values, while nuisance qualities (experienced in both proximity to the LRT line and stations) could have a negative effect on residential property values. Due to the opposing nature of these coexisting effects, results from many empirical studies have been contradictory or inconclusive. This report reviews the spectrum of results found by the growing body of literature focusing on the capitalization effects of rail stations on property values. The economic effect of one particular LRT system, the 7.5 mile long METRORail line located in Houston, Texas, on the value of properties within close proximity to rail stations has not been thoroughly examined, as it only opened for service in 2004. This study utilizes property data acquired from the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD), Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, and Hedonic Price Models to analyze the impact of the LRT system in the city of Houston, Texas, on the value of residential properties that lie within close proximity to the line’s rail stations. / text

During the last decade, a novel methodology for wheel wear simulation has been developed in Sweden. The practical objective of this simulation procedure is to provide an integratedengineering tool to support rail vehicle design with respect to wheel wear performance and detailed understanding of wheel-rail interaction. The tool is integrated in a vehicle dynamicssimulation environment.The wear calculation is based on a set of dynamic simulations, representing the vehicle, the network, and the operating conditions. The wheel profile evolution is simulated in an iterativeprocess by adding the contribution from each simulation case and updating the profile geometry.The method is being validated against measurements by selected pilot applications. To strengthen the confidence in simulation results the scope of application should be as wide aspossible in terms of vehicle classes. The purpose of this thesis work has been to try to extend the scope of validation of this method into the light rail area, simulating the light rail vehicleA32 operating in Stockholm commuter service on the line Tvärbanan.An exhaustive study of the wear theory and previous work on wear prediction has been necessary to understand the wear prediction method proposed by KTH. The dynamicbehaviour of rail vehicles has also been deeply studied in order to understand the factors affecting wear in the wheel-rail contact.The vehicle model has been validated against previous studies of this vehicle. Furthermore new elements have been included in the model in order to better simulate the real conditionsof the vehicle.Numerous tests have been carried out in order to calibrate the wear tool and find the settings which better match the real conditions of the vehicle.Wheel and rail wear as well as profile evolution measurements were available before this work and they are compared with those results obtained from the simulations carried out.The simulated wear at the tread and flange parts of the wheel match quite well the measurements. However, the results are not so good for the middle part, since themeasurements show quite evenly distributed wear along the profile while the results from simulations show higher difference between extremes and middle part. More tests would benecessary to obtain an optimal solution.