published_or_final_version / abstract / Civil Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Urban Studies / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Automobile dependence is defined as a series of convergent land use and transportation conditions in a city that leave people with few non-car options for urban travel. This dependence is compromising the environmental, social and economic health of cities in Canada. Furthermore, it appears as though automobile dependence is increasing in Canada, as are its attendant impacts. A fuller understanding of the primary relationships affecting this trend is needed if its impacts are to be adequately mitigated. However, there is little quantitative knowledge of the relative importance of factors contributing to automobile dependence in Canadian cities. A review of the literature identifies a multitude of mutually reinforcing factors that contribute to the creation of automobile dependent cities. The factors are both cause and effect and exhibit 'feedback,' which results in a cycle of intensification of the original condition. While there are many feedback relationships that contribute to automobile dependence, some may be stronger than others. Mitigating the many adverse impacts of automobile dependence requires reducing the need for both automobile ownership and automobile use by reversing these feedback relationships. This thesis identifies the relative importance of factors influencing automobile dependence in Canada's major cities through a comparative analysis of transportation, land use and population and employment distribution trends and patterns. This involves the collection and analysis of an extensive set of data from Canada's seven largest cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa-Hull and Montreal). To provide context and supplementary information, selected data from thirty-four additional global cities are also used. A correlation analysis of the data collected identifies the strength of correlation between factors involved in automobile dependence feedback. The data reveal commonalities between cities: those cities with higher urban densities, higher transit service provision and lower automobile infrastructure provision exhibit lower levels of car ownership and use as well as higher levels of transit use. These cities also have better utilized transit systems, have higher walking and cycling mode shares and consume less fuel. The quantitative findings are used in tandem with the qualitative findings of the literature review to identify and rank eight possible points for policy intervention in changing auto dependence feedback. Of the factors examined, metropolitan and outer area density, transit supply and CBD parking supply appear to exert the strongest relative influence on auto dependence. These are followed in importance by inner area density and car ownership, which are followed by road supply and non-motorized transport share. While the auto dependence factors ranked require further study, clarification and confirmation, they provide a preliminary basis for directing policy analysis. A policy evaluation framework is developed that enables policies prescribed in each intervention area to be assessed against a series of travel, environmental, social and economic impact criteria as well as their implementation potential. This framework can be used by policymakers to identify high leverage policies for reducing auto dependence.

This creative project was proposed to develop a GIS model for transportation planning purposes with the ARC/INFO software. The urban street network in the GIS model was based on urban arterial systems in the city of Muncie, Indiana. The model was also expected to demonstrate the applicability of GIS technology in transportation planning. Several transportation planning techniques were tested with the model which included road and traffic data inventory, optimum pathing, road capacity analysis, traffic shift study modeling, and graphic presentation. The case study was targeted on road capacity analysis of urban arterial network as well as study of alternative traffic route for the urban route of State Road 32 in Muncie. The project began with an discussion of GIS technology, GIS application in planning, and ARC/INFO software programs. Then an urban street information model was developed in form of digital network in the computer database which could perform the functions of data inventory, spatial traffic analysis, and mapping manipulation. Finally the case studies were performed to demonstrate the application of this GIS network model. The findings and analysis results generated by GIS operation were used to evaluate the traffic conditions as well as to determine the feasibility of alternative route for State Road tables, ARC/INFO macro programs, traffic maps, and print-out of analysis results. / Department of Urban Planning

This project examines the effectiveness of a citizens' advisory committee initiated by the author to assist in the development of a bicycle facilities plan for Madison County, Indiana. A "ladder of citizen participation" was used to rank the level of citizen participation achieved. The MCCOG Bicycle Facility Plan was authored as part of the creative project is also studied in this project. Two components of the plan that were analyzed were the plan's success in meeting performance criteria, and the plan's approach in dealing with the question of separating bicycle traffic from auto traffic or integrating bicycles with auto traffic.This study finds that the participatory process is dynamic and that the level of citizen participation is variable and perhaps progressive. The plan was measured for meeting benchmarks of accessibility and continuity in its proposed routes. Local systems were found to have an integrated approach, while regional systems tend to have a nearly even mix of separated and integrated route systems. / Department of Urban Planning

This thesis analyzes the car ownership and use issues worldwide and in Ankara. There has been an extremely rapid increase in car traffic in major cities, leading to car dependence and its adverse affects, all over the world. This thesis takes its starting point the driving forces behind car ownership and use, and the increasing problems caused by the car traffic in urban centers. Then, car travel reduction measures and their consequences are reviewed by examples. The urban transportation in Ankara is analyzed, both in terms of recent policies and the data obtained, in order to find out if the car ownership and use would generate similar problems in Ankara. The applicability of car travel reduction options in Ankara and the conflicts in the recent urban transportation policies are discussed. This research does not recommend simple solutions, but concludes that a broad spectrum of measures must be applied in order to reduce the problems.

This study investigates the relevance of dynamic traffic assignment models under uncertainty. In the last years researchers have dealt with advanced traffic control systems since road provision is not regarded as a proper solution to relieve congestion. Dynamic assignment which is an essential component of investment planning is regarded as a new research area in the field of urban transportation. In this study the performance of dynamic traffic assignment method, which incorporates time dependent flow, is compared with that of static model. Research outcomes showed that dynamic assignment method provides more reliable outcomes in predicting traffic flow / therefore its solution algorithm is integrated to conventional four staged model. Literature survey showed that researches have hot provided an appropriate framework for transforming networks. This study investigates travel demand variations in a dynamic city and discuses possible strategies to respond dynamic and uncertain properties of individuals&rsquo / travel behavior. Research findings showed that both external and internal uncertainties have significant influences on reliability of the model. Recommended procedure aims reducing uncertainty in order to improve reliability of model. Finally, the relevancy of the problem and the applicability of recently developed methods are discussed in Ankara case.

Theses (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2000. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Social Sciences, Humanities and Education. Bibliography: leaves 292-317.

Thesis (M.Arch.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 82-86). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M. S.)--Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007.