Vol. 10, No. 3 - May/June 1999

Transit Oriented Development: Vision and Reality - Commentary
Concentrating residential and commercial development around rail transit stations -- a planning concept known as "transit oriented development" (TOD) or "transit villages"-- is the latest idea some urban planners are promoting as a means of reducing reliance on the automobile and alleviating traffic congestion. But the TODs have to contend with market forces and technology that are dispersing economic activity and greatly increasing the range of housing choices available to consumers. Will transit villages influence urban travel behavior and reduce dependency on the automobile? Or are they little more than a romantic vision of New Urbanism, with little practical impact on future travel and metropolitan land use patterns?

Building a Case for HOT Lanes
A soon-to-be released report from the Reason Foundation offers the most detailed assessment of the HOT lane concept to date. The report is likely to intensify the already high level of interest in HOT lanes and value pricing.

Telematics
The unveiling last December by Clarion Corporation of America of its "Auto PC" marked an important milestone in the evolution of the ITS market in the United States. That day, symbolically, ushered in the age of telematics -- defined loosely as electronic delivery of information-based services to users via devices in motor vehicles.

The Auto and its Enemies
By all accounts the automobile is the nearest thing to an ideal transportation system. No transport technology offers people more convenience, comfort, security and privacy. The auto serves its users --on demand, from door to door, with no trans-fers, no wait-ing, and at an acceptable price. Widespread car ownership has given millions of people more options of where to live and work and opened up access to greater social and economic opportunity. So, how come a number of vocal critics see the auto not as a solution but as a problem, and view existing auto and highway policies not as a success but as a failure? In an insightful and widely noticed book, James A. Dunn examines the gulf in perceptions that separates the auto's critics from the millions of ordinary citizens who treasure the auto as a symbol of personal freedom.

Transportation Innovations from Abroad

• Metroroutes in the Paris Region
• Dutch Road Pricing Proposal
• Southhampton's Romanse Project
• The Smart Microcar
• French ETC System Will Soon Be Interoperable Nationwide

INNOVATION BRIEFS
10200 Riverwood Drive, Potomac, MD 20854-1536
tel: 301.299.1996; Fax: 301.299.4425; e-mail: [email protected]