The field of transportation demand management has, until now, focused on reducing automobile use at suburban activity centers that are largely dependent on automobile access. Recent research has indicated that at sites where nonautomobile alternatives are inferior andparking is plentiful, mode choice for work, shopping, recreational, and linked trips can be influenced to a limited extent. In sacramento county, california, a new mixed-use community currently under development may significantly affect the degree to which site design isused to influence mode choice. Known as the pedestrian pocket, new design elements and guidelines for site planning, density, and access are incorporated that may significantly affect lifestyles and travel mode choice for its inhabitants. Key design features include concentration of commercial, shopping, and office uses in a town center that is surrounded by high-density residential neighborhoods and large public spaces. The town center contains a transportation center, which acts as a focal and transfer point for transit services to internal and external points. Innovative roadway geometric designs, residential proximity to the town center, and landscaping are used to influence mode choice by encouraging nonvehicular travel and limiting automobile use for certain internal trip paths. Analyses of the potential for reduced automobile use indicate that project design alone may result in average daily vehicle-miles travelled reduction of 20 to 25%, and up to 15% in the peak hour alone. These reductions arebased on travel patterns and mode splits typically associated with suburban activity centers of standard design. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1321, Rideshare programs: evaluation of effectiveness, trip reduction programs, demand management, and commuter attitudes 1991.
Abstract