Suburban Activity Centers (SACs) are one of the fastest growing segments of our urban areas. However, only limited research has been conducted on the characteristics of the trips generated by the SAC development. For that reason, NCHRP project 3-38(2) was initiated to collect and analyse travel characteristics data appropriate for use in analysing the site impact of individual buildings, the regional traffic impact of individual buildings, the regional traffic impact of SACs, and the internal trip characteristics of SACs. Data was collected at six SACs spread throughout the United States. The product of the research is a series of relationships between selected independent variables and the desired travel characteristics. The independent variables include individual building characteristics and SAC characteristics. The key qualitative findings can be summarised in six points. First, there is a great deal of internalisation (i.e., within the SAC) of trips generated by the retail development. The extent of this internalisation is a function of the type of retail and the overall SAC office/retail mix. Second, there is significant interaction between the office buildings located within the SAC. Third, although the above two points portray similarities to central business districts, there still is a major difference in their modes of travel. The vast majority of internal SAC trips are by automobile, even in SACs where parking supply is limited and parking costs are paid by employees. Fourth, intermediate stops on the way to and from work and midday are made by a majority of office employees. Fifth, a significant proportion of the employed SAC residents also work within the SAC. Sixth, peak period vehicle trips generated by hotels with conference facilities are dominated by non-guest, local trips and a significant proportion of the trips are internal to the SAC. (A)
Samenvatting