Course
Outline
Transportation Planning and Policy (970:117g)
Fall 2007
Time: 6:00-8:50pm, Tuesday
Location: ITTC 228/234
Professor: Dr. Tim Strauss, Department of Geography
Office: ITTC 213
Office Hours: 3:15-4:30pm, Tuesday/Thursday, and by appointment
Phone: 273-7467
E-mail: tim.strauss@uni.edu
Web site: http://www.uni.edu/~strausst
Course Description
The performance of transportation
systems, good or bad, affects individual and societal quality of life in a
variety of ways. Transportation is a key component of economic, social,
political, and environmental systems. It affects the ways places, regions, and
countries develop and interact, and it influences individuals' residence and
workplace locations and their access to economic and social opportunities. The
provision of transport infrastructure entails substantial public and private
capital expenditures, and its operation is strongly affected by public policy
and private decision-making. Transportation operates within a variety of
economic, social, and political systems, and it can be analyzed using a variety
of methodologies through an interdisciplinary approach.
Transportation planning is an integrative
discipline that focuses on the movement of goods, people, and information
across space, and on the various contexts (e.g., economic, behavioral, political,
social) in which this movement takes place. This course will examine the
characteristics and operation of transportation systems from several
perspectives, including the importance of transportation costs, economic
development, public policy considerations, safety, and methodologies related to
the analysis of transportation. The use of computer software to analyze
transportation systems has become increasingly important. Thus, the class will
take place in both a standard classroom setting (in ITTC 228) as well as in a
computer lab (in ITTC 234).
Texts
Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Claude Comtois, and
Brian Slack, The Geography of Transport Systems, Routledge. Other
readings may be distributed and assigned
as the semester progresses.
WebCT
WebCT will be used to post grades and class materials, and to facilitate class
participation and discussion. To access WebCT, go to http://webct.uni.edu.
Course Activities
Exams - These will be short-answer/essay exams. The first exam will tilt
more toward short-answer questions, the second more toward essay format. They
will cover material from the class readings and discussions.
Paper/Project - This will be a paper (of approximately 12-15 pages
for undergraduates, 15-20 for graduate students) on a topic related to
transportation. This can be either a formal academic paper or a report from an
applied project related to transportation planning concepts and
methodologies. It will be very helpful
to decide on a topic early in the semester. More information on possible topics
will be provided.
Labs/Assignments - These will consist largely of exercises conducted
in the GIS lab. Prior GIS experience is not assumed, although standard
computing skills (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, file management) will be
helpful.
Participation/discussion: Because of the nature of this class, regular
attendance is required and active participation is expected. Assigned readings
will be announced ahead of time and students should be prepared to discuss them. More information will be provided in
class.
|
GRADING SCHEME |
Undergraduate |
Graduate
|
|
First exam |
20% |
15% |
|
Second exam |
20% |
15% |
|
Paper/Project and presentation |
25% |
30% |
|
Labs/assignments |
25% |
25% |
|
Participation/discussions |
10% |
15% |
|
Total |
100% |
100% |
Schedule of Topics (subject to change)
Course introduction: the
characteristics of transportation
Components of the transportation system
Goals and objectives of transportation planning
History of transportation
The economics of transportation
Transportation and economic development
Transportation safety
Freight and intermodal transportation
Air transportation: deregulation, spatial aspects
Issues and problems in urban transportation
Public transportation
Intelligent transportation systems
Transportation and the environment
Summary and conclusions
Dates to note
October 16: First exam
December 4: Second exam
December 11 (Tuesday, 5:00-6:50pm, Final Exam Period)
For Students with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990 (