Streetcars have returned to many cities in the United States, and dozens of cities are contemplat... more Streetcars have returned to many cities in the United States, and dozens of cities are contemplating making their own streetcar investments. Yet, most streetcars carry relatively few riders per unit of service at a relatively high cost per ride. The streetcar’s poor transportation performance thus raises questions about the purpose of these investments. Using a case study of five cities, the authors seek to better understand the streetcar’s appeal in the face of its poor transportation performance. Drawing on interviews of developers, business leaders, local officials, transit planners, streetcar advocates, and other key respondents, as well as documentary sources, the authors find that private actors with business and development interests in downtowns and nearby areas are the main drivers behind the streetcar resurgence. These actors operate within growth-oriented public-private coalitions (growth-machines) and typically regard streetcars primarily as economic development, image making, and tourism promotion tools rather than transportation investments. Rent seeking behavior underlies growth-machine dynamics, and thus streetcar projects remain appealing to these actors despite their weak transportation performance. The focus on non-transportation goals as primary streetcar objectives affects local decision-making and likely leads to their under-performance as transit.
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
ABSTRACT This paper analyzes a unique dataset collected during a 2006 national survey of U.S. hou... more ABSTRACT This paper analyzes a unique dataset collected during a 2006 national survey of U.S. households to explore the effectiveness of common household recycling policies for metals, glass, and plastics: curbside recycling, drop-off recycling, deposit–refund systems (bottle bills), and marginal pricing for household waste. After estimating either generalized ordered logit or multinomial logit models, we find that the most important determinants of household recycling are people's attitudes toward recycling. Our results also suggest that omitting internal variables (perceived recycling obstacles and benefits as well as moral considerations) may bias policy coefficients. Socio-economic variables are typically not statistically significant, with the exceptions of young adults and of African Americans who tend to recycle less than others. Policies with the largest odds ratios are curbside recycling (which is further strengthened if recycling is mandatory), followed by the presence of drop-off collection centers nearby. Bottle bills are also statistically significant but their odds ratios are smaller, possibly because refunds are relatively small and typically do not change for years. Finally, marginal pricing appears to have a limited impact on recycling. These results suggest avenues for improving household recycling at a time when recycling rates appear to be plateauing.
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
Abstract: This paper incorporates popular regional growth forecasting models into a quasi-experim... more Abstract: This paper incorporates popular regional growth forecasting models into a quasi-experimental research design that directly relates new highway investments in three California counties (Merced, Orange, and Santa Clara) to changes in population and ...
Study Method A random-digit-dial survey conducted from April 27 to May 22, 2010, tested public su... more Study Method A random-digit-dial survey conducted from April 27 to May 22, 2010, tested public support for sales, gas, and mileage taxes that would raise revenue for transportation purposes. Multiple variations on the mileage tax and gas tax concepts were presented, to ...
This paper presents the results of a 2008 poll that asked 1,500 Californians if they would suppor... more This paper presents the results of a 2008 poll that asked 1,500 Californians if they would support green transportation taxes and fees. As explained to the survey respondents, green taxes and fees would be set at variable rates, with higher rates for more polluting vehicles and lower ...
The streetcar has made a remarkable resurgence in the United States in recent years. However, des... more The streetcar has made a remarkable resurgence in the United States in recent years. However, despite the proliferation of streetcar projects, there is remarkably little work on the streetcar’s role as a transportation service. This study examines the experiences of the modern-era streetcars operated in Little Rock, Memphis, Portland, Seattle, and Tampa. The authors discovered that in these cities, the primary purpose of the streetcar was to serve as a development tool (all cities), a second objective was to serve as a tourism-promoting amenity (Little Rock, Tampa), and transportation objectives were largely afterthoughts with the notable exception of Portland, and to a lesser degree, Seattle.
Key informant interviews revealed that in most cities, private sector actors from the local development and downtown business communities as well as streetcar advocacy groups were the key forces behind streetcar implementation and that these actors did so in order to use the streetcar primarily to achieve development goals. These informants viewed the streetcar as a catalyst for development that stood as a symbol of a permanent public commitment to an area. Despite the lack of serious assessments of the streetcar’s development effects, most informants believed the streetcar to be an important contributor to any development effects that had occurred. Many informants also regarded the streetcar as an icon or symbol of the community and an important way of denoting the city’s identity in efforts to attract visitors to the community.
When assessed as transportation, Portland’s streetcar emerged as the clear standout performer with the highest ridership and service productivity and the second-most cost effective service. Portland was also the only city in which streetcar performance (service productivity and cost effectiveness) measures surpass that of the average local bus. Planners’ decisions to locate the streetcar lines in an area with strong ridership potential combined with decisions to provide frequent service that is well integrated with other transit services help to explain Portland’s strong performance. These decisions reflected a view that the streetcar was not just a development tool, but that it also needed to function effectively as a transit service that catered to a broader ridership.
Based on this study, the authors suggest that planners and policymakers in other cities think carefully about the fundamental purpose of any proposed streetcar in their communities and to proceed in all their decision making with that fundamental purpose clearly in mind. The authors also urge planners and policymakers in other cities to regard the example of Portland with much more caution. Many streetcar advocates point to Portland’s experience and proceed as if it could be easily replicated elsewhere. But the authors suggest that Portland’s experience is the result of a unique combination of external factors (local population and employment patterns, the health of the real estate market) and local decisions (land development policy decisions, financial decisions, other public investments, streetcar alignment location and length, streetcar operations decisions, streetcar fare policy decisions) that may or may not be applicable elsewhere.
Streetcars have returned to many cities in the United States, and dozens of cities are contemplat... more Streetcars have returned to many cities in the United States, and dozens of cities are contemplating making their own streetcar investments. Yet, most streetcars carry relatively few riders per unit of service at a relatively high cost per ride. The streetcar’s poor transportation performance thus raises questions about the purpose of these investments. Using a case study of five cities, the authors seek to better understand the streetcar’s appeal in the face of its poor transportation performance. Drawing on interviews of developers, business leaders, local officials, transit planners, streetcar advocates, and other key respondents, as well as documentary sources, the authors find that private actors with business and development interests in downtowns and nearby areas are the main drivers behind the streetcar resurgence. These actors operate within growth-oriented public-private coalitions (growth-machines) and typically regard streetcars primarily as economic development, image making, and tourism promotion tools rather than transportation investments. Rent seeking behavior underlies growth-machine dynamics, and thus streetcar projects remain appealing to these actors despite their weak transportation performance. The focus on non-transportation goals as primary streetcar objectives affects local decision-making and likely leads to their under-performance as transit.
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
ABSTRACT This paper analyzes a unique dataset collected during a 2006 national survey of U.S. hou... more ABSTRACT This paper analyzes a unique dataset collected during a 2006 national survey of U.S. households to explore the effectiveness of common household recycling policies for metals, glass, and plastics: curbside recycling, drop-off recycling, deposit–refund systems (bottle bills), and marginal pricing for household waste. After estimating either generalized ordered logit or multinomial logit models, we find that the most important determinants of household recycling are people's attitudes toward recycling. Our results also suggest that omitting internal variables (perceived recycling obstacles and benefits as well as moral considerations) may bias policy coefficients. Socio-economic variables are typically not statistically significant, with the exceptions of young adults and of African Americans who tend to recycle less than others. Policies with the largest odds ratios are curbside recycling (which is further strengthened if recycling is mandatory), followed by the presence of drop-off collection centers nearby. Bottle bills are also statistically significant but their odds ratios are smaller, possibly because refunds are relatively small and typically do not change for years. Finally, marginal pricing appears to have a limited impact on recycling. These results suggest avenues for improving household recycling at a time when recycling rates appear to be plateauing.
MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector... more MTI works to provide policy-oriented research for all levels of government and the private sector to foster the development of optimum surface transportation systems. Research areas include: transportation security; planning and policy development; interrelationships among transportation, land use, and the environment; transportation finance; and collaborative labormanagement relations. Certified Research Associates conduct the research. Certification requires an advanced degree, generally a Ph.D., a record of academic publications, and professional references. Research projects culminate in a peer-reviewed publication, available both in hardcopy and on TransWeb, the MTI website (http://transweb.sjsu.edu).
Abstract: This paper incorporates popular regional growth forecasting models into a quasi-experim... more Abstract: This paper incorporates popular regional growth forecasting models into a quasi-experimental research design that directly relates new highway investments in three California counties (Merced, Orange, and Santa Clara) to changes in population and ...
Study Method A random-digit-dial survey conducted from April 27 to May 22, 2010, tested public su... more Study Method A random-digit-dial survey conducted from April 27 to May 22, 2010, tested public support for sales, gas, and mileage taxes that would raise revenue for transportation purposes. Multiple variations on the mileage tax and gas tax concepts were presented, to ...
This paper presents the results of a 2008 poll that asked 1,500 Californians if they would suppor... more This paper presents the results of a 2008 poll that asked 1,500 Californians if they would support green transportation taxes and fees. As explained to the survey respondents, green taxes and fees would be set at variable rates, with higher rates for more polluting vehicles and lower ...
The streetcar has made a remarkable resurgence in the United States in recent years. However, des... more The streetcar has made a remarkable resurgence in the United States in recent years. However, despite the proliferation of streetcar projects, there is remarkably little work on the streetcar’s role as a transportation service. This study examines the experiences of the modern-era streetcars operated in Little Rock, Memphis, Portland, Seattle, and Tampa. The authors discovered that in these cities, the primary purpose of the streetcar was to serve as a development tool (all cities), a second objective was to serve as a tourism-promoting amenity (Little Rock, Tampa), and transportation objectives were largely afterthoughts with the notable exception of Portland, and to a lesser degree, Seattle.
Key informant interviews revealed that in most cities, private sector actors from the local development and downtown business communities as well as streetcar advocacy groups were the key forces behind streetcar implementation and that these actors did so in order to use the streetcar primarily to achieve development goals. These informants viewed the streetcar as a catalyst for development that stood as a symbol of a permanent public commitment to an area. Despite the lack of serious assessments of the streetcar’s development effects, most informants believed the streetcar to be an important contributor to any development effects that had occurred. Many informants also regarded the streetcar as an icon or symbol of the community and an important way of denoting the city’s identity in efforts to attract visitors to the community.
When assessed as transportation, Portland’s streetcar emerged as the clear standout performer with the highest ridership and service productivity and the second-most cost effective service. Portland was also the only city in which streetcar performance (service productivity and cost effectiveness) measures surpass that of the average local bus. Planners’ decisions to locate the streetcar lines in an area with strong ridership potential combined with decisions to provide frequent service that is well integrated with other transit services help to explain Portland’s strong performance. These decisions reflected a view that the streetcar was not just a development tool, but that it also needed to function effectively as a transit service that catered to a broader ridership.
Based on this study, the authors suggest that planners and policymakers in other cities think carefully about the fundamental purpose of any proposed streetcar in their communities and to proceed in all their decision making with that fundamental purpose clearly in mind. The authors also urge planners and policymakers in other cities to regard the example of Portland with much more caution. Many streetcar advocates point to Portland’s experience and proceed as if it could be easily replicated elsewhere. But the authors suggest that Portland’s experience is the result of a unique combination of external factors (local population and employment patterns, the health of the real estate market) and local decisions (land development policy decisions, financial decisions, other public investments, streetcar alignment location and length, streetcar operations decisions, streetcar fare policy decisions) that may or may not be applicable elsewhere.
Uploads
Papers by Hilary Nixon
Key informant interviews revealed that in most cities, private sector actors from the local development and downtown business communities as well as streetcar advocacy groups were the key forces behind streetcar implementation and that these actors did so in order to use the streetcar primarily to achieve development goals. These informants viewed the streetcar as a catalyst for development that stood as a symbol of a permanent public commitment to an area. Despite the lack of serious assessments of the streetcar’s development effects, most informants believed the streetcar to be an important contributor to any development effects that had occurred. Many informants also regarded the streetcar as an icon or symbol of the community and an important way of denoting the city’s identity in efforts to attract visitors to the community.
When assessed as transportation, Portland’s streetcar emerged as the clear standout performer with the highest ridership and service productivity and the second-most cost effective service. Portland was also the only city in which streetcar performance (service productivity and cost effectiveness) measures surpass that of the average local bus. Planners’ decisions to locate the streetcar lines in an area with strong ridership potential combined with decisions to provide frequent service that is well integrated with other transit services help to explain Portland’s strong performance. These decisions reflected a view that the streetcar was not just a development tool, but that it also needed to function effectively as a transit service that catered to a broader ridership.
Based on this study, the authors suggest that planners and policymakers in other cities think carefully about the fundamental purpose of any proposed streetcar in their communities and to proceed in all their decision making with that fundamental purpose clearly in mind. The authors also urge planners and policymakers in other cities to regard the example of Portland with much more caution. Many streetcar advocates point to Portland’s experience and proceed as if it could be easily replicated elsewhere. But the authors suggest that Portland’s experience is the result of a unique combination of external factors (local population and employment patterns, the health of the real estate market) and local decisions (land development policy decisions, financial decisions, other public investments, streetcar alignment location and length, streetcar operations decisions, streetcar fare policy decisions) that may or may not be applicable elsewhere.
The Purpose, Function, and Performance of Streetcar Transit in the Modern U.S. City: A Multiple-Case-Study Investigation.. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273141010_The_Purpose_Function_and_Performance_of_Streetcar_Transit_in_the_Modern_U.S._City_A_Multiple-Case-Study_Investigation [accessed Apr 9, 2015].
Key informant interviews revealed that in most cities, private sector actors from the local development and downtown business communities as well as streetcar advocacy groups were the key forces behind streetcar implementation and that these actors did so in order to use the streetcar primarily to achieve development goals. These informants viewed the streetcar as a catalyst for development that stood as a symbol of a permanent public commitment to an area. Despite the lack of serious assessments of the streetcar’s development effects, most informants believed the streetcar to be an important contributor to any development effects that had occurred. Many informants also regarded the streetcar as an icon or symbol of the community and an important way of denoting the city’s identity in efforts to attract visitors to the community.
When assessed as transportation, Portland’s streetcar emerged as the clear standout performer with the highest ridership and service productivity and the second-most cost effective service. Portland was also the only city in which streetcar performance (service productivity and cost effectiveness) measures surpass that of the average local bus. Planners’ decisions to locate the streetcar lines in an area with strong ridership potential combined with decisions to provide frequent service that is well integrated with other transit services help to explain Portland’s strong performance. These decisions reflected a view that the streetcar was not just a development tool, but that it also needed to function effectively as a transit service that catered to a broader ridership.
Based on this study, the authors suggest that planners and policymakers in other cities think carefully about the fundamental purpose of any proposed streetcar in their communities and to proceed in all their decision making with that fundamental purpose clearly in mind. The authors also urge planners and policymakers in other cities to regard the example of Portland with much more caution. Many streetcar advocates point to Portland’s experience and proceed as if it could be easily replicated elsewhere. But the authors suggest that Portland’s experience is the result of a unique combination of external factors (local population and employment patterns, the health of the real estate market) and local decisions (land development policy decisions, financial decisions, other public investments, streetcar alignment location and length, streetcar operations decisions, streetcar fare policy decisions) that may or may not be applicable elsewhere.
The Purpose, Function, and Performance of Streetcar Transit in the Modern U.S. City: A Multiple-Case-Study Investigation.. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273141010_The_Purpose_Function_and_Performance_of_Streetcar_Transit_in_the_Modern_U.S._City_A_Multiple-Case-Study_Investigation [accessed Apr 9, 2015].