Case Studies -- Measuring Connectivity

Measuring Connectivity with Route Directness Index & Evaluating Quality of Service
September2010
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What is Route Directness Index?
A
B
straight-line distance “A”
actual route distance “B”
RDI = A / B

RDI Applied - Neighborhood Example
RDI = 0.20
RDI = 0.83
shared-use path
shared-use path

Why Route Directness Index?
RDI
Other connectivity indices do not provide for parcel-level precision or land use consideration
Focus only on transportation network instead of land use and its relationship to the system
Research shows stronger correlation; previously considered hard to measure.
Limited ability for other metrics to evaluate subtle changes in the connectivity of a system or to compare benefits of project alternatives.
More intuitive for broader public, agency staff and elected official understanding.
Intersection Density

ESRI Partner
GIS-based
Utilizes Network Analyst
Basic Needs
Tax Parcel
Street centerline
Other Inputs
Land use
Ped/Bike/Greenway
Demographics

Sample City: Variation in RDI

Asheville – Smith Mill
Greenway Access Planning

Asheville – Proposed Smith Mill Creek Greenway
Planned Urban Village
Planned Urban Village

Asheville – Proposed Smith Mill Creek Greenway

Asheville – Smith Mill Creek Greenway
Patton Avenue (US 23/74) @ Louisiana Avenue
RDI Average: 0.62
Fair Connectivity, influenced by areas south of Patton
47% of parcels with RDI > 0.65

Leicester Hwy
Potential connections to West Asheville & Burton Street neighborhoods
Patton
Louisiana

RDI Average: 0.64
Good/Fair Connectivity, influenced by new connections

Leicester Hwy
Crossing enhancements (not just crosswalks) at existing signalized intersections.
Patton
Louisiana

Leicester Hwy
RDI Average: 0.71
Excellent Connectivity, influenced by new connections
Patton
Louisiana

RDI After: 0.71
RDI Before: 0.62

Leicester Hwy
1,092 total parcels
208 parcels (19%) had a minor change in RDI.
193 (18%) had a major change.
Patton
Louisiana

Parcels Total
Patton/Louisiana RDI > 0.65 >0.65 Change
- Baseline 0.62 47% 517 of 1092 N/A
- Local 0.64 53% 582 + 6%
Connectors
- Crosswalks / 0.71 64% 704 + 17%
Sidewalks +
Connectors

Downtown Raleigh
Removing Transportation Linkages

Raleigh High Speed Rail: CSX vs. NS Crossings
Debate over closure of Jones Street (NS), West Street (CSX) and Harrington Street (CSX)
North-south connectivity vs. east-west connectivity
Glenwood
Jones St.

Raleigh High Speed Rail: CSX vs. NS Crossings
Overall, well-established connectivity in the area.
Conducive to walking and bicycling.
Redevelopment potential of city-owned properties
Glenwood South District and access to downtown with few impedances
Glenwood
Jones St.

Raleigh HSR: CSX vs. NS Crossings
CSX Crossings:
Closure of West & Harringon.
Impacts east-west connectivity to areas northwest of downtown.

Norfolk Southern Crossing
Closure to vehicular traffic on Jones St., addition of pedestrian bridge.

Parcel-based metrics

Charlotte, NC
Fire Station Service Area Planning

Example: Parcel to Station
Station 31
Station 15
Average RDI = 0.58
Average RDI = 0.75

Fire Station
Before
After
Change
Parcel Impact
Route Directness Index
1,115
(increased Fire Station Service Area by 17%)
0.48
0.57
19%
Intersection
Density
56.0
<1%
--
55.9
Link-Node Ratio
--
1.09
1.10
<1%

Lakewood Sounder
Access to Commuter Rail Station

Improving Station Connections
Lakewood Example

RDI Analysis
Before – without connections
versus
After – with connections
Non-motorized connection across tracks with supporting pathways
study area is 1.0 mile radius

Rail Station
RDI Baseline
RDI - Project Impact

Rail Station
RDI Change
Shows affected parcels and relative impact
Impacted parcels can be numbered for project prioritization

Land Use Density and RDI
Before
After
Change
taller parcels = higher land use density (address points per acre)

Rail Station
Before
After
Change
Parcel Impact
Route Directness Index
2,300
0.63
0.77
23%
Intersection
Density
146
1.4%
--
144
Link-Node Ratio
--
1.29
1.30
< 1%
Walk Score
--
--
--
89 of 100

Bellingham, wa
Multi-Criteria Quality of Service

Quality of Service through Connectivity
“Level of service” not representative of the real issue behind pedestrian & bicycle usage.
Not a capacity issue or delay issue.
Quality of Service
Quality of the network and route/facilities and attractors that generate non-motorized travel.
Emerging research on active living, VMT reduction
5 D’s: Density, Diversity, Design, Destination accessibility, Distance to transit

Bellingham, WAConcurrency
Quality of Service Metrics
Smart Growth
Safety (SRTS)
Transit
Active Living
Weighted Average
Service Area #9

Bellingham, WAConcurrency
Quality of Service Metrics
Smart Growth
Safety (SRTS)
Transit
Active Living
Weighted Average
Service Area #14

Parcel Statistics: Service Area 14

Seattle Northgate
Light Rail Station Planning

Seattle LINK – Northgate Station Example (Before)
Walk Time
RDI
I-5
I-5

Seattle LINK – Northgate Station Example (After)
Walk Time
RDI
I-5
I-5

Seattle LINK – Northgate Station Example
Composite
RDI
I-5
Walk Time

Measuring Connectivity with Route Directness Index & Evaluating Quality of Service
September2010
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Cassia park, boise, ID
Neighborhood Access to Parks

Cassia Park Case Study
Composite connectivity score for neighborhood planning
School walk routes
Elementary Schools
South Junior High
Borah High School
Library

Cassia Park Case Study
Input to answer improvement priority questions:
Who is benefiting from the Camas Sidewalk improvement?
Where should we add a crosswalk along Orchard, Cassia or Camas?

Scenarios
Baseline
With Camas Sidewalk
With Sidewalk, With Cassia Crosswalk
With Sidewalk, With Camas Crosswalk

Methodology – Routes & Destinations
Franklin Rd
Orchard St
Roosevelt St
Owyhee St
Cassia Park
Curtis Rd
Kootenai St
Overland Rd

Methodology - Projects
Cassia St
Crosswalk
Camas St
Crosswalk
Camas St
Sidewalk

Area Pictures

Methodology – Study Parcels
Jefferson
Catchment Area
Grace Jordan
Catchment Area
Monroe
Catchment Area

Baseline RDI

Baseline RDI – Cassia Park

Baseline RDI - Library

Baseline RDI - Elementary

Scenario Results
Cassia Park Only RDI

Baseline RDI

With Camas Sidewalk

With Cassia Crosswalk

With Camas Crosswalk

Difference (Camas Sidewalk)

Difference (Cassia Crosswalk)

Difference (Camas Crosswalk)

Scenario Results
Parcel-Based Statistics

Case Study Statistics

Composite Metric
RDI and Route Distance

RDI Only - Elementary

Composite Score – Route Distance

Parcel Statistics
Service Area 14
Service Area 9

Other ViaCity Applications
System Access Program
Station Area, Programming Connectivity Projects & Connectivity Policy Thresholds
Growth Management - Concurrency
Charlotte, NC
Sound Transit
Olympia, WA

City-Wide RDI Scoring: Olympia, WA
Pre-Planning Gap Analysis to
Efficiently focus expensive data collection
Begin community involvement process
Establish Concurrency Quality of Service Thresholds and Policy to Guide Site Planning
Gauge success of non-motorized projects and program (Plan) impacts on connectivity

San mateo, Ca
Quality of Service – Project Evaluation

Quality of Service: Smart Growth

Quality of Service: Access

Quality of Service: Safety

Quality of Service: Active Living
Walk Access to Parks

Case Studies -- Measuring Connectivity

by Transpo Group on Oct 11, 2010

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