Performance Measurements People can Actually Understand How can we measure and make the case for streetcar, light rail and bus rapid transit in an understandable way? How can we use the results to inform the elected officials who are held accountable for transportation decisions? The New Starts Criteria, often used to evaluate projects, can be complicated and confusing to the public. Learn techniques to describe project benefits in line with the values of citizens and elected officials. Hear how California is replacing traditional level-of-service analysis with metrics aligned with environmental goals. Will it lead to more sustainable transportation options and healthier communities, instead of roadway solutions? Come along and find out! Moderator: Zakhary Mallett, Director, District 7, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Oakland, California Kevin Bacon, Urban Designer, Perkins+Will, Atlanta, Georgia Amanda Eaken, Deputy Director, Sustainable Communities, Energy & Transportation Program, Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco, California Hal R. Johnson, AICP, Manager of Project Development, Utah Transit Authority, Salt Lake City, Utah Chris Quinn, Project Manager, Regional Transportation District, Denver, Colorado

1. Photo courtesy of County Lemonade via Flickr.
University TRAX Line Benefits:
Can transit reduce congestion?
Hal Ryan Johnson, AICP CTP, PTP
Integrated Project Development Manager, UTA
September 2014

2. UTA’s Rail System Map
Study Area

3. Beyond the Numbers: University Case Study
• The University Line opened in December 2001
• The Medical Center Extension opened in September 2003

4. Increased Mode Share
• Since 1991, transit ridership to campus increased from 1,500
per day to more than 10,000 per day.
• 21 percent of University of Utah students reported that in 2002,
their primary mode of travel was UTA. This number increased
to 37 percent just three years later.
• Between 2001 and 2006, ridership on the campus shuttle
increased by 50 percent.

5. Benefits - Parking
30% reduction in parking demand on
campus:
• In the fall of 2001, there were
approximately 10,000 total parking
spaces on campus. These were at
96 percent capacity during peak
periods.
• Since the implementation of light
rail, there are still approximately
10,000 parking spaces on campus,
but the number of vacant spaces
has increased to more than 3,000,
or approximately 70 percent
capacity.

6. Benefits - Traffic
Analysis of the Utah Department of
Transportation (UDOT) traffic count
data has shown that traffic to the
University of Utah has stabilized at
the levels seen in the 1980s.
Photo Credit: http://www.ehow.com

7. Average Daily Traffic and TRAX and Bus
Ridership on 400/500 South
Source: Effect of Light Rail Transit on Traffic in a Travel Corridor Final Report; NITC-RR-611; Reid Ewing, PhD, Guang Tian, Allison Spain; for
National Institute for Transportation and Communities; June 2014

8. Effect of TRAX on 400/500 South
AADT on 400
South
Net Transit
Ridership
Δ1 ‐9,300 7,200
Δ2 -17,900 7,100
Δ3 -10,100 12,800
Δ4 -18,700 12,000
Source: Effect of Light Rail Transit on Traffic in a Travel Corridor Final Report; NITC-RR-611; Reid Ewing, PhD, Guang Tian, Allison Spain; for National
Institute for Transportation and Communities; June 2014

9. AADT on Streets Parallel to TRAX
Source: Effect of Light Rail Transit on Traffic in a Travel Corridor Final Report; NITC-RR-611; Reid Ewing, PhD, Guang Tian, Allison Spain;
for National Institute for Transportation and Communities; June 2014

10. Changes of Building Floor Area by Land-
Use Type Between 1999 and 2009 for
Parcels that Changed
1999 2009 Changes
Residential 48,300 794,000 745,800
Commercial 1,712,200 4,870,500 3,158,400
Public 10,854,100 13,445,000 2,590,900
Other (e.g.,
parking lots 46,800 3,500 -43,400
Total building
square footage 12,661,400 19,113,000 6,451,700
Source: Effect of Light Rail Transit on Traffic in a Travel Corridor Final Report; NITC-RR-611; Reid Ewing, PhD, Guang Tian, Allison Spain; for National
Institute for Transportation and Communities; June 2014

11. Total Trip Generation by Land Use
1999 2009 Changes
Residential 77,000 86,200 9,200
Commercial 834,500 861,000 26,500
Source: Effect of Light Rail Transit on Traffic in a Travel Corridor Final Report; NITC-RR-611; Reid Ewing, PhD, Guang Tian, Allison Spain; for National
Institute for Transportation and Communities; June 2014

12. Estimates of Traffic Reduction on 400/500
South Due to TRAX
Average Daily Traffic Reduction
Δ1 9,300
Δ2 17,900
Δ3 10,100
Δ4 18,700
Δ5 7,300
Δ6 21,700
Source: Effect of Light Rail Transit on Traffic in a Travel Corridor Final Report; NITC-RR-611; Reid Ewing, PhD, Guang Tian, Allison Spain; for National
Institute for Transportation and Communities; June 2014

13. VMT and Fuel Prices
Source: Brookings

14. New Development Along the University Line

15. Economic Redevelopment Along Transit Lines

16. Economic Redevelopment
Along University TRAX - Downtown

17. Economic Redevelopment Along
University TRAX – at the University

18. U of U Campus Redevelopment

19. University of Utah
Photo Credit: http://www.deseretnews.com

20. Transit Success Story
• INCREASED TRANSIT RIDERSHIP: Over one third of the
total campus population, or over 10,000 people, arrive every
day by either bus or rail.
• REDUCED PARKING ON CAMPUS: High transit ridership has
enabled the University to repurpose parking stalls
• REDUCED REGIONAL TRAFFIC: There has been a huge shift
to walking and biking
• INCREASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: $1.7 B in new
economic development has occurred

21. Mode Choice: Walking
Photo courtesy of Vix B via everystockphoto.com.