Calendar

SES # LECTURES RECITATIONS KEY DATES
1

Course overview, different perspectives from the instructors

Transport modes and characteristics (speed, capacity, LOS, external impacts…)

Traffic counts

Energy use at MIT, "Walking the Talk"

Assignment 1 out: Gateways to MIT
2

Transportation planning as a tool for urban design

Traffic calming: Design and implementation

Mind-mapping, communications, scenarios

3

Thumbnail history of Boston transportation and analysis of historical developments: Interstate system, aviation, rail and transit

The planning method

Assignment 1 due

Assignment 2 out: Massachusetts avenue/MIT

4

Transportation and land use — chicken and egg

The transit challenge

Student presentations on Assignment 1

5

Highway revolt. Resurgence of transit. Was the revolt a rebellion or a revolution? Discussion of emerging transportation issues and strategic planning model to "map" different approaches.

Screening of "Divided Highways," a PBS documentary on road building in America.

Assignment 2 due

Assignment 3 out: South Boston

6

Quantitative methods: GIS, 4-step model, traffic models, NEPA

Student presentations on Assignment 2

7

Transit and parking policy

Employment policies, housing finance, tax code

Transportation and industrial policy

Transportation modeling exercises

8

Environmental concerns: Air quality, energy consumption, global warming

NEPA, environmental review

Infrastructure sufficiency analysis

Screening of "Public Spaces," a video by urban designer Jan Gehl.

Assignment 3 due

Assignment 4 out: Millennium cities database

9

Spending other people's money — what are the rules? Economic evaluation, financial evaluation, programming, fiscal constraint, job generation, industrial policy, constituencies, Jack Sprat, and organization choices.

Student presentations on Assignment 3

10

Project selection

Cost-effectiveness, prioritization, institutional roles

MPOs and modal agencies

FTA cost-effectiveness

FHWA system completion method

Guest Lecturers: Laurie Hussey and Tom Rossi, Cambridge Systematics Inc.; Astrid Glynn, Massachusetts office of Commonwealth development

Screening of video on the Big Dig

Assignment 4 due

Assignment 5 out: Final project — Energy at MIT

11

Discussion of Final Assignment

Student presentations on Assignment 4

12

Intelligent transportation systems

Congestion pricing

Infrastructure reconstruction

Operations and maintenance

Airport access and international access

13

"Megacities" perspective

Holistic approach to transportation and land use

Course evaluations and wrap-up

Information on Mikel's IAP modeling workshop

Final Assignment due

Student presentations on final assignment