01519974

Component

Planning and operating effective transportation networks rely heavily on the knowledge of current and future transport patterns, which in turn relies on the current and future land use and urbanization levels of an area. However, while various organizations have developed classification schemes to classify areas by urbanization levels, there has been no literature to assess the suitability of such schemes for use in transportation planning and research applications, considering also the status quo of transportation networks and transportation infrastructure systems under a comprehensive approach. The goal of this study is to compare the well-established classification schemes in the United States and evaluate their ability to capture the key elements of the two-fold relationship between transportation systems and urbanization levels. To achieve this goal, the authors consider the main passenger transportation networks and other transportation infrastructure systems in a case study of the Midwest region. The results of this study suggest that each scheme’s classification criteria, as well as the level of aggregation considered, depend on the primary purpose each scheme has been developed to serve. Additionally, the results suggest that all schemes are inadequate for use in transportation research since they do not capture all key elements that affect transportation patterns and needs under a comprehensive framework. Finally, to address the above issues, the authors design and evaluate a new classification scheme that focuses on transportation-related aspects, captures key elements, and considers the heterogeneity within rural areas. The ultimate outcome will be a geographic framework suitable for transportation planning and system’s evaluation.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADA30 Transportation Planning for Small and Medium-Sized Communities. Alternate title: Passenger Transportation Networks and Urbanization Level: Comparison of Classification Schemes

01503729

14-3528

English

15p

2014

Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Maps; References; Tables

Case studies; Classification; Infrastructure; Networks; Passenger transportation; Transportation planning; Urbanization

Midwestern States

Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2014 Paper #14-3528

PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 27 2014 3:13PM