TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
Committee on Public Transportation Planning and Development (A1E02)
Minutes for Meeting of January 10, 2000
1. The meeting was opened at 7:40 p.m. with introductions of those present.
2. Minutes of the 1999 meeting have been posted on the committee web page at
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/cuts. They were approved by the committee.
3. Report of TRB, Group 1 Activities. TRB is emphasizing electronic dissemination of
information and use of the Internet, including registration and paper reviews. Information
on TCRP is also on the web and available on tables at the meeting. Project statements for
the next year have been selected and new panel members should be nominated by January
31. The Transit IDEA program is also looking for projects in applied research and testing
of innovative ideas in public transit.
4. Report on TCRP activities. The current TCRP project to update the Traveler Response to
Transportation System Changes Handbook is especially relevant to the committee. Dick
Pratt gave an overview of the outreach effort on the project. The manual will be helpful in
analyzing travel demand impacts. Initial chapters will be put on the TCRP web site. He
asked those present to supply information for the report, especially before and after data.
He also requested help for setting up review groups for additional topics.
5 a) Paper Reviews
Eighteen papers were received, eight were recommended for presentation and
publication, four for presentation only, two were sent to other committees and four were
rejected.
b) Newsline
Newsline is now on the web at: http://www4.nationalacademics.org/trb/onlinepubs.nsf.
Copies of the latest edition were distributed.
c) Strategic Planning: Rich Bickel was thanked for his effort to produce the committee
millennium paper.
6. New Business
a) Subcommittee Structure: The chair asked if there should be subcommittees or task forces (i.e. membership). A TCRP effort is underway to do a synthesis of campus transit systems. There was discussion of the committee's role in campus transportation issues. While there was some interest in the topic, it did not appear that it should be a committee priority.
Since no one volunteered to serve on a membership subcommittee, the chair
announced his intention to use his prerogative of drafting members to
serve
It was suggested that there be a research subcommittee that would do planning for the
annual meeting and identify research topics for the committee.
Larry Sauve, Jim Bunch, Jim Gillespie, Tara Bartee and George Gray agreed to serve on
the subcommittee. Larry Sauve will initiate the process.
b) Committee Scope: There have been some revisions of the committee scope as a result
of the previous triennial review. It is going through the TRB review process.
c) Structure/Direction for Annual Meeting: Presentations at the annual committee meeting
should be limited to relevant progress reports on ongoing research and late breaking
topics rather than formal presentations of completed research. Jim Bunch will help
provide liaison with people who may wish to make presentations at the annual meeting.
d) Midyear Meeting or Specialty Conference: A specialty conference or midyear meeting
may be a way to increase coordination between committees and an opportunity to have
more intense discussion of relevant topics.
Possible topics are the changing retail systems and the role of transit, aging of the
population. There is some interest in getting together during summers on a particular
theme. Jim Gillespie, Brendon Hemily, Neal Denno, George Smerk, George Gray and
Ed Beimborn volunteered to help organize an effort for a year 2001 specialty conference
or for sessions at the annual meeting.
e) Call for Papers: No call for papers was suggested for next year.
f) Other Items: Jeff Becker will see
what can be done to put together a paper session on transit system service
restructuring.
The TEA-21 planning regulations may have a large impact on transit,
especially as they relate to ITS.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.