remix conference 2015—evan landman, "it's about the network!"
TRANSCRIPT
It’s About the Network!
Communicating Transit Connectivity
Evan Landman
Senior Associate
Jarrett Walker + Associates
Alternatives-based planning
• JWA - developing network plans for our clients
• Contrasting alternatives, each with different outcomes
– Growing / Stable / Shrinking resources
– Ridership / Coverage
– Infrastructure choices
• Key issue – how do we clearly communicate the
tradeoffs being made between alternatives?
• For stakeholders and the general public, how do we
explain what they are getting in a plan?
– How does this scenario affect my personal mobility?
– How does this scenario improve access to jobs and
opportunities in our city?
We can use network maps…
Scenario 1 Scenario 2
But…
• Maps have a learning curve!
• Many people don’t use network maps as their primary
way of learning about the transit system.
• Any change represents a disruption to people’s everyday
lives; we must be able to communicate the advantages
and disadvantages of what we are proposing!
• No map can fully address the mobility outcomes people
located in different places will actually experience.
We can try to quantify it…
• How many people / jobs are located within ¼ mile of the
Frequent Network?
• How many people / jobs are located within ¼ mile of any
service?
• Typical coverage analysis.
• Usually we do both.
• A map of
people’s liberty
and opportunity!
• If I were here,
where could I be
in a given time,
by transit +
walking?
What is an isochrones?
• The distance a
person can
walk from a
point in 15, 30,
45 and 60
minutes.
The Simplest Possible Isochrone
15 30 45 60
• This transit
route has 3
stops, and
comes every
15 minutes.
• Now she can
get to more
places 60
minutes, by
riding and
walking.
Let’s add a transit route
15 30 45 60
• Now we add a second transit route (running north and south) that the rider can connect to.
• This adds even more destinations that can be reached within 45 and 60 minutes.
Making a connection
15 30 45 60
• Graphics like
this show you
a picture of
your transit
access from
any point.
A simple network
Previously
• While several different Isochrone implementations exist,
they all require one thing – a schedule (GTFS).
• Conceptual alternatives and proposed changes usually
don’t have a schedule while the public has a chance to
speak.
• This has made isochrones impractical for actually
visualizing proposed changes to a transit network, and
we haven’t been able to use them to show tradeoffs.
• Now, Remix gives us the tools to do this!
Scenario 1 (Existing Network)
Jane has been placed in a location served by one transit route, the 10-Harold
Scenario 2
After changing the 10 from 30 to 5 minute frequency
Isochrones
• By comparing these scenarios, we can visually see the
impact of a frequency change.
• I can identify important points that are within reach in 30
minutes in one scenario and not in the other.
Isochrone Use Cases
• Remix (so far)
– TriMet Stop Spacing workshop (first test)
• Visualizing isochrones of scenarios varying by speed and stop
spacing of 1 route
– Producing contrasting images
Reaction
• We presented these as a poster, side by side.
• Much more effective when flipping back and forth.
• The two shown previously were the most contrasting –
more difficult to see differences side by side!
• Stakeholders asked for more info:
– Jobs and population within 1 hour of a Community College
Next Steps
• Access Analysis– Generating shapefiles of each isochrone
– How many people / jobs / people in poverty / seniors, etc. are within X minutes of a hospital? A shopping mall? A college?
• Public Engagement– Show people their own isochrones
– Give them the results of the access analysis
– Drop a pin on your house / place of work / kid’s school / etc.
• Location choices– Beyond “Transit Score”
– I’m considering a move, but can I get to where I need to go on transit within a reasonable time?
– Begin to expose hidden transportation costs bundled with housing.
Questions? Comments?
• Evan Landman
– Twitter: @evanlandman