The goal of this study is to identify transportation planning strategies that will lead to envisioned smart growth patterns. In pursuit of this goal, the study aims at achieving two objectives: (1) understand the dynamic working process of planning strategies and (2) design efficient transportation policies and investment plans that will result in optimal agglomeration patterns. Most urban areas today are either experiencing notable deagglomeration or agglomeration.

Transit investments can affect the clustering of economic activity within a region due to the changes in accessibility that transit can provide, either by increasing firm-based access to the central business district or increasing effective labor market size. This clustering can lead to what are known as agglomeration benefits that increase overall economic productivity and are external to the decisions taken by individual firms. Cost-benefit analysis of transit investments rarely account for such external benefits.

The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of road pricing plan, land-use policy and investments on transportation infrastructure on urbanized region and to help select the appropriate policies that foster socially and economically sustainable urban development. Most current road pricing research and practice have focused on the function of road pricing to manage congestion and to raise revenue. However, little is known about the effects of road pricing and land-use policies on the sustainability of an area over time.

Project publications may be ordered by contacting Dr. Ellen Thorson.

Project Summary

This project is concerned with the assessment of the generalized costs of passenger transportation in New Jersey and the application of these cost estimates to policy decisions.

The first objective will be to develop a generic cost model that will estimate the generalized economic costs of various modes of passenger transportation.