| 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 |
