Getting there is half the problem : removing obstacles to accessing rail transit

Thesis (M.C.P. and S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Switkes, Frances, 1978-
Other Authors: Kenneth E. Kruckemeyer and Ralph A. Gakenheimer.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70363
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author Switkes, Frances, 1978-
author2 Kenneth E. Kruckemeyer and Ralph A. Gakenheimer.
author_facet Kenneth E. Kruckemeyer and Ralph A. Gakenheimer.
Switkes, Frances, 1978-
author_sort Switkes, Frances, 1978-
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description Thesis (M.C.P. and S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003.
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spelling mit-1721.1/703632019-04-10T11:23:51Z Getting there is half the problem : removing obstacles to accessing rail transit Switkes, Frances, 1978- Kenneth E. Kruckemeyer and Ralph A. Gakenheimer. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Urban Studies and Planning. Thesis (M.C.P. and S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003. Includes bibliographical references (p. 169-173). People can arrive at a station using a variety of different transportation modes including walking, biking, taking a bus or driving. Each access mode interfaces with transit in a different way. The layout and design of the station area affect how people reach the station and may attract or dissuade riders from using specific access modes or even whether to take transit at all. Improving transit accessibility benefits those people currently using transit and also makes it more attractive to people who may currently choose another mode for travel by providing another attractive mode choice, helping improve transit ridership and customer satisfaction. Different features and design elements that affect the safety, security, directness, weather protection and other supportive details of accessing transit are evaluated in this thesis. These elements extend from the station into the surrounding community. Since the transit agency does not control much of this infrastructure, it must work with other agencies to make these improvements. A suggested framework is developed to provide guidance at how a transit agency can effectively prioritize different station area improvements and how they can work with other agencies to efficiently implement these improvements. The number of people that will benefit and the potential for improvement should be considered when prioritizing projects. Projects that have lower priorities should be completed if there is an opportunity to incorporate them into other projects being done either by the transit agency or another agency. Design cases have been completed for Roosevelt Station in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Jefferson Park Station in Chicago, Illinois. Improving the pedestrian environment, including developing continuous, well-maintained sidewalks, is the most pressing need at Roosevelt Station. Jefferson Park needs to focus on the conflicts between modes created by the current design such as discouraging pedestrians from walking through the bus area, creating a pedestrian crossing in front of the station and improving dropoff access. Working with other agencies is important for both transit agencies. by Frances Switkes. M.C.P.and S.M. 2012-04-26T18:46:44Z 2012-04-26T18:46:44Z 2003 2003 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70363 52549859 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 186 p. application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Urban Studies and Planning.
Switkes, Frances, 1978-
Getting there is half the problem : removing obstacles to accessing rail transit
title Getting there is half the problem : removing obstacles to accessing rail transit
title_full Getting there is half the problem : removing obstacles to accessing rail transit
title_fullStr Getting there is half the problem : removing obstacles to accessing rail transit
title_full_unstemmed Getting there is half the problem : removing obstacles to accessing rail transit
title_short Getting there is half the problem : removing obstacles to accessing rail transit
title_sort getting there is half the problem removing obstacles to accessing rail transit
topic Urban Studies and Planning.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/70363
work_keys_str_mv AT switkesfrances1978 gettingthereishalftheproblemremovingobstaclestoaccessingrailtransit