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Additional Resources - National Contacts

National Organizations | Advocacy Groups | National Contacts

Transportation Planning

American Planning Association (http://www.planning.org) has extensive resources for community and transportation planning, including a book ordering service.

American Public Transit Association (http://www.apta.com) provides resources for public transit analysis and planning.

Directory of Transportation Libraries and Information Centers (http://ntl.bts.gov/tldir) provides information and links to dozens of libraries and information centers dedicated to transportation.

The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways (http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/bchighways) publishes documents concerning transport planning and the environmental and social impacts of transportation.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (http://www.bts.gov) has crash data.

The Centre for Education in the Built Environment (http://cebe.cf.ac.uk/) provides planning resources.

Centre for Transport Studies, University College London (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/transport-studies/) is a leading research institution in evaluating the economic and social impacts of transportation decisions.

Economic Development Research Group (http://www.edrgroup.com/pages/const_trans.html) has a comprehensive collection of articles and web sites dealing with economic development impacts of transportation.

The Federal Highway Administration, Planning, Environment and Realty website (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment) has extensive resources for evaluating environmental and social impacts and incorporating them into transportation decision making.

The Federal Highway Administration annual Highway Statistics report (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/) is the source of raw data on vehicle travel, roadway use and crashes.

The Institution of Highways & Transportation (http://www.iht.org) is the primary organization for transportation professionals in the U.K. It publishes a number of reports and guides, including some that deal with cycle planning and environmental assessment.

Institute of Transportation Engineers (http://www.ite.org). has extensive technical resources on traffic calming and transportation demand management.

The Institute of Logistics and Transport (http://www.iolt.org.uk) is a major research organization that provides many resources for transportation planning and analysis.

National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) is the authoritative source of national data on the travel behavior of the American public. It can be found at http://nhts.ornl.gov.

The Northwestern University Center for public safety(http://nucps.northwestern.edu/) provides courses on pedestrian and bicycle planning, and urban congestion management (including TDM strategies) that should be non-threatening to even the most conservative traffic engineer.

The San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) (http://www.spur.org) is a leading organization doing research to develop more livable urban areas.

Transportation Association of Canada (http://www.tac-atc.ca) provides a variety of resources related to transportation planning and TDM.

Surface Transportation Policy Project (http://www.transact.org) is a collection of information and resources about making communities more livable and helping the environment through innovative transportation projects and initiatives.

Transport Canada (http://www.tc.gc.ca) provides a number of documents about transportation in Canada.

The Transport Research Laboratory (http://www.trl.co.uk) sponsors and publishes a wide range of studies on traffic, transportation management, traffic safety and traffic calming.

Transportation Research Information Services(http://www.nas.edu/trb/about/tris.html) is the Transportation Research Board’s bibliographic database on the subject of transportation research. The TRIS database contains document abstracts describing the published literature of highway research; rural, urban, and intercity transit research, highway safety research, railroad research, maritime research, and air transport research.

The University of California Institute of Transportation Studies (UCTC) (http://www.its.berkeley.edu/) offers an extensive library and reports.

The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (http://www.volpe.dot.gov) is a leading transportation research institute.


Sustainable Transportation

Transportation for a Livable City(http://www.livablecity.org/resources.html) is an information network dedicated to promoting a balanaced transportation system and complementary land use for more livable San Francisco..

Climate Solutions (http://www.climatesolutions.org) is an independent organization working to
stop global warming by helping the Pacific Northwest to become a world leader in practical and profitable solutions.

Detour Publications (http://www.detourpublications.com) provides information related to urban ecology and transportation planning.

Energy Aware Committee (http://www.energyaware.bc.ca) promotes sustainable community planning and produces a tool kit for planners on how to reduce community energy consumption, particularly more efficient transportation.

EnviroWindows (http://sd-online.ewindows.eu.org) provides environmental information for business and local authorities.

European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E, http://www.t-e.nu) is a European umbrella for non-governmental organizations promoting an environmentally responsible approach to transport.

The Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (http://www.ITDP.org) is an organization that supports sustainable transportation policies throughout the world, including in developing countries.

International Institute for Environment and Development (http://www.iied.org) performs research on strategies for supporting economic development and improving the environment in lower income countries.

The Pembina Institute (http://www.pembina.org) is a leading Canadian research organization dealing with energy policy and climate change emissions.


Transportation Environmental Impacts

Carfree Times (http://carfree.com/cft/index.html) is an international journal dedicated to promoting reduced automobile dependency.

Center for Transportation and the Environment at North Carolina State University (http://www.itre.ncsu.edu/cte) provides extensive technical information on quantifying environmental impacts.

Northwest Environment Watch (http://www.northwestwatch.org) is an environmental organization that performs studies on the environmental impacts of automobile use and sprawl.

The Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials(NEMO) Project (http://nemo.uconn.edu) is a University of Connecticut Educational program for land use decision makers that addresses the relationship of land use to natural resource protection.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Center for Environmental Economics website (http://yosemite.epa.gov/ee/epa/eed.nsf/pages/homepage) has a broad range of useful resources, some of which apply specifically to transportation.

The Union of Concerned Scientists Transportation Website (http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/index.cfm) provides information on more environmentally and socially responsible transportation options.

Université Libre de Bruxelles Center for Economic and Social Studies on the Environment Sustainable Development Library (http://www.ulb.ac.be/ceese/meta/sustvl.html) provides comprehensive information on sustainable development.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Smart Communities Network(http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/) has information on sustainable community transportation planning.

Scenic America (http://www.scenic.org) is the public policy voice for people who want to protect natural beauty and community character. This organization provides resources to help incorporate aesthetic values in public planning.

Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads(http://www.wildlandscpr.org) The Grassroots Activist website for the Wild Rockies region works to reduce road building in wilderness areas.


Transportation Equity

ADAPT (http://www.adapt.org) is an advocacy organization representing the interests of people with disabilities, which sponsors many projects related to mobility and access issues.

Children on the Move website about children and transport: http://www.ecoplan.org/children.

The Center for Neighborhood Technology (http://www.locationefficiency.com) operates programs that address transportation, land use and housing issues in urban America.

The Community Transportation Association (http://www.ctaa.org) is a coalition of agencies that provide mobility services for non-drivers.

The Conservation Law Foundation (http://www.clf.org) has programs and materials dealing with transportation equity.

The Environmental Defense Fund (http://www.edf.org) is a national non-profit organization that works on a number of initiatives to integrate environmental and equity goals.

Gender and Transport web-site and Social Exclusion & Transport web-site, Dept. of Planning, University of Manchester, (http://www.geocities.com/transport_research/)

RoadPeace (http://www.roadpeace.org) is the United Kingdom’s national charity for road crash victims, “Working for Real Road Safety; Supporting those bereaved or injured in a road crash.”

The Surface Transportation Policy Project (http://www.transact.org) works to create more equitable and environmentally responsible transportation policies.

Transportation Alternatives (http://www.transalt.org) represents the interests ofcyclist and pedestrians in New York City.


Transportation Demand Management

Association for Commuter Transportation(ACT) (http://www.actweb.org/) is a non-profit organization that supports transportation demand management programs.

Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST) (http://www.best.bc.ca/) promotes alternative modes of travel throughout the Vancouver region.

Carsharing websites (http://www.carsharing.com or http://www.carsharing.net) provides information on carsharing programs, which allow “All the freedom of driving, without the hassles and expense of owning a car.”

The Center for Neighborhood Technology (http://www.cnt.org/) promotes public policies, new resources and accountable authority which support sustainable, just and vital urban communities. They have innovative research on location-efficient mortgages.

Center for a Sustainable Economy (http://http://www.sustainable-economy.org/) provides resources concerning tax shifting and environmental tax reform, including proposals to change fuel and vehicle prices.

Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida(http://www.cutr.usf.edu/) provides TDM resources for transportation planners and program developers.

The California Air Resources Board (http://www.arb.ca.gov/) provides a variety of information about more efficient transportation and land use.

Commuter Check (http://www.commutercheck.com) is a business that works with transit agencies to provide transit vouchers as tax exempt employee benefit, as is now allowed under federal income tax law.

The EPA Commuter Choice Program (http://www.commuterchoice.com/)
provides resources for developing parking cash out programs.

"Great Options in Transportation" Go Boulder (http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/goboulder/) is an excellent example of a
community-base TDM program.

RoadPeace (http://www.roadpeace.org) is the United Kingdom’s national charity for road crash victims, “Working for Real Road Safety; Supporting those bereaved or injured in a road crash.”

The TDM Resource Center (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/tdm/) provides travel demand management materials, planning research, information and limited funding to state, regional and local agencies and public/private partnerships.

Transportation Control Measures Directory (http://yosemite.epa.gov/aa\tcmsitei.nsf) provides a searchable database of TDM strategies, programs and case studies.

The University of British Columbia’s (Trip reduction,Research, Education & Knowledge)TREK program centre(http://www.trek.ubc.ca) and the University of Washington UPass Program (http://www.washington.edu/facilities/transportation/commuterservices) provide
a variety of transportation services to college students and employees, resulting in substantial (20-40%) reductions in automobile trips.

Victoria Transport Policy Institute (http://www.vtpi.org) provides resources for planning and evaluating TDM, bicycling and walking programs, including the Online TDM Encyclopedia.


Traffic and Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov) has many studies and fact sheets that summarize crash data.

The Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
(http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/ncsa/fars.html#FARSq) provides information on crash deaths.

The Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme (TRIPP) (http://www.iitd.ac.in/tripp) at the India Institute of Technology is an interdisciplinary program focusing on the reduction of adverse health effects of road transport, with particular attention to conditions in developing countries. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (http://www.highwaysafety.org) has summary reports. It also provides crash data by vehicle model (http://www.carsafety.org).

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents(ROSPA) (http://www.rospa.com/resources/) has considerable road safety resources.

For a study of pedestrian/bicycle crashes (in New York City) see the recent report Killed by Automobile by the group Right of Way (http://www.rightofway.org).


Pedestrian and Bicycle Issues

American Trails (http://www.americantrails.org) goal is to foster communication among trail users. The site provides links to 600 other trail sites, a library of hundreds of trail-related articles, news items and action alerts.

Bicycle Federation of America (http://www.bikewalk.org) provides a variety of resources related to bicycle and pedestrian planning and advocacy.

The Bike Hub; National Bicycle Safety Network (http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/bike) is a program by the Center for Disease Control to encourage bicycle safety, particularly helmet use.

The Federal Highway Administration Pedestrian Program (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/index.htm) provides a variety of pedestrian safety information and resources.

The International Bicycle Fund (http://www.ibike.org) offers information on bicycle tours and development in Africa and other developing regions.

International Walk to School Day (http://www.iwalktoschool.org).

National Center for Safe Routes to School (http://www.saferoutesinfo.org) provides information, resources and links about the Safe Routes to School program.

National Transportation Week Pedestrian Website (http://www.ntweek.org) provides links to a number of other pedestrian planning websites.

Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning (http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEPED/planproc.shtml) is an example of bicycle and pedestrian planning at its best.

Partnership for a Walkable America (http://www.walkableamerica.org/) promotes the benefits of walking and supports efforts to make communities more pedestrian friendly.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
(http://www.bicyclinginfo.org) provides a variety of technical information on non-motorized transport planning and programs.

Perils for Pedestrians (http://www.pedestrians.org) is a monthly cable television series promoting awareness of issues affecting the safety of people who walk. The website has resources for pedestrian advocates. Right of Way (http://www.rightofway.org) is a group of activists dedicated to asserting the rights of car-free street users – including pedestrians, cyclists, and skaters – and fighting back against
car violence.

Sustrans (http://www.sustrans.co.uk) is a British organization that designs and builds routes for cyclists, walkers and people with disabilities.

Vancouver Island Safety Council (http://www.visafetycouncil.com) works to “prevent accidents of all kinds on the roads of British Columbia” by offering traffic safety programs, including pedestrian and bicycle safety education.

America WALKs (http://www.americawalks.org) is a coalition of walking advocacy groups across America.

Walkable Communities, Inc. (http://www.walkable.org) works with communities to create more people-oriented environments.

USDOT Federal Highway Administration’s Safe Routes to School Program. Resources, links and guidance can be found at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/


Livable Communities

The American Farmland Trust (http://www.farmland.org) works to stop the loss of productive farmland and to promote farming practices that lead to a healthy environment. AFT has conducted cost of community services studies around the country.

The American Planning Association (http://www.planning.org) is the professional society for planners in the U.S. The APA’s “Growing Smart” initiative includes a Legislative Guidebook with model legislation, a national planning statute clearinghouse and a database of state legislative materials.

Carfree.com (http://www.carfree.com) explores carfree cities past, present, and future, and provides practical solutions to the problems of urban automobile use.

Center for Livable Communities (http://www.lgc.org/center) helps local governments and community leaders be proactive in their land use and transportation planning, and adopt programs and policies that lead to more livable and resource-efficient land use patterns.

Congress for New Urbanism (http://www.cnu.org) is a movement centered on intelligent neighborhood planning, and a return to the type of urban communities built to a human scale, and not to the scale that only benefits the car.

The Environmental Policy Project (http://www.envpoly.org) is an excellent website devoted to the takings issue, including an introduction to takings and sections on the courts, Congress, state legislatures, EPP papers and research, and related Internet resources.

1000 Friends of Oregon (http://www.friends.org) is an independent organization dedicated to research, public education and advocacy related to land use and growth management issues.

League of American Bicyclists (http://www.bikeleague.org;) The Bicycle Friendly Communities Campaign is an awards program of the League of American Bicyclists, supported in part by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, that recognizes municipalities that actively support bicycling.

Green Communities Association (http://www.gca.ca) helps support community-based organizations working to achieve environmental improvement.

The Institute for Local Self Reliance (http://www.ilsr.org) provides technical assistance and information on environmentally sound economic development strategies.

The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives(ICLEI) (http://www.iclei.org) is the "international environmental agency for local governments" which provides tool to help communities become healthier and more environmentally responsible.

The Living Room (http://www.living-room.org) is an advocacy webzine for “exploring the physical and social structures of human society and their relationship to the rest of life.” It devotes attention to urban community, land use and transportation issues.

National Trust for Historic Preservation (http://www.nationaltrust.org) works to preserve historic sites, and improve the quality of life in American communities. Provides practical resources and information.

Partners for Livable Communities is a non-profit leadership organization working to improve the livability of communities by promoting quality of life, economic development, and social equity. Resources, links and best practices can be found at: http://www.livable.com/

Planners Web (http://www.plannersweb.com), maintained by the Planning Commissioners Journal, includes a sprawl resources guide, a primer for citizen planners, a tour of 12 key planning related sites, and a section on conservation design for subdivisions.

Sierra Club Sprawl Campaign (http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl) provides information on strategies for reducing sprawl impacts.

Sustainable Communities Network (http://www.sustainable.org) provides tools to help citizens work together to define a community’s course and make it more sustainable.

Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse (http://www.sprawlwatch.org) provides information, advice & referrals on sprawl & smart growth. Clearinghouse helps advocates, grassroots organizations, public officials, developers, architects, planners, policy makers & others revitalize existing communities and reduce sprawl.

The Smart Growth Network (http://www.smartgrowth.org/sgn/default.asp) includes planners, govt. officials, lenders, community developers, architects, environmentalists and activists. It encourages development that protects the environment and pays for itself without raising property taxes.

Terrain Journal of the Built & Natural Environments (http://www.terrain.org) is a quarterly online journal dealing with regional and community planning issues.

USDOT and USHUD have created the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to help American families gain better access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs. More information can be found at http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot8009.htm

World Health Organization Healthy Cities and Urban Goverance(http://www.who.dk/eprise/main/WHO/Progs/HCP/Home) provides information on international efforts to create healthy cities.


Environmental Planning and Economics

Environment Canada (http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html) has information on environmental impacts and mitigation programs.

Climate Solutions (http://www.climatesolutions.org) provides information and resources
concerning global climate change issues and emission reduction strategies.

U.S. EPA (http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/induindusttransportationindustry.html) has information on transportation planning and policy to reduce environmental impacts.

The Institute for Science and Technology Policy (http://wwwistp.murdoch.edu.au) at
Murdoch University performs research and education on social and ecological policy, and is particularly involved in identifying strategies for achieving more sustainable transportation and land use patterns.

International Society for Ecological Economics (http://www.ecoeco.org/) is a professional organization of people interested in valuing ecological resources.

The Lincoln Institute ofLand Policy (http://www.lincolninst.edu/index-high.asp) is dedicated to research related to land policy and management practices.

The Preservation Institute (http://www.preservenet.com) believes that modernization and growth can harm the natural and social environments, and so recommends selective implementation of new technologies.

The Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse (http://www.sprawlwatch.org) is a resource center that provides information, advice, and referrals on issues related to sprawl and smart growth. The Clearinghouse helps advocates, grassroots organizations, public officials, developers, architects, planners, policy makers and others revitalize existing communities and reduce urban sprawl.

The Sustainable Development Research Institute (http://www.sdri.ubc.ca/) fosters research on sustainable development issues that is policy-relevant, interdisciplinary and involves nonacademic partners.

The Worldwatch Institute (http://www.worldwatch.org) supports research and education programs dealing with long-term social equity and ecological viability.


Health Benefits of Walking and Bicycling

Bikes Belong (http://www.bikesbelong.org) is a cycling advocacy organization that provides resources for promoting cycling.

Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
(http://www.cahperd.ca/e/) provides resources and encouragement for family and community fitness programs.

The Centre for Physical Activity and Health (http://www.cahperd.ca/eng/index.cfm) focuses on physical activity epidemiology, PA measurement research, the design and evaluation of interventions to increase physical activity and policy research related to physical activity and health. The centre conducts a number of international projects in the Asia Pacific region and elsewhere around physical activity in the context of non-communicable disease prevention.

National Institutes of Health (http://health.nih.gov/) provides information on the health benefits of regular exercise.


Traffic Calming

Active Living Resource Center (http://www.activelivingresources.org/bikingandwalking1.php) has information related to traffic calming and links to related resources.

Canadian Guide to Neighborhood Traffic Calming, Transportation Association of Canada (Ottawa; http://www.tac-atc.ca), 1998.

David Engwicht Communications (http://www.lesstraffic.com) provides workshops and educational materials for “street reclaiming” by neighborhood residents.

Congress for the New Urbanism’s Narrow Streets Database (http://www.sonic.net/abcaia/narrow.htm) provides information on narrower street standards adopted in various communities.

Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) website (http://www.ite.org/traffic) which contains a searchable database of reports, articles and other documents related to traffic calming.